Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?

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....

Knock knock-

"Come in~"

The old man's voice carried an inexplicable excitement, as if he had been secretly peeping at something inappropriate through his Telescope Jutsu. Hearing the knock on the door, he restrained himself.

"Yes, Lord Hiruzen."

With a hoarse voice, Orochimaru pushed open the front door and walked into the Sarutobi residence.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting in the small courtyard, a complex emotion flickered deep in Orochimaru's eyes.

If there was anything left in this vast Konoha that he found hard to part with... it would probably be this old man. Even though he had already decided to defect from Konoha.

After all, humans are social creatures, and bonds are shackles placed around the necks of powerful ninjas.

Family bonds, bonds with comrades, bonds between teacher and student...

Orochimaru's parents had long since died in battle; his comrades had left the village early and only met once a year or so. The only one left was this mentor who had accompanied him growing up.

If possible, Orochimaru even hoped that Hiruzen Sarutobi would rebel against Konoha with him.

Or perhaps, if Hiruzen could regain the position of Hokage, he might continue to stay in Konoha.

But unfortunately, there were no "ifs."

"Oh, it's Orochimaru~ You haven't visited this old man in a long time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a bit surprised.

With Danzo far away in Kirigakure and Mitokado Homura transferred to Sunagakure, Konoha Village had only him left.

Usually, he would get bored and want to reminisce with his disciple, inviting Orochimaru over for tea to alleviate the tedium of retirement.

But today was unusual; Orochimaru had come on his own.

Being an old and wise man, Hiruzen immediately guessed that his great disciple might have encountered some trouble and wanted his old teacher to lend a hand.

Thinking this, Hiruzen poured two cups of tea for himself and Orochimaru.

He took a sip first.

"Teacher, I..."

"Did something happen?"

Hiruzen preempted him: "With your abilities, is there anything in the village that could trouble you?"

Given Orochimaru's merits in the ninja wars, he was someone who could call the shots in Konoha. Hiruzen couldn't think of anything that would make him seek help.

Unless...

"Yes, Teacher." Orochimaru's expression was calm as he stated the fact of his unjust treatment: "I've been targeted by the Fourth Hokage."

"Minato? Targeting you?"

Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head: "I personally evaluated Minato. He's fair and impartial, without bias. In terms of ability and character, he's a reliable Hokage."

"I'm confident leaving Konoha in his hands."

"Could there be some misunderstanding?"

Orochimaru silently listened to Hiruzen's praise of Minato, feeling a sour resentment in his heart.

He unhurriedly recounted his experience at the Hokage Building in detail.

He didn't embellish; lies wouldn't work on the astute Third Hokage.

Hiruzen frowned deeply upon hearing it: "Uchiha Fugaku... In terms of ability, he's qualified to lead such an important blitz mission."

"Perhaps the Fourth Hokage has his own political considerations."

He didn't question how such a radical operation like a blitz on the Grass Village, bypassing the Daimyō, was planned. Not being in that position, he wouldn't comment on it. He simply analyzed the situation for his beloved disciple.

"But it seems there's no place for me in the Fourth Hokage's plans."

"He had already confirmed Uchiha Fugaku as the commander of the blitz but still called me to the Hokage Building just to humiliate me."

"I'm very upset about this."

Hiruzen fell silent, sensing the strong discontent in his disciple's words.

This was not a good sign.

A conflict between the Hokage and the village's second most meritorious ninja could lead to big problems if not resolved.

Moreover, Minato did go a bit too far this time.

If you want to sideline him, just do it; why call Orochimaru to the Hokage Building, giving hope and then taking it away?

For an old hero eager to contribute to the village, this was disheartening.

Hiruzen comforted him:

"You should go back for now, Orochimaru. I'll discuss this matter with the Fourth Hokage."

"After all, he's still young and lacks experience in governance; it's inevitable he'll have his own ideas."

"I'll get back to you with a satisfactory answer."

"Then... I'll leave it to you, Teacher."

Seeing his goal achieved, Orochimaru stood up. His snake-like eyes took one last deep look at Hiruzen Sarutobi, as if imprinting the old man's image deep within his heart.

Orochimaru had a vague premonition that, having embarked on the path of immortality, he shouldn't have human emotions anymore.

But if he were to shed tears again, it would certainly be because of Hiruzen... right?

Perhaps, this was the last glance.

An eternal moment.

In the end, Orochimaru turned away without any lingering attachment. He walked to the entrance, placing his hand on the door handle.

His tall figure paused for a second: "I'm leaving now, Lord Hiruzen."

"Leaving already..."

