Orochimaru walked slowly through the underground laboratory, his footsteps echoing faintly against the cold stone walls.
For him, being awake and active at noon was something of a rarity.
Ever since his defeat in the Hokage election, he had rarely chosen to show himself in public.
It wasn't that he couldn't accept the loss. While he had indeed felt some dissatisfaction, it wasn't something he dwelled on.
In his view, failing to become Hokage simply meant that one of his dreams—as a shinobi of Konoha—had come to an end.
And more importantly, he had already found a new dream.
Now, what he desired more than anything was the pursuit of power… and the exploration of the mysteries of life itself.
If not for that, he would never have chosen to cooperate with someone like Danzō.
To be honest, Orochimaru had never thought highly of him.
That man was nothing more than a shadow of his teacher—a figure who bore the darkness of Konoha, yet was utterly undeserving of respect.
He had never truly understood his own place, nor had he ever seen himself for what he really was.
But none of that mattered to Orochimaru.
Even if Danzō had now caused a major problem, he didn't particularly care.
After all, their cooperation had been effective.
Danzō provided materials, equipment, and most importantly—a quiet, undisturbed environment.
Under such conditions, Orochimaru could focus entirely on his experiments.
"Still… that man truly lacks self-awareness," Orochimaru mused to himself as he walked. "Attacking my teacher… and even releasing that test subject."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"That not only cost me a valuable observation subject, but it may also bring unnecessary trouble."
Despite his thoughts, Orochimaru remained perfectly clear-headed.
An assassination attempt like that was doomed to fail.
Even though his teacher had grown old, he was still far beyond the reach of petty schemers.
And besides—the ANBU were no mere decoration.
Especially now that they had a new Commander.
For the sake of the ANBU's development—and perhaps to better contend with his own teacher—that new Commander would never neglect "protecting" him.
Reality had already proven as much.
What Orochimaru hadn't expected, however, was that the ANBU Commander himself would take action personally.
"Senju Natsuhiko… what an interesting and formidable young man."
As memories of the Nine-Tails' night surfaced—the colossal lizard, the suffocating presence of Wood Release—Orochimaru felt a faint tremor stir within him.
Wood Release…
It was something he had long sought to conquer.
And yet, even now, his progress remained limited. While he had managed to produce a relatively successful test subject, he knew all too well that it was nowhere near comparable to Natsuhiko.
What he had never told Danzō was that he had gone to the front lines that night.
He had personally witnessed—personally felt—Natsuhiko's Wood Release.
There had been something within it… something extraordinary.
A natural essence.
Perhaps that was the fundamental difference between the true power of the Senju clan… and the imitation obtained by outsiders through artificial means.
"But what exactly is that natural power?" Orochimaru pondered. "Why does it feel somewhat similar to that fool Jiraiya's…?"
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
Because he had sensed it—
A foreign chakra had appeared within the underground laboratory.
It felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, making it impossible for him to identify its owner.
But that hardly mattered.
Whoever it was, he would deal with them.
After all, it had been quite some time since he had properly stretched his limbs.
"And besides… this laboratory is not a place one can enter and leave as they please."
In an instant, Orochimaru's chakra surged violently, a terrifying aura rippling outward.
The walls of the underground lab shattered under the pressure, cracks spreading like fractures in glass.
His body lowered slightly, like a predator preparing to strike.
The next moment, he vanished—his figure darting forward like a hunting leopard, closing in on the unknown intruder.
As he moved, his chakra flared again.
Just as he reached the mysterious figure, several venomous snakes burst from the ground, lunging forward with open fangs, ready to strike.
At the same time, Orochimaru's hand shot toward the stranger's throat—
As if intending to end the fight in a single motion.
"Boom!"
But in that very instant, a pale golden chakra erupted from the mysterious figure's body.
The moment it appeared, the snakes that had been about to strike were reduced to ash.
