Chapter 2: Communication Among Scientists
Early the next morning, Yusuke and his family dressed in black attire for the memorial service and set out early for the venue.
The weather was clear, and people were already heading toward the site—both ordinary villagers and many ninja alike. Everyone looked somber, and very few spoke along the way. Even those who recognized each other merely exchanged nods instead of greetings.
Though the war had ended, the loss of so many comrades still cast a heavy shadow over the village.
Yusuke walked with his mother, Uchiha Hazuki, on his right, holding Izumi's hand on his left. The three of them had arrived at the Heroes' Monument, where the memorial was to be held.
It didn't take long for the area to become crowded. Everyone was dressed in mourning black.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the Third Hokage slowly approached the monument and began delivering a eulogy for the heroes who had died in the Third Great Ninja War.
Many attendees had lost friends and family in the conflict. Moved by the Hokage's emotional words, many could not help but cry aloud. The entire venue was soon filled with the sounds of weeping.
At this point in time, the Third Hokage was not yet the aging figure seen in the original story. While not tall, his posture remained upright. Still, Yusuke could tell that he was beginning to decline—his strength waning with age.
The memorial didn't last long. After the rituals ended, the Third made an announcement that shocked everyone.
He claimed that the village's heavy losses during the war were largely due to his own failure and that he would step down and appoint a Fourth Hokage to lead the Hidden Leaf.
Despite opposition from many within the village, he remained firm in his decision and announced two candidates: Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, nominated by Danzo and the Elders; and Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, nominated by the Third himself.
Some had wanted to nominate Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader, but he declined the offer.
As a transmigrator, Yusuke already knew Minato would ultimately be chosen. It was no surprise.
Orochimaru was simply too eerie—his appearance alone could scare people senseless. No one wanted a Hokage that people feared to even look at.
Minato, on the other hand, was not only strong and accomplished but also humble and kind, and most importantly, of civilian origin. He was an inspiring figure and had become something of a village favorite.
If he were to lose, the villagers would probably suspect the election was rigged.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the Leaf Village Cemetery, a pale-skinned man with long black hair stood before an anonymous grave, muttering to himself.
"Mourning the dead is meaningless. If death has value, it lies only in how it can be used."
This man was none other than Orochimaru.
"What is the meaning of life?"
A soft, curious voice asked the question. A boy, six or seven years old, with delicate features, had walked up to Orochimaru.
He looked the child over appreciatively. People usually avoided him due to his sinister appearance and aura—even seasoned Jonin steered clear when possible. Few dared approach him.
But this boy showed no fear, only calm curiosity.
"Life has no meaning," Orochimaru replied slowly, then added, "And if it does, it exists only in the pursuit of immortality."
"Lord Orochimaru, I have a mission tomorrow and little time. Shall we begin?"
The voice interrupted their conversation. A teenage ninja wearing a standard Leaf flak jacket approached. It was Yusuke.
He had arranged to meet Orochimaru here and had sent Hazuki and Izumi home ahead of him.
Orochimaru nodded at the young boy and turned to Yusuke. "My apologies. As I get older, I find myself drawn to pointless reflections. Let's meet at the usual place." With that, he vanished using Body Flicker.
Yusuke glanced at the boy, instantly recognizing him as Uchiha Itachi—the tragic genius of the Uchiha clan.
Still just a cute kid, Itachi's eyes already carried the weight of the world.
Having no particular connection to Itachi, Yusuke quickly turned to leave. He brought his left hand to his chest, formed a seal with two fingers, and vanished in a burst of flame—headed to the meeting spot.
"That older brother... he looked like Yusuke-senpai, the Blazing Blade," Itachi murmured.
Since arriving in the ninja world, Orochimaru had become something of a friend to Yusuke—though their relationship mostly revolved around ninjutsu research.
Yusuke, formerly a scientist before his transmigration, was obsessed with developing new jutsu. Orochimaru, being the closest thing to a scientist in this world, found a kindred spirit in him.
Though Yusuke called him "Lord Orochimaru," their tone was more like that of friends.
While Orochimaru specialized in biological sciences, Yusuke's focus was on energy and its applications—specifically, chakra and its manipulation.
At one of Orochimaru's secret labs, the two were deep in conversation, discussing a new ninjutsu.
"Your theories on cellular inheritance have given me great inspiration," Orochimaru said. "With the First Hokage's cells, I've managed to drastically improve my Cursed Seals. Are you sure you don't want to try them?"
"I'd rather not," Yusuke replied. "Instead of experimenting on myself, I'd rather develop power through my own methods."
He had no interest in letting Orochimaru mark him with unstable jutsu—especially since they were also the basis for his Reanimation techniques.
"A shame," Orochimaru sighed. Then, with a sudden hand seal, he turned into hundreds of white snakes that rushed toward Yusuke.
Yusuke leapt back, drawing his sword—his Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka.
He hadn't activated its Shikai form yet, so it appeared as a normal katana with no flame.
Yusuke slashed at the snakes, but to his surprise, they seemed to be illusions or constructs—his blade passed through them.
The snakes pounced and bit down, petrifying any part of Yusuke they touched. Soon, his entire body turned to stone and was engulfed.
Suddenly, with a burst of fire, Yusuke vanished from the snake pile.
"You've already mastered that technique? That was faster than I expected," his voice rang out from behind.
The one engulfed was merely a Fire Clone.
Orochimaru reformed from the snake pile and tossed a scroll to Yusuke. "I was helping you develop your jutsu, but I got a few ideas of my own. I modified my Many Hidden Snake Hands technique using genjutsu and elemental chakra—it's much more unpredictable now."
Yusuke opened the scroll and studied it closely, then quickly began weaving hand signs.
"Fire Illusion: Raven Art."
His body split apart into dozens of flaming crows—some solid, some illusory.
They circled in the air for a moment before reforming into Yusuke again.
This was his original technique, inspired by Itachi's Crow Clone jutsu. By combining illusion and elemental chakra, it had become more powerful, though also more difficult to cast.
"Your hand seals have gotten faster. You've surpassed me in that regard," Orochimaru said with an eerie smile.
Yusuke had spent years refining the fundamentals—taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu—and he deeply believed in the principle: speed breaks all technique. He trained his hand seals every day without fail.
"Just a small trick," Yusuke said modestly. "I was planning to discuss this jutsu's development today. Didn't expect you to finish it so quickly. I owe you one."
Orochimaru waved it off and casually sat on the tatami. "So, what do you think about the Fourth Hokage selection? How likely do you think I am to win?"
Yusuke sat across from him. Instead of answering directly, he asked, "What do you think? Compared to Minato, where do your strengths lie?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. His pupils contracted slightly as if killing intent stirred within him. He licked his lips with his snake-like tongue.
Yusuke didn't say another word, simply holding Orochimaru's gaze.
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru changed the subject. "I recently encountered a rather interesting ninja. His puppet jutsu was tricky—even I found it troublesome. It's made me curious about that field."
"If even Orochimaru finds it tricky, it's probably Sasori," Yusuke thought. By now, Sasori had already killed the Third Kazekage and defected from the Sand Village—though he likely hadn't joined the Akatsuki yet.