Life is meaningless.
Things that remain still are even more meaningless.
As an Elite Jonin of Konoha, and one of the renowned "Sannin" across the major nations, Orochimaru had long proved himself during the Second Shinobi World War in the battle against Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of the Hidden Rain. Although in that battle, even teaming up with Jiraiya and Tsunade, he couldn't gain much advantage.
Yet, being able to fight a "Kage-level" powerhouse and not falling behind within a short period, everyone believed that Orochimaru was worthy of the title Elite Jonin. Some even thought he could become a Kage-level powerhouse in the future. However... the world is full of ignorance... too many boring people in this world.
Having been through many battles, accustomed to life and death, Orochimaru found himself growing numb, weary, gradually sinking into a state of... existential void where nothing could pique his interest....
"My heart is empty." On one particular night, a man with deep purple eye shadow, with the corpse of another village's ninja lying at his feet, looked up at the moon. The snake-like face gradually showed two deep wells of confusion under the moonlight.
He knew he had to change or else he'd be destroyed by the numbing monotony of life and war. Fortunately, the Second War had ended... The village urgently needed insurance for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's succession... something that could suppress the Nine-Tails at any time should it rage out of control—a safeguard—
[Wood Release]!
Thus, Orochimaru remembers clearly that not long after Kushina inherited the Nine-Tails from Uzumaki Mito, his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, approached him and assigned him a daunting task—to study the cells of the First Hokage and find someone who could withstand his "First Hokage's power" to successfully inherit [Wood Release].
[Wood Release]... [First Hokage]... When these two terms were placed before Orochimaru at the same time, he remembered clearly how he was thrilled to the point of shivering, and subsequently....
The existential void lurking deep within his soul faded away as if he was reborn....
"Leave it to me." Orochimaru finally found himself and vowed confidently to his teacher that same day.
However, perhaps it was his arrogance, or maybe the "God of Shinobi" was simply too powerful, even though Hashirama Senju had passed away for many years, the immense "vitality" contained within his cells turned the ninjas Hiruzen sent to cooperate in the experiments into monsters devoured by [Wood Release], losing their sanity, their minds drained and turned into vegetative states.
Naturally,
After this tragedy, the project was halted... even though he insistently told his teacher that it wasn't his fault, but merely the "sample size" was insufficient, he ultimately failed to change Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision, for this,
He was once filled with anger, confusion, disappointment, followed by an overwhelming fear... the fear of returning to the past, to once again be devoured by that immense "existential void" leaving not even a bone behind!
Fortunately, just as Orochimaru detests "monotony,"
Danzo Shimura also detests Konoha's "monotony," or rather... the "monotonous" Konoha under Hiruzen's reign,
So, naturally, two disgruntled individuals came together. One was for Konoha, Danzo's Konoha, the other was to escape the void, trying to find meaning through continuing the research on "Wood Release." They were perfectly aligned, thus.....
"Human experimentation" resumed....
And today was another day of Orochimaru's monthly task of finding Sharingan for Danzo, and this time, he expanded his chosen target... noticing a boy named "Uchiha Jin!"
It is said that he once went to battle with Fugaku, killing dozens of ninjas single-handedly with a sword, making a considerable name for himself.
It is said he blew up a school, demonstrating D-rank ninjutsu that surprisingly exhibited the power of a B-rank.
It is said that Danzo is also keeping an eye on him, quietly keeping all information about him hidden from Orochimaru... Lodged within the body of a white snake, and sticking out its forked tongue, Orochimaru realized that perhaps this boy named Jin holds something different from other Uchihas, hence,
He saw today,
That child easily performed ninjutsu without seals... the spatial and temporal talent was unparalleled... making even Minato Namikaze, who Danzo mentioned as a potential rival, develop a rare fighting spirit, wanting to have a spar... unfortunately, midway, the teacher, who almost dragged him into the void once again, intervened!
'You always ruin the excitement at critical moments,' thought Orochimaru from the shadows with a malevolent gaze, expecting the day's observation to end here, the "harvest" already bountiful, who would have thought——
The young boy, this child named Uchiha Jin, not only openly scolded on his behalf, words he wanted to shout but never did, but also made a grand act——
Actually mastering [Wood Release] on his own without relying on the First Hokage's cells!
"Boom!" A sudden thunderclap on a clear day!
At once, Orochimaru felt as though from his brow to his tail, he was struck by a thunderbolt from above, splitting him along the central axis completely... apart!
'So, what has all my research been for after all these years?' Orochimaru was dumbfounded, only feeling his mind turn into mush. In an instant, it seemed life had lost its meaning, swallowed once again by that deeply familiar yet utterly despised and feared "great void"!
"Rustle... rustle...." The serpent's body slithered through the dark corners of Konoha's streets, through the lush shrubbery, through the thick trees... Orochimaru followed blindly, not even knowing what he was doing, at a sudden moment, he saw....