At the same moment, the mysterious figure pivoted smoothly, evading Orochimaru's grasp with ease. In the next instant, a fist shot out, slamming hard into Orochimaru's back.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous crash, Orochimaru was driven straight into the ground.
The floor itself couldn't withstand the force—his body sank deep into it as fragments of stone exploded outward in all directions.
Yet the attacker clearly knew that a blow like that wouldn't be enough to finish him.
Without hesitation, he drew several kunai and hurled them toward Orochimaru's position, then vanished in a blur, creating distance between them.
That mysterious intruder was none other than Natsuhiko, who had infiltrated the lab to steal materials.
The moment he sensed the signal from the small lizard, he had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to enter the underground facility.
The little creature had proven reliable once again. Although it hadn't found any documents this time, it had led Natsuhiko to more samples—pieces of Hashirama's flesh.
Still, this laboratory was clearly far more heavily guarded than before.
Not only were the storage cabinets sealed with complex fūinjutsu, but patrols moved constantly through the area.
However, perhaps due to Danzō's recent fall from power, the number of guards was limited, and their vigilance wasn't particularly strict.
For Natsuhiko, breaking the seals and retrieving what he needed had been effortless.
Even so, the quantity he obtained was noticeably smaller than before—the samples themselves were far inferior in size and quality.
That alone was enough to leave him dissatisfied.
So after avoiding the patrols, he personally began searching alongside the lizard for any hidden documents.
But just as he entered a room to investigate, a powerful chakra suddenly locked onto him.
He had expected resistance—perhaps even an encounter with Orochimaru—but running into him so abruptly, and being forced into combat immediately, was… inconvenient.
Fortunately, Natsuhiko had prepared for this.
No matter who he encountered, he could handle the situation calmly.
Even now, as he looked at Orochimaru embedded in the ground, he remained cautious.
After all, this man was arguably one of the hardest to kill in the entire shinobi world.
Sure enough, the body trapped in the ground slowly dissolved into mud, while another form of Orochimaru rose from the nearby earth.
This time, however, there was a hint of astonishment in his snake-like pupils.
"…The Nine-Tails' chakra?"
Orochimaru stared intently at Natsuhiko, genuinely surprised.
The faint golden chakra surrounding this mysterious figure—there was no mistaking it. It was the chakra of the Nine-Tails.
During the chaos of that night, the beast's chakra had flooded the village so overwhelmingly that any capable shinobi would recognize it instantly.
But hadn't the Nine-Tails already been sealed?
Although Orochimaru hadn't directly participated that night, he was well aware of what had followed.
Natsuhiko and Minato Namikaze had split and sealed the Nine-Tails, meaning there were now, strictly speaking, two jinchūriki—Minato and his wife.
Could this person be Minato?
The thought crossed Orochimaru's mind briefly before he dismissed it.
Minato's condition was far from good—he had seen it himself.
Though he couldn't explain why Minato's frail body still contained such immense vitality, he knew it wasn't an act.
Moreover, Minato was currently recovering at Mount Myōboku. Even if he had somehow come here, Orochimaru didn't believe he could control the Nine-Tails' power to this extent.
Orochimaru had encountered the Nine-Tails' chakra before.
It was wild, violent—nearly impossible to control.
Yet the person before him…
Not only did he have black hair, entirely different from Minato's blond, but more importantly—
He wielded the Nine-Tails' chakra as though it were his own.
Such mastery was unheard of. Unseen.
"Correct. The Nine-Tails' chakra," Natsuhiko replied calmly, his voice cold and detached.
He made no effort to disguise his tone.
For a shinobi, imitating someone's voice wasn't difficult—but replicating the subtleties of emotion within it was another matter entirely.
Even speaking as himself, it would be difficult for Orochimaru to connect him to Natsuhiko.
After all… they had never truly met face to face.
Lifting his masked face slightly, Natsuhiko's voice carried a faint trace of arrogance.
"Or rather… one of the Nine-Tails."
