manynovel Chapter 307 Orochimaru: Nawaki, there's nothing to be afraid of about that old Danzo.
Chapter 307 Orochimaru: Nawaki, there's nothing to be afraid of about that old Danzo.
Chapter 307 Orochimaru: Nawaki, there's nothing to be afraid of about that old Danzo.
Yinyin Village, underground laboratory.
There were many unearthed files scattered around Orochimaru.
Early cell culture records.
There are even the subjects' pre-death medical examination reports and various data records.
Pharmacist Shizuka stood behind the lab bench.
A whole day has passed.
Dou was puzzled, and even a little horrified.
Lord Orochimaru surprisingly didn't study those White Zetsu samples that he was so interested in today.
I spent all of today on this old archive that records my failures.
This is extremely unusual.
Orochimaru rarely spends time dwelling on past failures.
For him, this was a waste of life.
But today, Orochimaru is defying common sense time and time again.
Looking at that pale profile, a thought popped into Dou's mind.
If it weren't for that dream last night, Orochimaru probably wouldn't have looked back at this file even after a thousand years.
The only sound in the laboratory was the occasional rustling of Orochimaru turning the pages.
Orochimaru looked puzzled and murmured, "What exactly is the difference?"
"Differences in experimental environments?"
"Differences in technical details?"
"It's still some key variable—or line of thought—that I haven't yet figured out."
"In short, it wasn't luck."
Dou didn't interrupt.
He knew that Orochimaru hated being interrupted most in this state.
It's not out of temperament or patience, but rather a scientist's instinct.
When a line of thought is on the verge of a breakthrough, any external force can snap it.
However, at that very moment—
Ring ring ring —
The alarm clock rang, interrupting Orochimaru's thoughts.
As if snapping out of a long reverie, Orochimaru slowly raised his head, glanced at the time with some surprise, and muttered, "Is it already this time?"
Kabuto immediately responded respectfully, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru, a whole day has passed."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's expression became even more dazed.
He looked down and glanced at the files on the table again.
"Never mind, it's already this late—let's rest first."
As he spoke, he closed the file on the table.
An idea popped into my head.
The answers we can't find in reality might provide clues in our dreams.
Thinking of this, he completely broke free from his state of indulgence.
Orochimaru stopped worrying and stood up briskly, casually saying as he walked towards the door, "Rest now, Kabuto."
"Yes."
Yakushi Kabuto immediately bowed.
In the instant he lowered his head, a barely suppressed anticipation flashed in his eyes.
I wonder what tonight will be like —
The thought popped up uncontrollably, however—
No.
You shouldn't think that way.
After raising his head, Kabuto's face returned to its usual refined and amiable expression as he quietly followed behind Orochimaru.
Not long after lying down.
Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes.
-
What came into view was a completely unfamiliar ceiling.
It is a simple wooden structure without paint, with a clean design, completely different from Yin Yin Underground.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly and quickly scanned the room.
The furnishings are simple: a desk and a few chairs.
A bookshelf, neatly stacked with scrolls and books, and two ordinary green plants on the windowsill, which had been carefully trimmed.
Everything exudes a neat, simple, and even slightly rigid style.
In front of a clothes rack in the corner of the room, hung a set of green vests in the style of Konoha.
Orochimaru stared at the vest for two seconds.
"It's true, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. I've come back here again."
He narrowed his eyes and quickly analyzed the situation.
It's most likely the same dream that Dou entered yesterday.
Orochimaru's expression remained completely calm, but his curiosity grew rapidly.
He sat up, walked to the clothes rack, took off his vest, and put on the clothes, as if he had returned to many years ago.
The reflection in the mirror in front of me is a younger version of myself.
In the past, seeing a younger version of himself might have sparked philosophical reflections on immortality, but now his primary concern is the experiment.
The Wood Release experiment that ended in utter defeat for him in reality, but seemed to succeed in his dream.
He decided to immediately check the experimental records he had left behind in the dream.
