According to Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders, Danzō, who had been imprisoned, was strictly forbidden from meeting anyone without explicit authorization.
But clearly, neither Danzō nor Orochimaru were the kind of people who obeyed rules.
Thus, the two of them still met in secret. As for whether they would be discovered?
What a joke. Who did they think they were?
How could two Kage-level experts holding a private meeting be discovered by a mere group of ordinary jōnin?
"Heh heh… Danzō, you've really fallen to rock bottom, haven't you?"
The moment he appeared, Orochimaru flicked his tongue like a serpent, licking the corner of his mouth as he spoke with blatant mockery written all over his face.
At the same time, however, he was inwardly quite surprised. Sarutobi-sensei actually had the heart to throw Danzō into prison…
In the past, whenever Danzō made a mistake, it had always amounted to nothing more than a symbolic punishment.
At worst, he would be confined to his residence and forbidden from leaving. Being thrown directly into prison like this was unprecedented.
Is this because of Hirakawa Aoshi? Orochimaru speculated silently.
At the same time, a flicker of genuine interest surfaced within him toward this newly risen genius of Konoha.
Orochimaru's words caused Danzō's already grim expression to darken even further.
That he—the dignified Hokage's Assistant, a man who had devoted most of his life to Konoha—had been reduced to rotting in a prison cell…
It was an unspeakable humiliation. And all of it was because of that innately evil brat—Hirakawa Aoshi.
If this boy is not eliminated, Konoha will never know peace!
"Orochimaru, I summoned you here for only one purpose…"
"Kill Hirakawa Aoshi!"
The usually composed Danzō was now grinding his teeth, his hatred impossible to conceal. It was obvious just how deeply he loathed Aoshi.
For the past several days, even his dreams had been filled with scenes of killing that boy.
"If you called me here just to discuss something so boring, then there's no need to continue," Orochimaru spoke lazily.
He had no personal grievance or deep-seated hatred toward Aoshi—why would he kill him simply because Danzō said so?
Besides… Given Aoshi's current strength, he would not be easy to kill at all.
If the operation failed, Orochimaru would earn a powerful enemy. Why would he do something so utterly unprofitable?
Glancing at Orochimaru, Danzō understood perfectly. The other party was waiting for him to offer a price worth accepting.
Otherwise, there would be no deal. After all, they were partners—not superior and subordinate.
After some thought…
Danzō realized that the only thing he could offer Orochimaru was money.
With Orochimaru's power and status, there were very few things he truly lacked.
Ordinary ninjutsu would never be enough to tempt him. On the contrary, the funding required for Orochimaru's experiments was astronomical.
It was exceedingly difficult for Orochimaru to obtain such massive funds on his own.
"As long as you help me kill Aoshi, I will cover all of your research expenses for the next half year…" Danzō paused, his heart aching. "No—make that one full year."
Research consumed horrifying amounts of money. A full year of funding was not something anyone could casually produce.
Only because the Shimura Clan stood behind him could Danzō afford such a price.
Anyone familiar with the field would know just how heavy a cost he was offering.
Yet Orochimaru still shook his head. In his eyes, this amount was still not worth risking his life to kill Aoshi.
Seeing Orochimaru refuse again, Danzō nearly cursed aloud. Truly insatiable greed!
But remembering that he was the one seeking help, he could only grit his teeth and raise the stakes.
"I'll increase it to two years—at most." Orochimaru shook his head once more.
"Danzō, there's no need for us to play such childish games." To receive two years of research funding in exchange for killing Hirakawa Aoshi—
On the surface, it looked like an enormous profit. If it were anyone else, they might have agreed on the spot.
But Orochimaru had worked with Danzō for a long time. He understood him all too well.
Danzō could never possibly pay such an amount in a lump sum. He would inevitably choose monthly installments.
And that created a fatal problem. Once their cooperation ended—or they fell into conflict—the remaining money would never arrive.
Using something uncertain as bargaining capital—
That wasn't a trade.
It was deception.
In short…
Danzō was treating Orochimaru like some naive child who didn't understand the rules of the world.
Having his intentions exposed, Danzō didn't feel embarrassed at all. After all, one never truly understands the burden of finances until they manage them personally.
If he could deceive Orochimaru, wouldn't that be an enormous gain?
Trying costs him nothing. But since this approach failed, he would simply change tactics.
"Perhaps you don't know this yet, but Hiruzen already intends to groom Aoshi as the next Hokage."
Danzō spoke meaningfully, fixing Orochimaru with a steady gaze. "He's your competitor now."
Orochimaru's reaction was indifferent. Admittedly, he still harbored dreams of becoming Hokage.
But more important than that was his pursuit of immortality and the mastery of every ninjutsu in the world.
