The instant Hiruzen Sarutobi finished talking, Orochimaru felt a rush of unstoppable excitement.
Root, as one of Konoha's core departments, held an incredible amount of resources, maintained its own talent-training system and fully equipped facilities, and even boasted a massive headquarters. All of that was exactly what he'd dreamed of.
Orochimaru knew Root inside and out.
He used to be part of it, working alongside Aburame Tatsuma as Danzo's bodyguard.
Tatsuma's crazy infiltration abilities were still burned into Orochimaru's mind.
Plus, his right-hand man now—Kabuto Yakushi—was an outstanding Root-trained shinobi.
Sure, Danzo lost big-time this round. But the Root he'd poured half his life into was still packed with talent.
Besides Aburame Tatsuma, it had elite shinobi like Aburame Torune, Yamanaka Fū, Hyō, Tanuki Shigaraki, and others with special skills.
Now, all of those talented people—and all of Root's resources—belonged to him.
That meant he had a much bigger stage to unleash his ambitions.
Faced with Hiruzen Sarutobi's offer, Orochimaru didn't refuse for even a second. He formally accepted.
Under the watchful eyes of Konoha's "F3" (Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura), he stood straight and spoke firmly: "Sensei, Advisors, don't worry. I'll do everything I can to develop Root and keep giving back to Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two nodded with a hint of relief on their faces.
They'd already agreed to let Orochimaru try running Root for a while; if it worked out, he'd take full command in the future.
But Orochimaru wasn't satisfied yet.
While the momentum was still hot, he pitched a well-considered idea: "Sensei, years ago I did some research in one of Root's labs. Now that I'm managing Root, how about merging my personal lab with Root's facilities so we can make better use of our resources?"
He proposed this partly to avoid people accusing him of using his new position for personal gain, and partly to maximize Root's resources for his own experiments.
Because, after all, Root was Konoha's property, not his personal playground.
Hiruzen didn't answer right away; he looked over at Koharu and Homura.
Koharu frowned a bit, then said thoughtfully, "Merging them shouldn't be an issue; we can try it out for now. If problems crop up later, we can make adjustments."
Homura nodded in agreement. "I'm with Koharu on that. But since Orochimaru's just taken over Root, we need to keep a close eye on things for a while to ensure nothing destabilizes."
Hearing this, Orochimaru couldn't help smiling wryly inside.
Homura sounded like he was acting in Orochimaru's best interests, but he was really showing how they still didn't quite trust him.
Still, he didn't mind.
He was totally different from Danzo—Danzo was laser-focused on seizing power, wanting the Hokage seat to fulfill his own ambitions.
Orochimaru just wanted to use Root's manpower and resources for research.
Whether it was creating the Eternal Chakra Elixir or studying the Blacklight Virus, he needed lots of manpower and funding.
With Root's help, he and Kabuto could skip the busywork and keep their heads in the real research.
That convenience was exactly what he'd been after.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi made the call: "All right, let's merge your lab with Root for now and see how it goes."
Hearing that, Orochimaru was over the moon.
…
Early the next morning, Hiruzen Sarutobi took Konohamaru back to the Sarutobi Clan's territory.
Once Konohamaru was safe, the kidnapping's aftermath began quietly. Overnight, the news spread all over Konoha, and villagers learned Konohamaru had been rescued in one piece.
But regarding the hostile force behind it all, neither the average villager nor most ninja knew a thing.
The official line was that it involved classified village business and details would come out if and when the time was right.
They kept it vague because Konoha's top three (Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura) still hadn't finalized how to handle Danzo.
Sure, they could announce the truth, exposing Danzo's scheme, but that would definitely throw the village into chaos.
After all, Danzo was a Hokage Advisor who'd done something insane enough to potentially destroy Konoha's future. If word got out, villagers and shinobi would lose faith in the higher-ups, and enemy nations might jump at the chance to cause trouble.
So, at the moment, the plan was to keep Danzo locked up and wait for a better time to publicly say: "Hokage Advisor and Root founder Danzo is stepping down due to health issues, and Orochimaru's taking his place."
