"I just had a crazy idea!" Amemiya Kenichi said, a strange smile creeping onto his face as he watched the trembling female ninja.
He knew a bit about Immortality Reincarnation—transferring a soul into another person's body and taking over. The soul changes, but the body stays the same.
But what if he could unravel the mysteries of the soul and then passively alter it through the body? What kind of teacher would that create?
Weird words flashed through Amemiya Kenichi's mind.
It was just a thought, though. Souls were too mysterious, and he hadn't studied them much. Plus, if his teacher found out, things could get really messy.
He didn't want to end up being turned into a girl himself—that would be hilarious.
After the experiment, the remaining three ninjas were taken away. Amemiya Kenichi didn't ask where they were going; he just followed his teacher out.
"You seem to have gotten quite close to Kakashi lately," Orochimaru remarked calmly, glancing at his disciple behind him.
"Yeah, I've mastered the Chidori Kakashi developed," Amemiya Kenichi replied bluntly. He was keenly interested in Kakashi's ninjutsu, but even more so in his Sharingan.
He had already made his plans: the day of the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising would be when he took Kakashi's eyes.
Taking Kakashi's eyes would be easy enough, but dealing with the fallout afterward was the real problem. With the Fourth Hokage dead and the Third Hokage back in power, Kakashi's missing eyes would undoubtedly become a matter of concern.
Unless he could subdue Kakashi instantly and knock him unconscious, he would inevitably be seen.
Moreover, on the night of the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising, a young genius ninja like Kakashi—a future asset for Konoha—would likely be under protection.
He needed to devise a plan quickly.
Thinking this, Amemiya Kenichi glanced at his teacher. Orochimaru's strength was formidable; dealing with Kakashi would be no problem for him.
However, considering the trouble exposing this to his teacher might cause, Amemiya Kenichi abandoned the idea. Besides, what Orochimaru himself would do on the night of the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising remained an unknown.
"The Hatake Clan is quite strong, but while the Sharingan is powerful, it's ultimately an external force. They'd be better off focusing on their family's swordsmanship," Orochimaru remarked, unimpressed by Kakashi.
While the Sharingan undeniably enhances combat prowess, it's not one's own power. Orochimaru could clearly see how much of Kakashi's chakra was being drained to maintain the eye.
How could he possibly grow stronger like this?
"Kakashi values his friendship with Obito deeply," Amemiya Kenichi said with a shrug. He'd tried to dissuade Kakashi before, but Kakashi wouldn't listen, leaving him helpless.
"Friendship," Orochimaru scoffed. The word reminded him of his former teammates, Tsunade and Jiraiya, the renowned Three Great Sages. But their relationship...
Meanwhile, Amemiya Kenichi pondered Kakashi's situation. He'd considered taking Kakashi's Sharingan before the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising, but without the chaos of the uprising, the village wouldn't descend into turmoil, making it unsuitable for his plans.
The Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising remained the perfect opportunity.
By then, the village's top fighters would be drawn away, and given his close relationship with Kakashi, approaching him wouldn't be difficult.
It might even be possible to ambush Kakashi while he's off guard. After all, even someone as strong as Uchiha Madara fell victim to Black Zetsu's sneak attack.
When Amemiya Kenichi first saw that scene, many online commentators claimed it was a contrived plot device—the author simply couldn't figure out how to make Madara lose.
Of course, the simplest solution would be to get his teacher to defect on the night of the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising and leave the village. That way, even if the Third Hokage tried to investigate, he'd be too late.
Thinking it over, Amemiya Kenichi decided it wasn't a bad idea. He added it to his list of backup plans.
"Teacher, do you need me to deliver tobacco to Lord Third today?" Amemiya Kenichi asked with a sly smile.
"Yes, definitely. He gets restless if he doesn't smoke," Orochimaru replied with a rare smile. These days, his greatest pleasure came from watching his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, smoke.
Every time Orochimaru saw Sarutobi Hiruzen smoking, his mood brightened considerably. His delight grew even greater when he noticed Danzo and the Konoha Elder Council nearby, passively inhaling the secondhand smoke.
Though Hiruzen was constantly wary of him, his lack of information had ultimately cost him. Orochimaru had quietly left a little something in his teacher's lungs, as well as in the lungs of several elders—early-stage lung cancer.
This was the result of his recent efforts. Pushing further would risk detection, but it gave Orochimaru a perverse sense of satisfaction, like playing a game.
So, the tobacco gift was definitely going to be delivered.
Orochimaru, carrying the tobacco and accompanied by Amemiya Kenichi, arrived at the Sarutobi Clan's compound.
"What do you think of this place?" Orochimaru asked, arms crossed as he surveyed the compound.
"Behind the Sarutobi Clan's gates, wine and meat rot while the roads are littered with the bones of the Senju," Kenichi replied.
He recalled the past, when Konoha had been founded by Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, a testament to their combined achievements. But where was the Senju Clan now?
The Senju Clan had been dismantled, the Uchiha Clan pushed to the outskirts of the village, while the Sarutobi Clan, leveraging the Third Hokage's power, occupied prime positions and enjoyed outrageous privileges.
"Hmm," Orochimaru murmured, leading Amemiya Kenichi inside. He felt the same way.
His teacher had fallen from grace. He paid lip service to the village, but his heart belonged to his own Sarutobi Clan. The so-called Will of Fire was nothing but a deceptive charade.
It was like shouting slogans to brainwash others into sacrificing everything for the village's greater good. But did they truly deliver on their promises?
Just look at the Fourth Hokage. Though he held the title, he was more like a puppet—albeit one controlled by a puppeteer with a shred of decency, who avoided being too blatant.
"Orochimaru," Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged. He glanced at Orochimaru, then his gaze swept over Amemiya Kenichi before returning to Orochimaru.
"Teacher, it's been too long. I've missed you terribly," Orochimaru said with a genuine smile.