Information. A ninja's most significant purpose. They learn skills from the time they enroll in the academy to become a specialist in collecting it. It is the highest responsibility of an elite ninja to gather valuable information in any type of situation. This fact's going to be more than evident for the ninja world in the coming events.
The Chunin exams were right around the corner and every village was eager to send their best Genin up to the challenge but three villages were locked in a three-way tie for information that would change the course of the world. The Hidden Leaf, Sand and Sound. The deadlock was being made by a nobleman, a dangerous and infamous shinobi, and an underground Ninja.
"Orochimaru, there is nothing more than the weakening of the Hidden Leaf, but if you do not carry out your end of the deal then I guarantee your swift demise." A confident voice softly spoke.
The snake man grinned softly before nodding.
"Of course Sento Maru.I would never go back on my word. Especially to a man who is making my agenda so much easier." Orochimaru slithered out as he stared blindly at the man across the table.
They were sitting in an underground den room. The only objects in the room were a flickering light that blinked every five seconds, a table that separated the two men, and two chairs that the men sat in.
The man known as Sento Maru was a short pot bellied man dressed in elegant robes and sandals. He was a bald man with a tattoo on his right arm that would appear when he would raise his hand.
Sento Maru kept a sly smile only outmatched by Orochimaru and eyes that were always seemingly closed.
"Please don't be mistaken. There are ways I can help you and ways that I cannot. The elders of the village will not be fooled for long before they notice that the Kazekage is acting strangely. I cannot keep them at bay for long."
"Do not worry. This farce only needs to be kept for only a little longer. Then my goal shall be complete."
"I am aware that you are a capable ninja but there is something else that has my attention. Your infiltration into the Leaf. They will not be as ignorant as to allow you to sneak in. I have pondered upon this for days and then it clicked. There is someone. Someone in the Leaf Village who is conspiring with you." Sento Maru stated.
Orochimaru's sly grin grew even larger.
'Just as I suspected. He has thought this through for quite a while.' Orochimaru thought before speaking.
"You are the perceptive noble aren't you. I'd expect nothing less from the richest man in Sunagakure." Orochimaru complimented.
"You're compliments please me but I need to know. What are they asking in return for helping you?" Sento Maru inquired.
"They are not ones in which to be toyed with. Though their individual strength is not of my level their organization is large."
"Who is it?"
"Retsu Hakimura, the Third-In-Command of the Organization known as the Root." Said the snake. The ears of the noble perked as he heard the statement.
"I see I have piqued your interest. Will you hear his offer?"
'Root… before now I thought that it was just a rumor. A secret organization headed by a mysterious, unknown figure. I've been under the impression that there was no organization as there was no intel about it from any of my Konoha spies. I will have to look into it.' Thought the noble.
"What is it?" Sento Maru asked. Orochimaru's eyes lowered in thought.
'So he didn't know they existed. At least he hadn't confirmed it. Good.' Orochimaru thought.
"The man known as Retsu is only asking for one thing…" Orochimaru paused
"A child, no older than the age of 10 from the Natsume clan."
The eyes of the pot bellied man slightly opened from the surprise he felt when he heard the request.
'That is something that I would've never thought would come from the Hidden Leaf. That clan is one native to the Sand Village. Not only are they native but they are also almost extinct. There are only three left. They are highly valued in the Village as heroes. If I were to give them away my deeds wouldn't be overlooked. If I am to do this it will take time and planning, which I don't have. The Chunin Exams are in three exactly one months.' The noble thought.
A few more seconds of thought passed by before a voice spoke.
"That will be unacceptable. The Natsume clan is not only a clan that has been dwindled down to only three members but there are also no children under the age of 10. Also, there is no time for me to make this exchange without taking notice of the village." Sento Maru said. Orochimaru's smile grew from just a devious smile to a full blown malicious grin.
In less time it takes to blink the room walls and floor had cracked and the light that was flickering had ceased from being lit. The pressure was coming from none other than Orochimaru's. The noble man's eyes slightly opened and the smile had dropped.
"I'm sorry but a grievous miscalculation on your part has made these negotiations differ from what they really are." The snake's neck elongated until he wrapped himself lightly around the Sunagakure nobleman.
"Do not think that these are terms that you have a choice to accept. There is nothing stopping you from dying other than my amusement of planning this. You will accept his terms." Orochimaru said slyly as he jumped and reached his tongue out to lick the man's face. Before he could reach Sento Maru's face the smile grew back on the man's face.
"That would not do at all. You cannot afford to have me killed here." Sento Maru said coolly. Orochimaru stopped, intrigued by what he was hearing.
"Go on."
"I have given specific orders to ninja under my influence in my village to expose the body of the now deceased Kazekage to the elders." Sento Maru stated. Orohcimaru's smile wavered slightly.
His entire plan hinged on the entire Hidden Sand Village keeping the entire Leaf Village busy to enact his plan of killing the Hokage. While calculating another scheme to fix this issue Sento Maru continued to explain.
