"I've tested the two samples you brought. There's no trace of what you were hoping for... no Kekkei Genkai."
In the dim light of a laboratory, Orochimaru handed two reports to Shimura Danzo. Danzo's brow furrowed as he took the documents with one hand, laying them on the table to scan through them.
The further he read, the deeper his scowl became, his face a mask of bewilderment. Orochimaru began tidying his instruments, his voice silkily breaking the silence.
"Confused as to why they are so highly regarded? Have you considered the possibility that they are simply... good kids?"
Danzo's expression instantly soured. He looked up, glaring at Orochimaru, but the latter remained entirely unaffected by the oppressive aura. Orochimaru continued as if speaking to himself.
"You probably haven't met them in person, have you? I have. That is why I understand why Sensei, Jiraiya, and even Lady Mito value them so much. Don't come to me with such tedious requests in the future. I have my own missions to attend to. Take the reports and leave."
Even though Danzo hadn't revealed the identity of the samples' owners, Orochimaru had deduced the truth the moment the data began to correlate.
It was obvious: Danzo simply couldn't believe that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uzumaki Mito would place such importance on two children who lacked a Kekkei Genkai—children who didn't even hail from the great shinobi clans.
Truthfully, when Orochimaru realized the samples belonged to Sakamoto Tatsuma and Minato Namikaze, he had been curious himself. After all, he had his own pride. At their age, he hadn't been quite so dazzling, though he had already been the quintessential "civilian genius." Seeing two children who surpassed his own childhood self-rankled him.
He had theorized that perhaps they possessed some dormant Kekkei Genkai—descendants of the Senju, Uchiha, Uzumaki, or perhaps even the ancient Hagoromo clan. Or maybe a bloodline from a foreign nation.
But the results were conclusive: there was nothing.
Orochimaru accepted the reality with clinical grace. Comparing himself at that age to Tatsuma and Minato, he truly fell short—not necessarily in innate talent, but in mindset and sheer effort.
He thought of Nawaki, the student he'd taken on primarily as a favor to his teammate. After training alongside Tatsuma and Minato, Nawaki had made massive strides. This proved that the brilliance of Tatsuma and Minato wasn't just some divine spark; they simply understood the value of hard work better than anyone else.
Compared to them, Orochimaru's own talent might not be inferior, but at their age, he hadn't truly known what it felt like to give it his all. Things that took Jiraiya weeks to learn, Orochimaru could master in a glance. He'd never felt the need to push himself.
He wondered why Tatsuma and Minato, at such a young age, had already grasped the concept of self-motivated diligence. Given their natural gifts, they shouldn't have felt such a crushing sense of urgency.
"I suppose... I should find some time to check on Nawaki."
With that thought, Orochimaru prepared to leave, only to find Danzo still hunched over the reports, flipping through them as if a secret code would appear. Orochimaru's eyes flashed with annoyance.
"My research does not contain errors. If you have doubts, conduct your own study."
Hearing the blatant dismissal, Danzo let out a sharp huff and turned to leave, not even bothering to take the reports with him. He knew Orochimaru's findings were the truth; he had simply hoped for something else—a secret weapon or a lineage to exploit.
He had spent considerable time and political capital to get Orochimaru to perform this study. These results meant his investment was a total sunk cost. Without a Kekkei Genkai or a special lineage to mold, these boys were useless to his specific goals.
Orochimaru watched Danzo's retreating back with indifference, cleaned his workstation, and departed.
It took some time to locate Nawaki. Since it was the weekend, Nawaki wasn't at the Academy. A quick stop at the Senju Estate revealed that Tsunade had taken the boy and the others out for grilled meat.
After a bit of searching, Orochimaru finally arrived at Yakiniku Q. There, he found his disciple, Nawaki, sitting alongside a cheerful Tatsuma and Minato, all of them happily devouring BBQ.
Before Orochimaru could observe them further, Tsunade spotted him. She waved him over with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "Orochimaru?! You're here too? Quick! Come join us!"
Confusion flickered across Orochimaru's face. Tsunade was rarely this welcoming. Had a year of house arrest actually mellowed her temperament?
Nawaki jumped up excitedly. "Orochimaru-sensei! Here, take my seat!"
Orochimaru offered a faint smile and sat down. Before he could even offer a greeting, Tsunade shoved a plate of perfectly grilled meat in front of him. "Eat up! Don't be shy!"
"..."
Looking at the meat, Orochimaru briefly wondered if Tsunade had poisoned it as some sort of elaborate prank. But that was usually Jiraiya's style. He took a tentative bite.
The flavor was normal. No hidden chemicals or "special" spices. Relaxing slightly, Orochimaru ate a few more pieces. He hadn't eaten in nearly two days while finalizing the reports for Danzo, and the hunger was beginning to gnaw at him.
Just as he truly let his guard down, convinced that Tsunade's warmth was genuine, she spoke up.
"Since you've eaten so much, you wouldn't mind covering the bill, would you?"
Orochimaru: "???!!!"
He looked down at the three or four empty skewers in front of him, then at the massive, bonfire-sized stack of skewers in front of everyone else. He realized, with a sinking feeling, that he'd been played.
"Everyone full?" Tsunade asked, not even waiting for Orochimaru to process the betrayal.
Tatsuma quickly swallowed a mouthful of meat, downed a large gulp of juice, and nodded. "Stuffed!"
The others chimed in with their agreement. Tsunade stood up and grabbed her coat. "Orochimaru, I'm taking them back for training. Once you're finished eating and you've settled the tab, feel free to meet up with us!"
With that, Tsunade made a swift exit, Tatsuma and Minato hot on her heels. Kushina paused for a split second to wipe her hands before bolting after them.
In the blink of an eye, only Nawaki remained. He was already prepared to leave, but looking at the stunned, bewildered expression on his teacher's face—a first, as far as Nawaki could remember—he felt a twinge of guilt.
"Sis lost all her money in a bet at the table," Nawaki explained apologetically. "Sorry for the expense, Sensei."
Nawaki took off at a jog to catch up. Once he was alone, Orochimaru let out a long, weary sigh.
Truly... he had poor taste in friends.
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