Therefore, after getting dressed, Orochimaru did not delay and went straight to the door.
However, at that moment...
Bang!Bang!Bang!
A rough knocking sounded at the door, and Orochimaru's expression showed a hint of surprise.
After all, during this period, he was not only the prized disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also a powerful figure who was in charge of the Konoha Anbu research and development department and held the authority to research many forbidden techniques.
In Konoha Village, very few people would knock on his door in this way.
The only person who would dare to knock on his door like that is that idiot Jiraiya.
However, although Jiraiya was foolish, it was obvious that he would not have slammed the door with malicious intent.
who is it?
This question flashed through my mind.
Orochimaru's golden snake eyes narrowed slightly, a mixture of amusement and wariness flashing in his gaze.
He didn't open the door immediately, nor did he ask any questions. He just stood there quietly, letting the door make a jarring noise, while inwardly assessing whether it was a person outside or something more troublesome.
The person outside clearly had no patience to wait.
Bang!
With a louder, more explosive sound than before, the sturdy solid wood door was kicked open from the outside.
The lock snapped, splinters flew everywhere, and the door swung open with a whooshing sound, slamming heavily against the wall with a dull thud.
Two figures stood backlit at the entrance.
The leader, though not particularly tall, exuded a gloomy and ruthless aura of someone who had long held a high position.
He was wearing a kimono, but his right arm was wrapped in layers of bandages that extended all the way to his neck. Most striking were the white bandages covering his right eye and most of his face.
The exposed left eye now flashed with undisguised malice and rage.
It was none other than Danzo Shimura.
Moreover, he is younger than he actually is, and therefore, more charismatic.
Half a step behind Danzo, standing silently like a shadow, was a man wearing sunglasses and a black stand-up collar jacket.
His expression was indifferent, and his aura was almost non-existent, giving off an impression that strangers should not approach him.
He was Orochimaru's former teammate, an elite member of the Aburame clan, and one of Danzo's most trusted right-hand men, Aburame Ryuma.
Orochimaru stood in the room, his golden snake eyes calmly meeting Danzo's aggressive gaze.
Why would Danzo come to him at this time and in this way?
He could clearly sense that the other party's anger was not just a bluff; it seemed that something had really angered the old man.
Orochimaru, however, wore the same serpentine smile as always.
"Lord Danzo, so early?"
in the audience.
The number of people in the audience was not much different from last night.
The only difference is that Kakashi has been replaced by Danzo, yesterday's protagonist Kabuto Yakushi has become an audience member, and Orochimaru has entered a dream.
Kabuto sat in Orochimaru's seat from the previous night, his expression momentarily somber.
Unfortunately, it wasn't me who entered the dream today.
The moment the thought popped into his head, Dou immediately realized how dangerous and amateurish it was, and promptly nipped it in the bud.
How could someone who is Orochimaru's most capable assistant have such thoughts because of personal emotions?
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
I tried to force the images remaining in my mind to be locked deep in my heart, but the images seemed to have a life of their own and would always stubbornly resurface in my mind.
The sunlight at the entrance of the orphanage, the director's smile as he adjusted his glasses, the children's excited voices—
Dou was even a little annoyed.
What's wrong with me? Why am I so attached to that fake world?
Dou could only fix his gaze on the screen with even greater focus.
By analyzing Orochimaru's situation in the dream, I can distract myself from those inappropriate feelings of excitement.
Beside Kabuto, Jiraiya stroked his chin, his face full of confusion, and muttered in a slightly sarcastic tone, "Strange, Lord Danzo, you came to Orochimaru so early in the morning, all furious. This doesn't seem like you're here to discuss anything."
Danzo has recently lost power, but he's become more talkative. Upon hearing this, he glanced over with his one eye, his expression full of self-righteous disdain.
"Is it so strange that I can kick down Orochimaru's door whenever I want?"
Jiraiya choked for a moment, his lips twitched, but he still shook his head.
