Orochimaru's low, rasping laugh filled the tent.Coming from anyone else, it would have been unsettling. Tonight, in Yoru's ears, it sounded almost welcoming.
A snake slipped from Orochimaru's mouth—wet, pale, and far too calm for something that had just been inside a human throat. It convulsed once, then disgorged a scroll soaked in its own mucus.
Yoru's breath hitched despite himself.
Orochimaru wiped nothing away, merely placed the now-damp scroll on the desk and smiled as if offering a gift.
"Yoru," he said, voice velvet and venom in equal measure, "your potential continues to impress me."
Yoru unsealed the scroll.
Names. A lineage.Orochimaru's name sat at the top. The last name on the list:
Mitarashi Anko.
His pulse kicked.This was no ordinary scroll.
A contract.
The Ryūchi Cave summoning pact.
He bowed at once, forcing down the tremor in his hands. "Orochimaru-sensei… I won't fail your expectations. Nor will the Uchiha."
He bit his thumb and pressed his name to the contract. Chakra burned faintly across the parchment as the pact accepted him.
Orochimaru's smile sharpened.
"You learn quickly. You understand leverage. And you understand timing."
Yoru lifted his head. "Sensei's research needs resources. The Uchiha clan intends to supply anything you require. That is the core of our partnership."
The message was plain:We give you the fuel. You give us the connection.
Orochimaru studied him with an expression that belonged on a scientist examining a rare specimen.
"And in return," he murmured, "you expect the Uchiha to stand closer to power."
Yoru said nothing, which was answer enough.
Orochimaru continued, "If this alliance is to function, your clan's forces at the front line must respond to my directives. Will they?"
Yoru hesitated only long enough to appear thoughtful.
"Yes, sensei. They will defer to you."
And if the clan planned for Itachi to be the one standing beside the Snake Sannin… well, that was a problem Yoru had already solved by stepping into the role ahead of schedule.
Orochimaru accepted the answer with a satisfied hum. Clan politics bored him unless they benefited him. Tonight, they did.
He tossed Yoru another scroll. "Deliver this research to your clan's operatives. Upon your return, Anko will begin teaching you serpent-style techniques."
That was it. The acknowledgement. The seal of acceptance.
He was now, in every visible way, Orochimaru's disciple.
Yoru bowed deeply. "Then I'll report to Shisui at once."
Stepping outside, he allowed himself one silent grin.The plan was working—dangerous, reckless, delicate, but working.
He returned to the Uchiha encampment. Shisui was there, waiting, posture as open and earnest as ever.
"Yoru-nii," he greeted. "You're back."
Yoru paused at the entrance, letting uncertainty show in his expression. Shisui caught it instantly and gestured for perimeter security.
Within seconds, the surrounding grass barely stirred with the movement of Uchiha guards taking positions. A sensory barrier went up, familiar and faintly tingling.
"Everything's secure," Shisui said. "Talk."
Yoru exhaled. "The clan intends for Itachi to join Orochimaru when he arrives. They want me to prepare the way. To test the waters. To see if Itachi can become his student."
Shisui frowned. He knew.But hearing it framed like this made his shoulders tighten.
"Yoru-nii… did something go wrong?"
Yoru lifted his head slowly.
"Shisui… listen. I'm not obstructing Itachi. I'm not competing with him. I'm doing this because someone had to move first. If we waited for Itachi's arrival…"He shook his head."…the opportunity would've vanished."
Shisui's eyes softened in instant understanding, tinted with guilt.
The Uchiha were already walking a thin edge politically. Their isolation at the border was obvious—their tents set apart, their movements watched with suspicion. Any foothold, any connection to a future Hokage, could shift their entire future.
Yoru placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder, lowering his voice.
"Everything I'm doing… every choice I'm making… is for the clan. For the future we won't get if we hesitate."
Shisui swallowed hard.
"Yoru-nii… I trust you."
And that was exactly what Yoru needed.