That way, while the truth stayed hidden for now, the shock of Konohamaru's kidnapping would be softened as much as possible.
While villagers and some ninja were naturally curious who was really behind the incident, they couldn't get any intel out of the Anbu or Root.
The Third Hokage had forbidden anyone from leaking details, so the truth stayed sealed, and speculation never got past rumor stage.
Meanwhile, the higher-ups and villagers stayed focused on the kidnapping itself. Orochimaru, Konoha's new Root leader, didn't care in the slightest.
All he wanted now was to fully use the Root resources Danzo left behind and push his research forward.
…
At Root's HQ, inside the main hall:
Orochimaru stood before the entire Root crowd, with Kabuto respectfully at his back.
Most of the Root members had cold gazes, and a few looked downright hostile.
To outsiders, Root might be a dark and violent division, but these members fully believed they were defending Konoha in secret.
Orochimaru had once been in Root but left for unknown reasons, though he'd kept collaborating with Danzo.
He knew full well that after years of Danzo's brainwashing, the Root ninjas were completely under Danzo's will.
Even though Danzo was in jail now, their loyalty hadn't changed. In extreme circumstances, they might even try to break him out of Konoha's prison.
But now that Orochimaru was in charge, he wouldn't let that happen.
He'd taken over Root to use its resources for his experiments, not to follow Danzo's legacy or take the fall for him.
So he planned on "special measures" to overhaul how Root worked, top to bottom.
His eyes swept across them, a faint, meaningful smile on his face.
In the Root base hall, the tension built until finally, someone broke the silence.
It was Aburame Tatsuma, who'd served alongside Orochimaru as Danzo's bodyguard back in the day.
He wore a black cloak and sunglasses that hid his eyes, with three rectangular tattoos stacked on his right cheek.
If Orochimaru hadn't been parachuted in by Konoha's leadership, Tatsuma would've been the top candidate to replace Danzo after his arrest.
But right now, he wasn't trying to grab power. He just wanted Root to remain true to Danzo's vision, continuing its role as Konoha's unseen guardian.
He looked up at Orochimaru, speaking calmly but firmly: "Lord Orochimaru, Danzo made a near-perfect system for Root's operations. Unless there's an emergency, I'd like you to keep Root running the way Danzo set it up."
Once he said this, all the Root members in the hall fixed their gazes on Orochimaru.
Some were outright cold, some hinted at hidden aggression, but all carried a refusal to accept him.
They wanted Orochimaru to leave Danzo's system untouched.
Basically, they hoped he'd just hold an empty title, letting them go on following Danzo's directions without interference.
Their eyes were chilly, as though silently warning him: No matter what you say, you have to accept our terms.
This got Kabuto, behind Orochimaru, instantly fired up.
"How dare you speak to your new leader like that? Don't forget—Lord Orochimaru is in charge of Root!" he snapped angrily.
But the Root people sneered at him.
To them, Orochimaru and Kabuto might've been in Root once, but they were now seen as a disgrace. They had no authority here.
Faced with their provocation, though, Orochimaru didn't lose his cool; he simply waved for Kabuto to settle down.
A cold curve of a smile appeared on his lips.
"Keeping Root running under Danzo's setup is no problem," he said quietly.
Hearing that, Tatsuma and the other Root ninjas paused. Even Kabuto looked surprised.
But that surprise barely lasted a second.
Orochimaru's neck stretched out like a flexible black snake and sank its fangs into Tatsuma's neck in a flash.
No matter Tatsuma's decent skills, he had zero time to react. In the blink of an eye, a black Curse Mark formed on his neck, consisting of three crescent shapes.
Everyone in the hall froze and stared in disbelief.
Orochimaru calmly pulled his neck back, still smiling like nothing big had happened.
Yet a dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes.
In Root's main hall, the tension suddenly soared.
With Orochimaru's Curse Mark now embedded in him, Tatsuma stood rigidly in place, as if locked by invisible chains.
That sight infuriated the other Root members, who began shouting at Orochimaru:
"Orochimaru, how dare you attack Lord Tatsuma? We're reporting this to the Hokage right away!"
