Land of Earth, Konoha Encampment, inside a hidden underground laboratory.
A half-destroyed corpse lay motionless on the experiment table.
Under normal circumstances, a body as valuable as the Third Raikage's should have been guarded heavily by multiple jonin. Yet somehow, it had ended up here, inside Orochimaru's lab, and the research had already begun without delay.
Everything about it felt abrupt.
The first time Hayashi heard Orochimaru casually talk about it, the tone alone made him think the Third Raikage had somehow come back to life and delivered himself willingly for experimentation.
In reality, the corpse did not hold much strategic value for Konoha anymore.
The living were always more valuable than the dead. A living enemy could be used for negotiation, intelligence, or ransom. A corpse, on the other hand, only fueled resentment.
Worse still, the Third Raikage's brain was sealed with countless complex sealing techniques, layered and intertwined beyond easy comprehension. It was like a completely tangled knot with no clear starting point.
Trying to extract intelligence directly from his brain had failed, just as expected.
Even with the combined efforts of Kushina, Hayashi, and support from the Yamanaka Clan, they were unable to break through the mental seals in a short period of time. Fully dismantling them would require an enormous amount of time and effort, something Konoha simply could not afford.
The war demanded quicker results.
Eventually, the body would have to be returned to the Hidden Cloud Village as part of negotiations.
To squeeze out whatever value remained, Orochimaru shifted his focus toward studying the Raikage's physical body instead.
If he could uncover the secrets behind the Lightning Release Armor, it would be a huge gain for Konoha.
Unfortunately, that technique was not something that could be replicated easily.
Konoha had shinobi who attempted similar methods using Lightning Release, but while early progress showed promise, they all failed to reach the same level as the Raikage.
It became clear that the technique was not just about chakra control. Like many clan secrets in Konoha, it likely required specific conditions or physical traits.
That aside, there was something far more unsettling.
Orochimaru's hoarse laughter echoed repeatedly throughout the lab, especially when directed at the naked corpse on the table.
It was not comforting.
For an entire afternoon, the two of them remained busy, examining every inch of the Third Raikage's body.
Occasionally, the corpse twitched under the stimulation of Lightning Release.
In another section of the laboratory, a Root ninja silently recorded data.
From what Hayashi had observed, aside from their initial arrival in the Land of Earth when that ninja named Otsu appeared briefly, he had since been kept here continuously, working under Orochimaru without rest.
Free labor, essentially.
It reminded Hayashi of graduate students from his previous life, dragged into endless work even before their official schedules began.
Research life was harsh, no matter the world.
"By the way, Sensei, have you figured out who that guy is yet?"
Hayashi asked, glancing toward the other room.
Orochimaru had mentioned several times that the masked Root ninja felt familiar, yet a year had passed with no clear answer.
Orochimaru did not look up as he responded.
"I have a few guesses. I will confirm it soon."
If the man felt familiar, then he had to be someone Orochimaru had known before.
White-haired shinobi were not rare in Konoha. Jiraiya and Sakumo were obvious examples, but both could be ruled out immediately.
There was one possibility from Orochimaru's past, a childhood acquaintance, but that person had died during the Second Great Ninja War.
In truth, Orochimaru was simply entertaining himself.
He could have easily removed the mask by force, but that would lack elegance. More importantly, it would not satisfy him.
He preferred to uncover the answer through his own methods, much like how he once dealt with Jiraiya.
To Hayashi, it all felt unnecessarily complicated.
If that masked ninja turned out to be an old woman, Orochimaru might lose interest entirely and abandon the whole situation.
His thoughts briefly drifted elsewhere.
Kabuto should be born around this time.
In the original timeline, Kabuto was taken in by Nono. But with the changes that had already occurred, Nono had not become the head of an orphanage.
Whether Kabuto would still be found remained uncertain.
It would be a waste if someone like him disappeared unnoticed.
"...Apply Lightning Release to the body."
Orochimaru's voice cut through his thoughts.
Noticing Hayashi's distraction, he immediately assigned more work.
He had little tolerance for idleness during experiments.
With precise control, Hayashi released a surge of Lightning chakra into the corpse.
Orochimaru watched closely, his eyes filled with interest as he continued his examination.
To him, the body was nothing more than a fascinating specimen.
If the Fourth Raikage ever learned of this, Orochimaru would likely become his most hated enemy.
Hayashi's thoughts drifted again.
What if they captured a Hidden Cloud spy and implanted false memories using genjutsu, making them believe Danzo had desecrated the Raikage's corpse?
The idea seemed surprisingly workable.
Orochimaru let out a quiet sigh.
He removed his gloves, stepping away from the table.
The experiment paused.
As usual, he shifted into conversation mode.
According to him, inspiration often came from everyday interactions.
Even casual conversation could spark new ideas.
He once claimed that the Second Hokage developed a space-time technique during an ordinary moment in daily life.
Hayashi never understood how that connection made sense, but he chose not to question it.
"It is almost finished," Hayashi said. "We can likely return to Konoha the day after tomorrow."
Orochimaru nodded.
"You are aware that Homura Mitokado is leading the negotiation team, correct?"
"Yes."
It was expected.
Iwagakure was under pressure, now facing conflict with the Hidden Cloud Village. They needed to secure peace with Konoha quickly.
Their losses had been severe.
Ōnoki required the power of Tailed Beasts to maintain an advantage in battle.
Konoha would inevitably agree to a trade.
The distribution of Tailed Beasts had long been part of the balance established by the First Hokage. It was an unspoken rule that maintained stability among the great villages.
The Third Hokage would not disrupt that balance lightly.
Besides, keeping too many Tailed Beasts brought more risk than benefit. Without proper hosts, they could easily spiral out of control.
Konoha had managed only because of Kushina.
With the Uzumaki Clan gone, there were very few suitable candidates left.
Kana showed exceptional potential in medical ninjutsu, comparable to Tsunade. Turning her into a jinchuriki would be an unnecessary risk.
Selling the Tailed Beasts was the safer option.
The funds could strengthen the village and support the training of more shinobi.
Hayashi had no intention of interfering with that decision.
Keeping the Tailed Beasts would only attract future trouble. They were bound to become targets eventually.
He had already gained enough chakra from recent experiments. Replicating that power in other forms would not be difficult.
Leaving them to their eventual fate made more sense.
Still, that was not his main concern.
Homura Mitokado's actions stood out.
First, he pushed for their recall. Then, he rushed the Tailed Beast negotiations.
His stance was clear.
Another figure strongly opposed to the Uchiha.
Out of the three elders, two harbored clear hostility toward the clan.
One of them had even made their destruction a personal goal.
Hayashi found it difficult to understand.
Had the Uchiha truly done something to deserve such relentless hostility?