"Sensei, who's the girl in the cell?"
Ryujin Kenichi's voice was cautious as he glanced over his shoulder. His expression was unreadable.
"One of Root's discarded tools," Orochimaru replied curtly, barely glancing up as he calmly ate a bowl of katsudon prepared by his student.
They were far from Konohagakure now, hidden deep within one of Orochimaru's many underground hideouts. Gone were the days when he could stroll through the village and receive discounted meals from unsuspecting vendors. Since his defection, Orochimaru had been forced to rely more on himself—or in this case, on Kenichi.
But after tasting his sensei's cooking once, Kenichi had quickly taken over meal duties. It wasn't that Orochimaru couldn't cook—it was just... better this way.
Kenichi gave a small nod. Even though his teacher had left Konoha, it seemed some connections to Danzō and Root still lingered. That wasn't surprising. Root was known for its secrets, and Orochimaru had once been deeply involved in Konoha's darkest experiments.
Kenichi's thoughts drifted to the odd figure he'd glimpsed in another chamber—someone his teacher clearly valued. But it was the girl in the holding cell that puzzled him most.
He had seen her before. She was a kunoichi from the squad they had ambushed a few weeks ago. Her name was Yuuki, if he remembered correctly. Unlike the other prisoners, her conditions were slightly better. She wasn't chained to the wall. She got proper meals. She wasn't being drained of chakra—yet.
Kenichi was certain Orochimaru had plans for her. Perhaps as a vessel for a summoning. Maybe a subject for the next stage of Impure World Reincarnation—Edo Tensei. His sensei was always experimenting.
He shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, mind still lingering on the girl.
"Sensei, I'm finished," Kenichi said quietly, standing up and gathering the empty dishes.
But cleaning up wasn't his only task.
Kenichi walked alone down the dim stone stairwell, each footstep echoing slightly. The flickering torches on the wall cast long, wavering shadows.
"The brain's a curious thing," he murmured to himself. "Memories, instincts, habits... all buried in folds of flesh."
He reached the cell and stepped inside.
"Yuuki, did you finish your meal today?" he asked with a sickly sweet smile, placing a hand on the girl's head.
A spark crackled through his fingers—Lightning Release chakra surging into her scalp like a bolt of pain. Yuuki's body tensed instantly, her muscles spasming as her eyes widened in fear.
"I... I finished..." she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
She was terrified of him. Every day, it was the same. She feared the pain. Feared the punishment. Feared him.
Kenichi smiled faintly. This was exactly what he wanted.
He remembered something he'd once read in a book Orochimaru kept—Pavlov's Dog. A theory from the old world. It described how repeated stimuli could condition a living creature to respond unconsciously. Ring a bell, feed a dog. Do it enough times, and eventually, the bell alone would make the dog salivate.
A conditioned reflex.
Instinct born from repetition.
Could such a thing work in the shinobi world? A world of chakra, souls, and reincarnations? Kenichi wasn't sure. But the idea fascinated him. He was experimenting—casually, yes—but experimenting nonetheless.
He imagined one day reaching out to his sensei with the same technique. Orochimaru flinching in response. That image gave him a thrill.
Of course, such a thing would be suicidal. But fantasies were harmless—for now.
After leaving Yuuki's cell, Kenichi continued his rounds, collecting plates from the other prisoners. These "expendables" weren't afforded the same mercy. His teacher had only one condition: Keep them alive. Nothing more.
And Kenichi agreed. He wasn't here to pamper failed shinobi.
"Even a genius cook needs ingredients," Kenichi muttered as he clicked his tongue. Since leaving Konoha, every resource came at a price. Had it not been for the valuables he'd stolen during the chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack, they'd have run out of money long ago.
No sense wasting food or chakra on the weak.
After collecting the chakra plates, Ryujin Kenichi returned to the lower level of the hideout where he and his teacher, Orochimaru, conducted experiments. The scent of old paper and medicinal herbs lingered in the air. His teacher had already finished eating and was sipping a cup of steaming green tea.
Kenichi wasn't surprised. Orochimaru had a habit of drinking tea—an oddly mundane routine for someone who had once been a member of the Legendary Sannin and one of the most feared rogue ninjas in the world.
"Kenichi," Orochimaru spoke suddenly, his serpentine eyes half-lidded, "what do you know about the Land of Rain?"
Kenichi paused, surprised by the question. Then he nodded slowly. "It's… neutral territory, mostly. But since the Second Shinobi War, it's become unstable. There's the group known as Akatsuki operating from there, though I heard their original leader, Yahiko, died."
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened at the name.
"Yes," he said, voice low and deliberate. "And now someone far more dangerous has taken his place. They call him Pain. I want you to go and investigate. There's been a shift in power—something's changed."
Kenichi's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… you want me to approach the Akatsuki?"
Orochimaru gave a small, cold smile. "No need to reveal yourself. Just observe, for now. I have my own plans, and I need information."
"Yes, teacher." Kenichi bowed slightly. The chance to leave the base was rare, and while he was eager, he also felt a pang of regret for leaving behind his current experiments—particularly Yuuki's enhancement regimen. Lately, he had been secretly increasing Yuuki's training to push the limits of his modified chakra system.
A sudden thought struck him—was this assignment a subtle punishment? Had Orochimaru discovered the unauthorized procedures he'd been running?
But Orochimaru's expression revealed nothing.
"Then, teacher," Kenichi said after a moment, "I'll take my leave."
He gathered his scrolls, weapons, and travel cloak. The mission would inevitably bring him close to the Akatsuki, which meant potential contact with dangerous figures—Konan, Pain, perhaps even Zetsu or Tobi… No, if Obito Uchiha—the true identity behind Tobi—was already active within Akatsuki at this point in the timeline, it would be a serious risk. Kenichi had originally considered implanting one of Obito's Sharingan eyes, but perhaps it would be better to delay.
Fortunately, his own research was progressing well. Soon, he'd be ready to awaken a stable Three-Tomoe Sharingan—artificially created, but potentially controllable.
As Kenichi departed, Orochimaru watched him disappear into the dim tunnel beyond the hideout. Then, with a wave of his hand, he sealed the chamber and activated multiple fūinjutsu barriers.
He moved silently to the center of the room and unfurled a scroll. Blood was smeared in careful lines. He had tested the Impure World Reincarnation before, but recent battles—especially the ambush by Jiraiya and the final confrontation with Hiruzen Sarutobi—had left him wounded and impatient.
Now, he needed answers. He needed allies. He needed to perfect the technique.
"Let's begin," he murmured, as chakra surged through the air.