The Dragon Rises (4)

The fewer they crossed the perimeter of Konoha without getting under the attention of the barrier ninja corps, the better. So, Orochimaru exited the village's confines on her own. Like usual, a pale-yellow tunic covered her form. She did agree with Tsunade's previous rants about sizeable assets and longer hair getting in the way of battle, but now that she was technically a 'Kunoichi', Orochimaru wished to tackle these problems in her own manner.

With her jet-black hair tied into a low tail as it whipped back with the speed at which she traveled, Orochi wondered if she should have tried to gain something more from Tsunade. But then again, compared to her earlier supplier, Orochi realized she had a better bond with the Senjus than she earlier imagined.

Nawaki was still her apprentice and one of the better ones even if he never filled Orochi's expectations brought upon by Tsunade and Kai. Tsunade herself, as she admitted, was a comrade who was willing to look away when Orochimaru did what she deemed necessary. It was willing hypocrisy but one good thing about Tsunade was that she was aware of the fact, unlike most self-delusional buffoons. Meanwhile, Kai was... a 'partner.'

The act of accepting a Kekkei Genkai opened a road to many possibilities that mediocre would salivate over and Orochi felt she would be in such a state had she NOT mastered Sage Mode. What she was trying... was no longer done in an unconcerned manner for her health. Kekkei Genkai is interesting, but her own growth was far more fearsome than most, and Kai, at times, adopted her own strategy to drop hints.

Orochimaru was entirely sure Kai knew what she was upto, or at least, what she let known, that is. There was no way she explained EVERYTHING when it came to her new project and Orochimaru knew that her work would be a step above the research on Cursed Seals and Nature energy. If her old, completed research would be tagged forbidden and then utilized in secret to bolster the strength of the village then... her new research would be revolutionary.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Orochimaru stopped once she crossed a series of distinct pheromones known to snakes. It was a sneaky way of marking the perimeter and the ability made Orochi smirk.

'It would seem that the experiment has an affinity with snakes... now a part of me wants to wait for Ryuchi Cave to abduct the child and let them deal with Danzo...'

Orochimaru wholly preferred the Senju over one rogue shinobi who wouldn't hesitate to pull her down should they come to a disagreement. While Danzo was an asset before, he had turned into a terrible liability at this point.

It wasn't long before that Orochimaru moved once again while sensing her surroundings. The traps and tripwires hidden didn't faze her one bit. While she was quite perceptive in her Sage Mode, her strength itself did not lay in the physical enhancements or increase of willpower and perception. Being a Ninjutsu Specialist long before, Orochi continued the tradition. While she had only managed to learn three Senjutsu alone, it had been a fruitful experience. Sure, she COULD risk her situation by seeking out White Snake Sage... but why do that?

She didn't just help Kai attain Sage Transformation for his insight in Fuinjutsu. She wished for him to show such insightful results in Sage Arts, too. After all, with Jiraiya gone and him being more loyal to Hiruzen than anyone else, Kai... and Tsunade were likely candidates. She did feel disappointed when Tsunade turned down her assistance in adopting such a Sage Transformation, too. Given Tsunade's bloodline and parentage, things could have been interesting...

*Trp*

Announcing her arrival by casually stepping on a dry leaf while leaning against a tree unmarked by any traps, Orochimaru observed the lush region. With trees surrounding everything near the borders of the Land of Hot Water, in a region not visited by any shinobi and just the kind of hiding spot one might expect from one of the most influential former Shinobi of Konoha, a trunk of a tree shuddered and dragged down to reveal a deep passage.

One of Danzo's hiding spots.

He had many such locations and underground bases formed across the Land of Fire and its surrounding territory during his years as an elder and he most certainly had many individuals under his employee even now— mostly researchers.

With a look of adoration as she observed the passageway saturated with snakes of multiple kinds as if they had found a home for themselves, Orochimaru entered the base with a smug strut in her steps that made her voluptuous peaks rivaling Tsunade's jiggle despite being wrapped underneath.