"One of the Nine-Tails?" Orochimaru's pupils shifted, and he unconsciously licked his lips.
"…Are you saying there's more than one tailed beast?"
"Even the Ten-Tails isn't limited to just one—who told you the Nine-Tails is singular?" Natsuhiko shook his head lightly, his tone growing even more disdainful. "But ignorance is always accompanied by arrogance. I shouldn't have expected anything smarter from you."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru's gaze turned dangerously sharp. "Such arrogance is rather unpleasant… but since you possess such intriguing power—and such knowledge—defeating you might yield quite a bit of valuable information."
As he spoke, his chakra surged violently once more, his entire body shifting fully into a combat stance.
Natsuhiko watched him quietly.
If Orochimaru was going to act, there was no way he would remain idle.
Looking at the man coiled like a spring, ready to strike, Natsuhiko suddenly sighed, almost helplessly. In the next instant, the Nine-Tails' chakra around him erupted with overwhelming force.
By now, he was already surrounded by the shinobi stationed within the laboratory—but to him, they were nothing more than an afterthought.
"Do you know," Natsuhiko spoke again, his voice as cold and indifferent as ever, "how difficult it is to step over ants… without crushing them?"
In an instant, a suffocating pressure descended upon Orochimaru.
The entire underground laboratory began to tremble violently, the walls cracking and collapsing in several places.
It felt—
Like facing death itself.
Orochimaru's thoughts flickered rapidly, unable to fully comprehend what kind of monster stood before him.
And yet, he was still Orochimaru.
A man who would never simply surrender.
In that split second, he had already anticipated Natsuhiko's next move. Without hesitation, his hands formed seals.
"Ninja Art: Triple Rashomon!"
BOOM!
The massive gates had only just risen when a deafening explosion rang out.
The three towering defensive barriers, each carved with grimacing demonic faces, were instantly shattered into pieces.
Orochimaru's eyes widened as the figure before him closed the distance as if teleporting. In Natsuhiko's hand was a pitch-black sphere, vaguely resembling a Rasengan.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru rolled backward, retreating rapidly.
But before he could even stabilize himself in a defensive stance, the golden figure vanished once more—
And the next moment, agonized screams echoed throughout the surroundings.
Orochimaru knew instantly—the Root operatives stationed nearby had been slaughtered.
More importantly, he could also sense that this underground laboratory wouldn't hold together much longer under such destruction.
And yet, instead of fear, what filled Orochimaru was excitement.
Thrill.
He had glimpsed something extraordinary.
Something beyond his current understanding.
A power—and perhaps even a force—that existed outside everything he knew.
The man before him had appeared out of nowhere, wielding the Nine-Tails' power with perfect control.
Someone like this… should not exist without leaving behind legends in the shinobi world.
Unless—
"How weak."
At that moment, Natsuhiko slowly walked forward, shaking his head faintly.
"I've seen the records. Rashōmon was originally a technique of the First Hokage… and if I recall correctly, there are five gates, not three."
"I can only manage three," Orochimaru admitted, his body trembling slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.
He was increasingly convinced of his guess.
"It seems you possess quite a bit of information about the First Hokage… or perhaps your organization does."
An organization?
Natsuhiko glanced at him, faintly amused.
Where would he get an organization from?
Well… if one insisted, the entire ANBU could count. Or perhaps the Internal Affairs Division he was planning to establish.
The thought almost made him laugh.
Clearly, this display of power had startled Orochimaru into overthinking.
But Natsuhiko had no intention of answering that question.
And more importantly, he didn't plan to drag this out any longer.
This state, fueled by the Nine-Tails' chakra, wasn't something he could maintain indefinitely.
Of course, it wasn't as fleeting as just a few minutes either—but it still had its limits.
"…You could say that," Natsuhiko replied with a casual nod before letting out a quiet sigh. "Now that the trash has been cleared, we can continue."