Hiruzen watched Orochimaru's back, slowly retracting his slightly raised hand.

He chuckled and shook his head: "It seems I've really reached the age of an old man. How could Orochimaru leave? I'll invite him for tea again in a couple of days."

About ten minutes after Orochimaru left.

Hiruzen sat alone on the balcony of his backyard, pipe in mouth, squinting at the distant Hokage Rock.

He seemed to be contemplating how to communicate this matter with Minato Namikaze.

Children grow up and have their own ideas. If his approach was too forceful, it might provoke Minato's rebelliousness.

Being Hokage is truly difficult.

But during that breakout, his teacher had passed the position of Hokage to him.

What Hiruzen didn't expect was that if he didn't go to see the Hokage, the Hokage would come to see him.

Knock knock knock-

The slow and steady knocking sounded like the death knell of the Grim Reaper, clutching at Hiruzen's heart.

"Who is it~"

"It's me, Lord Third Hokage."

"Ah, Minato, please come in."

As Minato entered, he immediately noticed the teacups on the table beside the Third Hokage.

One cup was empty; the other... still had a faint steam rising.

Not a sip taken.

Minato's eyes flickered; through this cup of tea, his gaze seemed to traverse time and see the determination in Orochimaru's heart to betray the village.

"It seems that Orochimaru-sensei has already visited you."

Minato held a dossier, sitting opposite Hiruzen.

Looking at Hiruzen's kind face, Minato felt a twinge of discomfort. He wondered how devastated the Third Hokage would be after reading the evidence he held.

"What brings you here today?"

"Did you two come one after the other to complain to this old man?" Hiruzen half-jokingly said, "Did you have a disagreement?"

Hiruzen still wanted to downplay the issue, treating it as a common dispute between youngsters, hoping to mediate their conflict.

"Personally, I still respect Orochimaru-sensei."

Hiruzen's eyes sharpened, personally...

In other words, for the sake of the village, Orochimaru had committed some wrongdoing? The next moment, Minato's words made Hiruzen's heart sink.

"However, for the village, as Hokage, I can no longer hold even a shred of respect for Orochimaru-sensei."

"For the mistakes he's committed, he can no longer call himself a Konoha ninja."

Hiruzen realized that Minato had come to hold someone accountable. Given his character, it seemed Orochimaru really...

Suddenly, Hiruzen felt a surge of fear. His gaze instinctively fell on the dossier in Minato's hand.

He hadn't even noticed that his voice trembled slightly: "What mistake has Orochimaru made?"

"Lord Third Hokage... please take a look."

Minato sighed and handed over the irrefutable evidence.

Hiruzen took the dossier, his fingers trembling as he turned the pages, reading each word. From time to time, Minato's voice added to the blow:

"While Orochimaru-sensei came to see you, I personally went to investigate the scene."

"Just the ones I found-there were ten bodies of our Konoha ninjas..."

"They were all reported missing three months ago. Their deaths... were gruesome. Orochimaru conducted live experiments on them."

"Among them were promising Chunin expected to be promoted. They should have been dancing leaves, passing on the Will of Fire endlessly."

Ah... the Will of Fire...

Hiruzen felt as if his heart had been stabbed.

As an elder Konoha ninja who had believed in the Will of Fire all his life, he was now betrayed by his closest disciple...

Hiruzen's hands gripped the sides of the dossier, his fingers trembling incessantly. The once neat pages began to crumple, on the verge of being torn.

"Ugh-"

The shocking words, combined with Minato's mention of the Will of Fire, felt like the Grim Reaper's hand squeezing Hiruzen's heart.

A mouthful of blood spurted onto the white dossier.

"Lord Third!"

Minato, concerned, was about to check his condition but was stopped by Hiruzen raising his hand.

"Sixty people... a full sixty people!"

Hiruzen's heart turned cold. The more fervently he loved the Will of Fire, the deeper the wound he now suffered.

The ever-burning Will of Fire values the bonds between comrades above all.

Harming fellow Konoha comrades-even one person-is a capital offense. And what had Orochimaru done? Sixty people died by his hand!

Shaking with anger, his whole body trembled, heart freezing.

The detailed descriptions in the report had already convinced Hiruzen halfway. With Minato as a witness, no matter how much he wanted to believe in Orochimaru, he had to accept the truth.

Orochimaru, bearing the lives of sixty Konoha people, could be deemed the most heinous criminal in Konoha's 51-year history.

Now he understood why Orochimaru sought to become the leader of the strike force.

He wanted to seize the chaotic situation to leave the village and become a rogue ninja! Knowing Orochimaru, he might even kill some Konoha ninjas in the strike force during his escape, taking them as experimental subjects.