"I also have spies implanted into the Hidden Leaf. If they have not received word of my safe return they will also expose your plans of invasion. This will not only put the entire village on high alert but it will also put the Hokage on guard for attack. It would be nigh impossible for someone, even of your caliber, to attack, let alone kill the Hokage or attack anyone." Sento Maru said, regaining his sound confidence that naturally radiated within his words.
'How did he find out about my plans to attack the Hokage directly. I never mentioned it to anyone other than the Sound Four and Kabuto. I also have jutsu in place to ensure that if they were to speak of it they would die. The only way he could've figured that is by figuring it out himself. This man is smart indeed. It is no mystery how he gained his high rank and authority in his village.' Orochimaru thought. With this being put into the air Orochimaru's sly grin grew back and he unwrapped himself from around the man. The light of the room turned back on and lit the room to see pebbles scattered on the table and floor.
'I have no shortage of fun toys to play with now.' The snake man thought as he opened his mouth to speak.
"That was very clever of you. I never could've thought that you would come to that conclusion so soon. If I may ask, how did you know?" Orochimaru asked. Sento Maru simply scoffed.
"I will explain it all, as soon as we have finished our business. Now, how will you satisfy the man known as Retsu?" Sento asked, his words coming out with a haughty arrogance.
"Simple, I will fulfill his request. I will give him a Natsume child. I will use the guise of the Kazekage to give them a child. It will be the youngest child." Orochimaru said, making Sento nod.
"That is acceptable. How will you accomplish this?"
"Don't you worry about that. I will handle it."
With that, this unsanctioned meeting came to an end. Sento pushed his chair back and stood while looking down at Orochimaru.
"I thank you for being so understanding. With this everyone's wants are on the table. After the attack on the village I will expect all of my terms to be met…" Sento Maru said as he pushed his chair in.
"And now that we're even, I would hope that you trust me enough not to have your subordinates stand behind me for the endurance of our meeting next time." As soon as Sento said this two unnamed ninja appeared out of nowhere in the two corners behind the nobleman.
'This man is full of surprises.' Orochimaru thought before standing up as well.
"You have my praise. I would never have thought a nobleman able to sense two of my strongest warriors trying to hide their presence." Orochimaru said as Sento began to walk out of the room. Before he could completely step out Orochimaru spoke once more.
"Before you leave, I have to know, how did you see through my plan to attack the Hokage?"
There was a silence in the room as Sento stopped before the door and turned.
"It's simple. Tensions with Iwagakure have calmed in recent times so it would've been inefficient to use our village to attack them. For what reason would you have to go after them? But, the Village you hail from is hosting one of the largest events in the Ninja world only weeks after I discovered the Kazekage's body? It couldn't have been more obvious. The thing I can't understand is why empower the Leaf by giving Retsu the child?" Sento questioned. Orochimaru turned to the man and with the most disgusting smile the nobleman had ever seen.
"There is no strength to be added to if there is no village." Orochimaru said, his voice echoing through the entire room. The nobleman dropped sweat from his head before turning and continued to walk away.
"I can show myself out." Sento said before disappearing into the hallway.
Orochimaru let out a small laugh that grew into something loud and sinister. The two ninja who had been left in the room looked on, unfazed by what had happened or the laugh that was bellowing out through the entire lookout.
Orochimaru was finally able to calm his laugh and took his seat at the table once again.
"Master, what should we do about the man?" said the ninja on the left.
"Yes, I feel that once he has returned to the village and we have confirmation that the spies have been called off that the man is too dangerous to your plans." the ninja on the right chimed. Orochimaru, amused by the events, looked at his two ninja.
"Jirobo, Kidomaru. Do not worry. I have plans for that man as well." Orochimaru said with arrogance in his voice as he started clicking his hands on the table.
"The things I want done now are the youngest Natsume child to be under surveillance and Kusai and Randai summoned to me. I have a job for them." Orochimaru ordered. Without another word two of the Sound Four jumped away.
"This is going to be fun."
Outside of Otogakure Hideout
The front doors opened to the wilderness. Sento stepped out into the forest and within the first step three ninja jumped into vision swiftly. All three were wearing Anbu masks, kneeled in front of the nobleman. Sento looked down on them with his usual smile.
"Mister Sento Maru, we have waited patiently for your return. We were going to send word to the spies soon." The first ninja said.
"Thank you for your concern. I am ready to be escorted home now. This trip is one I want to bathe out of myself as soon as possible." Sento said. With that the ninja all stood and began walking, one in front and two behind the elegant man. They began to walk forward in formation, watching and listening for even the tiniest of movements.
'That Orochimaru is a real issue. Seeing as how he showed his true colors at the end of the discussion he doesn't plan to honor his deal with this Retsu figure. If that's the case then I can assume there is nothing coming to me either. I have to think of a way to deal with Orochimaru, while also achieving my goal… immortality.' Sento thought as he walked through the bushes on his way back to the Village Hidden in the Sand.