"You're incredibly powerful—and you wield the Nine-Tails' chakra," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as curiosity flickered in his eyes. "And yet, I've never heard your name before. Tell me… why have you set your sights on Konoha?"
"I haven't set my sights on Konoha," Natsuhiko replied calmly, fully aware that Orochimaru was probing him. Still, he didn't mind playing along a little.
"My interest lies in what you've been researching."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"The cells of Senju Hashirama—even I find them… intriguing.
"And now that someone in Konoha can actually use Wood Release again…"
A faint, almost dangerous smile appeared beneath his mask.
"That only makes it all the more tempting for us."
"As for why no one knows about me… haven't you already guessed the answer?" Natsuhiko replied calmly.
"…I see. So that's how it is."
Orochimaru caught the subtle implication in Natsuhiko's wording—especially the "us"—and immediately drew several intriguing conclusions.
So it really was as he suspected.
This "us" suggested an organization, one that was unknown yet possessed absurdly overwhelming strength.
If he extended that line of reasoning further, could it be that every member of this group wielded tailed beast power?
If so, it suddenly made sense why they hadn't directly targeted Senju Natsuhiko.
After all, the one called Natsuhiko possessed Wood Release—power that naturally countered tailed beasts.
And the reason they remained hidden from the world was also simple.
Anyone who had ever encountered them… was already dead.
...
"Alright. Your evaluation is over."
While Natsuhiko was feeding Orochimaru carefully constructed misdirection, in an ANBU office within the Hokage Building, Renge had just finished assessing Uchiha Sora.
The test itself had been straightforward—nothing more than a standard written exam used for recruiting administrative personnel within the ANBU.
Renge had taken the same exam herself less than an hour before Sora arrived, but that didn't prevent her from acting as a competent examiner.
Of course, the evaluation wasn't limited to just a written test.
There was also a practical assessment of administrative aptitude.
Since Natsuhiko had already decided to direct Uchiha Sora toward this path, Renge naturally followed his directive.
What surprised her, however, was how well the girl performed.
Both in the written portion and the practical evaluation, her results were nearly on par with her own.
Of course, Renge didn't consider herself exceptionally talented; she was still a newcomer, just beginning her journey.
But the standard used to evaluate her was set by Natsuhiko himself—and Sora's performance matched that same benchmark.
By that measure, she was indeed excellent.
"I never expected the examiner to be you," Sora said seriously, looking at Renge. "Still, I believe Natsuhiko must have had his reasons for assigning you."
"You don't need to keep bringing up Natsuhiko," Renge replied lightly, shaking her head. "I know exactly what I'm supposed to do."
"According to his standards, you've passed. Your score is about the same as mine. In his words… that's very good."
"About the same as you… very good?" Sora's eyes lit up slightly at the praise.
She was genuinely pleased—but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a little frustrated that the words came from Renge rather than Natsuhiko himself. If she had arrived first, she was certain he would have been the one to tell her directly.
Still, she had been a step slower. Renge was from the same clan as Natsuhiko, after all, and that naturally gave her certain advantages.
But Sora didn't dwell on it.
If Renge could pass this assessment and enter the ANBU, then so could she.
And once she was inside, she would prove herself even more—she would surpass this woman, without a doubt.
"Yes, very good," Renge confirmed with a nod. "Congratulations. Your assessment is complete. You'll now enter a probationary period within the ANBU."
"It's over already?" Sora blinked in surprise. "No combat test? Am I being assigned to the administrative division?"
"If you want to go into the administrative division, that's perfectly fine," Renge replied evenly. "That's your choice. I'm only responsible for the evaluation."
"I see…" Sora nodded thoughtfully. "Then what about you? Are you in the administrative division as well?"
"No. I belong to a department that is still being established… though soon, everyone will know about it."
"Is that so? Can you tell me more about it?"
...
"Small talk is over. Now..."
Natsuhiko slowly raised his head, his eyes—cold and indifferent behind the mask—locking onto Orochimaru.
