Since climbing aboard Minato's ship, Uchiha Fugaku never once thought about disembarking.
He had no illusions about the game they were playing.
If not Minato… then who?
The Third Hokage? Danzo? The so-called elder council?
They had done nothing for the Uchiha except push them closer to the cliff's edge—stripping autonomy, narrowing patrol routes, and scrutinizing every decision the clan made. At their worst, they'd even ordered the culling of ninja dogs belonging to Uchiha officers, citing "budget control."
Fugaku wasn't here to negotiate anymore.
Minato gave the word?
He'd strike.
Enemy? Target? Suspect?
He'd kill.
Even if it was Orochimaru standing before them now—one of the fabled Sannin, master of forbidden arts, the serpent cloaked in brilliance—Fugaku didn't flinch.
And neither did Minato.
That alone spoke volumes.
Orochimaru, for his part, had rarely looked… hesitant.
But facing Minato Namikaze, still cloaked in the faint chakra afterglow of the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Uchiha Fugaku with his cold Sharingan gaze, even the serpent of Konoha knew when he was staring down a real death trap.
He wasn't naïve.
Minato alone could kill him.
Add the Uchiha clan and Fugaku's personal elite?
He wouldn't be walking out of this base.
"Tch… I haven't even perfected Edo Tensei yet," Orochimaru muttered under his breath.
That was enough to make even him sweat.
"Lord Orochimaru," Minato began with formal courtesy, "forgive the intrusion. I wouldn't have approached you like this if I had another way."
Orochimaru's eyes glinted with amused wariness.
"You bring death to my door with a smile… I suppose that's your way of being polite?"
Minato didn't rise to the bait.
"I'm here to offer cooperation," he said simply. "Will you join us?"
Orochimaru's smile widened into something closer to a grin.
"Join you?" he repeated. "Minato… I never intended to oppose you."
"Especially not now."
He raised both hands slightly in a theatrical show of surrender.
He knew how to read the signs.
On one side: the fading shadow of the old regime—Danzo, Homura, Koharu. Worms clinging to tradition.
On the other: the Fourth Hokage, stronger than ever, backed by the Uchiha and moving decisively.
It wasn't a matter of conviction. It was survival.
Orochimaru might play with death, but he didn't plan on dying today.
"So you've made your decision?" Minato asked.
"I'm a ninja, not an idiot," Orochimaru replied coolly. "Of course I have."
Minato allowed himself the faintest smile. It wasn't trust—it was relief.
For all his twisted methods, Orochimaru never went back on his word once his goals aligned. That, Jiraiya had taught Minato well.
But there was still business to address.
"There's one more thing," Minato added. "I need your research partnership with Danzo to end. Immediately."
That wiped the smile off Orochimaru's face.
His gaze darkened.
"You're asking a bit too much, Minato."
He crossed his arms and stared at the Hokage, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Do you even know how long I've spent studying Hashirama's cells?"
"You're right," Minato said, stepping forward. "I do."
"No matter what technique you use, the moment the host receives chakra input, the cells go into feeding frenzy. They devour the user from the inside."
Orochimaru blinked.
"…You know that?"
"Hashirama's cells can't be stabilized alone," Minato continued. "But it turns out they respond well to Sharingan."
"What did you say?"
Orochimaru's voice dropped to a whisper.
"You've noticed it already," Minato said. "The Uchiha's dojutsu can suppress the rampancy. At the same time, the regenerative qualities of Hashirama's cells can lessen the toll of repeated Sharingan use."
The laboratory fell silent.
Even Fugaku looked mildly surprised. Not because he didn't know this—he did—but because he hadn't expected Minato to spell it out so plainly, here, in front of Orochimaru.
And Orochimaru?
He was frozen.
"You… How did you find this out?" he asked, voice dry.
"Someone told me," Minato answered.
"Who?"
Minato shrugged. "I can't say."
Orochimaru licked his lips, mind racing.