"Release him now, or we won't stand idle!"
"Orochimaru, what did you just do to him?!"
But Orochimaru ignored their angry questions and made his next move.
To keep them from carrying out Danzo's will any further—or stirring up chaos that might be blamed on him—he had to strike first.
Using the mark's power, he subdued each Root shinobi in turn.
He already had a plan to run Root: first, use Curse Marks to bring them all under his control; second, brainwash them; and finally, guide them into helping with his "Great Snake District" business—basically turning Root into his own research workforce.
Under such control, even though each Root ninja had unique skills, they couldn't handle Orochimaru's power.
If someone as capable as Tatsuma fell so easily, how could the rest fight back?
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru was ridiculously strong, and he had acquired certain "private lessons" that gave him an edge none of them could stand against.
With Kabuto's help, he quickly put a Curse Mark on every person there.
Soon the entire hall was full of still, statue-like shinobi.
"I gave you these marks as both a restraint and a gift," Orochimaru said icily, scanning them. Then he turned to Kabuto. "Kabuto, give them a quick rundown on the Curse Marks."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
Kabuto nodded, then faced the Root members and began explaining.
"These marks have extremely powerful effects. Once activated, you enter Stage One of the mark's transformation: black markings spread over your body, and your speed, strength, and chakra all multiply. In an emergency, you can use it to get out of trouble."
Though they hated Orochimaru, they had to admit after listening to Kabuto that the Curse Mark wasn't totally useless.
Quiet for a moment, Aburame Tatsuma stared at Kabuto with a stern gaze and said, "You only mentioned the first transformation. Does the Curse Mark have more to it?"
Inside, his hatred for Orochimaru was boiling—he'd just been caught off-guard and struck down. But he also realized Orochimaru was way stronger than him.
Against that big a gap, he had no choice but to play along for now.
His question drew the others' interest, too.
All of them were pinned by the Curse Mark; they were desperate to learn more, hoping to find a weakness in it someday.
Kabuto nodded. "It isn't just one stage. Early on, by taking a 'Mind-Awakening Pill,' you can forcibly trigger Stage Two. In that form, your body mutates—maybe you'll grow wing-like limbs, or a tail—while your speed, strength, and chakra power surge even more, way beyond Stage One."
That revelation shocked the Root members—doubling up on powers was borderline crazy. But after a moment of surprise, they calmed down again.
Sure, the mark's effect was impressive, but its drawbacks seemed equally concerning.
Knitting his brow, Tatsuma asked gravely, "And what's the price for that?"
He didn't ask further, but he could guess. Such a strong buff couldn't be free.
Before Kabuto could respond, Orochimaru gave a cold laugh. "Each time you use the mark, it erodes your will. Rely on it too heavily, and you lose your mind completely—driven insane."
That line cut into every Root member like a knife.
Not only did they have to put up with the mark's control, even using it for self-defense might lead them to destruction.
This impossible situation only fueled their hatred for Orochimaru further.
But Orochimaru didn't care how they felt.
He smiled calmly, as if everything was under control, then spoke in a commanding tone: "All Root's current missions are now sealed away. From today, no one acts without my order."
Silence filled the hall for a moment.
Even though the mark pinned them still, their emotions boiled over; they all began protesting:
"This can't happen! Lord Danzo carefully planned those missions—how can we stop just because you say so?!"
"Orochimaru, you're defying the Hokage's authority! Lord Danzo's plans must go on, not end just because you spoke a single line!"
"Root's duty is defending Konoha's foundation. Even if you don't permit it, we still have our mission!"
They were all devoted followers of Danzo, thoroughly brainwashed.
Even with Orochimaru's Curse Mark clamping down, they still clung to Danzo's will and refused to yield.
Orochimaru, however, had no intention of arguing.
He knew these were brainwashed puppets; bickering was pointless.
His plan was to slowly break down their mental defenses and rewire them into loyal believers of him.
He excelled at that sort of psychological manipulation.
For now, he just needed them to stay in line. The brainwashing could happen subtly over time.
