A Transmigrator’s Story in the Hyuga’s Main Branch

169 The Raid Against the Hyuga Set in Motion (2)

With a grim expression, Hiruzen warned, "Be careful, Orochimaru. I expect you to perform flawlessly during this mission. If I find out you've plotted anything behind our backs, this arrangement is over.",

"The best you can hope for then is life as a rebel ninja, hunted for everything you've done, but that is already probably too optimistic for you..." He gave Orochimaru a final, piercing look, "But if we succeed, our deal stands."

Their agreement was delicate. Orochimaru's position in Konoha was already untenable after Minato slowly exposed the atrocities he committed—either directly or indirectly.

It was likely that Minato had refrained from completely outing Hiruzen himself out of respect for Jiraiya and Tsunade's wishes.

Public opinion of Orochimaru was at rock bottom, and it was clear he couldn't remain in the village.

Yet the terms of his departure were crucial. Hiruzen had promised that Orochimaru wouldn't be labeled a rebel ninja if he cooperated.

If all went according to plan, Orochimaru could quietly leave the village even with certain benefits outside—also ensuring he wouldn't face open persecution or exile.

For Orochimaru, it was the only way to leave with some semblance of dignity and retain some power for the future. For Hiruzen, it was a necessary evil to keep him under control, at least for now.

"Haha, how typical of you, 'sensei', shifting the moral blame. Everything YOU'VE done, now WE have done.",

Orochimaru's grin widened, dripping with mockery, "It's no wonder Tsunade and Jiraiya also basically want nothing to do with you anymore. They've both thrown their support behind that boy instead.",

His voice was laced with venom, each word a subtle jab at Hiruzen's fractured relationships and dwindling influence.

Then, with a sly, knowing smirk, he continued, "But don't worry, sensei, I'll honor our deal... perfectly." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with dangerous intent as he leaned in slightly.

"After all, I'll be needing plenty of support from you very soon—for my new village..." His grin twisted into something sinister, a smile that promised manipulation more than gratitude.

He had thankfully already laid the groundwork before being fully ousted from Kusagakure on time.

He had identified another promising village—Otogakure—a small but strategically placed settlement with intriguing shinobi techniques.

Over time, he quietly infiltrated it, planting loyal subordinates and steadily taking control from within. Not long ago, he personally visited the village to ensure absolute dominance, unleashing the overwhelming power of his new Edo Tensei summons.

The sheer display of strength crushed any resistance, forcing the village's leaders into silent submission under his rule from the shadows.

With his new base of operations secured, Orochimaru felt confident. Otogakure had everything he needed: a favorable location, fertile ground for furthering his research, and a steady supply of shinobi talents ripe for experimentation.

From there, he could continue to quietly expand his operations—unlocking more secrets of the shinobi world and amassing even greater power.

What pleased him most, however, was the irony that Konoha's own funding—channeled discreetly through Hiruzen—would continue to fuel his ambitions.

For now, the resources flowed uninterrupted, allowing Orochimaru to build his empire while still enjoying the spoils of his old ties to the Leaf Village.

Although most of his Konoha subordinates had abandoned him over time thanks to Minato, a few remained—lured by promises of immense power, wealth, and the untapped potential of new lands.

These loyalists were further motivated by Orochimaru's latest breakthrough, inspired by an unusual individual he had recruited during his recent excursions out for scientific purposes.

This person, now his second-in-command, belonged to a mysterious and unidentified shinobi clan with a rare, innate ability: the power to absorb natural energy from their environment due to their biologically unique bodies. He was now staying back in the Otogakure on his mission to tidy it all up for Orochimaru's permanent resettlement there following from here. 

This discovery shattered Orochimaru's prior assumptions about chakra and natural energy.

Until then, it had been thought that only Sage Mode practitioners could harness natural energy by balancing it with their own life force through intense discipline.

However, these individuals absorbed it instinctively, without needing the training or spiritual control required by conventional sages.

However, this natural absorption came with severe drawbacks. Whenever members of this clan accumulated too much natural energy, it triggered uncontrollable surges of madness, causing them to descend into violent berserker states.

That person Orochimaru identified, named Yuto, originally came to him with this problem in mind after they had a few past black market interactions.

Their bodies would grotesquely mutate, altering unpredictably and secreting strange fluids that allowed them to undergo extreme physical transformations.

These abilities piqued Orochimaru's fascination, also offering him new avenues of experimentation and scientific exploration that could enhance not only his subordinates but also himself in other potential ways.

From this discovery, Orochimaru conceived some of the first rudimentary prototypes of what he dubbed the "Cursed Mark"—a technique that was both a tool for control and a gateway to power.

The seal would embed natural energy directly into the target's body, creating a symbiotic relationship between the recipient and the energy.

