Chapter 23: Orochimaru's Gaze
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression had shifted into what Qifeng privately dubbed "serious Hokage mode"—the kind of facial arrangement that suggested someone was about to have a very bad day, and it probably wasn't going to be the Hokage.
The atmosphere in the office had become so thick with tension that you could practically cut it with a kunai. When Qifeng entered, Hiruzen acknowledged him with a silent nod before rising from his desk like a man preparing to deliver a death sentence.
He walked to the wall-mounted map of the ninja world, a detailed masterpiece that showed everything from mountain ranges to border checkpoints with the kind of precision that suggested someone had died gathering that information. Standing before it, he began what appeared to be a pipe-smoking meditation ritual, puffing thoughtfully until the tobacco had been reduced to ash and regret.
The silence stretched long enough to make everyone uncomfortable, which was probably the point.
"Hiruzen, what are you still hesitating about?" Danzo's voice cut through the quiet like a blade through silk, his tone carrying the particular brand of impatience reserved for people who thought everyone else was being insufficiently aggressive.
Hiruzen returned to his desk with the deliberate movements of someone buying time to think. He tapped out the ash, refilled his pipe, and lit it again with the methodical precision of a man who'd perfected the art of using tobacco as a thinking aid.
Finally, he spoke.
"Last night, a team from Iwagakure launched a surprise attack on our Torimori outpost in the Land of Waterfalls. We've lost all contact with the garrison—the only thing we received was a final transmission before they went dark. Our border patrol teams caught glimpses of Rock ninja in Fire Country territory."
The words hit the room like a physical blow. Everyone present understood the implications immediately.
Was this it? Had the Third Great Ninja War finally arrived?
Qifeng felt a particular kind of confusion. According to his knowledge, shouldn't it have been Sunagakure that kicked off the festivities? While Iwagakure was certainly eager for conflict, Onoki was usually too calculating to make such an obvious first move.
"This is a signal," Hiruzen continued, his voice carrying the weight of someone who'd seen too many wars begin with similar incidents. "Iwagakure is finally making their move. But this isn't a full assault yet—they're testing our response."
The ninja world had been playing this game for months now: poke Konoha, see how they react, then poke them somewhere else. It was like watching someone repeatedly tap a sleeping tiger to see if it was really asleep.
"Hiruzen, how long are you planning to endure this?" Danzo could no longer contain his frustration, his voice rising with each word. His glare could have melted steel.
They were being prodded and tested to the point of humiliation. How long could Konoha just sit there and take it?
If they continued showing weakness, the next "test" would be a full-scale invasion. And once Iwagakure committed to open hostilities, every other hidden village would abandon their restraint.
Hiruzen raised a hand, cutting off Danzo's brewing tirade. "I understand the stakes better than anyone. But we cannot simply abandon the peace we've worked so hard to maintain."
He turned to address the pale figure who'd been standing quietly in the corner like a particularly elegant predator. "Orochimaru, you'll lead three teams. This time, you have permission to use whatever methods you deem necessary."
The fact that Hiruzen had recalled Orochimaru from his eastern posting spoke volumes about how seriously he was taking this situation. When you needed someone to send a message that couldn't be misunderstood, you called in the Snake Sannin.
"Hmph!"
Danzo's opinion of this measured response was crystal clear. He slammed his cane against the floor with enough force to make everyone wince, then stormed out of the office like a man who'd just watched his favorite restaurant serve him a bowl of disappointment.
Throughout this entire exchange, Qifeng had been doing his best impression of a particularly unremarkable piece of furniture. He pressed himself into the corner, desperately hoping that if he made himself small enough, everyone would forget he existed.
He wanted to ask if it was perhaps inappropriate for a lowly genin to be privy to such high-level discussions about military strategy and international incidents. Unfortunately, drawing attention to himself seemed like a spectacularly bad idea.
Orochimaru's response was a slight smile that somehow managed to convey both amusement and menace. He licked his lips in that particular way that made everyone remember why serpents were associated with danger, then nodded his agreement.
It might have been Qifeng's imagination, but he could swear both Hiruzen and Orochimaru were looking at him with more interest than a genin corpse-handler typically warranted.
"Qifeng." Hiruzen's voice cut through his paranoid thoughts.
"Hokage-sama." Qifeng stepped forward and bowed, hoping his nervousness wasn't as obvious as it felt.
Hiruzen's expression softened slightly, which was somehow more unsettling than his previous seriousness. "You'll be going as well. Your work during this period has been exemplary—we've received numerous letters of gratitude from families whose loved ones you've cared for. They appreciate the dignity and cleanliness you've brought to their final farewells, and the assistance you've provided to those in difficult circumstances."
The Hokage's praise felt like a death sentence wrapped in kind words.