He tried hard to recall the timeline in reality, matching the young faces in his dreams with the ages in his memory.
"Based on Orochimaru's age and attire in the dream, this period should be roughly when he was in Root, right?"
As Jiraiya spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Danzo again, and asked doubtfully, "I remember back then, Orochimaru was a very useful card in your hand, helping you handle a lot of shady research and dirty work. You should have valued and relied on him a lot."
"How did things get to this point?"
Jiraiya's analysis is based on real-life memories.
However, the dream clearly presented a different storyline.
Danzo said with a gloomy face, "What kind of useful card is Orochimaru? He's a piece of trash. He's wasted so much funding and hasn't done a single useful study."
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +200!]
"snort."
Tsunade started with a cold snort, crossed her arms, and glanced disdainfully at Danzo.
"What else could it be?"
"The two of them, one insidious and ruthless, the other unscrupulous, were simply using each other."
"It must be due to unequal distribution of the spoils."
Tsunade spoke with absolute certainty, clearly indicating that she was still troubled by her dream from the previous night.
He was filled with disgust for all transactions involving Orochimaru and Danzo.
In her opinion, it's not surprising that these two people are fighting like dogs.
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Jiraiya could only shake his head helplessly when he heard Tsunade's words.
He knew she was struggling with her inner conflict, so he said nothing more and simply turned his gaze back to the screen.
On the other side of the stands, in a position that keeps a distance from the Konoha members.
Nagato, Konan, and Obito sat quietly.
Their reaction was completely different from that of the others from Konoha.
There weren't many emotional fluctuations, nor were personal grudges factored into the judgment.
All three of them stared intently at the screen, observing Orochimaru's every move.
For them, the value of this dream lies in assessing Orochimaru's worth and risks.
on the screen.
"Orochimaru—!" Danzo pointed a finger at Orochimaru and roared, "Stop pretending and trying to get on my good side!"
"Once, twice, and again! Do you really think I, Shimura Danzo, wouldn't dare to touch you?!"
Ryoma Aburame remained silent.
But silence does not equate to complacency; a swarm of black insects was faintly stirring at the cuff of his sleeve.
Orochimaru's golden snake eyes showed no anger at being offended, but rather amusement and curiosity.
He slowly licked his lower lip and chuckled, "Interesting, very interesting."
He had worked with Danzo for many years and knew the old man all too well.
Danzo is insidious, selfish, and extremely controlling. He is adept at manipulating everything from the shadows and often uses the power of self-interest and covert threats.
He would certainly be furious.
But such rage is often a carefully calculated performance, intended to exert maximum pressure, force the other party to concede, and achieve a goal.
And what about the scene before us?
He lost control of his emotions, his murderous intent was revealed, and he even became enraged.
In reality, the only person who could make Danzo show such a fierce but cowardly demeanor is usually that old guy Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And at this moment, Danzo's appearance was actually directed at himself?
This realization sparked an unprecedented and intense interest in Orochimaru regarding the scene before him, and even in himself within this dream.
What exactly did "I" do?
Therefore, faced with Danzo's anger, Orochimaru not only did not restrain himself, but also said with a thoughtful and mocking tone, "Lord Danzo, why get so angry? It's not good for your health so early in the morning. What is it that makes you have to kick down my door to tell me?"
Orochimaru saw it as just his normal way of speaking and didn't see anything wrong with it.
However, to Danzo, who was already furious, this calm yet playful tone sounded like sarcasm and contempt.
This was tantamount to pouring a bucket of hot oil on Danzo's raging anger.
"you!"
Danzo was so angry that his finger was trembling as he pointed at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru! Don't get too cocky!"
"I am, after all, of the same generation as your teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and am an elder of Konoha!"
"How dare you—how dare you treat me like this!"
"Completely disregarding rules and regulations, utterly arrogant!"
As Danzo's roar subsided, Ryoma Aburame, who had been silent all along, subtly shifted his position by half a step, the swarm of insects in his sleeve poised to transform into a tidal wave at any moment.
