The incident of the two old men fighting by the river was something Takeshi knew nothing about.
After finishing that fawning letter, he went straight to the Konoha Research Bureau.
Following Danzō's orders, Takeshi first went to check on Hiruko, who was currently conducting experiments with Yōwan's eyes. For some reason, Takeshi felt that Hiruko had gotten noticeably shorter than before.
And his face looked even more childish.
"You're researching the Jashin Technique?"
Takeshi suddenly remembered this man's famous jutsu and asked him tentatively.
"How did you..."
Hiruko, who had been enthusiastically introducing his research results, instantly lost all energy to explain when he heard that question. His whole expression visibly stiffened with embarrassment.
"You don't need to worry. As long as your experiments follow Konoha's regulations, I'll support you."
Afraid that Hiruko might misunderstand, Takeshi hurriedly explained.
"No, I'm just curious how you even know about this research. Not even Orochimaru-sama knows the full details..."
Hiruko shook his head with a bitter smile, explaining his awkward reaction.
Then, when he heard Takeshi mention "support," his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Since you've said you'll back me up, I do have one small... impolite request."
...
After having a full bag of his blood drawn, Takeshi left Hiruko's lab and went to find Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sensei... or should I say, Orochimaru-senpai?"
As Takeshi pushed the door open, he immediately saw Orochimaru—but the two extra "ornaments" hanging on Orochimaru's chest made his face twist in shock.
"Hehehe, you seem surprised," Orochimaru said, turning his head with a faint smile.
Surprised? More like horrified.
If it weren't for that unmistakable voice, Takeshi wouldn't have believed that the fair-skinned beauty in front of him was actually Orochimaru.
"You... changed bodies again?" Takeshi asked quietly.
"That's right," Orochimaru replied straightforwardly, a hint of pride in his tone as he introduced his new vessel.
"This body was cultivated using a fusion of advanced technology and Ōtsutsuki cells."
"But... why does it look female? Don't tell me you and Jiraiya—wait, hold on, don't hit me!"
Orochimaru couldn't help laughing in exasperation at Takeshi's absurd train of thought.
All he did was change the gender of his vessel, and somehow Takeshi managed to drag Jiraiya into it?
Wait—Jiraiya...
The hand Orochimaru had raised froze in midair, then slowly lowered to his chin as he began to ponder.
Inheritance—the instinct of all living beings.
He'd never really understood the "Will of Fire" that Sarutobi-sensei used to talk about... but perhaps it was time to study it.
"Ahem, anyway, I came here to tell you something. Haku wants to work under you."
Takeshi finally explained his reason for coming.
The night after his sparring match with Sai, while lying in bed, Haku had told Takeshi about his wish to join Konoha's Research Bureau.
Honestly, Takeshi really didn't want him stepping into Orochimaru's den.
But Haku was unusually determined. It was the first time Takeshi had ever seen him with such conviction, so in the end, he had no choice but to agree.
That meant Takeshi's plan to have Haku join the ANBU had to be scrapped. He would have to choose someone else for his personal squad.
"I don't even know what kind of spell you put on him to make him want to work with you. Back in the day, even Anko used to avoid this place like the plague..."
Takeshi muttered under his breath.
Still, he could understand where Haku was coming from. Whether in the original timeline or now, Haku was kind at heart and hated killing. Maybe the Research Bureau really was the best fit for him.
"Hehe, I'm delighted to hear that."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, his long tongue flicking out to lick them.
The sight made Takeshi shudder.
Even with a new body, that tongue was still way too long.
"By the way, I just saw Toneri next door grinding something. It looked kind of like..."
Takeshi suddenly remembered seeing Toneri earlier. He had thought the guy wouldn't adapt well to life in Konoha—but apparently, Toneri was quite busy.
"Oh, that? It's the Ōtsutsuki corpse you brought back from the moon."
"I see... an Ōtsutsuki corpse, huh... Wait a second!"
Takeshi's expression froze as realization struck.
"You're making Toneri grind down his own ancestor?! Are you doing this on purpose—"
"Who said that was his ancestor?" Orochimaru interrupted, looking puzzled at Takeshi's sudden outburst.
"The ones I excavated were all from the Ōtsutsuki main family. Toneri belongs to the branch family. The reason the Ōtsutsuki population on the moon was so small is because the main and branch families fought a brutal war that nearly wiped them out."
Hearing that, Takeshi immediately understood why Toneri looked so motivated earlier—and why his face carried a strange hint of pleasure.
So this was revenge for his ancestors, huh.
Hmm... maybe he should recommend this method to the Hyūga clan next time.
...
As expected by Nara Shikaku, after receiving Takeshi's personal letter, Ōnoki halted all his intimidation tactics.
Whether this had anything to do with Namikaze Minato's coincidental visit to Kusagakure—only Ōnoki himself knew.
In any case, after the former Feudal Lord held a remote conference with other major Daimyō and clarified some misunderstandings, the nations finally acknowledged his abdication.
The Shinobi Alliance returned once again to peace.
Upon hearing the news, Yagura felt a little regretful. In his secret letter to Takeshi, he had already promised to stand with Konoha, since the Water Daimyō still harbored deep distrust toward shinobi.
If Konoha was willing to become the second village after Kumogakure to sever ties with the Daimyō's authority, then Kirigakure wouldn't mind becoming the third.
With the great achievement of abolishing the Bloody Mist policy, Yagura's influence completely crushed the old guard led by Elder Genshi, making him the undisputed leader of Kirigakure.
As for the conservative faction still clinging to the elders—Yagura didn't even consider them worth worrying about.
They weren't even enough to fill Kisame's teeth.