"Your mission will be to retrieve our fallen comrades from the Torimori checkpoint. Orochimaru and his team will ensure your safety."
Qifeng's smile was the kind of expression that suggested someone had just told him his prize for winning the lottery was a trip to the gallows.
If he'd known that his acts of basic human decency would eventually result in a field promotion to "battlefield corpse retrieval specialist," he might have been significantly less helpful to grieving families.
There were plenty of other corpse-handlers in Konoha. Sure, he was the only one willing to actually live in the morgue, but that didn't mean he wanted to expand his job description to include "combat zone body recovery."
He opened his mouth to offer some kind of protest, but Hiruzen had already turned his attention to briefing Orochimaru and the other jonin on mission specifics, apparently considering the matter settled.
When the meeting concluded, Qifeng felt like he'd been sentenced to death by bureaucracy.
"Qifeng-kun."
The voice that stopped him in the hallway was soft, cultured, and carried the kind of undertones that made people think of things that slithered in the dark.
Qifeng turned around with the mechanical stiffness of someone who really didn't want to face what was behind him. Orochimaru stood there in all his pale, ethereal glory—long dark hair framing a face that belonged in a painting titled "Beautiful Danger," complete with those distinctive yellow eyes and purple eye shadow that somehow made him look both elegant and predatory.
"Orochimaru-sama."
"I have a proposition for you, Qifeng-kun. An opportunity to assist with some... particularly interesting work." Orochimaru approached with the fluid grace of someone who'd never made an awkward movement in his life.
"Uh..." Qifeng's brain had apparently decided to abandon him at the worst possible moment. "I don't think that would be appropriate."
"I'm conducting research that requires someone with your particular expertise in handling deceased subjects."
Orochimaru's voice carried just enough emphasis on certain words to make the hairs on Qifeng's neck stand up. The way he said "research" and "deceased subjects" painted a picture that belonged in a horror story.
The smile on Orochimaru's face was the kind that belonged on someone who'd just discovered a particularly fascinating specimen and was wondering how it would look under a microscope.
Qifeng felt like he was being studied by a predator who was deciding whether he'd be more useful as an assistant or an experiment.
This had to be about human experimentation—it was the right time period, and Orochimaru still lacked his future assistant, Kabuto. But why had he noticed Qifeng? They'd never even met before today.
The rational part of Qifeng's mind pointed out that aligning with Orochimaru could be incredibly beneficial. The man was one of the legendary Sannin, a potential future Hokage, and the kind of connection that could make a career.
Unfortunately, the rational part of his mind was being shouted down by the part that remembered how Orochimaru's story ended. The snake's ultimate goal wasn't political power—it was immortality, and he wasn't particularly concerned about who got sacrificed along the way.
There was also the tempting possibility that working with Orochimaru would provide access to some truly exceptional corpses. Someone conducting human experiments would inevitably collect specimens from powerful ninja, possibly even legendary ones.
The thought of getting his hands on Hashirama Senju's remains was almost enough to make him reconsider. Almost.
"Think it over," Orochimaru said, apparently reading his internal struggle. "I'm sure you'll find the opportunity... enlightening."
With that, he glided away down the corridor like a particularly elegant nightmare.
Think it over? What was there to think about?
If this had been Tsunade making the offer—now there was someone whose medical expertise could be genuinely beneficial, and who had other... advantages. Even Jiraiya would have been preferable; at least his brand of chaos was predictable.
But Orochimaru? That was a hard pass.
Qifeng shook his head, deliberately rejecting the temptation. No matter how appealing the potential rewards, you had to be alive to enjoy them.
The irony wasn't lost on him—he possessed both of the bloodline abilities that Orochimaru would eventually become obsessed with. The Sharingan and the Shikotsumyaku were exactly the kind of powers that would make him an ideal candidate for the "Fushi Tensei(Living Corpse Reincarnation)" technique.
He was essentially a walking, talking collection of everything Orochimaru wanted most, which made him either incredibly valuable or incredibly doomed.
The upcoming mission felt completely different from his previous corpse-retrieval assignments. This wasn't just about collecting bodies—this was potentially the spark that would ignite a full-scale war, and their little support team would be right in the middle of it.
Even with Orochimaru's protection, Qifeng felt about as safe as a mouse in a room full of particularly hungry cats.
But there was no refusing a direct order from the Hokage. For a brief, desperate moment, he almost wished the war would just start already. At least open conflict would be straightforward compared to this nerve-wracking uncertainty.
Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. War was definitely not an improvement over his current situation.
After returning home to pack his gear, he set out for the village gates. When you were traveling with legendary ninja, being late was not an option—it was a career-limiting mistake, and possibly a life-limiting one.
As he walked through the streets of Konoha, Qifeng couldn't shake the feeling that his comfortable, boring life was about to become significantly more complicated.
And significantly more dangerous.
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