Everything in the world follows its own natural order. In this brutal shinobi world, to emphasize the destructive power of ninjutsu, there seems to be an unspoken rule: "Smoke, but no injuries."
Yet, why was one of the last remaining member of the Senju clan so utterly pathetic? He barely ran two steps before being blown to pieces right in front of his teacher, Orochimaru.
"What an unlucky brat," Kakuzu muttered as Heisei Rokuno entered the room, dragging an unconscious, bound man and tossing him onto the floor.
"Lord Kakuzu, this man has been a bandit roaming the nearby mountains since before the founding of our Dragon Nation. He has taken seventeen lives. According to our nation's criminal code, he is to be executed today."
Kakuzu nodded. If the man was doomed to die, his death might as well serve a purpose. He signaled for Heisei Rokuno to drag the bandit's body into the prepared ritual circle, then began forming hand seals—Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon.
Edo Tensei!
The ground opened like a gaping maw, slowly swallowing the bandit's body. As the bandit awoke from his unconscious state, his eyes widened in horror, bloodshot and filled with terror. He screamed and struggled, but it was futile. This was his atonement for the seventeen lives he had taken.
As his body was fully consumed, the white ash of the jutsu peeled away, revealing a boy no older than ten.
Senju Nawaki.
He opened his eyes, blinking in confusion as he took in his surroundings. But then his gaze locked onto two figures in the room.
Time had passed, and their faces had changed, but their presence was unmistakable.
"Tsunade..."
His dark eyes trembled as he whispered the word, staring at Tsunade.
Tears streamed down Tsunade's face as she rushed forward, pulling her brother into a tight embrace. This was the person she had yearned for day and night. Nawaki's death had shattered her spirit, leading her to abandon Konoha and drown herself in gambling and alcohol.
Standing nearby, Orochimaru's expression flickered between disbelief and intrigue. A glimmer of genuine surprise and even delight flashed in his eyes. He stepped forward, gently running a hand through Nawaki's hair before quietly retreating to the side.
This moment belonged to the siblings.
Kakuzu, Orochimaru, Heisei Rokuno, and the others silently left the room, giving them privacy.
"Lord Kakuzu, this must be the Second Hokage's secret technique—Edo Tensei."
"What? Interested in studying it?"
At the mention of research, Orochimaru's expression shifted, a cryptic smile appearing on his lips.
"Lord Kakuzu, you flatter me. The essence of life is boundless. One can never truly finish exploring its mysteries."
To most, Orochimaru's words would be difficult to decipher, but Kakuzu understood well enough.
First, Orochimaru was implying that if Kakuzu could master Edo Tensei, then so could he. Second, Orochimaru's main interest still lay in immortality—only by achieving eternal life could he slowly unravel the ultimate truth of the world. And lastly, he was conflicted.
Not in the sense that he was lost about his future, but rather about a choice he needed to make.
Having been influenced by Hiruzen Sarutobi since childhood, Orochimaru still harbored some lingering desire for the position of Hokage.
Kakuzu couldn't help but admire Sarutobi's talent for brainwashing—he was truly a master at it. Even someone as intelligent and ruthless as Orochimaru had been ensnared, at least for a time. If there were a ranking for mind control, Kakuzu would rate Hiruzen as number one. Even his teacher, Tobirama Senju, would have to step aside.
It wasn't until Hiruzen personally crushed Orochimaru's Hokage aspirations that Orochimaru finally abandoned his previous path and focused solely on his experiments.
For now, however, Orochimaru was still wasting years chasing a dream that was never meant for him. In a way, it was a waste of time, but perhaps necessary.
After all, without experiencing setbacks and pain, how could one truly find their path?
The only thing Kakuzu needed to be wary of was Orochimaru's future transformation. Once he mastered immortality, his arrogance would skyrocket, and he would become one of the greatest threats to the shinobi world.
Orochimaru's genius was limitless, but so was his ambition. The reason he ultimately "redeemed" himself? A bizarre fascination with watching Sasuke's journey.
A ridiculous reason, but it only proved that Orochimaru's thought process was beyond conventional understanding. And people like that were always difficult to control.
For now, it would be best to eliminate him while he was still manageable.
Kakuzu's cold, eerie gaze lingered on Orochimaru, making the latter's eyelid twitch involuntarily.
"Lord Kakuzu, is something wrong?"
Kakuzu smiled faintly. "No, I was just thinking that one day, you will surely become a dominant force in the shinobi world."
Orochimaru forced a polite chuckle. Right now, he lacked immortality and was still vulnerable. Not only Kakuzu, but even someone like Sakumo Hatake could cut him down with a single strike.
Only after he gained countless lives would he truly be free to do as he pleased.
Kakuzu understood this feeling better than anyone. In many ways, he and Orochimaru were alike.
Still, Kakuzu ultimately decided not to kill him.
Why waste such a valuable resource? The shinobi world would be at a loss if it lost a scientist of Orochimaru's caliber. If he wanted to study immortality, so be it. Kakuzu wouldn't stop him. In fact, he had already prepared another path for him.
Whether Orochimaru would follow it or not—well, that was no longer Orochimaru's decision to make.
Orochimaru, of course, was unaware of any of this. Half an hour later, he glanced toward the palace, where the faint sound of muffled sobs could still be heard. He let out a small sigh.
"Lord Kakuzu, looks like I won't be able to complete this mission."
"Good. At least you know that."
Orochimaru smirked. "Well then, I should return to the village and report in. I imagine the old man's reaction will be quite entertaining."
"Go."
With Kakuzu's permission, Orochimaru turned and left.
Kakuzu and Sakumo remained outside, waiting. They had expected the reunion to be brief, but to their surprise, day turned into night.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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