He shot them a frosty glare.
"As of right now, I'm Root's leader. My word is the order you must follow, no exceptions."
Though they burned with rage, under the mark's pressure they could only swallow it.
They realized that following Orochimaru's rules at least gave them some freedom to move and maybe find a chance later.
Even though they hated him enough to want him dead, they had to bide their time.
Seeing them fume but stay quiet, Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction.
"Dismissed."
With that curt order, he released the immobilization effect of the marks.
Once they could move again, the Root ninjas all left the hall.
They didn't pick another fight with him right away; instead, they went off to secretly look for a way to break the Curse Marks.
Once everyone was gone, Orochimaru also left the hall, heading straight for Root's labs.
Ever since Hiruzen Sarutobi okayed merging his personal lab into Root, he'd moved all his research gear to the nicer Root facility.
Walking in, Orochimaru glanced around, then said quietly, "Senshi, I'm guessing you've followed me here?"
He hadn't even finished talking when Senshi's Wood-Release clone showed up behind him, sounding half-amused. "What's up, Snake Bro? Got a promotion and a raise—anything big you want me to handle?"
Because the Blacklight Virus was extremely dangerous, Senshi's clone had been secretly tailing Orochimaru, making sure the experiments didn't spin out of control and mess up Senshi's own plans.
Now he'd shown himself, but he still wasn't sure what Orochimaru was up to.
The moment Senshi mentioned "work," Orochimaru shook his head decisively.
He knew that hiring Senshi always cost tens of millions—even hundreds of millions.
While his "Snake District" might be earning quick cash, that kind of spending would bankrupt him.
Plus, his own experiments already burned through enormous funds. There was no way he could blow all his budget on hiring Senshi.
Orochimaru sighed. "Senshi, it's not about a job this time. I wanted to share some updates on my Blacklight Virus research."
Of course, he really just hoped to fish more intel out of Senshi without paying.
He'd already spent enough on Senshi, and most of the money he'd scrounged up from all kinds of shady deals ended up in Senshi's pocket.
He wasn't planning on paying for any new tasks unless absolutely necessary—his finances couldn't handle it.
Once Orochimaru said there was no job, Senshi's interest dropped a lot.
He wasn't too interested in the Blacklight Virus, either. On one hand, he had no real use for it. On the other, the virus was complicated enough that even someone like Orochimaru wouldn't crack it anytime soon.
But since Orochimaru claimed to have made some headway, Senshi decided he might as well listen.
Yawning, he asked, "So what's new, Snake Bro? Tell me about it."
Orochimaru didn't mind Senshi's casual attitude; he was actually eager to speak. "I can now use the Blacklight Virus to reliably transform ordinary animals—like mice—into summon-like creatures. Sure, I haven't tested it on random villagers, but as it stands, the virus absolutely lets civilians without shinobi talent refine chakra and become ninjas!"
Senshi: (O_O)???
Hoo boy, Orochimaru wanted to turn random villagers into "villager fragments" again.
Danzo being in charge of Root was already pretty heartless; Orochimaru taking over didn't look any better.
Senshi grumbled internally, then said offhand, "Well, Snake Bro, that's not half bad. If you can keep it stable, even if they end up weak, it's still a major breakthrough in your Blacklight Virus research, right?"
Orochimaru frowned. "The process is stable, but once they're infected and 'evolve,' the test animals are basically uncontrollable. By that logic, if I used normal villagers, the newly evolved ones would be totally uncontrollable, too."
At that, Senshi was speechless.
Looks like Orochimaru had gone in the wrong direction.
When studying the Blacklight Virus, power and flashy effects are secondary—the real trick is ensuring the virus stays under control.
Senshi had figured a leading researcher like Orochimaru wouldn't need that pointed out. Guess not.
He was about to explain, then realized Orochimaru was trying to get a freebie.
So he threw an arm around Orochimaru's shoulders with a sly grin. "Snake Bro, I've got a juicy piece of info—worth about 30 million ryō—that might help with your little research dilemma. Interested?"
~~~
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