If these events were made public, what would happen to Konoha's image in the ninja world? What legacy would Hiruzen leave for future generations?

He was being deceived by Orochimaru!

Hiruzen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth and growling: "Orochimaru... how could he! How dare he?!"

"In his heart, is there not even a shred of respect for me as his teacher, or for the village that raised him?! The village nurtured him, and he wants to destroy it!"

"And Danzo-Danzo knew that Orochimaru was committing such taboos in secret, and not only did he not stop him, but he also covertly facilitated it!"

As he spoke, Hiruzen stood up from the table.

The double blow of betrayal by his close friend and beloved disciple filled his heart with murderous rage.

"Minato... it's fortunate we have you." Hiruzen suppressed his killing intent, slowly walking towards his dressing room. With his back to Minato, he donned his ninja armor once more.

"If you hadn't discovered this, I wouldn't have known what disaster my unworthy disciple would bring to Konoha."

"Lord Third..."

"The evil caused by me must be ended by me personally."

"Minato, you needn't say more. The wicked Orochimaru-I will personally arrest him. After the external military operations, he will face trial..."

Hiruzen's repeated use of "I" showcased his immense anger.

"As for Shimura Danzo, though he hasn't committed a fatal error, he cannot escape punishment. But since he's far away in Kirigakure, I have no authority to recall him."

"I ask the Fourth Hokage to summon Danzo back for investigation."

Hiruzen's tone was filled with killing intent.

As a former Hokage and the longest-serving one, Hiruzen also wished to quietly exit the stage in a "heroic" manner.

The Will of Fire and his legacy were his everything. Anyone obstructing his ninja way, whether friend or disciple, would not be spared!

Minato listened silently, then solemnly nodded to Hiruzen after a long pause.

The worst-case scenario hadn't happened.

His teacher Jiraiya hadn't chosen the wrong mentor. Faced with personal feelings and the village's greater good, Hiruzen chose the latter.

Justice over family!

Perhaps it's easy to say, but when it comes time to act, one realizes the immense torment involved.

At least, if he replaced Orochimaru with Kakashi, Minato would find it hard to give such an order without feeling pain.

As for why he didn't think of Gojo Kaigetsu... Minato didn't dare contemplate it.

"I will, in the name of the Hokage, order Elder Danzo to return for investigation. As for Orochimaru... I'll leave everything to you, Lord Third."

"When do you need me to act?"

Hiruzen pulled out his Adamantine Staff. Even though he was retired, he had maintained it well; not a speck of dust on it.

Minato pondered: "The plan to blitz the Grass Village is in a few days. To avoid unrest, the operation to arrest Orochimaru should be carried out secretly before the plan begins."

"If we delay, I fear Orochimaru might sense something and forcefully flee the village."

"Similarly, summoning Elder Danzo back requires that news of Orochimaru hasn't leaked; otherwise..."

Hiruzen hesitated, then slowly shook his head: "That won't be necessary."

"I understand Danzo. Though he's ambitious, he's different from Orochimaru. He's still loyal to Konoha and would never defect. Even in the worst-case scenario, he might attempt to overthrow the current order but would return to replace the Fourth Hokage."

"As long as you, as the Fourth Hokage, firmly order Danzo to return for investigation, he will come back."

"In this, I trust my judgment. So there's no need to worry about Danzo choosing to defect after hearing of Orochimaru's arrest."

Minato nodded: "Very well, I trust you, Lord Third."

"In that case, to avoid complications, let's set the plan to arrest Orochimaru for midnight tonight!"

"Agreed."

Hiruzen's voice was cold as he raised his hand to stroke the staff's body: "I hope my old tricks still work on that unworthy disciple."

Neither of them mentioned whether Hiruzen, with his current strength, could defeat Orochimaru.

Because such a question was unnecessary.

Even though age had reduced his strength, Hiruzen was still the "Professor of Ninjutsu," hailed as the "strongest Hokage in history."

Capturing or killing Orochimaru might not be a sure thing, but it was well within his capabilities.

....

Late at night.

After returning home, Orochimaru felt uneasy.

His right eyelid kept twitching, as if something was about to happen.

But what could it be?

The laboratory's location was secret, and traces had been dealt with. He just needed to find an opportunity to dispose of the used materials.

He had also persuaded Lord Hiruzen to help him secure the position of commander of the strike force from Minato.

"Just a few more days. Once these days pass, I can sever these bonds and pursue the path of immortality."

Orochimaru clasped his hands on the window railing.

Moonlight filtered through thick clouds, casting mottled shadows on half his face. The interplay of light and shadow revealed an indescribable gloom between his brows. Outside, wind and rain raged, and cold raindrops struck his pale face.

