Saruto Hyuga: The Last Generation

10.) Following Destiny

"My grandfather deserted the village?" Saruto was astounded by his grandfather's story. Orochimaru left out Sasuke Uchiha's childhood but started the story when he deserted the village to train with one of the most notorious villains back then, Orochimaru themself. Orochimaru ended the story where Sasuke died. Although physically broken, he happy as he had died with his lifelong friend, the seventh hokage, and his daughter, the ninth hokage, at his side.

"He was my greatest experiment." Orochimaru says. "When I killed the third Hokage, your grandfather asked me a question. He asked me why I attacked the village and if I would do it again. It was the last night of the fourth great ninja war where I reanimated the four dead hokages. He had asked me questions I didn't have answers to but the all-knowings did. Your grandfather only regretted leaving the village for a moment but he knew if he hadn't, he wouldn't have learned anything. He was charged for his crimes but later continued life known as the 'hokage outside the village.'" Orochimaru pulls out a picture from the drawer of the table he was sitting behind. It was starting to yellow and a corner was torn.

"Is this--?" Saruto picks up the picture.

"The team leader, the sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake. This blonde one is your dad's father, seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki who is also the orphan son of the fourth Hokage. The girl is your grandmother, Sakura Haruno, who raised your mother on her own for a little over ten years and passed her abilities down to. This is the original legendary team seven. Keep that picture." Orochimaru pulls out another picture from the drawer. This was more recent but had its own age.

"Mother? Father?" Saruto runs his fingers through the picture and a tear seeps from his eye.

"That's right. The eighth hokage was the teacher of their group. Your group teacher is Mitsuki, my artificially made son.  He's this one here." They point to a younger version of Mitsuki, "They were the chunin level to the genin, legends of their time."

"I'm desperate. I need to find my parents and talk to my relatives because my grandfather's story isn't enough information about me and my parents."

"In all good times, young boy." Orochimaru pulls out a scroll from the same shelf they stored the scroll of seals. "Here's this week's jutsu. You learn fast but this might take a bit of difficulty."

After Saruto's six month trip to the Ryuchi cave, he came back to Orochimaru. As the old sannin wouldn't even let him look at the forbidden scroll, Saruto was given a task through smaller scrolls and each week, he would accomplish the task or jutsu and come back to his home base to get another. The sannin claimed it was smaller chakra-building activites that'll help him reanimate even though it's clearly only Orochimaru who can reanimate anyone at this point in the war.

 Saruto opened the scroll and its contents made his eyes widen.

"This is impossible!"

"Not to you, boy. You're powerful and this will prove your worth."

"You want me dead!" Saruto accuses Orochimaru who only smiled at this remark.

"The location is on the bottom of the scroll. Come back alive." At that, Orochimaru pushes the boy out of his laboratory.