"Are you ready to say goodbye to this world?"
"You really are an unpleasant man," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as his chakra surged even more violently.
"Don't act like you've already won. It won't be that easy to devour me!"
Thwack!
The moment his words fell, Orochimaru suddenly felt a searing pain erupt in his abdomen.
His expression twisted instantly as his body lurched forward, and then—his mouth opened wide as a mouthful of blood was violently coughed out.
He hadn't even seen how Natsuhiko moved before the blow landed directly in his abdomen.
The impact alone felt like it had torn through his internal organs.
Orochimaru's body was sent flying like a cannonball—but as an elite shinobi with years of combat experience, he still managed to react mid-air.
Even if his first moment of surprise had cost him dearly, he never forgot to defend himself.
But Natsuhiko's speed was simply too fast. Even without using Flying Thunder God, his movement was still absurdly beyond normal limits.
Before Orochimaru could fully bring his arms up to guard his chest, Natsuhiko had already closed the distance.
Another punch—aimed straight at his face.
Orochimaru twisted mid-air, his body forced into an uncontrollable trajectory as he was blasted away once more.
Natsuhiko, meanwhile, stopped where he stood and glanced down calmly.
"As expected of one of the Sannin. Even in that situation, you still managed to react," he said indifferently. "But unfortunately… all your efforts are meaningless in front of me."
"BOOM!"
Orochimaru's body slammed violently into a wall, shattering it instantly—yet in the next moment, his form dissolved into a pool of mud.
A Earth Clone, followed immediately by a substitution technique. Smooth. Precise. Experienced.
Even under such overwhelming pressure, he had still executed the perfect escape sequence. That alone already surpassed the majority of shinobi in the world.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
From the side, a massive earth dragon erupted from the ground, roaring as it lunged straight at Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko glanced at it casually, then flipped into the air while drawing a kunai.
Golden chakra surged along the blade as he swung it down—and the earth dragon was cleanly split in two.
The moment he landed, however, he raised an eyebrow.
The ground beneath his feet had already turned into a swamp.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Orochimaru finally reappeared through the drifting smoke. He looked unharmed—but his body was covered in viscous fluid, and Natsuhiko could clearly sense that his chakra had decreased slightly.
So that was it.
"I've got you," Orochimaru licked his lips, completely unfazed by his condition. "The more you struggle, the deeper you sink."
"You do realize, don't you?" Natsuhiko said lightly. "Every technique has an upper limit."
He shook his head with mild disdain, his voice still calm and detached.
"And you… are quite interesting. You're exchanging chakra to offset injuries, aren't you? I have to admit, your technique is disgusting—but effective."
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Without bothering to respond, Orochimaru struck immediately. Countless venomous snakes surged forward from his sleeves, flooding toward Natsuhiko.
But Natsuhiko only sighed faintly.
His chakra erupted outward violently.
In an instant, a massive Nine-Tails head materialized in front of him.
The snakes didn't even reach him before they were obliterated by the overwhelming chakra pressure, bursting apart into fragments as crimson blood splattered across the ground.
Orochimaru's attack posed no threat at all—at least, not yet.
But then Natsuhiko suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Someone was behind him.
"Die!"
At that exact moment, Orochimaru burst out of the swamp from behind, a longsword glowing with a brilliant blue light in his hand.
He had been waiting for this opening for a long time.
This battle had already placed him at a massive disadvantage. He had no intel on this mysterious opponent—only that he possessed the Nine-Tails and could wield its power perfectly.
Beyond that, nothing.
Yet his opponent likely didn't know much about him either—but given the sheer difference in power, it probably didn't matter.
That realization itself was terrifying.
A few exchanges—barely minutes—and this man's speed and strength had carved an indelible impression into Orochimaru's mind.
And he hadn't forgotten the most important thing.
This man had another technique.
A technique that had shattered his strongest defense—Triple Rashōmon—in a single strike.