The Hokage position was no longer his foremost desire. Of course, if he truly had the chance to sit in that seat, he wouldn't refuse.
"You've been obsessed with your experiments these past few years and haven't had much contact with Hirakawa Aoshi."
"He's a fool thoroughly brainwashed by Hiruzen. Once he becomes Hokage, you can forget about conducting your experiments as freely as you do now."
At these words, Orochimaru's expression shifted subtly.
"Though we are not the same kind of people, I must admit Aoshi's talent is terrifying."
"Even now, he possesses strength comparable to a Tailed Beast. If you let him grow for a few more years, what level will he reach then?"
"At that point, once he discovers your experiments, I don't need to spell out the outcome."
If Sarutobi Hiruzen discovered Orochimaru's actions, old sentiments might lead him to show mercy.
But if it were Hirakawa Aoshi… He would undoubtedly hunt Orochimaru to the ends of the earth.
And once Aoshi became Hokage, he would have both the authority and the power to do so.
That was a future Orochimaru could not accept.
It was often said that Orochimaru was not the strongest ninja—
But he was undoubtedly one of the hardest to kill. However, that referred to the Orochimaru of the future.
The Orochimaru who had developed Living Corpse Reincarnation and the Cursed Seal of Heaven and Earth.
The current Orochimaru had not yet reached that level.
People die when they are killed. Even Orochimaru was no exception. And death was the thing he feared the most.
"I must admit, Danzō, your words have moved me… somewhat," Orochimaru spoke hoarsely.
Before Danzō could smile, however, Orochimaru continued. "But this is still not enough."
First, it was far from certain that Hirakawa Aoshi would truly become Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in his prime and could easily hold the position for another decade.
In such a long span of time, countless variables could arise. Moreover, Orochimaru himself was not without the qualifications or capability to compete for the Hokage seat.
Second—
Even if Aoshi did become Hokage. At worst, Orochimaru could simply leave Konoha.
Outside the village, he could pursue his ambitions with even fewer restraints.
If Konoha were not his birthplace, and if he had no bonds here, Orochimaru would have defected long ago.
Orochimaru's words caused Danzō's expression to worsen further.
Yet he knew—This threat truly wasn't enough to move Orochimaru.
"I will provide you with human test subjects from the Uchiha Clan. And I will pay half a year's worth of research funding upfront, in a single sum."
"Additionally…" Danzō narrowed his eyes. "You should also be interested in Hirakawa Aoshi himself."
"Killing him would make him your most valuable research material, wouldn't it?"
Once again, Danzō raised the price. After letting out a few sinister chuckles, Orochimaru's face twisted into an amused grin.
"It seems that to deal with Hirakawa Aoshi, you're truly willing to pay a steep price."
"However… I also want the Edo Tensei."
The forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Orochimaru had long heard of it—and had always been fascinated by it.
A jutsu capable of summoning the dead back to the world of the living. Perhaps it could provide new inspiration for his research into immortality.
Unfortunately, because Edo Tensei violated ethics and morality too severely, it had been sealed away long ago.
It was never passed down.
In truth, with Orochimaru's current abilities, it wasn't that he couldn't obtain Edo Tensei. But doing so would force him to defect immediately.
With Danzō, however, things were different.
As the former Hokage's Assistant and the long-standing leader of Root, Danzō undoubtedly possessed a backup scroll of Edo Tensei.
Orochimaru had simply never had the right opportunity to ask before.
Now, he wouldn't miss it.
From the very beginning, this forbidden technique had been his true objective in coming here. Otherwise, why would he bother cooperating with Danzō in his current fallen state?
Staring at Orochimaru for a long moment, Danzō finally spoke calmly.
"Fine. As long as you kill Hirakawa Aoshi, I will give you the Edo Tensei."
"You must give it to me first," Orochimaru replied without hesitation.
"You know he's not easy to deal with. Obtaining Edo Tensei beforehand will increase the success rate."
After a brief pause, Danzō chose to agree. He had no intention of failing against Hirakawa Aoshi again.
This time, absolute success was mandatory.
"I'll have Ryōma deliver the Edo Tensei to you. In addition, all Root operatives will follow your commands during the operation."
"I have only one requirement. Failure is absolutely unacceptable."
After securing what he wanted, Orochimaru's body suddenly liquefied into mud and vanished.
He had never come here in his true body to begin with. Yet before departing, his hoarse voice lingered within the prison cell.
"Rest assured… It's only a mere Hirakawa Aoshi." His tone dripped with disdain.
Though he acknowledged Aoshi's talent and reputation as a genius, then again, who among them wasn't a genius?
Hearing those words, Danzō finally felt at ease. As Orochimaru's long-time partner, he trusted his methods.
After all, this was a venomous snake lurking in the darkness. Once it struck, it would surely claim its prey's life.