Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

The Akatsuki organization sought ten members to match the ten fingers of the Gedo Statue. With ten members, the Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals could seal the tailed beasts as quickly as possible. Missing a few wouldn't stop the process, but it would slow it down.

As a result, Orochimaru doesn't actually care much about the number of members.

It's ironic to think that when Orochimaru first arrived in this world, he never imagined that the three founding members Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko would eventually work under him. Nor did he expect that, instead of being a member of the Akatsuki organization as in the original timeline, he would end up being one of its secret founders.

But fate always finds a way to catch people off guard.

Tomorrow or the unexpected, no one can predict which will come first.

As for why Orochimaru, who knew about the tailed beasts, asked White Zetsu to investigate them? It's because Orochimaru only had general knowledge of their existence and lacked specific details. Instead of taking action himself, he assigned the task to White Zetsu, whose skills in gathering information were unrivaled.

In the original timeline, during Nagato's leadership, the Akatsuki organization was merely a mercenary group. They participated in wars across different countries at low costs, sowing discord and weakening nations by exacerbating their conflicts.

However, under Orochimaru's early intervention, the Akatsuki organization skipped this phase entirely. Now, by firmly controlling the Land of Rain, they could directly begin capturing the Tailed Beasts.

With Nagato working for Orochimaru, there were no safety concerns from his end. However, Obito and White Zetsu also needed the Tailed Beasts.

Orochimaru remained calm about this. Not only did he have leverage over the two of them, but the fact that the Seven-Tails was already in his possession gave him absolute control over the situation.

Suddenly, a childish voice interrupted Orochimaru's thoughts.

"Dad! Dad! Come play with me!"

Looking up, Orochimaru saw a three-year-old girl running toward him excitedly. Following behind her was none other than Kushina, her bright red hair unmistakable.

Watching the two approach, Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile.

"If it weren't for the threat of the Otsutsuki clan looming in the future, this life might actually be... pleasant."

Without Naruto or Sasuke to serve as humanity's saviors in this timeline, since he hasn't confirmed whether they'll still be Asura and Indra's reincarnations, Orochimaru himself would have to prepare to deal with them.

Of course, such dangers were still far off, and he didn't allow these thoughts to distract him. For now, he remained focused on the present.

---

Elsewhere Obito's actions had taken a different course due to Orochimaru's interference.

Although Obito had not attacked Konoha Village, Kirigakure had not escaped his grasp. Using his Sharingan, Obito controlled the Fourth Mizukage and enacted brutal policies.

Not only was the previous graduation system reinstated, where students killed each other upon completing their training, but the Fourth Mizukage was also ordered to execute his predecessor, the Third Mizukage.

The village descended into chaos under this oppressive regime. Many were either killed or forced to defect.

Even Juzo, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, eventually defected.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, revered as the strongest in Kirigakure, would never have abandoned their village unless driven to the brink. This alone showed how terrifying the "Blood Mist Village" era was under the Fourth Mizukage.

However, Obito couldn't care less about Kirigakure's plight. To him, the village was merely a means of venting his anger, a way to make them experience the same pain and loss he had endured.

Once his plans were in motion, he wasted no time issuing an order for Kirigakure to attack Konoha.

Although the people of Kirigakure were already fractured and disorganized, Obito didn't care. Their mission was to spread chaos.

Konoha, confused by this unprovoked attack, had no choice but to engage. Thus, the eastern region of the Land of Fire once again became a battlefield.

---

In a forest to the east, Orochimaru was walking with a young boy.

"Orochimaru-sama, where are we going?" the boy asked curiously.

The boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, had silver hair and wore a pair of glasses. It was Yakushi Kabuto.

"To test your training," Orochimaru replied calmly. "Starting today, you'll need to separate from your companions temporarily. If you want to better protect them in the future, you'll have to improve your strength now."

With that, Orochimaru stopped, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Come, Kabuto. Let me see how much progress Nono has made in training you."

"Wait… you want me to fight you?" Kabuto asked, startled.

He was still just a child, raised in an orphanage by Nono, the person he respected most in the world. Having lived together for so long, Kabuto also noticed the unclear connection between Nono and Orochimaru.

Though he didn't fully understand their relationship, he did know that Orochimaru had helped Nono and the orphanage on multiple occasions. For this reason, Kabuto felt genuine respect for Orochimaru.

Even so, when he heard that he would have to fight him, he had to confirm it.

But Orochimaru didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly stopped, his grin widening as he flicked a kunai into the nearby bushes.

Whoosh!

The kunai struck the ground with a cold gleam.

"Your opponents aren't me," Orochimaru said, his voice filled with amusement. "They're them."

As he spoke, six or seven Kirigakure ninjas emerged from the bushes, startled by the sudden attack.

"Damn it! We've been discovered!"

"Wait… isn't that…"

"Be careful. That guy looks like Orochimaru."

The ninjas, now fully exposed, exchanged uneasy glances. Some held their weapons tightly, while others hesitated.

Kabuto, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of enemies, quickly drew a kunai and adopted a defensive stance.

Though Kabuto had decent strength for his age, his lack of real combat experience made him nervous.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, remained calm. He needed capable subordinates, and Kabuto showed promise. However, this potential could only be fully realized through battle.

"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at the frightened group of ninjas. "You recognized me so easily. Impressive."

The Kirigakure ninjas' unease only grew when Orochimaru spoke.

"Is it really him?"

"It can't be... What's he doing here?"

"Why would Orochimaru show up in a place like this?"

To them, Orochimaru was a nightmare, a man who had killed five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen during the last war. Facing him now felt like a death sentence.

Orochimaru, however, showed no concern for their panic. His golden eyes fixated on one ninja in particular, a young woman wearing Kirigakure's standard waterproof gear.

"Well, well," he murmured, his voice tinged with amusement. "Who might you be... Terumi Mei?"

***

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