Orochimaru listened with great interest, and was about to ask a few more questions to see if he could extract some useful information.
However, he hadn't spoken yet.
The commotion at the door had already attracted the attention of others.
Before anyone knew it, a group of people had silently gathered outside the door.
There were about seven or eight people, but each of them was tall and had a deep and composed aura. What was even more incredible was that their ninja outfits were embroidered with the Senju clan crest.
They didn't speak, but their gazes calmly converged, coldly staring at Danzo and Ryuma.
The older Senju clansman at the head of the group had a resolute face. He stepped forward, his gaze first sweeping over the two men with livid faces before turning to Orochimaru inside the room.
His expression was respectful, and he bowed slightly, saying, "Lord Orochimaru, good morning. We hear a bit of a commotion here. Do you need any help?"
The moment the words fell, all the Senju clan members around him fixed their gazes on Danzo.
It's as if they're saying that anyone who wants to cause trouble here has to ask the Thousand Hands clan for permission first.
A heavy, oppressive aura descended, enveloping Danzo and Ryuma in the center.
Clearly, if Danzo dared to attack Orochimaru here, he would be facing not only Orochimaru himself, but also this group of Senju elites.
This sudden turn of events calmed Danzo down, not because his anger subsided. His gloomy single eye kept flashing, clearly indicating that this matter was not over.
His gaze swept over the Senju clan members, his eyes bloodshot, and when he turned back to Orochimaru, his features were almost contorted.
Danzo never imagined that Orochimaru's influence within the Senju clan had reached such a level.
These clansmen were actually willing to openly confront Orochimaru, an elder of Konoha and the leader of the Root clan, for his sake.
The situation has taken a turn for the worse.
Danzo weighed the pros and cons in a single breath.
This is the territory of the Senju clan. If we were to confront them head-on here, we would not only come out worse, but we might also escalate the situation.
Despite being filled with humiliation and anger, the shrewd Danzo, faced with an unfavorable situation, still chose the most rational course of action.
Temporary retreat.
He took a deep breath and said coldly, "Fine—very good, Orochimaru, you're impressive. I will report this matter to Hiruzen in detail and raise it at the elders' meeting. I want to see what excuse Hiruzen Sarutobi will use to protect you this time!"
"Let's go."
After saying that, he stopped looking at Orochimaru and ignored the menacing Senju clan members. He flicked his sleeve and led Aburame Ryoma away.
Orochimaru stood at the door, his golden snake eyes gazing in the direction where Danzo had disappeared, then sweeping over the Senju clan members, his curiosity growing even stronger.
Why is the Senju clan protecting me like this?
In reality, his relationship with the Senju clan is at best one of non-interference.
There may even be a significant rift between them due to the failure of their early Wood Release experiments.
In this dream, the Senju clan members stood up for him without hesitation and showed him great respect when he clashed with Danzo.
This contrast bothered him more than Danzo's loss of composure.
Before Danzo's fury had completely subsided, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the direction of the training ground outside the door.
"Master!"
"Good morning!"
Nawaki trotted over, first glancing at the broken door with a puzzled look, then at the Senju clan members gathered nearby, and finally at Orochimaru, asking in confusion, "Master, what happened?"
"I think I heard a lot of noise over here just now, and a lot of tribesmen gathered around."
"And who broke this door?"
Upon seeing Nawaki appear, Orochimaru's playful and serious expression vanished instantly.
"It's nothing serious."
Orochimaru calmly replied, "Elder Danzo came over to discuss some issues, and he was quite agitated."
"Danzo?"
Upon hearing the name, Rope Tree immediately frowned, his face revealing undisguised disgust.
He pursed his lips, his voice lowering slightly, and said guiltily, "Master, this might be my fault."
Orochimaru looked at Nawaki with some surprise, his tone unusually questioning: "Is it your fault?"
He truly didn't understand how Nawaki could have offended Danzo.
