Orochimaru's lips curled into an intrigued smirk. "Your idea is quite bold."
His disciple, Ryujin Kenichi, was talented in many ways, but at times, his ideas bordered on the absurd.
Extracting a part of the Nine-Tails for research? If Orochimaru didn't know better, he might have assumed that Kenichi had already reached Kage-level strength, capable of handling the strongest of the Tailed Beasts with ease.
Kenichi smiled sheepishly, though his curiosity about the Nine-Tails was genuine. After all, the Tailed Beast Ball alone was an immensely destructive force, and the sheer chakra reserves of the Nine-Tails were unparalleled.
"The village will take this matter very seriously. Be mindful of your actions during this time," Orochimaru warned, his gaze sharp. He was well aware of his disciple's close ties with the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
The pregnancy of a Jinchūriki was an extraordinarily delicate matter. If Kenichi got entangled in any controversy surrounding Kushina Uzumaki, the repercussions would be severe. Even Orochimaru himself might find it troublesome to shield him.
After all, Kenichi was only a Chūnin. But as his master, Orochimaru knew that any of his disciple's reckless actions would inevitably reflect back on him.
"Understood, Sensei. I'll be careful." Kenichi nodded. However, even if he kept his distance, he knew that fate had already set certain events in motion. It was only a matter of time before Uchiha Obito, lost in his hatred, would return to unleash the Nine-Tails upon Konoha. If nothing changed, the tragic demise of the Fourth Hokage and his wife was all but inevitable.
And when you thought about it, it was unsettling. The night Minato Namikaze fought to his last breath, where was Hiruzen Sarutobi? Where was Danzo? Where was Orochimaru?
Not to mention the heads of the great clans—the Ino-Shika-Chō, the Hyūga, the Uchiha. Even if Hiruzen had fought with everything he had, if Danzo had set aside his schemes, and if Orochimaru had intervened, the Fourth Hokage might not have had to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Yet, Minato perished, and in the aftermath, the Third Hokage reclaimed his position as the leader of the village. He lived on, wielding power once more. It was difficult not to question whether there had been ulterior motives at play.
More than that, Naruto Uzumaki's childhood was a testament to Konoha's hypocrisy. Ostracized, neglected, and treated as an outcast despite being the son of the village's greatest hero. The fact that he emerged from such treatment with a heart full of kindness and a desire to become Hokage was nothing short of miraculous. In any other world, he would have become a villain.
Kenichi idly played with a small piece of amber in his palm, lost in thought.
"I remember hearing once that Naruto was originally meant to be a short series," he mused aloud. "The character designs were simple, the story compact. But as it expanded, things started to unravel."
Whether Masashi Kishimoto had ever explicitly said this, Kenichi couldn't be sure. But in hindsight, it made a strange kind of sense.
He turned his attention back to the amber in his hand and smirked slightly.
If there was one true gain from this period, it wasn't the development of so-called 'cancer Ninjutsu,' nor was it the bits of money he had managed to swindle from Orochimaru. No, it was this peculiar piece of amber.
Orochimaru had once appeared before him, an old book in hand, and scrutinized the amber for hours. After careful study, he had finally identified what lay preserved within—a parasite of ancient origins.
It was said that these creatures had been eradicated by none other than the Sage of Six Paths himself. Yet, against all odds, this one remained, its body perfectly encased in amber.
At first, Orochimaru had been uncertain. There were hardly any recorded mentions of the parasite. Only after acquiring an obscure tome from an outside source was he able to confirm its identity.
Unfortunately, the parasite was long dead, making resurrection impossible. Orochimaru had lamented this fact, noting that a creature capable of controlling others could have had fascinating applications.
"A parasite that can control others, huh?" Kenichi muttered, tapping the amber against his palm. "I wonder what kind of insights I can gain from studying this."
If this parasite truly had the ability to manipulate ninjas, its potential would be limitless. Of course, everything depended on its precise mechanisms and limitations. But that was exactly what made it worth investigating.
After all, most parasites that exert control over their hosts ultimately lead them to destruction.
For instance, horsehair worms manipulate infected insects into jumping into water, where the parasites emerge as their hosts drown. Another example is the Leucochloridium paradoxum, a parasitic fluke that invades a snail's eye stalks, forcing it to wriggle and climb to high places, making it an easy target for birds—the parasite's next host.
In most cases, parasites that can directly influence the consciousness of their host are extremely dangerous. Even in fiction, such as the Las Plagas from Resident Evil 4, parasites with these abilities rarely allow their hosts to survive in the long term. If this parasite followed a similar pattern, then its practicality would be questionable—unless Ryujin Kenichi had the patience to cultivate and selectively breed the most efficient ones.
"By the way, sensei, there have been rumors in the village recently—people have been going missing." Ryujin Kenichi put away the amber in his hand as he spoke to his teacher, his voice casual but his meaning clear.
The village was becoming unstable. It was almost time to run.
Though Orochimaru was powerful, Kenichi himself was only a Chūnin. There was little for him to do here—it was boring, and entertainment in the form of gossip was all that kept him sane. Still, he had to restrain his own impulses; otherwise, he might just kidnap someone and drag them to the lab for his own amusement.
Orochimaru barely reacted. "During this time, you'll accompany me to the laboratory. Otherwise, you're free to do as you please."
That was the end of the conversation.
Kenichi sighed. It seemed he'd have to behave for now.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't make preparations.
Previously, he had successfully extracted a unique genetic sequence from Uzumaki Kushina. He hadn't been able to preserve it properly at the time, nor had he planned to experiment with it, so he had simply frozen the sample for safekeeping.
But his most recent mission reward had given him something... unusual.
A blueprint.
"A thermobaric bomb design? With a list of required materials... Is this suggesting I should learn from Deidara?" Kenichi pinched the bridge of his nose.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Thermobaric bombs were devastating, designed to target underground structures and hidden facilities—perfect for eliminating enemies like ANBU black ops or well-hidden factions. But without the proper resources, actually constructing one would be a massive challenge.
"Wait a minute... Speaking of which, isn't Deidara supposed to be a genius with explosives?"
Kenichi's interest was piqued. If he recalled correctly, Deidara hadn't joined the Akatsuki yet.
If that was the case, then this blueprint was practically an invitation.