The serpents opened up a way for Orochimaru by themselves as she walked down the stairs. All the traps were deactivated since Danzo knew not many would work on her. This was one thing Orochimaru liked about Danzo. The man lacked no confidence. She could snap the man in one move but why kill the man when she could offer him up for a valued friend's trust and cooperation?

As she entered the underground base which was still unequipped, once again laid eyes on a few orphans that Danzo must have 'liberated' from other lands rather than causing a ruckus in Land of Fire, she smirked at the bandaged man. Her eyes, for a short moment, landed on the bandaged side of his face.

"You're doing well, Danzo-san," the rasp in her voice only betrayed the coyness she adopted after developing massive mammaries and having her hips flared out to what should be considered a lethal pair of cheeks.

Letting out a snort, Danzo narrowed his eye and questioned, "Did you bring the report on the village?"

It was almost cute how Danzo believed he had Orochimaru cornered. This blackmail... was one of the quickest ways to fork out resources out of Danzo in terms of data.

Shrugging, Orochimaru didn't bat an eyelid, "That and more, Danzo-san. Given your help in my research back then, I brought you a gift... of course, I would like, hmm, you do have the nifty piece of equipment from Kumo, right? The Chakra Scope? I will take that."

Frowning as the eleven children trained to react based on his expression grew aggressive, Danzo inquired, "What do you mean?"

"Unable to control himself and in need of credit to be viewed as the candidate for the next Hokage, Kai stepped out with solid proof that he was the one to ruin your action in Konoha. It's all in this report," Orochimaru enjoyed Danzo's eye-widening in shock and then anger as she added, "And this scroll... has Kai sealed and ready to volunteer for your tests. The boy is special, Danzo-san," she waved a scroll in front of him and added, "If possible, leave him alive. I believe he will make good progress in our research of HIS cells..."

With that, Orochimaru stretched her arms out. One of the children walked out, took the scrolls, and opened them. One of them contained a report and the other one had a strange inked seal.

The boy looked back and Danzo nodded.

Only then did the 'loyal' youth return with the scrolls and gave them to Danzo.

However, a sharp cry of a young child filled the base as all the snakes around them started to coil and shift uncontrollably. Yet, these animals barely moved as if under the presence of a higher, superior... godly lifeform to them.

Orochimaru's smirk only widened as despite going alert, Danzo never expected a dark, muscular arm to stretch out of the scroll that 'contained' Kai. No, he wasn't the scroll. A month wasn't enough to convert Jutsus into Sage Art. He was truly sealed but it was the most basic kind with his own chakra as a key. As such, still in his Sage Transformation, Kai easily tore through the flimsy barrier and had his claw snugly gripping Danzo's neck.

*Poof*

The scroll disappeared and allowed Kai to eerily stare at Danzo with a pair of yellow irides surrounding black pupils as Orochimaru herself marveled at the sage transformation of the youth.

"T-that form—" Danzo struggled, realizing that Kai had done something similar to the 'product' still growing under his care.

Yet, the surrounding children suddenly attacked Kai with either kunai or shurikens, none managing to weave any hand seals but then again, this was no Konoha or other shinobi village for that matter. Danzo could not have higher resources to teach the next generation.

More dangerous to Kai than these blades which could not pierce the skin of his body was Danzo's sleeve suddenly providing a Kunai that was wrapped in Wind chakra. Before the kunai met its target, Kai casually crushed Danzo's neck.

Orochimaru's eyes widened momentarily as Kai 'threw' Danzo down.

The children had a great reaction time but not enough as Kai took out a summoning scroll since he couldn't even normally summon using Senjutsu at the moment.

Kai's very own summons appeared in a poof of smoke as the two shinobi on guard scurried to Danzo who was on his last breaths.

Arms crossed under her breasts and gaze as impudent as ever, Tsunade seemed ready for the moment. It would have been extremely hard for her to leave the village but retreating into the sealed chambers of Uzumaki Manor and then waiting for herself to get summoned was entirely possible. Kai could always take her back with the Flying Thunder God Technique since she did cave into his request to 'mark' her.

