If this technology were handed over to the White Serpent Pharmaceutical Technology Company, then wounded shinobi from the Four Great Ninja Villages could be treated efficiently and sent back to the battlefield.
Danzo Shimura understood very well that granting the Limb Regeneration Technique to the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company would be disadvantageous to Konoha. Yet, when he considered that many disabled members of Root would also benefit from this technique, he found it difficult to openly voice his opposition.
Moreover, if those healed individuals were to unite under Konoha's banner, then what threat would remain?
The battle with Iwagakure had already proven one thing clearly—Konoha was no longer afraid of standing against any ninja village.
"…Orochimaru, do as you wish."
Seeing that no one raised an objection, Hiruzen Sarutobi officially approved Orochimaru's proposal to transfer the Limb Regeneration Technique to the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company.
After Orochimaru departed, the remaining four stared at the thick stack of notes piled on the table, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Where could such an enormous quantity of research materials be safely stored?
Every single page was essential to mastering the Limb Regeneration Technique. Losing even one would be unacceptable. These documents absolutely had to remain together in a secure location.
"How about storing them in the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber?" Hiruzen Sarutobi suggested.
Given that the Limb Regeneration Technique required Zero-Tail Cells, it could reasonably be classified as a special forbidden technique.
The other three nodded in agreement. None of them objected to Hiruzen's proposal.
---
Orochimaru returned home, removed his dark robes and battle armor, and changed into comfortable house clothes. He picked up a parchment from the table, and a faint smile curved his lips.
For a long time, he had harbored thoughts about the forbidden techniques sealed within the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber, yet he had never been granted the opportunity to examine them.
This time, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was away from Konoha, Orochimaru had seized his chance.
A shadow clone, guided by Kikaichu insects, had quietly infiltrated the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber and copied the forbidden techniques Orochimaru was interested in.
Among them were Edo Tensei, the Eight Branches Technique, and the Fivefold Rashomon—techniques that, in the original timeline, Orochimaru could only partially wield.
As for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Orochimaru had already mastered them through his prior research into the Summoning Technique and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
After putting away the scrolls, Orochimaru left his room and entered the kitchen—something he had not done in a very long time. There, he prepared an elaborate and luxurious meal.
"It's still as delicious as ever!"
Jiraiya's eyes glistened with tears as he devoured the food. With a grin, he asked, "We're all adults now. There's no harm in drinking a little alcohol, right?"
As he spoke, Jiraiya produced a green glass bottle of sake, its origin unknown.
"I'm not interested in alcohol," Orochimaru replied calmly. "It dulls the mind and impairs judgment. You're free to drink, but don't overdo it."
Orochimaru avoided alcohol entirely. To him, it served only one purpose—disinfection in emergencies. Beyond that, it had no value.
Still, just because he refused to drink didn't mean he would stop others.
"I'll have a little," Tsunade said.
She rarely drank, but even at a glance she could tell that the sake Jiraiya had brought was expensive.
By afternoon, Jiraiya—his face faintly flushed—staggered out of Orochimaru's house.
In contrast, Tsunade, who almost never drank, was sprawled across the table. She waved her arms wildly, loudly declaring that she could still drink and that she wasn't drunk at all.
"Orochimaru, what should we do?"
Hyuga Mio glanced at the intoxicated Tsunade, then at Orochimaru, whose hands still carried traces of water. Acupressure could ease drunkenness, but it could not restore full clarity.
"I warned them not to drink so much," Orochimaru sighed. "But they never listen."
With no other choice, he carefully lifted Tsunade and carried her toward her room.
"Hehe… I didn't drink that much either…"
In her drunken state, Tsunade rubbed her cheek against Orochimaru's neck.
"If Grandma Mito saw you like this, she'd scold you terribly," Orochimaru muttered.
"My grandmother lives in the Spiral Tower," Tsunade replied lazily. "She won't know…"
When Orochimaru laid her on the bed, Tsunade suddenly thrashed about, kicking her legs into the air.
"I haven't showered yet! I want to shower! I want to shower!"
"You can't bathe while drunk," Orochimaru said firmly. "It's dangerous. As a medical ninja, you should know that."
"No! I don't care! I feel sticky and uncomfortable!"
As she spoke, she began fumbling with her clothes.
"Alright, alright," Orochimaru conceded. "We'll take a shower."
He carried her to the bathroom, undressed her outside, and then brought her in. After adjusting the water temperature, he untied her hair and supported her on a small stool.
"Sit here. Don't move."
As he washed her, Orochimaru subtly infused Yang Release chakra to minimize the strain of bathing while intoxicated.
—Slap!
Tsunade suddenly scooped water into her hands and splashed it straight into Orochimaru's face.
"Haha!"
She grinned mischievously at his drenched expression.
Orochimaru pinched the bridge of his nose.
Be patient. Don't argue with a drunk.
—Slap!
Another splash.
I must endure this…
—Slap!
At last, completely soaked and wearing a dark expression, Orochimaru carried Tsunade—whose skin was flushed red like a boiled lobster—out of the bathroom.
He wrapped her in a towel, carried her back to her room, and gently laid her on the bed.
Just as he was about to cover her with a blanket, Tsunade suddenly opened her eyes.
They were bright, burning, and filled with an unmistakable affection.
That look made Orochimaru freeze.
He had seen that same gaze once before—on Uchiha Hikari.
What… was happening today?
"Orochimaru… I like you. I really, really like you…"
Tsunade wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his in a clumsy, drunken kiss.
For a moment, Orochimaru's thoughts went blank.
Tsunade likes me?
Only now did he realize how obvious her feelings had been all along. He had always treated her like a child, never imagining that her actions went far beyond friendship.
Even the closest friends wouldn't behave like this.
When Tsunade received no response, she frowned and glared at him.
Orochimaru felt a strange warmth bloom in his chest. Holding the back of her head, he gently returned the kiss.
"…She fell asleep?"
Orochimaru stared in shock at Tsunade, who had already drifted into a deep sleep.
Was it all just drunken nonsense?
He carefully tucked her in and turned toward the door.
When he opened it, Hyuga Mio stood there holding a bowl of hangover soup. The veins near her eyes had not fully faded.
"I think… I interrupted something," Mio said softly, forcing a faint smile.
"No interruption," Orochimaru replied. "Just the ramblings of a drunk."
Still, Mio found it difficult to pretend she hadn't seen anything.
She had once thought of giving up—but now she no longer wanted to.
Even if the answer hurt her, she needed to know.
After Orochimaru returned inside, he fed Tsunade the soup.
"Sleep."
"Mmm…"
She complied and fell back into a deep slumber.
Orochimaru had originally planned to review the forbidden techniques later, check on Uchiha Hikari's progress with sealing techniques, and visit Grandma Mito in the Spiral Tower.
Yet, in the end, he couldn't resist.
He unsealed the scroll and began studying the forbidden techniques once more.
The Eight Branches Technique allowed the user to transform into an eight-headed serpent, granting terrifying regenerative abilities and immense power. Mastering it required extreme biological modification—something Orochimaru had no trouble accepting.
Edo Tensei, however, remained incomplete.
Perfecting it would require countless sacrifices.
That was not a path Orochimaru wished to walk.
And so, beneath the quiet night, he continued reading—his future growing ever more complex.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)