Chapter 045: Mutual Benefits

Early in the morning.

Asahi had just finished his training, returned to the camp, and received a new mission. 

Escorting the wounded back to Konoha. 

Not many wounded people were transported this time, there were only around fifty people, and Shinohara was among them. Orochimaru had assigned two chunin teams to act as escorts, including Asahi as captain.

This mission was told to him by Orochimaru last night. Asahi was sent back to Konoha on the grounds that one of his teammates was one killed and the other one was seriously injured. 

The first reason for giving this mission was Orochimaru didn't want Asahi to die on the battlefield, and thus lose a good assistant. The second reason being that Orochimaru had given Asahi a secret mission previously and it was time to give him some benefits. 

Orochimaru and Tsunade went to Ninja Academy at the same time, and worshiped the Third Hokage as their master, performed missions together, and later became famous across the shinobi world during the Second Great Ninja War. So Orochimaru knew how powerful Tsunade, a woman who just like him was also one of the legendary Sannin, was.

And Orochimaru has been eyeing a secret jutsu of the Senju clan. 

So Orochimaru hoped Asahi could continue to have a good relationship with Tsunade, so that he could have a chance to come in contact with that secret jutsu of the Senju clan. 

This was exactly what Asahi wanted, now that the conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure was flourishing. Maybe there would be a big frontal battle in the near future. It's just too common for a chunin like Asahi to die in such a war. 

Orochimaru also promised him, if there is an opportunity, he would contact Tsunade and find a way to make her take him as a discipline. 

Orochimaru's promise could be counted in this short period of time as the best news he had heard. It was needless to say about the relationship and bond between Orochimaru and Tsunade. If he's willing to help Asahi, with Orochimaru's means, maybe this could really be achieved. 

Moreover, in the camp, frequent contact with Orochimaru also caused Asahi's nerves to be tense at all times, fearing that his own way of acting would arise Orochimaru's suspicion, causing him and Orochimaru to have complete loss of trust between each other. 

On the way back to Konoha, he could peacefully think about how to act to get along with Orochimaru in the future.

In his previous-life, although he had watched Naruto, he never studied Orochimaru as a character in depth. But from the point of Orochimaru's training of Sasuke, he should be someone who has have absolute confidence in himself. He was not afraid at all, and never even thought of the possibility that Sasuke would surpass him one day.

Orochimaru was referred by the Third Hokage for decades as a rarely seen genius. He became famous in the Second Great Ninja War at a young age, and led the Konoha ninjas as a commander in the Third Great Ninja War against one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Admired by the villagers and ninjas of Konoha, he's the person who has the highest chance in the matter of succession to become Fourth Hokage.

At this time, Orochimaru should be proud of his success with an absolute confidence in himself. 

So Orochimaru should not worry that he, Asahi might one day surpass him. 

Judging from the original anime, Orochimaru was very good at employing people. Whether it was taking them subordinates or just merely using each other, the only thing that Orochimaru suffered was on his cooperation with Danzo. 

But maybe this was not a loss in the eyes of Orochimaru. 

Though he lost the position of Fourth Hokage, but he was able to keep studying the technique of immortality. Maybe Konoha by that time was not even something that Orochimaru was holding any temptation for.

And from Orochimaru defection process, Asahi was also very doubtful whether Orochimaru was planning to defect Konoha at that point already, and it just happened through the research of the human body, which made the Third Hokage completely give up on him.

But thinking of this, Asahi suddenly had a thought, 'Has Orochimaru of this period of time already started to cooperate with Danzo to study the First Hokage cells?' 

Judging from Yamato's age, this seemed very likely. Even if the research has not started yet, it's estimated that it would happen in recent years. 

That's why Orochimaru wanted to use the delicate relationship between Asahi and Tsunade to let him approach her and steal Wood Style jutsus from the Senju clan. 

If that's the case, then after returning to the village, everything must be done carefully. 

The Third Hokage, that old fox, he must have known about the collaboration between Orochimaru and Danzo, and also knew that they were studying the First Hokage cells. 

However, the Third Hokage, as the village's leader, must appear to be on the good side, so he only needed to wait for Orochimaru to work out his research and accept the results. As for what methods were used, that was not something that he should worry about, after all, all the blame could be carried by Orochimaru and Danzo. 

What he wanted to know now was about whether his decision to follow Orochimaru was known to Third Hokage and Danzo. 

But thinking of the secret mission that Orochimaru entrusted to himself, he felt a little relieved. 

If Orochimaru really wanted him to steal the secret jutsus of the Senju clan, he would not let those other two, the Third Hokage and Danzo, know, because Orochimaru would absolutely want to research those jutsu exclusively and would never share it with others. 

The premise of all of this, is that he would not betray Orochimaru. 

In the following period of time, he would of course continue to follow Orochimaru, because he also wanted Orochimaru's results on the First Hokage cells, he's determined to get them. 

Senju and Uchiha were the descendants of the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths. The power contained in these two clans' bloodlines was in a different class compared to all other Kekkei Genkai in the shinobi world.

If he could thoroughly study the power of these two clans, maybe he could get a power close to the Sage of Six Paths. 

This point had been expressed in the anime before. 

And he happens to know about this. 

'So where am I in Orochimaru's mind?' Asahi mused. 

He had the ambition to pursue power, and Orochimaru must have seen that long ago. 

But unlike Sasuke, whose pursuit of strength was to get revenge on his big brother, Asahi's purpose to get stronger was his own personal pursuit of strength. Orochimaru should still be vigilant of him. 

'Ambitious people are often not easy to control. Orochimaru should only use me when strictly necessary.' Asahi thought to himself, 'But with Orochimaru's confidence, he shouldn't be afraid of me doing anything.' 

After roughly analyzing the relationship between himself and Orochimaru, he again relaxed in his tense heart. 

As long as Asahi doesn't do anything detrimental to Orochimaru in the future, completes the mission that Orochimaru entrusts him with, and continues to show his exploit value, Orochimaru should not make any move against him.

Mixing with poisonous snakes like Orochimaru, although there's always a risk of being eaten, if he handled it carefully, he could also get what he wants. 

'Mutual benefit.'

Although these two words sound very lackluster, as long as no greater interest appears, their alliance would be very reliable.

*****

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