"Leave him with me," Tsunade states as she didn't even bat an eyelid by being surrounded.

"You know he won't talk right? Whatever he may have done... he will not give you the closure you desire," Orochimaru spoke while incapacitating one of the children with a wayward kick.

"You think I care?" Tsunade grabbed the collar of Danzo's kimono and dragged him away to the nearest room as a pair of hands suddenly stretched out and twisted the neck of the shinobi who rushed at Tsunade with his sword glinting to attract her attention.

Paltry tricks. Kai had them mastered long ago...

As Tsunade shut herself into the nearest room, Kai and Orochimaru made quick work of those around them. The children were spared for the time being but the remaining ninja was killed off quick enough.

"Kai-kun, why stay in this transformation when you have yet to make it as versatile as your base form?" Orochimaru questioned as she beckoned Kai to walk with her while Danzo's pained, muffled, and loud shriek echoed.

Nobody in here cared for Danzo himself.

Orochimaru cared for the benefits the man brought.

Kai cared about the personal and professional benefits he could pursue from Orochi's and Tsunade's Cooperation by hunting Danzo.

And Tsunade cared for the relief she would get by venting her rightful rage on Danzo.

"Well," flexing his muscles somewhat, Kai muttered, "I can't hope to be versatile in this form if I don't make this form my 'base' for the time being."

Orochimaru hummed thoughtfully as they broke into the next room and easily knocked out the researchers still trying to hide away in fear. The base, of course, had an escape path but civilians could not use it and the researchers who were shinobi, too, were the ones who offered themselves at the beginning itself.

As such, both Kai and Orochi stood in front of the door where they could sense the only being capable of noticing their arrival.

"Ready to meet your senior? The child beyond that door is the first success." She inquired.

"He's hardly my senior," Kai rolled his eyes and pushed open the door. The large anaconda, which would have attacked anyone who wished harm upon him now lay on the ground with naught a single hiss.

In the center of the room was a meter-long white snake. Seeing it, Kai and Orochimaru snuck a glance at one another before taking a step forward. However, the next second, the snake began 'melting' into the ground. This caught Kai by surprise but as if expecting this, Orochimaru let her Senjutsu Chakra invade her surroundings and Kai felt... the cavernous room turn... alive. It was strange and unlike a Jutsu that needed chakra to be molded in a specific manner to produce a specific result... this was simply too flexible as a tentacle of 'earth' coiled around the white snake and pulled it OUT from the ground.

*Hiss*

A frightened hiss escaped the white snake which encouraged Kai's resident finger-long white snake coiled around the edges of his tunic to sneak a peak with what Kai sensed to be curiosity.

"What was that ability?" Kai inquired as Orochimaru only had an amused smirk to offer in response to his question.

Meanwhile, the white snake in the earthen grip shifted. Its scales enlarged and turned color while the color of its body turned to a rosy, baby-like peach. Revealing a more developed cognition despite only being reported to be 2 years old, the 'infant' revealed a very human expression of horror and helplessness as he viewed the man and the woman staring at him with their pale yellow irides glowing like torches in the dim cavern.

"So, he never got a more human sage transformation?" The one with the horns hummed curiously as the 'Woman' crossed her arms while inspecting the child in return, "Unfortunately, no. He showed extraordinary acceptance of the DNA of White Snake and that may have had a more complete transformation for him. Again, we know very little about Nature Energy."

"Bahhh!" the child cried out loud, his eyes staring at the meek yet large anaconda yet the beast lay down on the ground.

"It would seem that turning you into a dragon has brought many benefits," Orochimaru noticed that the snakes reacted more... fearful of Kai than herself. In fact, she had their reverence, but Kai had their fear.

Confused, Kai looked at Orochimaru with a ridiculously oblivious gaze, "You? I've always been a dragon. You just got me these neat horns and scales."

And to that, Orochimaru only had a scoff in store as she realized another one of the reasons why Tsunade drank so much and gambled. A 'man' like Kai... could have an equally 'arrogant' effect on others.

But then again, Kai had no reason to shrink into his own persona out of fear of how he may be viewed.

***

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