A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Seeing Tsunade raising her fist, Orochimaru didn't even bother to acknowledge her threat.

Tsunade was indeed strong, but her strength primarily lay in her medical abilities.

When it came to combat? She wasn't at the level required to contend with people like the Raikage, Onoki, or even Rasa. Raw strength alone wasn't enough to handle such opponents.

"Hey, are you really not hurt?" Tsunade asked, her tone skeptical.

"No," Orochimaru replied flatly.

"I don't believe you. Let me check!"

"Check? What's there to check? I gain nothing by lying to you."

"Hmm… true." Tsunade nodded thoughtfully, then unexpectedly lay against Orochimaru's chest. "By the way, what are your plans now? Are you going back to Konoha?"

"What do you think?" Orochimaru asked rhetorically.

"You're not going back? Then I won't go back either…"

"…"

Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the Third Hokage's decision to throw Orochimaru into the jaws of three major villages had irreparably severed the bond between them as master and disciple.

To return and continue working for Konoha? That was out of the question.

It was something Orochimaru couldn't see happening—not in this lifetime.

Initially, he had hoped Tsunade would remain in Konoha, far from his conflicts.

But now…

"Not going back? You'd better think carefully," Orochimaru said, his tone unusually soft. "I'm a rogue ninja now."

"I don't care what kind of ninja you are!" Tsunade shot back without hesitation. "They went too far this time. If you're not going back, then neither am I!"

Hearing this, Orochimaru couldn't help but reach out and gently ruffle Tsunade's hair.

"Your words move me, truly… but have you thought about your younger brother?" he asked.

Tsunade froze, her mind flashing to her brother, Nawaki.

Yes, she was willing to give up everything for Orochimaru. But her little brother…

"So," Orochimaru continued, his voice quiet but firm, "you should go back tomorrow morning."

He understood the weight of her love for her brother. As much as he appreciated her loyalty, he couldn't allow her to abandon Nawaki and Konoha entirely.

Even if the Third Hokage no longer trusted her with important responsibilities, staying in Konoha would still be better for her than defecting with him.

Tsunade hesitated for a long moment before finally sighing in resignation.

"Alright… fine. I'll listen to you," she murmured reluctantly.

After a night of discussion, Tsunade eventually agreed to Orochimaru's request.

As much as she didn't want to leave him, her responsibility to her brother outweighed her personal feelings.

"By the way, Orochimaru… why did you kill Kato Dan?" Tsunade suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

She had pieced together the timeline of Dan's death and the scent of blood on Orochimaru's body that night. She was almost certain Orochimaru had killed him.

"No reason. I just needed a pretext to sever ties with the village," Orochimaru said nonchalantly.

"And the experiments…?"

"Didn't the Third Hokage tell you?" Orochimaru asked.

"No."

"Then go back and ask him," Orochimaru replied casually.

"What? Why don't you tell me?"

"You want me to tell you?" Orochimaru smirked. "Alright, but I'll have to see how you perform first."

"I've always been a good girl!" Tsunade retorted, indignant.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru said with a faint chuckle, "the 'cute girl' act doesn't suit you."

"You bastard, I'll send you to hell!" Tsunade growled, raising her fist again.

The two bantered back and forth, their dynamic more like a couple still in the throes of young love than one who had been together for years.

Though they had only been apart for a few days, the intensity of the last few events had left Tsunade with so many questions. She wanted to know everything Orochimaru hadn't told her.

For his part, Orochimaru answered what he could, but there were some things even he wouldn't share.

The two spent most of the night talking.

---

The news of Orochimaru's defection from Konoha spread like wildfire the day after Tsunade left the village.

Such an event was impossible to conceal, and the Third Hokage had no intention of hiding it.

He officially declared Orochimaru a rogue ninja, a traitor to the village.

This wasn't just about severing ties with Orochimaru—it was about protecting Konoha's reputation. By branding Orochimaru as a traitor, the Third Hokage sent a clear message to the other villages: Orochimaru no longer represented Konoha.

The decision, as always, was made for the "greater good" of the village.

But many people couldn't understand why Orochimaru, one of Konoha's most brilliant shinobi, had chosen to defect.

His contributions, his reputation, his status—everything about him had been exemplary.

Why would someone like him betray the village?

For the average ninja, this was a question they couldn't hope to answer. Speculating about it was dangerous, so most simply turned a blind eye to the matter. It wasn't their business, after all.

But for some, it was deeply personal.

In Konoha, aside from Tsunade and Nawaki, another person had been heavily affected by the news: Uchiha Mikoto.

Not long ago, she had shared an intimate moment with Orochimaru.

Now, hearing that he had left without even saying goodbye, she felt a pang of bitterness.

Still, Mikoto quickly reminded herself that their connection had been purely physical. There had never been any emotional foundation between them. It made sense that Orochimaru wouldn't care enough to inform her.

And besides, he had left her with three unique potions before his departure, a gesture she chose to focus on instead of dwelling on her feelings.

---

A few days later, the Hokage's conference room.

The four highest-ranking officials of Konoha sat in tense silence.

Hiruzen read through the latest intelligence reports, his face growing grimmer with each page.

The others—Homura, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo—also remained silent.

Danzo, in particular, was struggling to keep his composure.

When the leadership had decided to sacrifice Orochimaru, Danzo hadn't dared to speak out against the plan.

For one, sacrificing Orochimaru had seemed necessary at the time. For another, Danzo had his own connections to Orochimaru, connections he didn't want exposed.

Risking his own position to defend someone already marked for sacrifice had felt pointless.

But now…

"He survived against all of them? How is that possible?" Danzo muttered, breaking the silence.

"It's not just survival," Hiruzen corrected, his voice heavy. "According to reports from the Land of Lightning, not only did he kill or incapacitate many shinobi, but he also left the Third Raikage critically injured. His current status is unknown."

"How… how is that possible?" Koharu whispered in disbelief.

Danzo clenched his fists. "How much did he hide from us? How could we not know his true strength?"

The room fell silent again as they absorbed the implications of the battle.

Although they hadn't been able to witness the fight themselves, the intelligence from Kumogakure painted a shocking picture: Orochimaru, ambushed by three villages, had not only survived but left a trail of devastation in his wake.

The Mangekyo Sharingan. Wood Release. Magnet Release.

Each ability alone was enough to shift the balance of power, yet Orochimaru wielded them all.

"Is it possible…" Hiruzen finally said, his voice weary, "to obtain abilities like Mangekyo Sharingan, Wood Release, and Magnet Release… through research?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with regret.

As he exhaled Hiruzen seemed to age ten years in an instant.

***

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