He knew Nawaki's personality well, and it didn't seem like he would be involved with Danzo at all.
Rope Tree scratched the back of his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I did something using my master's name."
Orochimaru stared at Nawaki without speaking, signaling him to continue.
Rope Tree didn't keep them in suspense. He raised his head and said stubbornly, "I used the excuse that Master needed it for your Wood Release experiments to snatch several batches of orphans from him."
"orphan?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Nawaki nodded and said, "That Danzo guy, all he does is gather up orphans with no one to rely on all day long."
"Train them into cold-blooded killing machines using shady methods."
97
"Those children deserved a better future."
"Instead of becoming a heartless pawn in his hands."
"Master, I believe I did the right thing."
"Isn't it the right thing to rescue them from the clutches of Root and send them to Director Nonou's orphanage, giving them a normal life and the opportunity to choose?"
"Even if Danzo complains to the Hokage, we are still in the right."
97
"The Hokage will surely be able to distinguish right from wrong."
Although the Senju clan members around him did not speak out in agreement, their expressions and eyes clearly showed that they deeply agreed with what Nawaki said.
Some people clenched their fists instinctively, while others pursed their lips, their eyes revealing the same disgust.
Their gazes toward Orochimaru were filled with even greater respect, as if they were waiting for him to say something like, "That's right."
Clearly, this cause has received widespread support within the Senju clan.
However, Orochimaru, who was standing opposite them, felt a sense of absurdity after hearing Nawaki's indignant statement.
Snatching orphans from Gen's hands and sending them to an orphanage is an act of betrayal against the Heavenly Gang.
Orochimaru was once in Danzo's hands.
He knew all too well what roots were.
That place is the deepest shadow of Konoha, a private armed force and intelligence machine that Danzo has been operating for many years, implementing the extreme Konoha-first, but actually Danzo-first, ideology.
While some of the members of Root were outstanding students who graduated from ninja academies, the vast majority of ordinary members, as Nawaki said, were indeed orphans who lost their loved ones in the war.
These children are carefree, like blank sheets of paper.
It is precisely the best material for conducting brutal brainwashing training to cultivate absolute loyalty and emotional tools.
This is the personnel base upon which the Root organization was able to maintain and expand, and one of the sources of Danzo's dark power.
What is the difference between the rope tree's behavior and digging up the roots of the root tissue?
They took away the promising young talents that Danzo had carefully selected and was already nurturing, sent them to orphanages, and gave them a normal life and choices.
No wonder.
Orochimaru understood immediately, and all his previous doubts instantly became clear.
No wonder Danzo was so angry.
They kept saying it was happening again and again, even going so far as to break off all pretense and come to our door to threaten us.
The rope tree thing was done somewhat ill-considered.
Although Orochimaru thought this way, he looked at Nawaki's bright, self-assured eyes.
Orochimaru smiled slightly and gently patted Nawaki's head.
The moment the palm landed, Nawaki subconsciously straightened his back, like a dog-like boy who had been recognized, his unseen tail practically wagging in the air.
"Rope Tree, you did the right thing."
When Nawaki heard that Orochimaru agreed with his approach, the gloom on his face immediately dissipated.
"I knew you'd think the same thing, Master!"
However, after the initial excitement, he seemed to suddenly remember something, his eyes darted around, and his voice lowered: "But—this didn't cause you any trouble, did it, Master?"
He wasn't afraid of Danzo, but he was afraid of implicating his master.
After all, in his eyes, Orochimaru was someone who was going to do great things: the Wood Release experiments, the revival of the Senju clan, and even the future of the entire village.
Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's nothing, just Danzo. I don't care."
Rope Tree's eyes immediately lit up: "I knew it, Master! You must have disliked him for a long time too!"
Orochimaru smiled slightly and did not deny it.
He merely glanced up at the group of Senju clansmen still guarding the area, and then at the undisguised trust on Nawaki's face.
Today's dream was indeed very interesting.
auditorium.
