Without much hesitation, Jiraiya volunteered, "Then, I'll take on the task of gathering intelligence on that mysterious organization!"
"No..." Danzo once again rejected his proposal.
"Based on my speculation, that mysterious organization is highly likely to plan another attack on Konoha," Danzo explained.
"Therefore, your best option right now is to stay in the village."
"Stay in Konoha?" Jiraiya clearly couldn't understand Danzo's reasoning.
Danzo elaborated, "Kushina is due to give birth soon. At that time, the Nine-Tails' seal will be at its weakest. Do you think that mysterious organization would let such a golden opportunity slip by if they plan to strike Konoha?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression grew even more serious.
He glanced at his proud student, Minato, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
Seeing this, Minato smiled and said, "My child with Kushina is still waiting for you, sensei, to give him a powerful name."
Minato's words instantly touched Jiraiya, who scratched his head and said, "If that's the case, then I'll stay in Konoha until Kushina gives birth."
Then, changing the subject, he added, "As for the name... I think we should call him Naruto!"
Jiraiya seemed to have completely forgotten the earlier tension, quickly shifting the conversation to naming Minato's child.
With that, he pulled out a novel from his pocket. "It's the same name as the protagonist of my book, *The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja*!"
Minato took the novel from Jiraiya, flipped through a few pages, and showed a look of surprise.
The book was actually a serious story about the protagonist's struggles and growth... No wonder he hadn't heard of it.
Minato silently chuckled to himself. After all, Jiraiya was a literary giant in the shinobi world.
His "adult" novels were bestsellers across the five great nations. Who would have thought he'd write something so serious?
Danzo was also somewhat surprised. But regardless, convincing Jiraiya to stay in the village was a good thing.
After all, the current situation was vastly different from the original timeline.
Although, under Danzo's influence, Nagato hadn't been deceived by Obito and Black Zetsu, they had likely gained powerful allies in Hanzo and Orochimaru.
Coupled with Yagura Karatachi and Kirigakure, who were under Obito's control, and the many legacies left by Madara Uchiha, if they decided to strike Konoha during Kushina's childbirth, it would indeed be a tricky situation.
Thus, Danzo had to prepare early.
After settling Jiraiya's matter, Danzo immediately returned to the Root headquarters.
"How is the research on Orochimaru's body progressing?" Danzo asked.
After successfully capturing Orochimaru, Danzo had sent his body and the four other clones to the research lab for dissection by Orochimaru's former teammate, Hiruko
"Based on the research on Orochimaru's body, he can no longer be considered human," Hiruko said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at the corpse on the operating table.
As Orochimaru's former teammate and a fellow scientist obsessed with immortality, Hiruko could understand Orochimaru's pursuits and ideas. But he hadn't expected Orochimaru to go this far.
"Orochimaru's body has undergone extensive modifications. Almost every cell in his body has been fused with snake genes. He's less of a human and more of a snake that looks like a person," Hiruko explained.
Hearing this, Danzo wasn't surprised. After all, Orochimaru's various techniques were well-known, and they were far from normal.
His inhuman jutsu made it clear that he wasn't an ordinary human.
If Orochimaru hadn't modified his body to such an extent, he probably wouldn't have been so desperate to create the 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' technique to switch bodies.
"What about the other clones?" Danzo asked.
He hoped that by studying these clones, he could find a way to counter Orochimaru's constant rebirth. Only then could Orochimaru be truly eliminated.
Hiruko provided the answer: "I found corresponding cursed seals in the four snake clones, and they also contain a part of Orochimaru's original body tissue. As long as these clones manage to escape, they can use the body tissue combined with the cursed seals to resurrect Orochimaru, using the clones as nourishment."
So, the key lies in the cursed seals...
Danzo then asked, "Is there a way to counter this?"
Hiruko shook his head honestly. "At least, not with my current abilities."
Danzo wasn't particularly disappointed. In fact, he had expected as much. If it were so easy to counter, Orochimaru wouldn't have survived until the 'Boruto' era and successfully redeemed himself.
If physical destruction wasn't an option, then the only way was to target his soul.
When it came to soul-based attacks, the first thing Danzo thought of was the *Dead Demon Consuming Seal*.
This technique was effective against anyone.
In the original timeline, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Orochimaru's arms were all sealed into the Shinigami's stomach by Hiruzen Sarutobi using this technique.
If Orochimaru hadn't used the 'Impure World Reincarnation' to summon the two former Hokages, Hiruzen could have taken Orochimaru down with him.
The problem was, the cost of this technique was too high. Once activated, the user's soul would also be claimed by the Shinigami.
Therefore, it was a last resort.
Another option was the *Spirit Transformation* technique used by Kato Dan, Tsunade's former lover.
This technique allowed the user to "leave their body" and attack the enemy's soul directly!
Danzo made a mental note to learn this technique when he had the chance.
However, the technique Danzo was most likely to master now was one of the Six Paths abilities of the Rinnegan—the *Human Path*.
It had the ability to extract souls. Once caught by the Human Path, even Orochimaru wouldn't be able to escape!
Thinking of this, a glint of killing intent flashed in Danzo's narrowed eyes.
Regardless, Orochimaru, now on the list of rogue ninjas, had become a target Danzo was determined to eliminate. If given the chance, he would not show the same leniency as Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Feeling the sudden surge of killing intent from Danzo, Hiruko couldn't help but shiver.
Unlike Orochimaru, who feared nothing and had incredible survival skills, Hiruko, despite having similarly twisted scientific ambitions, was far more cautious.
He was inherently afraid of Danzo, which was why Danzo had kept him around. As long as Danzo was alive, Hiruko would obediently follow orders. With enough incentives, he could be tamed into a loyal dog.
As for Orochimaru? He was a venomous snake that could never be tamed. No matter how much you fed it, it would bite you the moment it got the chance.
"Um..." Hiruko hesitated for a moment before tentatively saying, "Lord Danzo, could I take care of Orochimaru's body?"
As he spoke, Hiruko's eyes were filled with desire. He couldn't wait to use his *Chimera* technique to devour his former teammate's corpse.
Danzo nodded generously. "You can have his body and the clones. Also..."
He pulled out a new mask from his pocket and tossed it to Hiruko. "From now on, you're a member of the Earth Branch Squad. Your codename is *Serpent*."
Hiruko looked at the white snake mask in his hand, his eyes flashing with excitement.
Whether it was because he was thrilled to obtain Orochimaru's body or because he had successfully joined the Earth Branch Squad, he immediately knelt on one knee and said, "I pledge my life to serve you, Lord Danzo."
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