"Wait, Kazuyama..."
Orochimaru quickly raised a hand to stop him, then began pacing on the spot, his mind racing.
After a while, he walked up to Kazuyama Gekkō and asked seriously, "Did you go to Kumogakure?"
"Yeah... Why?"
"When was it?"
"A long time ago, back during the battle in the Land of Hot Water."
Orochimaru fell silent. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Kazuyama Gekkō. That had been ages ago.
This brat actually slipped into Kumo and pulled something big during the war?
Suddenly, he remembered an intel report he had seen and couldn't help asking.
"Kazuyama, you weren't the one responsible for that huge debt the Fourth Raikage racked up in his country, were you?"
"If the battle report was accurate, you fought him head-on and even got injured?"
"Tsunade specifically reported your condition."
"Hehehe, knowing your temper, there's no way you'd let that kind of loss slide."
Kazuyama chuckled. Since he had already brought Orochimaru to Turtle Island, he figured it was time to come clean. From the moment Orochimaru set foot on the island, Kazuyama had planned to tie him to his own war chariot in the coming battle against Madara.
After all, Orochimaru was the top scientist in the entire Shinobi World. Biology, mechanics, genetics—you name it, he mastered it. He'd be a tremendous asset.
"Yeah, that bastard messed me up pretty bad. You think I'd let him walk away unscathed?"
"I borrowed money all over the Land of Lightning using his name. Not much—just a few hundred million ryō."
"Hmph, let him wrack his brains and work like a dog to pay it back."
"As for Turtle Island, it's my spoils of war. Let them fight all they want up front, they didn't expect me to stir up trouble in the back."
Kazuyama looked down at Turtle Island beneath his feet, radiating a don't-mess-with-me aura. It made Orochimaru suddenly burst into laughter.
The laugh was full of amusement and a trace of mockery.
"Kumogakure loves to boast about its strength, but they took quite the hit from you."
"I bet even in death, they won't figure out who set them up like that."
"But well done, Kazuyama. This Turtle Island is invaluable."
"If we can do experiments here, it would be an incredible opportunity."
The mad scientist had logged on. Seeing the light in Orochimaru's eyes, Kazuyama could easily imagine his mentor already thinking of this place as his personal lab.
If he had the equipment, Orochimaru would probably start experiments right now.
"Sure, as long as you're happy, Sensei."
"But let's talk about something else."
"You've seen the state of the village. What are your plans?"
Kazuyama got straight to the point. Orochimaru didn't have many choices left.
At the question, Orochimaru's smile vanished, replaced by a calm expression.
"My research isn't allowed anymore. I'll be leaving the village. I was hesitant before."
"Kazuyama, in a way, this is your fault too."
What the hell?
His fault?
Kazuyama pointed at himself, looking at Orochimaru in disbelief.
The latter laughed again.
"Yes, because of you. I used to be alone, free of attachments. Or rather, I didn't want any."
"But then you showed up—with your talent, your Kekkei Genkai, and even your... charisma."
Kazuyama felt a bit embarrassed.
Charisma? What kind of charisma? The charisma of a schemer?
"Because of you, I hesitated. But seeing you support my work helped me come to terms with it."
"I owe a lot to the village, sure. But to pursue my goals, leaving... doesn't seem so bad."
"But I doubt you'd come with me, right, Kazuyama?"
"After all, Hayate and Pakura are both still in the village."
Orochimaru looked at his beloved student with a warm smile.
Then he turned toward Turtle Island, his eyes serious. He had already decided to make this place his research base.
If money was an issue, he'd find a way to get it. His work couldn't be stopped.
"Sensei, it's nice having a big tree to lean on. I may have some strength, but to the village higher-ups, I'm just a Jōnin with decent skills."
"That's why they don't restrict me nearly as much as they do you."
"And with the way I handle things, heh, the village won't come after me—in fact, they'll probably give me more responsibilities."
And he wasn't wrong.
Nobody's perfect. Kazuyama loved money, women, and was a bit of a coward. To the higher-ups, those were perfect tools for control.
So instead of keeping a tight leash on him, they gave him more freedom.
Besides, the Gekkō clan wasn't a big one. For a smaller clan, relying on the village was the best option.
"Hehehe, that's only because they don't know how strong you really are."
"This place is hundreds of miles from the Land of Fire, but with the Flying Thunder God, you can get there in an instant, right?"
"Kazuyama, your power is way scarier than you let on."
Kazuyama just smiled and didn't explain.
"Hehehe, yeah. If everything goes smoothly, I'll secure a backup plan soon."
"Once that's done, this will be my research base. I'll need your help with that, Kazuyama."
Orochimaru didn't know the Flying Thunder God Technique, so getting to Turtle Island was a real issue.
He had to rely on Kazuyama to come up with a solution.
"Hmm... If you plan to leave the village, I suggest heading to the Land of Waterfalls. I'll have Turtle Island move toward the North Sea and avoid Kumogakure's waters as much as possible."
"That way, you can come and go freely."
"Sensei, I know what you're after, and I won't stop you. But if possible, maybe ease up on the human experiments. Then again, I won't be seeing them anyway, so as long as you don't go too far, it's fine."
"Sensei, give me your right arm."
Orochimaru didn't know what Kazuyama was up to but extended his right arm anyway.
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing the Ryūchi Cave contract markings—though much simpler than Kazuyama Gekkō's.
Kazuyama Gekkō bit his finger and pressed his hand to the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
A puff of white smoke appeared, and a figure emerged before them.
Dressed in a flowing green skirt, with a graceful silhouette, it was Tagorihime—one of the three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave.
"Kazuyama, did you summon me?"
"Hmm? This presence..."
Tagorihime had just begun to greet Kazuyama when she sensed another aura—one faintly carrying the scent of Ryūchi Cave.