Behind him, a pool of black mud emerged from the ground in his backyard, transforming into a plant-like humanoid.

"Who's there?"

The moment Black Zetsu surfaced, Orochimaru sensed it.

Turning around, he saw the strange figure wrapped in two large leaves, and his expression grew serious.

Judging by the attire, the other was not a Konoha ninja.

As one of the Legendary Sannin, he hadn't detected any presence before being approached... Who was this?

"Don't be nervous, Orochimaru of Konoha~ I'm here to make a deal with you."

Black Zetsu spread his hands, indicating he meant no harm.

Black Zetsu had long collected intelligence on Konoha. After observing Orochimaru and seeing his secret laboratory, he was certain that Orochimaru was a ninja harboring darkness.

Unfortunately, he wasn't an Uchiha; otherwise, he'd be an extremely useful pawn.

"A deal? I'm not interested in dealing with foreign intruders."

Orochimaru was cautious, bringing his hands together, ready to form seals to capture the mysterious ninja before him.

"Oh my, such an unfriendly start~" Black Zetsu threw out his bargaining chip: "Orochimaru... you've been researching the Impure World Reincarnation, but your progress has stalled at 'the body covered in dust, manifesting the deceased's true form, with only a tenth of their original power.'"

"Moreover, due to Konoha's increasingly stringent defenses, it's becoming harder for you to obtain the necessary materials for your experiments. These things trouble you, don't they?"

What?!

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed. He could hardly believe that this mysterious ninja even knew the progress of his Impure World Reincarnation research.

In his most recent experiment, he had set up multiple layers of anti-surveillance barriers inside and out.

"Who exactly are you?"

If he knew such secret information, did he also know about his other taboos... Orochimaru's gaze became wary.

He couldn't let this person leave alive.

It would ruin everything.

'Activate the barrier seals immediately,' Orochimaru thought.

"My name is Zetsu," Black Zetsu said. "I can offer you some insignificant assistance."

Impure World Reincarnation-a truly magical jutsu. One had to admit that Tobirama Senju, the brother of Asura's chakra reincarnation, was a genius in ninjutsu development.

After all, places like the underworld were unknown even to Black Zetsu. Perhaps not even his mother knew such places existed in the ninja world.

Summoning the souls of the deceased from the underworld, giving them flesh and spirit reborn, possessing most of their power from life, or even surpassing it.

Although the original plan was for Obito to oversee Nagato, having Nagato with implanted Rinnegan perform the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive Madara.

But plans never keep up with changes. Though Nagato was currently on the path Black Zetsu had arranged.

Who knows, perhaps another reincarnation of Asura's chakra might come and disrupt things?

This was a bloody lesson Black Zetsu had learned over multiple cycles.

So, a backup plan was necessary!

Developing the Impure World Reincarnation to its limit to revive Madara wasn't a bad option! If Nagato didn't cooperate in the end, an Impure World Madara could also discipline the disobedient pawn.

The same logic applied to Uchiha Obito.

Even if he were killed by Konoha ninjas, it didn't matter. Konoha would never expect that Black Zetsu could use the Impure World Reincarnation to bring people back.

As long as the Impure World Reincarnation was developed to perfection, many obstacles troubling Black Zetsu could be easily resolved.

"Help...?" Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed further, his clasped hands slightly parting.

He had to admit, Black Zetsu's words struck at his desires.

"I can provide you with the human materials needed for your experiments, offer funds and facilities, help you evade Konoha's pursuit, and give you strong protection."

"Or, if you wish to stay in Konoha to complete your research, I can assist you."

"Then, what's the price?"

"The price is that I need you to help me revive two people and control them as per my commands when necessary."

Orochimaru began calculating silently...

All his secrets were exposed before this plant-like person, without any concealment.

A rather scary intelligence ninja.

"An attractive deal... but how can you convince me you can accomplish all this?"

"Have you heard of the miracle in the Land of Rain?" Black Zetsu said leisurely.

Orochimaru was taken aback: "Miracle? What?"

"It doesn't rain on Sundays~"

"If you step outside Konoha, you'll find that the ninja world is vast, much larger than you imagine."

"You've stayed in Konoha for too long, Lord Orochimaru."

"So, give me your answer now."

As long as I leave Konoha... the outside ninja world is vast?

Saying this to one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha was a bit arrogant.

But it happened to resonate with Orochimaru's current state of mind.

He had stayed in Konoha long enough, and the taboos he had violated were nearing their limit.

Then... it's time to open his eyes and see the ninja world!

