The Snake and the Apple

... In a certain part of a certain land...

"Damn it!"

The sound of shattering glass reverberated through the laboratory as Orochimaru looked with frustration at his immobile and purple arms.

He ordered his subordinates to run tests, and the result was that his arms were healthy, so there was no possibility of necrosis in his current state. But even after trying again and again, he was unable to restore the mobility of his arms.

And for the love of the Sage, why did they turn purple?!

He couldn't even pretend; it was like telling the world that they were useless.

"Kabuto," he called as he turned with a dangerous light in his eyes and a voice that conveyed impatience. "Are there still no news of Tsunade?"

Since his techniques and attempts were not working, he could only try to turn to the best ninja medic he knew. He was sure that the Senju clan should have ways to restore the damage, and Tsunade knew them. Tobirama left records in Konoha of experiments that confirmed this.

"I'm afraid not, Orochimaru-sama," responded Kabuto, half-kneeling as he adjusted his glasses, and the reflection of the light turned them white. "Despite our spy network, no one has seen the slug princess since she left Konoha with the people from Seimeigakure."

"Seimeigakure..." Orochimaru's impression was still clear, and he vividly remembered the combined attack that claimed the life of the Yamanaka clan patriarch. "Was there any progress with information on this village?"

"We have been able to expand a lot of information about its members thanks to their presence in the Chunin Exams, but their location still eludes us to this day. We also haven't managed to understand how Mikoto Uchiha survived the Uchiha Massacre or how she got there. Strangely, Sasuke does not seem to be aware of her presence," Kabuto explained. "Orochimaru-sama, do you think...?"

"That Tsunade is in that place? It's highly probable," he snorted while taking a seat and breathing heavily with pain. "Otherwise, with her addiction to gambling and drinking, the rumors of the 'Fat Sheep' would have circulated long ago, and it wouldn't be so inconvenient to find her."

He had an irresistible bait for his former teammate. Using the Impure Resurrection technique, he could bring back his lover and little brother. It wasn't difficult to obtain genetic samples from both back then, and even less so to find some sacrifices for the ritual.

But his bait was useless if he couldn't contact her!

"I guess, in the end, I'll have to use the alternative," Orochimaru murmured, sighing heavily. "Prepare Subject 54-F; it's time for him to fulfill his purpose."

It's not that he really didn't have the means to heal, but given the complications of the process and how bothersome it was to carry it out, he still would have preferred to try to get Tsunade to heal him and prolong the duration of this body.

"He's already on his way," Kabuto foresaw the conclusion and took appropriate measures. "Also, Orochimaru-sama, I think I heard news that will interest you. It is related to the Fire Daimyo."

"What could be interesting if it's related to that man?" Orochimaru couldn't care less about the Daimyo. "I don't care if he's already dead and they're fighting to see who succeeds him."

The only reason he hasn't killed him and claimed his money for more experiments is that Konoha would go mad pursuing him, and they would be terribly more inconvenient than now to carry out his operations.

Kabuto did not answer, and instead, he took out a photograph to show it to Orochimaru.

It's not like he could take it in his current state...

"Is it one of his sons?" Orochimaru recognized the features of the young man in the photo. As a former student of the Third Hokage, he had some "privileged" encounters with the current Fire Daimyo and remembered what he was like.

"No, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto shook his head slowly. "He IS the Fire Daimyo."

Question marks almost materialized over Orochimaru's head as he processed the information.

"How reliable is this information?"

As far as he remembered, the current Fire Daimyo was forty-three years old, but his features had already started to age, making him look older. In contrast, the person in the photo looked like a young man of barely twenty at his best.

"The photo was sent by one of our most credible spies," Kabuto assured. "Not only that, but he witnessed how it happened."

Orochimaru looked at Kabuto intently as he listened to the complete story, and he couldn't help feeling uneasy when it ended.

"So, did the Daimyo eat a strange fruit, and his body became young again?" he wanted to confirm while thoughtfully furrowing his brow.

"Not exactly," Kabuto denied. "According to stolen records from the Daimyo's doctor, he simply returned his body to its prime. That is, it eliminated any adverse effects and ailments that he may have accumulated over the years and brought him to a state of perfect health. There are even rumors that his wife might be pregnant again despite her age."

"Do we know the origin of that fruit?" Orochimaru asked with a gleam of greed in his eyes.

"The Daimyo's guards seem to have lost consciousness for a period of time, and when they woke up, their boss had a small box with the fruit in his hands and was in a very good mood," explained Kabuto, making it clear that they couldn't obtain information from those present. "But I have a suspicion about its origin."

"Oh?" Orochimaru was genuinely interested in the effects of such a fruit. If it really could heal any condition, it would be very useful to get the source to stabilize and have more perfect bodies to take.

Perhaps it could even have properties to heal the soul, and he could regain his arms without the need to switch bodies so soon.

"Seimeigakure," Kabuto didn't beat around the bush and gave his main suspect.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Orochimaru reflected and wanted to hear more details.

"Due to the actions the Daimyo took after confirming his health," Kabuto pointed out as he adjusted his glasses again, and the reflection hid his eyes. "Suddenly and without any audience, he issued a decree in favor of the Uzumaki clan of Seimeigakure against the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in Konoha. At the same time, he also instructed some trusted men in his service that if possible, they should try to help this village in minor matters. Not to mention the presence of a king-size bed made of clouds, which if I remember correctly, the Seimeikage showed as a specialty of his village during the Chunin Exams. That, along with the opening of a store in the Fire Capital that sells these same furniture a few days later, is too much of a coincidence."

Orochimaru suddenly felt like he had made some important connections.

Was the poison in Tsunade's body left behind after her confrontation with Hanzo healed with this strange fruit?

That could explain some things...