In the ninja world, situations change in an instant.
Orochimaru had no idea that the spy he'd sent back to Konoha, Kabuto Yakushi, had already been won over by just a few words from Naruto Uzumaki.
On the way to the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Rice Fields, Kabuto was already hard at work. As Konoha's newly appointed orphanage director, he hadn't even officially started his new job, yet he was already hovering around the Fifth Hokage, more attentive than the actual guard ninjas of Team 3.
Tenten looked at Kabuto with suspicion. "Lord Hokage, isn't Kabuto-senpai a wanted rogue ninja? I heard he attacked Sasuke during the Chunin Exams and defected to Orochimaru..."
Before Naruto could answer, Kabuto spoke up to explain himself. "My previous allegiance to Orochimaru was under the Third Hokage's orders. My mission was to gather intelligence on him, but I never expected the Third to die in battle during the Chunin Exams."
It was a flimsy excuse, but a convenient one. The Third Hokage was dead, his soul sealed away. There was no way to verify the claim, so he could be blamed for anything. Of course, the same could be said for Danzo Shimura.
Naruto gave Kabuto a strange look and nodded. "That's right. It's just as he said. Kabuto-senpai was allied with Orochimaru to monitor him."
Kabuto-senpai's mind is as sharp as ever!
"Really?" Tenten's gaze was still full of doubt.
Kabuto nodded, habitually pushing up his glasses. "My identity has always been a Konoha secret," he said with a gentle smile. "Please don't leak it to outsiders."
With that one sentence, he shut down any further suspicion. Team 3 had no reason to keep questioning him. Their duty was to protect Naruto Uzumaki and eliminate enemies. Although Kabuto's arrival was highly suspicious, his own explanation, backed by the young Hokage's endorsement, made it seem plausible.
The white-haired young man maintained a kind and gentle smile, treating everyone with courtesy. With his high emotional intelligence, sharp intellect, and medical ninja background, he easily figured out what made others tick.
The two taijutsu specialists from Team 3 eagerly gathered around Kabuto, asking about nutritional meals for their training style. Tenten occasionally asked him about ninja tools, and even Neji Hyuga got some advice on how to treat the latent injuries caused by the Gentle Fist.
As long as Kabuto wanted to be, he could be incredibly popular. He was a natural spy, after all.
After Kabuto had finished answering Team 3's questions, Naruto finally got down to business. "What did Orochimaru go off to do?"
Kabuto thought for a moment before answering seriously. "Lord Orochimaru's body will soon collapse. He needs to find a new vessel before then."
"Mm, tell him to stop looking." Naruto waved his hand and tossed a scroll to Kabuto. "Inside is the corpse of a White Zetsu. Tell him to use the First Hokage's cells to clone one. That should be enough. There's no body more suitable for his Living Corpse Reincarnation than a White Zetsu."
This was one of the few White Zetsu that had hatched from the Spore Technique when he was negotiating with Black Zetsu. As long as Orochimaru used Hashirama's cells and the White Zetsu to clone a body, it would last him a long time without deteriorating.
In the future, Orochimaru would be monitored by Yamato, and much of the intelligence from his human experiments ended up on the Hokage's desk. His cloning vessels were no exception. Trusting the future Orochimaru, Naruto didn't want him to waste time, so he simply gave him a proven line of research.
"..."
Kabuto's expression faltered. He took the scroll in a daze and asked doubtfully, "Lord Hokage... you don't mind human experiments?"
"Of course I mind!" Naruto glared at him, then cleared his throat. "Evil human experiments must be forbidden. But if they can benefit the ninja world, we should provide funding and support."
The Kabuto before him didn't know that the future Orochimaru, under Yamato's surveillance, would conduct experiments that brought many advanced medical techniques and technologies to Konoha. It was precisely because of this "cooperation" that Konoha's technology was constantly updated, allowing it to maintain its position as the top ninja village.
Naruto was not stingy with his support for Orochimaru. In the future, when other villages tried to force Orochimaru to hand over his latest technology, it was Naruto who protected him. The man was a hundred years ahead of the rest of the ninja world. Besides, his relationship with Jiraiya was close. As long as he wasn't completely off the rails, Orochimaru was worth twenty elite ANBU squads.
Naruto's tolerance was something Kabuto couldn't quite grasp. After a moment, he attributed it to the young Hokage's simple and pure nature. The white-haired young man felt a stir of emotion in his heart.
If the Hokage during Orochimaru's time had been Naruto Uzumaki, perhaps his master wouldn't have had to conduct his experiments in secret. Maybe he never would have defected from Konoha at all.
Honestly, Kabuto felt a sudden urge to recommend Naruto to Orochimaru. A Hokage with such a refreshingly normal worldview was hard to find. This thirteen-year-old boy was truly a kindred spirit. Not only did he give him the director's position, but he was also willing to support their scientific research. With a Hokage like this, was there really any need to cause trouble?
And it seemed Naruto didn't even care that Orochimaru had killed the Third Hokage and used the Impure World Reincarnation to revive the first three. This Hokage was incredibly broad-minded.
Of course, if Naruto knew what Kabuto was thinking, he'd probably tell him to have Orochimaru revive the Fourth Hokage, too. He could even provide the method, though it was risky—it involved dancing on the edge of the Reaper's blade.
Finding a spare moment, Kabuto stuffed the scroll containing the White Zetsu into a small snake's mouth. He wrote a detailed letter to Orochimaru, discussing the academic possibilities of a clone fused from Hashirama's cells and a White Zetsu, while also subtly praising Konoha's new Hokage.
As for what Orochimaru thought when he received the intelligence, Kabuto could only guess. The spy he sent to Konoha had been won over by a thirteen-year-old Hokage and was now sending him a letter trying to persuade him to surrender. The feeling was... subtle. Had they escaped Kotoamatsukami only to be undone by a few words from Naruto Uzumaki?
Just when Team 3 thought the rest of their journey to the Daimyo's residence would be uneventful, they encountered a highly suspicious enemy.
Konoha's S-rank rogue ninja, Itachi Uchiha.
And he was carrying a Konoha ANBU on his shoulder.
Noticing that Itachi intended to use his Sharingan on Team 3, Naruto's eyelid twitched. He spoke in a deep voice, "Guy-senpai, take your team and scout for other enemies! The Akatsuki operate in pairs, and we can't rule out more of them being here!"
"Understood!" Might Guy glanced at Itachi, then left with his team, leaving only Naruto and Kabuto to face the Uchiha.
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Bonus:
Orochimaru: I sent you to be a spy.
Kabuto: I know!
Orochimaru: Then why did you send me a letter trying to get me to surrender?!
Kabuto: You don't get it, Naruto is a really, really great Hokage...
Orochimaru: Shut up! Do you know how dangerous Kotoamatsukami is? I escaped Kotoamatsukami!
Kabuto: But he really is an amazing Hokage. Let me introduce you to my new idol!
Orochimaru: Get lost! I don't want to hear it