-
The atmosphere in the stands became somewhat delicate at this moment, especially in the area where the Konoha members were located.
On the big screen, the radiant smile of Nawaki in the dream and the gentle head pat of Orochimaru in the dream truly shocked everyone.
It's just that everyone focuses on different details.
Jiraiya stroked his chin, a meaningful and mischievous smile appearing on his face.
He glanced sideways at Danzo, whose face had already turned a deep purplish-red.
Danzo's lips twitched, and he suddenly let out a snort.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
He certainly noticed Jiraiya's expression.
Danzo's gloomy face twisted with shame and anger, and he immediately said in a blustering but cowardly tone, "Ridiculous! Do you think I'm afraid of Orochimaru?!"
In my dream, I was definitely giving Hiruzen Sarutobi face! Otherwise, how could those few Senju clan brats possibly stop me?
The way he said those words, combined with the hurried departure on the screen, made it seem particularly comical.
Jiraiya chuckled, not exposing the truth, but simply shrugged with a playful expression.
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +200!]
Jiraiya's attention was quickly diverted from Danzo's predicament.
He stroked his chin, his gaze deepening as he looked at Orochimaru in the image, and murmured softly, "But speaking of which—"
"This Orochimaru in the dream is no ordinary person."
In reality, ever since the incident with Nawaki, Orochimaru has seemed to shut himself off.
He no longer believed in so-called bonds; all that remained in his eyes were eternal life and forbidden knowledge.
In Konoha, he possessed exceptional abilities, yet he always remained a loner.
Everyone knew he was dangerous, but they also had to acknowledge his strength and skill.
But what about on the screen?
Jiraiya's gaze swept across the Senju clan members standing firmly behind Orochimaru on the screen, then looked at Nawaki, who was talking to Orochimaru with eyes full of trust, and sighed with mixed feelings: "The Orochimaru in reality is a dangerous genius who is on the fringes of the core of power."
"And Orochimaru in the dream—seems to have already gained immense prestige."
As he said this, it was as if he wanted to say, "If only he could have done that back then," but he also felt that saying these words would be like rubbing salt into Tsunade's wounds.
When Tsunade saw Nawaki's behavior in the scene, her eyes did indeed light up for a moment.
It was an instinctive sense of relief that her brother was still the same child who would stand up for others.
However, when Jiraiya described "Orochimaru in the dream" as another possibility, he immediately sneered and said warily, "Hmph, so what? What about saving orphans? I think he has ulterior motives. With his ruthless nature, he might save those children to carry out his heinous human experiments."
"After all, it's much easier to snatch it from Danzo than to find it from outside, and it's less likely to arouse suspicion. Nawaki might also be being used by him."
"Using the guise of good deeds to commit despicable acts—that's Orochimaru's style."
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
Her hatred for Orochimaru was deeply ingrained.
In particular, the contrast between the success of her clansmen in her dream last night and their tragic deaths in reality led her to basically conclude that Orochimaru's actions were all driven by malicious intent.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade's excited profile, sighed helplessly, opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back down.
He knew that Tsunade's emotions wouldn't be easily calmed down, given the pain involving her clan and younger brother.
Tsunade remained noncommittal to Jiraiya's hesitant words, simply letting out a cold snort before turning her gaze back to the screen.
On the other side of the audience seats.
The three from Amegakure, Nagato, Konan, and Obito, remained silent.
Their eyes were also fixed on the screen.
In the dream, Orochimaru's traits deviated significantly from their preconceived notions of him in reality.
This bias did not easily sway or change their views.
After all, the name Orochimaru carries too much filth and taboo in reality.
However, there is a certain degree of overlap between dreams and reality.
The dream revealed a possibility: Orochimaru might not be as evil as they thought.
Even Konan, who was most wary of Orochimaru, had some of her views subtly change.
[Ding! Xiao Nan's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +250!]
An absurd idea suddenly popped into her mind.
Is this really such a stereotype?
Is there really a possibility of cooperation with Orochimaru?