During dinner that evening, Rin could already sense a shift in the atmosphere. It seemed the "weirdos" around her no longer treated her with that icy detachment; there was a growing sense that they were beginning to view her as one of their own.
Seated beside Diarmuid, she ate cautiously, listening to their conversation with intense curiosity.
Kakuzu was usually talking to his junior, Jūzō. Although the two of them had once been the loudest when it came to arguing, they now appeared to have the closest relationship. Perhaps Kakuzu judged people based on their financial value; since Jūzō helped him make money, he found the man much more agreeable. The two were constantly discussing mission details and brainstorming ways to turn a massive profit.
Orochimaru and Sasori also seemed to have plenty in common. Since his arrival, Orochimaru had dived straight into researching the Sharingan. Sasori himself had a certain "obsession" with the Uchiha clan; unfortunately, he had wasted the corpse of Kagami in the past without successfully cracking the secret. Now that Orochimaru had joined, even if he was only researching the ocular powers, the two seemed to be chatting quite pleasantly.
In contrast, Diarmuid, the boss of the Yorozuya, didn't have much to say this time and simply focused on his food. The others weren't surprised; Diarmuid was just like that, when he had a topic he wanted to discuss, he could talk your ear off for an entire day, but when he had nothing to say, it was normal for him to go three days without opening his mouth.
"Eat your food. Why are you just staring at me?" Diarmuid suddenly noticed Rin watching him and spoke with a chuckle.
Rin snapped out of her daze, her face flushing red. She nodded quickly and took two hurried bites of her side dishes.
At that moment, Orochimaru finished his conversation with Sasori and looked directly at Diarmuid. "I'm heading back to Konohagakure in a couple of days."
"So soon?" Diarmuid raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised. They had just returned from Konoha today, and now he was going back already?
Rin was quite interested in Orochimaru, a senior figure of the "Great-Uncle" generation, especially since he was an established shinobi of Konoha. She had just overheard him talking to Sasor, the "Scorpion" who had looked terrifyingly monstrous before but now looked somewhat handsome after shedding his outer shell. They had even discussed the Sharingan, and Kakashi's name had come up.
After all, Kakashi was a unique case; he wasn't an Uchiha, yet he was a successful example of a Sharingan transplant. Naturally, Orochimaru and Sasori would mention him. Though she didn't fully grasp the technicalities, it sounded like they were discussing how to "process" members of the Uchiha clan.
That's terrifying... she thought. And Orochimaru-sama, aren't you one of the Legendary Sannin?
But then she reconsidered. Aside from Obito, the rest of the Uchiha in the village really were quite annoying... Even if she had thoughts on the matter, Rin knew she didn't have much of a say now.
"Yes. I'm going back to settle a few things and sever the Old Man's lingering hopes. After that, I plan to move here permanently," Orochimaru stated. He spoke with a calm expression, as if he were merely announcing he was going out for tea tomorrow, entirely devoid of the tension one might expect from a defection.
"Oh? Now that's interesting. It looks like the shinobi world is about to get some big news," Diarmuid said with a smirk.
Beside him, Kakuzu chimed in immediately. "Orochimaru, one of the Sannin and a poster boy for Konoha, going rogue... that's at least an S-Rank bounty."
"Rankings don't matter; I don't care about such things," Orochimaru replied with a slight smile.
Kakuzu smacked his lips. "Well, I care. If anything ever happens to you, I'll be sure to come and collect your body..."
Orochimaru knew Kakuzu meant no malice, so he simply offered a casual smile and didn't take the bait. As if. I don't even believe I can die. I have more fail-safes than I can count. The person who can truly kill me in this shinobi world probably hasn't even been born yet!
While Orochimaru was lost in thought, Kakuzu suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, that Reincarnation Technique of yours, how's the research going? Is it a success?"
Orochimaru had only mentioned it briefly upon his return. He hadn't expected Kakuzu to be interested. "Why? Lost interest in the Earth Grudge Fear? Disgusted with that wretched body of yours? Planning to switch to a new vessel? It's a good idea; I could teach you when the time comes..."
"No, I'm just curious if it's finished," Kakuzu asked again.
Orochimaru shook his head but spoke with confidence. "Not yet, but I have high hopes for this jutsu."
"So you're saying it's almost complete?" Kakuzu pressed on.
"Mm." Orochimaru nodded.
Kakuzu let out a smile, his expression turning somewhat mysterious. "Keep at it, Orochimaru. You have my full support!"
Diarmuid suddenly intervened. "So why exactly are you asking? I get the feeling you're up to no good!"
Orochimaru also looked at Kakuzu with suspicion. This guy isn't looking to learn it, yet he's asking so many questions... it's strange.
Kakuzu gave a "hehehe" laugh that looked exceptionally wretched. "Orochimaru will soon be an S-Rank rogue ninja who betrayed Konoha. With his status, his bounty might be second only to yours, Diarmuid. Hehehe..."
"And?" Diarmuid asked.
"You aren't planning to capture me for the reward, are you?" Orochimaru deadpanned.