"It doesn't rain on Sundays... If that's achievable, it would be a miraculous jutsu."

At least from Orochimaru's perspective, there was no jutsu in the ninja world capable of controlling the weather.

Unless Ōnoki carried Water Release ninjas into the sky every Sunday to manipulate the clouds, but that was too far-fetched.

"An attractive deal."

"However, I don't intend to stay in Konoha any longer. Set up a base for me in the Land of Rice Fields. I'll defect from Konoha and head there soon."

Orochimaru fully separated his clasped hands, casually reaching an agreement with Black Zetsu.

He had no desire to probe further into Black Zetsu's background or his mention of "it doesn't rain on Sundays."

Since the other party knew about his taboos in Konoha but didn't report him to the Fourth Hokage or Lord Hiruzen, it already indicated his stance.

Orochimaru didn't need any substantial proof of credibility; all he wanted was an attitude! Just like how he'd seen Konoha's female ninjas tell male suitors they just needed to show sincerity!

Since the attitude was there, they could cooperate on the big picture.

As for what came after... once he left Konoha, Orochimaru had plenty of patience to explore further. As a scholarly ninja, patience was one thing he wasn't lacking.

Regarding the terms they agreed upon-helping Zetsu revive and control two people... Orochimaru licked his lips; he was never an honest or trustworthy ninja.

"An exceptionally pleasant transaction~"

Black Zetsu hadn't expected to persuade one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, so easily. It seemed he was also tired of Konoha.

"Do you need my assistance to defect?"

"Oh? Assist me?" Orochimaru flicked his tongue: "Once I leave Konoha, no one can stop me."

Confidence filled Orochimaru's voice.

What was Konoha's current state? Below the Sannin, he was invincible; above the Sannin... they wouldn't know he planned to defect.

Once he left Konoha, with the Fourth Hokage and Lord Hiruzen not among the strike force, who could stop him?

Even if there were spies planted by the Fourth Hokage in the strike force carrying Flying Thunder God markers, it didn't matter.

Orochimaru had browsed the Scroll of Seals. Though he couldn't learn it, he had his own insights into the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The strength of the Flying Thunder God Technique lay in its instantaneous teleportation, ignoring spatial distance. Theoretically, one could jump from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Wind.

But theory was one thing; in practice, the chakra required for ultra-long-distance teleportation... Minato could hardly afford it.

If Minato teleported from the Hokage Building in Konoha to the Grass Village battlefield, Orochimaru was confident he could handle a weakened Minato.

If possible, Orochimaru didn't want to fight Minato. Killing Minato would deal a devastating blow to Konoha's prestige in the ninja world. At the same time, he would face relentless pursuit from Konoha.

Seeing Orochimaru's demeanor, Black Zetsu felt an ominous premonition. This confidence and disdain-it felt like déjà vu.

That damned, strangely familiar tone...

The last person who spoke to him like that had been killed by the Fourth Hokage.

But... respect!

"Very well, I'll head to the Land of Rice Fields to set things up for you. Lord Orochimaru, I look forward to meeting you there."

After his final words, Black Zetsu's body slowly merged with the earth, sinking underground.

The moment Black Zetsu disappeared from sight, Orochimaru could no longer sense his presence, as if he'd never been there.

"What a marvelous ability. If I could master this jutsu..."

Deep curiosity and greed flickered in Orochimaru's eyes; his damned thirst for knowledge had been piqued.

So-called "immortality."

Eternal life was one aspect; not dying was another. With such an ability to burrow and evade detection, his survivability would reach a new level.

Orochimaru turned to his study, took out pen and paper, and wrote:

"The ninja world is vast; I want to see it."

He casually clapped his hands, hiding the note.

Perhaps when news of his defection reached the village, Lord Hiruzen would find this note.

Farewells needed proper preparation~

Black Zetsu, who had vanished from Orochimaru's sight, didn't immediately head to the Land of Rice Fields as he had said.

He roamed underground, searching for Obito's whereabouts.

"Obito... where are you?"

Black Zetsu was full of doubts. That day, Obito had used Izanagi under his watch.

Although the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular power was much stronger than ordinary Sharingan, so much time had passed-he should have reappeared.

But after checking Konoha's morgues and official laboratories, he hadn't found any trace of Obito.

Obito seemed to have vanished from the ninja world.

Although remnants of Uchiha Obito's body remained in the old base.

Black Zetsu only had a superficial understanding of the Impure World Reincarnation Technique, instinctively believing that an intact, fresh corpse was better than old, incomplete body parts.

"I'd better search one more night. If I still can't find Obito, then forget it."

...

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