Orochimaru watched Nonō Yakushi's defensive posture with genuine amusement. The way the "Walking Priestess" held herself—taut as a bowstring—was fascinating. After all, anyone who could carve out a legendary reputation in the ANBU wasn't a simple character.
That fellow Hiruko... Orochimaru sneered internally.
He truly couldn't understand how a research ninja could be so hopelessly addicted to women. Even the most elite shinobi was vulnerable to a fatal strike in the state of exhaustion following a tryst. Keeping an elite ANBU spy like Nonō by his side was like playing with a live thermite grenade.
Then again, if Hiruko dared to do it, he surely had his own insurance policies. In their line of work, who didn't keep a few trump cards hidden up their sleeve?
"I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of this department," Nonō's voice remained warm, but her refusal was unmistakable.
Orochimaru calmly pulled a scroll from his robes and tossed it over. "Have a look."
Nonō caught it, her slender fingers tracing the official wax seal. When she confirmed it was a genuine order signed by the Hokage, her professional mask flickered for a fraction of a second.
"I see." She curved her lips into a business-like smile. "And what does Lord Orochimaru need from a 'lowly spy' like myself?"
"Lowly spy?" Orochimaru let out a low chuckle. "I value your medical ninjutsu. Besides, the name of the 'Walking Priestess' carries quite a bit of weight in the ninja world."
Nonō's smile didn't waver. "Regrettably, Lord Danzo has already assigned me to serve Lord Hiruko."
"How interesting." Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils constricted. "However, I now have the authority to requisition personnel from any department to form the Research Bureau."
He paused for effect. "By the way, I heard you run an orphanage? The budget for the Research Bureau is... significantly more generous than Root's."
"And..." Orochimaru's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "Hiruko himself has agreed to this transfer. You're quite short on funds, aren't you?"
Nonō's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the scroll. A complex mix of emotions flashed in her eyes. Orochimaru's words were like a precision scalpel, cutting straight into her softest spot—the children at the orphanage who looked to her for survival.
"Lord Orochimaru truly understands the human heart," she sighed softly, finally relenting. "I understand."
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed, forming an enigmatic grin. "You and Danzo were never really of the same mind. Those children... they aren't just 'pawns' to you, are they?"
His voice took on a rhythmic, hypnotic quality. "In Root, you are merely a blade in his hand. But here—" he tapped the scroll. "You only need to perform the medical ninjutsu you excel at and train some capable talent."
Nonō raised her gaze, her eyes sharp. "Is it really that simple?"
"Of course..." Orochimaru drawled, before his tone suddenly shifted. "As long as you do me one small favor."
A dangerous smile surfaced on his pale face. "You should be quite familiar with Root's... private collection, shouldn't you?"
The air in the room instantly froze. Nonō's pupils snapped shut, then expanded back to normal just as quickly. "You mean...?"
"Hashirama cells, forbidden scrolls, Danzo's 'unsavory' research..." Orochimaru licked his lips. "Tell me everything you know."
Nonō frowned slightly. "Is this the Hokage's wish?"
"Heh..." Orochimaru let out a dry laugh. "From this day forward, all such matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Research Bureau!"
"I'm only worried," Orochimaru's voice turned ice-cold, "that our dear Lord Danzo won't be so eager to hand everything over." He took a step forward, his shadow looming over Nonō. "And my patience has always been... limited."
The next day, the atmosphere in the Hokage's office was so thick it felt solid.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rubbed his temples. His gaze drifted between a fuming Danzo and a stoic, detached Orochimaru. One was a pillar of fire, the other a pillar of ice; it made the already stuffy room feel suffocating.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo slammed his cane down, his knuckles white from the grip. "Are you really going to let Orochimaru gut Root?!"
Orochimaru didn't even blink. His voice was calm to the point of clinical. "They are merely redundant research materials. Keeping them in Root is a waste." He completely ignored the glare from Danzo that looked capable of boring holes through steel, a faint, mocking sneer playing on his lips.
"Orochimaru!" A stern reprimand came from the doorway.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado entered the room, their footsteps heavy and deliberate. Homura stood by Danzo's side, his voice low but firm. "Hiruzen, Danzo's negligence deserves punishment, but Root's foundation cannot be shaken. Konoha still needs it."
Orochimaru chuckled raspy and dangerously. "Don't worry. I only took two people and some 'scrap metal.' Root's combat strength... remains untouched."
Koharu ignored his defense, looking directly at the Third. "The village is only just recovering. It cannot afford the drain of a new department—manpower, funding, long-term investment. Every part of it is a burden."
"We must think of the long term," Homura added.
Hiruzen's gaze swept over them—Danzo's darkness, Orochimaru's indifference, the advisors' gravity, and finally, the consistently smiling Minato Namikaze. He sighed inwardly. They all claimed to act for Konoha, yet everyone had their own agenda.
Orochimaru was obsessed with research, but he hadn't betrayed the village yet. Perhaps... letting him work with Hiruko while siphoning some of Root's assets was actually the best way to stabilize the situation?
"Those test subjects cannot see the light of day," Homura lowered his voice. "Once a new department is founded, the secrets will be impossible to keep."
"Human experimentation is, ultimately, against our morals," Koharu added quickly.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. Danzo's lip curled in a microscopic smirk. He knew Hiruzen too well—and these two old friends knew exactly how to poke at his softest weaknesses.
Orochimaru spoke up, his tone sinister and knowing. "Heh. Are you quite sure about that?"