To win, he had to use a different approach.
And this moment… was it.
"SHIIK!"
The blade descended.
The Kusanagi Sword pierced straight through Natsuhiko's back and out through his chest. The massive Nine-Tails chakra construct behind him shattered instantly, and the faint golden chakra surrounding his body began to fade.
Orochimaru stared at the scene intently—only to suddenly frown.
There was no blood.
"I already told you," Natsuhiko's voice suddenly sounded right beside his ear, calm and indifferent. "Power has its limits. Yours simply isn't enough to restrain me."
Orochimaru's hair stood on end.
The Natsuhiko that had been impaled instantly turned into a puff of smoke.
A shadow clone.
At the same time, Orochimaru sensed his own clone being destroyed elsewhere.
Without hesitation, he manipulated the Kusanagi Sword with chakra, pulling it back and thrusting forward again.
But the golden figure was already in front of him.
Natsuhiko had appeared silently at close range, a kunai in hand. With a casual flick, he deflected the incoming strike.
Orochimaru's taijutsu was exceptional as well—despite being outmatched in speed, he refused to stop fighting. The moment his blade was knocked aside, he followed up with a punch from his left fist.
Natsuhiko blocked it with one hand, then drove a kick straight into Orochimaru's abdomen.
"You really think that just because I can't see you, I can't perceive your little tricks?"
His voice remained cold and dismissive as he pressed the attack.
He parried the Kusanagi Sword again with his kunai, then followed with another heavy punch.
"BOOM!"
Orochimaru was sent flying once more, crashing through multiple walls before finally coming to a stop.
The moment he landed, Natsuhiko was already in front of him again, kunai aimed at his chest.
"So that was your plan," Natsuhiko said evenly as he fought. "Use a swamp technique to restrict me while drawing my attention with a frontal assault, then send a shadow clone behind me with your real weapon for a surprise attack."
Orochimaru barely managed to block the kunai with the Kusanagi Sword—but the next instant, Natsuhiko's fist struck him again.
His face twisted as he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"But you made one mistake," Natsuhiko continued calmly. "Every single movement of yours is within my perception. You can use shadow clones—I can do the same. Nothing you do escapes my senses."
Orochimaru was kicked away once more, yet his expression remained unchanged—eerily calm.
He had already gathered enough information.
This battle, for him, was essentially over.
Even if the data felt incomplete, his body was already reaching its limit. If he didn't retreat soon, he truly would be in danger.
A speed beyond comprehension. Overwhelming physical strength. The ability to partially transform using Nine-Tails chakra.
So that was it—his power was built around the Nine-Tails.
The question was how long he could maintain it.
On top of that, his sensory abilities were absurd, allowing him to perceive every movement.
No weaknesses… or so it seemed.
However, his personality was excessively arrogant. Even if that arrogance was backed by strength, it was still a flaw.
Orochimaru pushed himself up from the ground.
He had gathered enough intelligence. Not much—but enough for now. His body, however, was nearing its limit. If he didn't escape quickly, things would turn dangerous.
With that thought, he forced his trembling hands onto the ground.
Every movement was agony. His bones were shattered in multiple places, and several ribs had already pierced his internal organs.
If not for his abnormal physique and soft-body modification, any other ninja would already be dead.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
A massive wall of earth rose instantly between them. Without hesitation, he followed up with another technique—Orochimaru Style: Substitution Jutsu.
His mouth stretched unnaturally wide, and a new body crawled out from within.
"BOOM!"
The earth wall collapsed immediately after, but Orochimaru had already completed his escape technique.
"Earth Style: Rock Lodging Destruction!"
The entire underground laboratory began to shake violently as his chakra surged outward.
He intended to destroy the entire facility.
And more than that—he had already prepared his escape route.
A massive serpent appeared behind him. Without hesitation, Orochimaru leapt into its mouth.
And in the next instant, his body dissolved into a cloud of smoke…