"No, no. I know the difference between keeping the goose that lays the golden eggs and killing it for the meat," Kakuzu said.
Orochimaru: "???" What kind of analogy is that?
"When the time comes, you'll use that Living Corpse Reincarnation, right? Every time you do, you'll leave behind a corpse. I'll just find someone to take it to the Exchange Point and claim the money... it won't hurt my reputation, and I can make a fortune. Perfect," Kakuzu said, looking quite satisfied.
Diarmuid: "???"
Jūzō: "???"
Sasori: "???"
Orochimaru was stunned. After a long silence, everyone gained a new understanding of Kakuzu's money-grubbing nature. The man has absolutely zero integrity. To think this guy once said things like "A gentleman loves wealth but obtains it through proper means"—the irony was staggering!
Rin was dumbfounded, but not because of Kakuzu; it was because of Orochimaru. What had she just heard? Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, was going to defect from Konoha? Where would he go?
Did she even need to ask? It was obviously this Yorozuya! What kind of charm did this place have? It could actually attract Orochimaru to the point where he'd betray Konoha just to join?
To Rin, this was utterly inconceivable, and the sense of mystery surrounding the Yorozuya grew even deeper. Who was Orochimaru in Konoha? His seniority was second only to Hiruzen and the other high-ranking officials. He was the kind of man who could contend for the position of Hokage if he wished. In Rin's eyes, he was a true titan of the village, yet he was choosing to become a rogue ninja...
Surprisingly, this revelation gave Rin a strange sense of anticipation and belonging. An organization that even a Sannin would defect from Konoha to join... and even though I'm just a chore girl... why am I feeling a bit excited?
She knew it wasn't right, that this wasn't a "good" thing, but Rin couldn't help but feel a thrill. Am I really a bad girl by nature? she wondered secretly.
Orochimaru soon snapped back to reality. "You're overthinking it. Once my soul transfers to another vessel, the original body should revert to its true appearance..."
"Can't you change that?" Kakuzu asked, sounding genuinely pained by the prospect.
Change it? Of course he could. Orochimaru had the skills, but there was no point. Why increase the difficulty for no reason? He could just use the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to disguise himself afterward.
Thus, Orochimaru shook his head. "No. It would increase the difficulty of the jutsu. There's no need."
"But you could make money!" Kakuzu argued.
"Is my life more important, or the money?" Orochimaru asked, annoyed. The Living Corpse Reincarnation was a bold, innovative technique. Soul transfer was no joke. To increase the risk just to satisfy Kakuzu's greed? Was he insane?
However, Kakuzu replied quite bluntly, "The money, obviously!"
Orochimaru almost wanted to bite him. He decided to ignore the man altogether. Seeing that Orochimaru was no longer talking, Kakuzu felt helpless. After a while, he asked one more time, unwilling to give up. "When will the jutsu be done? When are you switching vessels?"
"Uncertain, but soon. Once the research is complete, I'll switch immediately to test the results," Orochimaru said.
Kakuzu nodded and said seriously, "Then that original body of yours... that vessel... it belongs to me when you're done."
Orochimaru: I swear, I will kill you with Kusanagi, you believe me?
Diarmuid and the others burst into laughter.
By the end of the meal, Rin's worldview had been shattered. What kind of gods and monsters are these people?
Though Kakuzu had derailed the conversation, Diarmuid sat eating his vegetables, reflecting on Orochimaru's situation. Clearly, Orochimaru was defecting earlier than in the original timeline. He wasn't researching Wood Release anymore, or rather, it wasn't his sole focus. He'd likely be messing around with the Sharingan in the future.
This meant Yamato was gone. Konoha had just lost a future real estate developer. Perhaps the boy would still be a ninja, but he wouldn't have Wood Release.
In the original story, Orochimaru defected sometime after the Third Shinobi World War ended but before Hiruzen stepped down. His defection had actually hastened Hiruzen's retirement. After all, when the Hokage's own disciple causes such a massive scandal, the Hokage has to take the blame.
Now, before the Third War had even concluded, Orochimaru was already impatient to leave Konoha and join up with Diarmuid's group of "freaks." Would this cause Hiruzen to step down early?
Given the current situation, although no major international news had broken yet, it was clear that Kirigakure's plan had failed. They had lost the Three-Tails for nothing; it couldn't even be found now, having been snatched by Danzō. Iwagakure and Kumogakure likely wouldn't stick their heads out again either. This anticlimactic Third Shinobi World War was indeed nearing its end.
"Sigh..." Diarmuid suddenly let out a breath.
Orochimaru looked at him curiously. "What? You're not happy I'm leaving Konoha?"
"I'd be happiest if you became the Hokage..." Diarmuid quipped. It was, of course, the truth.
Orochimaru ignored him and went back to talking to Rin. Kakuzu and Jūzō began discussing the logistics of how to sell Orochimaru's corpse.
Rin huddled over her bowl, her rice bowl hiding half her face as she ate with extreme caution. This place really is a den of demons! There isn't a single normal person here! It's too scary!