Unknowingly, three months had already passed since Tsunade became the Fourth Hokage.
During those three months, , the higher-ups of Konoha had been almost completely worn down by Tsunade and Hoshiyomi's alternating tactics of carrot and stick. The ones who stubbornly resisted had already "mysteriously died" in Konoha's prison, while the ones who knew how to adapt to the winds had long since handed over their power and obediently gone home to retire.
The internal cleanup of Konoha was basically complete. The only unresolved matter was the Uchiha clan. But Hoshiyomi wasn't in a rush to act against them. His understanding of the Uchiha was still somewhat vague, so he decided to take a wait-and-see approach, planning to deal with them once Shisui and Itachi rose to prominence.
Now that Danzō was gone, with those two good-hearted children loyal to Konoha, plus his own disciple Kuugetsu, the Uchiha probably wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble. And if worst came to worst, Hoshiyomi figured he could just help Shisui awaken his Mangekyō and have him cast Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku—then the Uchiha would have no choice but to submit.
With Konoha's parasitic elders all but purged, Hoshiyomi's life had grown much more relaxed.
…
"Ah, today's training is done. Now… where should I go?"
Blinking at the glaring sunlight, Hoshiyomi thought for a moment before heading toward Konoha's Research Institute. Though it was called a "research institute," in reality, it was just Orochimaru's house.
Hoshiyomi had promised Orochimaru earlier: once he and Tsunade came to power, he would help him establish the most advanced medical institution in the entire shinobi world. Now he had fulfilled that promise—first by having Tsunade grant Orochimaru the official title of "Director of the Konoha Research Institute," and then by using his mother's wealth along with funds from Konoha's treasury to buy up several buildings around Orochimaru's home, fencing them all together to form the institute grounds.
The above-ground facilities were still under development, looking rather empty for now. But underground was another story entirely.
Arriving at Orochimaru's former home, Hoshiyomi formed a hand seal. With a click, the stone slabs on the ground opened, revealing the passage below.
He followed the corridor down and soon entered a laboratory far more luxurious and well-equipped than Danzō's hideouts had ever been, filled with the most advanced experimental instruments in the entire shinobi world.
As Hoshiyomi expected, Orochimaru was there in the middle of his research, peering into a microscope at a petri dish containing a strange violet-black liquid. Hoshiyomi guessed it was some kind of snake venom.
He waited a moment, and when Orochimaru finally let out a long breath and pulled away from the microscope, Hoshiyomi gave a polite cough to announce his arrival.
Hearing the cough, Orochimaru raised his head. He smiled wearily at Hoshiyomi.
"Ah, Hoshiyomi-kun, you've come."
But when Hoshiyomi got a good look at him, he couldn't help but be shocked. Orochimaru's already gaunt face had hollowed in completely, his cheeks sunken, and his dark circles were so heavy that even his trademark purple eyeshadow couldn't cover them.
Seeing that he looked ready to collapse at any moment, Hoshiyomi quickly stepped forward to support him.
"How long have you gone without sleep? The lab isn't going to sprout legs and run away. Why are you pushing yourself day and night like this?"
Orochimaru seemed to realize how weak his body had become. Sitting back in his chair, he rested for a moment before replying. But his expression still burned with fervor.
"I just… can't accept it. I have to prove myself."
Looking at Orochimaru's crazed intensity, Hoshiyomi could only shake his head helplessly.
"Research is fine, but you have to take it step by step. Don't be too impatient. Look at the state you're in now—if you don't rest properly, something bad is bound to happen."
As he said this, Hoshiyomi suddenly felt a jolt of unease. His voice grew sharp with warning:
"And don't forget what I reminded you about before—be careful in your research."
Orochimaru wasn't annoyed by Hoshiyomi's reminder. At this stage, he still enjoyed the concern of a close friend, so he simply gave a faint smile and said:
"Don't worry, Hoshiyomi-kun, I know my limits. I've been following your instructions to the letter. Only after stable results show up on test animals will I even consider applying to you and Tsunade for human trials.
And I promise—I will never kill innocents, nor harm anyone's life."
Hearing Orochimaru's assurance, Hoshiyomi nodded in satisfaction. He felt quite pleased with his "Orochimaru Rescue Plan." Under his influence, Orochimaru had managed to get through that rebellious phase, and his personality was already shifting early toward the "Snake Aunt" stage.
That made Hoshiyomi all the more curious—what kind of research could drive even this calmer version of Orochimaru into such an intense state?
As if guessing his question, Orochimaru frowned and began to explain:
"Some time ago, during a conversation with Jiraiya, I learned by chance that he had been training in senjutsu at Mount Myōboku. That inspired me to ask Manda if it could take me to Ryūchi Cave, so that I might see the White Snake Sage and find out whether I could learn the senjutsu there."
Hearing this, Hoshiyomi was startled. It seemed his little butterfly effect had influenced Orochimaru again.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru didn't even learn of Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu until long after discovering Jūgo. But by then, his soul had already been weakened from repeated Living Corpse Reincarnations, so even up until Itachi sealed him away, he never truly mastered Ryūchi Cave's techniques. All he managed to produce was the half-baked Cursed Seal—a pseudo-Sage Mode at best.
But now, thanks to Hoshiyomi's presence, Orochimaru's relationship with Manda was far better than in the original story. Perhaps it was because of that bond that he was able to come into contact with Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu much earlier.
With that thought in mind, Hoshiyomi couldn't help but ask curiously:
"So… did you actually make it to Ryūchi Cave?"
Orochimaru gave a small nod, but his voice grew dark and heavy:
"I found Ryūchi Cave and even passed the White Snake Sage's trial. But in the end, it told me that I had no talent for learning senjutsu.
It said that if I forced the training, I'd be consumed by nature energy and transformed into a monster—only to end up as their meal.
I refuse to accept that. So instead, I obtained from the White Snake Sage a venom infused with senjutsu energy.
I'll use my own research to unravel the mysteries of senjutsu. I'll prove to it that even without the so-called talent, I can still master senjutsu through sheer effort."
Upon hearing this, Hoshiyomi understood immediately. No wonder Orochimaru was being so stubborn.
After all the struggle it took to find that sacred place, only to be dismissed with a single "you have no talent"—anyone would feel unwilling to accept it.
And for Orochimaru, who had always been hailed as a genius, this was likely the first time someone had told him he lacked the ability to learn something. For a man devoted to mastering every ninjutsu and uncovering the world's truths, being told "you have no talent" was harder to endure than being told "you're not a man."
No wonder he was so desperate to prove himself to the White Snake Sage.