c27: Orochimaru
Konoha Village, Fourth Training Ground. Uchiha Gen arrived ten minutes early and leaned quietly against a tall tree, its canopy casting a cool shadow from the morning sun.
Eight minutes later, Uchiha Gen opened his eyes. From beneath the shade of another tree just meters away, a figure slithered out of the ground like a serpent emerging from its den.
Long, jet-black hair framed his pale face; his golden, vertically slit pupils gleamed with eerie amusement. Purple markings extended from his eyelids down his cheeks. He wore a light gray kimono with a thick purple rope tied around his waist in the fashion of the Hidden Sound. His demeanor was calm, his expression unreadable simultaneously composed, menacing, and inscrutable.
"Lord Orochimaru,"
Uchiha Gen straightened and bowed not submissively, but with respectful formality.
"Xuan-kun, is it? I've heard from Anko that you wish to become my disciple?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he looked him over, his voice raspy hoarse and serpentine each syllable coiling like a whisper in the dark.
"Yes."
"Heh heh heh…"
"I know you're the son of the 'Twin Stars' of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Hoshin and Uchiha Aoi. Sharp looks, a calm mind, and decent skill. But tell me… why should I take you in?"
Uchiha Gen answered evenly, unfazed: "Because the Uchiha clan can support Lord Orochimaru's candidacy for Hokage. We can provide funding, manpower, intelligence, and rare resources from our ancestral holdings."
"Heh… So if I don't agree, does that mean the Uchiha will throw their full support behind Namikaze Minato?"
Before the sentence finished, a suffocating killing intent exploded from Orochimaru, slamming into Gen like a wave of venomous chakra. Uchiha Gen's brow twitched slightly, but his expression remained composed.
Orochimaru's aura was monstrous. Ordinary genin might collapse from fear or fall into genjutsu from the pressure alone. But Gen was no hothouse flower. He had grown under pressure from his parents, the clan, and the world.
"The Uchiha clan won't fully endorse any one candidate. Nor will they openly oppose any," he replied coolly.
"To be transparent, Uchiha Shisui has already earned the trust of Minato-senpai and joined his provisional Team 7."
"If his performance continues, he may be formally accepted as Namikaze-senpai's personal student."
"Oh?"
The murderous aura dissipated. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. A smile played on his lips mocking, yet thoughtful.
"You Uchiha really do plan far ahead."
"If your clan gets a student with Minato, and another with me… no matter who wears the hat, your position remains secure. How clever if a bit distasteful."
Sensing Orochimaru's veiled disdain, Uchiha Gen remained serene. "The Uchiha clan is not some small-time family grasping for crumbs. We don't deal in desperation. We choose the most stable route."
"With our power and legacy, we can hedge our position without fear."
Orochimaru didn't argue. The Uchiha were second only to the Senju in legacy and chakra lineage. Few in the village could match them in raw force, dojutsu, or influence.
"Does Minato know about this double-dealing?" he asked finally.
"Minato-senpai is unaware for now."
"You're not afraid I'll tell him?"
"With Minato-senpai's character, he might be displeased, but he would not go back on his word."
The implication was clear Orochimaru's threat held no real leverage.
"And you, Lord Orochimaru… with your pride and disdain for petty politics, I doubt you'd resort to such tattling."
"Heh heh… It seems you've done your homework on me."
Orochimaru's laugh was low, almost inaudible. His tongue flicked out like a snake's, red and forked. His golden eyes sharpened, gleaming with dangerous interest.
Uchiha Gen's skin tingled. It felt like a giant serpent was coiling behind him, tongue flicking, eyes locked on prey, preparing to strike.
Still, he didn't flinch. He didn't blink.
Calmly, he said, "Don't misunderstand me. Human nature is inconsistent."
"Anyone who believes they can fully manipulate it is walking toward their own destruction."
As the words fell, the crushing sense of danger vanished like mist.
"You're not another fool who believes the world is just numbers and strings to pull."
"I admire that."
"Judging by what I know of Uchiha Fugaku," Orochimaru continued, voice lighter but still sharp, "he wouldn't devise a strategy like this. You're the mind behind this approach, aren't you?"
"Lord Orochimaru is as perceptive as the rumors say."
