"Orochimaru is a genius!"
From a very young age, that was what everyone around him said.
And truth be told, Orochimaru knew they were right.
But he also understood something deeper—that this praise was incomplete.
As the lamp spirit once put it: "You stand on the shoulders of giants."
His ninjutsu was learned from the "Doctor of Ninjutsu." And beyond that, from centuries of research by the Sarutobi clan into the five elemental styles.
Many of his forbidden techniques came directly from the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—who, in turn, had collected countless jutsu from across the shinobi world.
Take Flying Raijin, for example. Its original creator was unrivaled in the art of "borrowing" techniques. Rumor has it even Uchiha's secret Izanagi was quietly passed down by him... and now lies in Danzo's hands.
In other words: everything Orochimaru is now is built upon what came before.
He has breadth. Range. Precision.
But compared to truly specialized masters, that precision isn't enough.
If Orochimaru were critically injured, he'd have to rely on techniques like the Living Corpse Reincarnation to survive. Tsunade, on the other hand, could simply heal herself.
Yes, she has the blood of the Senju clan—but more than that, she possesses unrivaled medical prowess.
Even the First Hokage, famed for his vitality, never needed medical ninjutsu. But Tsunade made it an art.
As her former teammate, Orochimaru had learned many techniques from her directly. No one understood her abilities better than he did.
And that's exactly why he believed in her potential.
Tsunade could single-handedly advance medical ninjutsu across the entire shinobi world. To waste that talent would be a crime.
Especially now—when Orochimaru was starting to feel that even his medical knowledge wasn't enough.
If he was to enhance his soul, improve his Sage Mode compatibility, and begin training his body more seriously... he couldn't afford to treat his physical form like a disposable shell anymore.
He needed to walk the right path. And Tsunade could help him do that.
This was also about protection. Aoi was weak—barely strong enough to shield herself, let alone her daughter. But Tsunade? She had power, and more importantly, she had will.
She possessed a rare kind of kindness—not the passive sort, but the kind that demanded action. She would be furious about what had happened to Aoi, and she would pour everything into healing her. Maybe she'd even destroy the entire Kusanagi Village one day because of it.
But even that, Orochimaru felt, wasn't enough.
Not for someone like Tsunade.
The average person didn't need to carry the weight of the world—but Tsunade could. She had the potential to elevate medical ninjutsu to heights never seen before.
Whether she personally benefited from those achievements or not... that was a different matter entirely.
---
Orochimaru rose from the rubble, brushing dust from his robes.
A group of patrolling ninjas rushed over, alarmed.
He glanced at the large hole in the wall behind him, and with perfect calm, said, "This is nothing. Just a joke between old friends."
The patrol looked at each other, then back at the destruction—and wisely chose to say nothing.
After all, these were two of the Legendary Sannin. And considering the strange mother and daughter who had entered earlier...
It suddenly made sense.
Without another word, they turned and walked away.
They didn't know—it really had been just a joke. Not even a scratch was left behind. In fact, compared to that one time Jiraiya got caught peeking and nearly died from a single punch, this was nothing but a drizzle.
Orochimaru calmly formed a hand seal, repaired the gaping hole in the wall, and walked back into the medical room.
Inside, Aoi was gently comforting a now-awake Karin. Shizune, still lying on the hospital bed, had pushed herself up slightly, her eyes shifting between Tsunade and Orochimaru. She looked worried, but no words came.
As the child's crying finally quieted down, Tsunade shot Orochimaru a frosty glance and said coldly:
"What does the rest of the ninja world have to do with me? Aoi and the others can stay. You—get out. I don't want to see you right now."
"Blond hair, short temper… just like the other one," muttered the Lamp Spirit, watching with a click of its tongue. "So tsundere."
If she really didn't care, she wouldn't have reacted like that. Besides, those two traitors earlier had clearly rattled her.
Orochimaru agreed inwardly.
But pushing further would be pointless. Sometimes too much was too much—and he'd only get the opposite result if he kept pressing.
He let it go, shifting the topic to Aoi and her daughter.
"I've already made arrangements for them. And no, I'm not leaving them in your care."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning, Orochimaru?"
She knew him well. His moral compass was no straighter than those Grass Ninja scum—maybe even more flexible.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not interested in using Aoi or Karin as test subjects," he said, licking his lips absently. "I plan to have them live with Jiraiya."
That made Aoi stiffen. Her face tensed in a way it hadn't even during her weakest moments.
Jiraiya? That was clearly a man's name.
How could she—how could he ask her to live with a man?
Even Kusa hadn't pushed her that far. They may have abused her, but they hadn't dared to go that far.
She looked toward Orochimaru, hesitant, as if trying to find the words.
Tsunade, however, didn't hold back. Her glare could've shattered stone.
"Scum. I haven't seen you in years, and you've somehow become even more repulsive."
"See? Misunderstood again," Orochimaru said with a thin smile, then turned toward Aoi and softened his tone.
"Jiraiya is around my age—forty-something. Practically a grandpa. He might look old and act like a pervert, but he'd never lay a hand on you. No matter how you feel, you can treat him like a guardian, nothing more.
The reason I'm sending you there is simple: there's a child around Karin's age who needs care. That's all."
Aoi finally relaxed a little, letting out a quiet breath.
Seeing her reaction, Tsunade shot Orochimaru another deadly look—but held her tongue. It wasn't like she could prove he wasn't a pervert.
Frowning, she waved him off.
"Is that all? Then get out. You've said what you came to say."
She understood why he came. She didn't even mind helping take care of Aoi and Karin.
She just didn't want to see him.
It had only been a few years, but somehow he was even more insufferable now.
"Heh…"
Orochimaru chuckled, but instead of leaving, he turned and walked straight to Shizune's bedside.
Under her startled gaze, he asked quietly,
"You're Dan's niece, aren't you? Do you want to inherit his legacy? I can properly teach you the art of spiritualization."
Shizune froze, stunned and unsure how to respond.
Tsunade stepped in immediately, shoving Orochimaru back with force and fury.
"What are you trying to pull? Shizune is my student."
"Oh? Your disciple?" Orochimaru's smile twisted into something sharp.
"Then what has she learned from you? Half-baked medical ninjutsu?"
"She collapsed so easily—was it because Sasori's poison is too strong? Or because she's unskilled? Or maybe… you never taught her properly?"
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