Chapter 262: Orochimaru's Defection
Stepping into the underground laboratory he hadn't visited in a long time, Kyosuke found it swarming with Anbu. He frowned, watching as body after body was carried out. He continued on, deeper into the facility, and found a grief-stricken Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Lord Third," he said, his voice low.
Hiruzen's head snapped up, his eyes sharp and filled with a cold fury. "Kyosuke, tell me the truth. Did you know about this?"
"I knew of this place, but I have not been here for a long time. I was not involved in my master's human experiments," Kyosuke replied, his voice calm and steady.
He was inwardly relieved. It seemed Hiruzen had once again let Orochimaru go. And Orochimaru, in turn, had not betrayed him. It no longer mattered if Hiruzen believed him or not. Without any evidence, he would have no choice but to let the matter drop.
And just as he had predicted, Hiruzen simply gave him a long, searching look. "Your master... I hope you do not end up like him," he said, then turned and walked out of the laboratory, his steps heavy.
Kyosuke stood in silence for a moment, then grabbed a passing Anbu and asked which way Orochimaru had fled.
Ten kilometers outside of Konoha, a seemingly ferocious battle was coming to an end.
Orochimaru, the newly minted rogue ninja, faced off against Jiraiya, who had come to bring his friend back to the village. One was fighting with a grim, unyielding determination, the other with a hesitant, conflicted heart. The outcome was never in doubt.
"Bang!"
A powerful blow sent Jiraiya staggering back, coughing up blood. Orochimaru ignored his friend's pained cries and turned to leave. But Jiraiya struggled to his feet and once again tried to stop him. A cold, hard look appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. He would not be held back any longer.
Jiraiya, unable to bring himself to fight at his full strength, was quickly defeated, left unconscious and gravely injured on the ground.
Orochimaru looked at his former comrade, his expression a mixture of complex emotions. "From this day forward, I am alone," he whispered. "No one will stand in the way of my pursuit of truth. No one!"
By nightfall, he had reached the border of the Land of Fire. He was finally out of Konoha's reach. He let out a sigh of relief.
"The old man has truly gotten old, to let me go so easily. Hehehe." He got his bearings and was about to head toward one of his pre-prepared hideouts when he froze.
A figure was standing silently by the river, waiting for him.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique... a useful jutsu indeed," Orochimaru said, his voice a low hiss.
"It has its uses. But it is a difficult technique to master," Kyosuke replied with a smile.
"Heh. I know your talent better than anyone. A mere Flying Thunder God would not pose a challenge for you," Orochimaru said, shaking his head.
Kyosuke simply smiled. He wasn't being modest. He had managed to learn the basics of the technique a year ago, but it had remained at level 1 ever since. And with his current shortage of experience points, there were other, more pressing skills to level up.
The two of them stood in silence for a long moment.
"So, have you come to kill your master and win the old man's favor?" Orochimaru finally asked.
"His favor?" A mocking smile flashed across Kyosuke's face. "As an Uchiha, I can never truly win his favor. Isn't that right, Orochimaru... Sensei?"
"Oh?" A flicker of interest appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. "So, you've finally seen them for who they are. If you're not here to drag me back, then I'm curious to know your true purpose."
"Do you remember, Sensei, when you asked me to join you? I wonder, is that offer still on the table?"
"Join me?! Hahahaha!" Orochimaru stared at him, then burst into a wild, unrestrained laughter. "You refused me when I was still in Konoha. Now that I am a rogue ninja, you..."
He trailed off, a look of stunned realization on his face. He looked at Kyosuke as if seeing him for the first time.
"I never would have thought... no. I should have known from the very beginning. Your disguise, all these years... it was perfect. Hahahaha! Interesting. Truly, truly interesting."
"I can agree to an alliance," he said, his laughter subsiding. "What do you have in mind?"
"Simple. I can use the power of the Uchiha clan to secretly assist you in your research, with both funding and manpower," Kyosuke said, offering his first term.
"Good. Continue."
"I can also provide you with a test subject that has perfectly fused with the Hashirama cells. With it, you will never have to worry about a shortage of experimental material again."
"Perfectly fused? Are you certain?"
"Yes. Not the half-assed fusion of Danzo, but a true fusion. It may even have other... interesting properties."
"May... so you don't have 'it' yet?"
"It won't be long. I already have a complete plan. 'It' will not escape me."
"In that case..." Orochimaru mused, "what do you want from me?"
"First, I wish for us to share the results of our research," Kyosuke said without hesitation. "Second, I want the Impure World Reincarnation, the forbidden jutsu invented by the Second Hokage."
"Interesting. To think you would also be interested in that jutsu. Both of those are acceptable. Anything else?" Orochimaru said, a strange smile on his face.
"Hah..." Kyosuke let out a breath and stated his third, and most important, demand.
"I hope that, one day, you will provide me with... external assistance."
"External assistance? For what?"
"To help me, and the Uchiha clan," Kyosuke said, his calm eyes suddenly flashing with a sharp, dangerous light, "seize control of the village."
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 100 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!