"With the Hokage seat about to change hands, it's the best time to act. To miss this opportunity would be… wasteful."
"As the saying goes, 'If Heaven withholds what is due, misfortune follows; if one ignores the time, ruin awaits.'"
"I, a member of the Uchiha clan, know full well—we are not favored among Konoha's higher-ups."
"Since we were not accepted in the past era, we can only strive to be indispensable in the era to come."
Orochimaru repeated Gen Uchiha's aphorism silently in his mind, letting it echo. The logic resonated deeply. When opportunity knocks, hesitation is death. This youth understood that well.
Orochimaru thought back to the Sannin's own time as young shinobi—the education they received from the system, the manipulation hidden within the Will of Fire. He, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had all grown beneath Hiruzen Sarutobi's tutelage, and each had rejected the world in their own way.
His teacher had worn the mask of benevolence well but Danzo, that man, had always made his disdain for the Uchiha thinly veiled. Orochimaru saw it now with even more clarity.
"It seems the Uchiha have finally produced someone... exceptional."
He studied the youth before him. Most Uchiha he had encountered like the proud and hot-headed Fugaku or the impulsive Obito were brilliant in combat but politically obtuse. Their Sharingan saw chakra, not power dynamics.
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru," Gen replied with a modest bow. "I've simply read widely and tried to understand the world better. Perspective is power."
"Heh... is that so?"
"Well then, I'll make this pact with the Uchiha."
"I want funding. A significant amount. Research isn't cheap."
"Your clan can support Minato but not more than you support me."
Orochimaru's tone was blunt. Relying on Danzo as his only patron had stifled him for years. Having another source especially one as resource-rich as the Uchiha—would give his experiments momentum and independence.
As for the Uchiha's gesture toward Namikaze Minato, Orochimaru didn't take it seriously.
Minato's victories in the Third Shinobi World War like the famous Battle of Kannabi Bridge were indeed impressive, but his rise was rapid, and his roots too shallow. His popularity didn't equate to power.
Even if Minato was Jiraiya's prized pupil, the Sannin were not a unified front. With Jiraiya's wandering ways and lack of political ambition, it was unlikely he'd actively interfere. Tsunade's apathy toward politics only reinforced Orochimaru's advantage.
If Tsunade stayed neutral, and Jiraiya remained absent, the stage was his provided Hiruzen didn't throw his full support behind Minato.
But truthfully, Orochimaru no longer clung to the Hokage title with the fervor he once did. His goals had shifted deeper, darker, grander.
To master every jutsu.
To transcend death.
To unveil the final truths of chakra and the ninja world.
Becoming Hokage now was more a stepping stone than a throne.
If he succeeded, it would accelerate his research.
If he failed, he would still continue outside the system if necessary.
"Rest assured, Orochimaru-sama," Gen said, seizing the momentum. "I'll personally report your funding request to the young clan leader. It should be no issue."
Gen struck while the iron was hot he knew Orochimaru appreciated swift and confident action.
Orochimaru nodded slowly. "From now on, I'll entrust you with overseeing the funds."
"Now, let's see your capabilities. If your skills meet my expectations, I'll train you personally."
"If not, our arrangement remains strictly transactional name only, no mentorship."
Uchiha Gen's gaze sharpened. "I'll do my best to win your approval."
He had much to gain from Orochimaru not only jutsu but the mind behind them, the methods of forbidden knowledge, and the dangerous brilliance the Sannin possessed.
Orochimaru had trained prodigies before his disappointment in Anko Mitarashi wasn't a failure of instruction, but circumstance.
She had remained loyal to Konoha, but her association with Orochimaru stained her name. After his defection, no elite jonin would mentor her. Her growth stagnated during her most critical years.
Her inability to rise beyond special jonin wasn't due to lack of potential—it was the emotional wound left behind. Orochimaru's betrayal had crushed her motivation.
Yet Orochimaru never trained mediocrity. Anko had been a genius once, and with proper guidance, she could have reached jonin or even Kage-level proficiency.
Just look at Uchiha Sasuke he was the perfect testament to Orochimaru's capacity to nurture raw power into terrifying brilliance.
If Gen wanted to carve his place into the future, aligning with Orochimaru was not just a tactical move it was an evolution.
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