He'd only just begun to suspect that possibility himself. That the Uchiha bloodline could synergize with Hashirama's cells was a theory still in its infancy—and Minato had just dropped it like common knowledge.
This wasn't rumor.
This was breakthrough-level information.
"So that's your play…" Orochimaru whispered. "You're offering me something better than Danzo ever did."
Minato glanced to Fugaku, who nodded slightly.
"We can provide you with a small reserve of Sharingan," Fugaku said. "For research."
"Nothing recent," Minato added quickly. "Only those lost in battle or prior wars."
A pause.
Orochimaru's face slowly curled into a genuine smile.
"A few eyeballs in exchange for leaving Danzo behind?" he mused aloud. "Ah… you do know how to speak my language, Minato."
"This isn't a bribe. It's a strategic investment," Minato clarified.
But Orochimaru was already nodding.
"Of course, of course," he muttered. "A few Sharingan… a chance to finally stabilize the grafts… this could change everything."
"Minato… whoever whispered this idea in your ear… they understand me far too well."
He licked his lips again, more excited than before.
"They knew exactly where to poke."
Minato folded his arms.
"One more thing," he said. "Your research will be conducted under village supervision from now on."
Orochimaru tilted his head.
"Hmm. That's a little controlling."
"It's non-negotiable."
"Fine," he said with a dismissive shrug. "Let the paperwork ninja come and observe. As long as no one gets in the way…"
He trailed off meaningfully.
"Of course," Minato replied. "So long as there are no… unnecessary accidents."
Orochimaru laughed.
"Well. If there are, I'll be sure to have the assistant take the fall. I hear the orphanage has a few promising ones left."
But behind that laughter was a deeper conflict.
Orochimaru had always lived between two truths:
One: He was brilliant, and had mastered more techniques than most ninja would ever read about.
Two: He was born without a kekkei genkai.
No bloodline advantage.
No inherited gift.
No latent monster sealed in his gut.
Everything he had, he earned.
And yet—even after mastering Reanimation, after crafting curses and splitting his soul—the power held by bloodline heirs always seemed to sit above him.
The Wood Release of Hashirama.
The Sharingan of the Uchiha.
The Byakugan of the Hyūga.
He hated it. He admired it. He wanted to surpass it.
"If genius can't defeat bloodlines," Orochimaru whispered to himself, "then what's the point of progress?"
That was the root of it.
Why he wanted Sasuke's body later. Why he studied the Uchiha so obsessively. Why he tested the limit of life itself.
He wasn't just curious. He was defiant.
And now… the Sharingan was being offered.
Not stolen. Not dissected in the dark.
Given.
Legally.
With Hokage approval.
He didn't have to justify the means anymore. He could chase the truth on the books.
Orochimaru chuckled and looked up at Minato again.
"You're good. You're very good."
He leaned closer, voice silky and bright with admiration.
"He found my weak spot… and bribed it."
And then, grinning like a fox in the henhouse, he added:
"If he wants to try again… I wouldn't even mind."
Fugaku folded his arms, deadpan.
"So. Do we have your cooperation or not?"
Orochimaru stood straight, brushing imaginary dust from his vest.
"Of course."
"Then from now on," Minato said, voice firm, "your research answers to the Hokage's office."
"Understood," Orochimaru replied, almost giddy. "If I get what I want, I'll gladly put on the leash."
Minato narrowed his eyes.
"Don't test it."
Orochimaru waved a hand, half amused, half honest.
"Perish the thought."
As they prepared to leave, Orochimaru watched them go, eyes gleaming.
A moment later, he turned to his desk, already reaching for a quill and a scroll.
"Sharingan and Hashirama cells… I'll crack this puzzle wide open. And when I do…"
He smiled, fangs peeking through.
"They'll regret ever calling it a bloodline 'limit.'"
He whispered it like a promise.
And behind that smile was one simple truth:
"The guy who knows my mind and uses my weakness to seduce me…"
"Wait, then."
"I, Orochimaru, will definitely surprise you!"