Chapter 76: Hiruko
The moment he heard that voice, Hiruko instantly recognized who it belonged to. After all, that voice was unmistakable—one he had once been all too familiar with.
"Orochimaru!"
The white-haired man—Hiruko—shouted in alarm. But his expression quickly settled back into calm.
Accompanied by slow, deliberate footsteps, a tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows.
Orochimaru was not wearing the Akatsuki's signature cloak today. Instead, he was dressed in a loose, pale kimono—simple and flowing.
Due to Yusuke and Sasori's earlier taunts, Orochimaru had also abandoned the traditional shimenawa (sacred rope) sash, further straying from his usual appearance.
He had long wanted to visit Mount Sumeru in search of Hiruko, but Sasori had kept too close an eye on him, preventing him from acting freely. Now, with Sasori dispatched on a mission to hunt Yusuke, the opportunity had finally presented itself.
To Orochimaru, Akatsuki was merely a temporary shelter—he had no intention of letting its members learn of Hiruko's existence.
After all, someone like Hiruko—despite his flaws—was still a rare scientific talent. If used properly, he could become a powerful tool. Orochimaru had no desire to see Akatsuki become too powerful.
"Orochimaru," Hiruko said coldly, "how did you find me? And how did you get past my guards?"
Though Hiruko sounded calm, resentment simmered beneath the surface.
Back in Konoha, Orochimaru had been the undisputed genius of their generation. His brilliance had outshone everyone else, and for Hiruko—whose talents paled in comparison—it had always been a bitter pill to swallow.
Orochimaru took a sweeping glance at the array of experimental equipment scattered around the cavern and replied in an indifferent tone,
"You didn't seriously think those three pathetic underlings of yours could stop me, did you?"
"As for how I found you… well, you've never really been out of my sight."
He paused, his serpentine eyes locking onto Hiruko.
"Your strength may be lacking, but I've long been aware of your ambitions. And truth be told, I find myself in agreement with much of your thinking."
"But people like us—our ideas—can't be understood by the mediocre. That includes that senile fool, the Third Hokage."
Both Orochimaru and Hiruko were researchers at heart—scientists in the world of shinobi. The difference was, Orochimaru possessed a genius that had catapulted him to fame across Konoha and even the entire ninja world.
Hiruko, though intelligent, lacked the physical talent to match. Despite his relentless efforts, he had only ever achieved the strength of a standard jōnin.
Compared to the legendary Sannin, whom he had once trained alongside, Hiruko was always several steps behind. His pride couldn't accept that.
In the end, in a world where talent reigned supreme, Hiruko—unwilling to accept mediocrity—chose to walk the path of forbidden jutsu and human experimentation.
But not everyone is judged equally. When Danzō conducts human experimentation, it's tolerated. When Orochimaru does it, as long as it isn't too excessive, it's reluctantly accepted. But someone like Hiruko—an unknown, a nobody—attempting the same? That was something Konoha's upper echelons could never accept.
So, it didn't take long before his experiments were discovered. The higher-ups raided his lab, dismantled his research, and Hiruko himself barely escaped with his life.
That betrayal left Hiruko filled with hatred—especially toward the Third Hokage, who had once stood at the head of the village he had tried to serve.
When Orochimaru brought up the Third, Hiruko's face twisted with resentment. And so, for the next fifteen minutes, the two renegade ninja—both exiled for their forbidden research—bonded in their shared loathing, heaping scorn on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Fifteen minutes later...
"Enough reminiscing. Orochimaru, you didn't come all this way just for idle chatter, did you?"
Hiruko's tone had softened slightly. Clearly, venting frustrations together had smoothed over some of the tension between them.
"I'm here for the forbidden technique you've been developing—the one that fuses kekkei genkai. You call it... The Chimera Technique, don't you?"
Hiruko sneered.
"You must be joking. I poured my heart and soul into that jutsu, and you think I'll just give it to you?"
Orochimaru smiled, unbothered.
"Relax. I don't want the perfected version—just the prototype will do."
Hiruko's expression darkened. His unease grew—clearly, Orochimaru had been observing him far more closely than he'd realized. Even the progress of his Chimera Technique wasn't a secret to him.
The prototype version of the technique allowed fusion with a single summoned creature or one kekkei genkai, as Hiruko had done with several of his underlings.
What Hiruko was aiming for, however, was far more ambitious—a perfected version capable of fusing the five elemental chakra natures: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. That was his ultimate dream.
In truth, Hiruko was a rare scientific talent in the ninja world. If only his knowledge had been broader—if he had known that combining all seven chakra natures could lead to the creation of Kekkei Mōra—he might've pushed for an even more extreme evolution of the Chimera Technique.
"Even the prototype has its price," Hiruko said coldly.
Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't even consider negotiating.
But Hiruko knew full well that he wasn't a match for Orochimaru right now. If he tried to stonewall him, Orochimaru might simply eliminate him, and then his so-called 'masterpiece' would never be completed.
Orochimaru considered for a moment, then said with a sly smile,
"Your technique needs test subjects with kekkei genkai, doesn't it?"
"In exchange, if you ever encounter a target you find difficult to capture, I'll lend you my strength—just once. I'll deliver them to you alive."
Hiruko weighed his options and eventually nodded in reluctant agreement. It was better to compromise than to provoke Orochimaru and die before his work reached fruition.
"One day," Hiruko swore silently, "I'll reclaim my dignity and settle this humiliation."
He retrieved a scroll from a nearby shelf and tossed it to Orochimaru.
"But tell me this—what use do you have for a technique that only allows fusion with a single kekkei genkai? With your strength, I doubt it would benefit you at all."
Orochimaru licked his lips, eyes glinting.
"Just a little... experiment I've been considering."
Ever since witnessing the devastating power of Yusuke's Fire Release, Orochimaru had experienced a sudden moment of clarity.
Many kekkei genkai may seem unimpressive at first glance, but if pushed to their limits, they could unleash extraordinary power.
Take Yusuke, for example—his mastery over fire far exceeded that of any other fire-style user. To Orochimaru, who was unaware of Ryūjin Jakka's existence, it appeared as though Yusuke had simply elevated Fire Release to an entirely new realm through sheer development.
Having taken over a body with an Ice Release kekkei genkai through Living Corpse Reincarnation, Orochimaru had begun to realize the enormous potential of that element as well—if properly refined.
That's when he thought of Hiruko's Chimera Technique.
In Orochimaru's vision, he would modify and enhance the prototype so it could allow him to repeatedly fuse with other users of Ice Release, compounding and evolving the ability to new heights.
In essence, where Hiruko had chosen breadth, Orochimaru would pursue depth—mastery through singular specialization.