In its dormant state, the mark enhances the user's chakra pool and physical abilities, but when activated, it allows them to tap into a powerful secondary form, drastically increasing strength, speed, and resilience.

However, just like the clan's original ability, this power came at a price: the recipient would experience extreme pain and, without proper restraint, could lose themselves to madness and mutation.

This design served two purposes for Orochimaru. First, it gave his followers access to unparalleled power, motivating them to stay loyal in hopes of obtaining these marks.

Second, it allowed him to maintain control—those who could not handle the Cursed Mark's transformations became puppets, slaves to their own desires and to Orochimaru's will.

By creating a structured pathway to power that required his constant supervision, Orochimaru ensured that none of his subordinates could surpass him without his permission.

Additionally, he planned to use the marks to conduct long-term research into immortality and physical evolution, steadily refining the Cursed Seal's mechanics until it became the key to his ultimate goal: achieving a perfect, immortal form that combined the best elements of natural energy, chakra, and physical mutation.

For now, Orochimaru's own body was even weaker than Danzo's, thanks to the Senju arm Orochimaru had implanted in exchange for a pair of high-quality Sharingan. Those eyes fed Orochimaru's endless obsession with dojutsu and furthered his experiments. Although both of them were at a similar Mid-Kage level in the end.

Danzo would have been considered even stronger had it not been for his limited collection of Sharingan (sneakily stolen from Uchihas on the battlefield), the maximum for another 're-filling' of his arm once he expended the first assortment, meaning that he couldn't perform those two forbidden Uchiha Sharingan techniques indefinitely.

Once you made him exhaust that, Danzo would be much weaker, so his overall level was limited. But, as he still wasn't forced to expend it, Orochimaru had to respect him as more powerful.

Obviously, Danzo, not satisfied with just the Senju-enhanced arm, ebedded it with numerous lower-quality Sharingan.

Through their joint mastery of Edo Tensei, they explored the mysteries of the Pure Land separately, summoning the souls of high-ranking Uchiha to interrogate them.

From those dead clansmen, they both learned the secrets of both Izanagi and Izanami, the forbidden technique that allowed its user to rewrite reality, cheating death.

Danzo embedded multiple Sharingan into his arm precisely to use this ability repeatedly, as Orochimaru immediately observed, granting himself a form of near-infinite resurrection.

Additionally, Hiruzen, ever cautious, placed more trust in Danzo and granted him access to the superior Edo Tensei summons, further tipping the balance of power in Danzo's favor.

Danzo, armed with forbidden knowledge and strengthened by the Senju arm, stood ahead of Orochimaru, at least for now. However, Orochimaru didn't worry about it. He had his own purposes in mind.

Danzo had been nothing more than a guinea pig in Orochimaru's eyes from the beginning—a mere tool to collect experimental data. The results of the Senju cell transplantation on Danzo failed to impress Orochimaru.

It was crude and incomplete, like a puzzle with missing pieces. That was why Orochimaru had refrained from implanting those cells into himself, even though he had already mastered the technology to a remarkable extent.

Unlike Danzo's one-armed integration, Orochimaru could theoretically distribute the cells evenly throughout his entire body. Yet, even that felt reckless and primitive to him—a path beneath his true ambitions.

What truly captivated Orochimaru's mind was not the potential of the Senju cells but the breakthrough he had recently achieved with his Curse Mark experiments.

With the advanced soul-binding mechanics he had perfected through Edo Tensei, combined with his deeper understanding of natural energy and the mechanics of cellular integration, Orochimaru had stumbled upon something revolutionary. It wasn't just a discovery—it was a revelation, a eureka moment that ignited his ambition to new heights.

This idea—this grand project—was unlike anything the shinobi world had ever seen. It wasn't merely about enhancing his abilities or longevity. It was about ascension—evolving beyond human limitations into a higher lifeform.

This was the culmination of all his research, the synthesis of soul manipulation, natural energy, and genetic mastery.

It was a path that would place him beyond Minato, beyond Danzo, beyond the Uchiha and Hyuga—beyond even the constraints of mortal existence itself.

However, such an endeavor required immense resources and time, so the success of this mission was vital.

Helping Hiruzen was a calculated move to buy time, gain influence, and secure the materials necessary for this never-before-seen scientific shinobi project.

If this mission succeeded, Orochimaru could also take the opportunity to obtain a pair of high-quality Byakugan from the Main Branch.

Then, with both Byakugan and Sharingan also in his possession, although not necessary, Orochimaru's grand vision of perfection would finally be within tangible reach many years from now. All the 'ingredients' would be ready.

It was as if fate itself was pushing him toward that destination. But he knew it was not fate. It was his own relentless mastery and isolation over the years that brought him to this point, so he couldn't squander it.

He could already feel it—his long-awaited evolution was drawing closer, and nothing, not Minato, not Hirayoshi Hyuga, Sakumo, and certainly not Danzo, would stand in his way.