Yakushi Kabuto remained silent for a long moment before his gaze drifted to Orochimaru's bandaged right arm. When he spoke, his voice carried a thoughtful quality.
"I've heard that the Valley of the End—where the God of Shinobi Senju Hashirama and the Uchiha clan's Shura, Madara, fought their final battle—remains perpetually verdant, its trees forever green."
Orochimaru immediately grasped Kabuto's implication. "Indeed. There's an area near the Valley of the End where a lush forest thrives eternally. No matter how the seasons change or how many years pass, it remains unchanged."
"Hehehe..." A dark chuckle escaped him. "So you're suggesting another Shinobi God has been born?"
Though Orochimaru had studied Hashirama's cells for years, he'd never witnessed the First Hokage fight in person. Yet through countless experiments and observations, he'd glimpsed the true grace of the God of Shinobi.
Even decades after death, Hashirama's cells retained terrifying vitality and corrosive power—a testament to his incredible strength.
Orochimaru crushed the herb in his hand, his serpentine eyes flickering with concern. "I'm not worried about Naraku becoming another Senju Hashirama."
His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "What I fear is him becoming the next Sage of Six Paths."
"After all... the moon still hangs in our sky."
"The moon?" Yakushi Kabuto's confusion lasted only a moment before understanding dawned.
According to ancient myths and legends, the moon itself was created by the Sage of Six Paths—hung in the heavens by his divine power.
The eternal Flame Mountain.
The perpetually verdant forest.
The ancient moon suspended in the sky since time immemorial.
While all three represented miracles beyond mortal comprehension, their implications differed drastically.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto frowned, "the Sage of Six Paths exists only in myths and legends. The moon has hung in the sky for thousands of years."
He adjusted his glasses nervously. "Perhaps the legends contain truth—that the Sage was indeed the progenitor of all ninja. But stories change through retelling. The moon's creation might simply be—"
"Oh?"
A tiny white snake coiled around Orochimaru's fingers. With a sharp "crack," he crushed it without hesitation.
"Perhaps one day, everything from those myths will manifest in reality."
Orochimaru had seen Pain's Rinnegan with his own eyes—those legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. His desire to possess them had been a primary motivation for joining the Akatsuki organization.
Of course, that plan had failed spectacularly.
During his time with Akatsuki, however, Orochimaru had collected extensive mythology and legends regarding the Sage of Six Paths. The subject had become something of an obsession.
If the mythical Rinnegan could appear in the modern world, what else from those ancient tales might prove real?
Orochimaru knew that Cloud Village possessed several of the legendary Six Paths ninja tools—artifacts of strange abilities and immense power.
The thought sparked sudden excitement. Perhaps while Cloud Village remained in chaos from their defeat, he could steal those legendary tools...
But then he remembered Naraku's presence in Lightning Country. The excitement died instantly.
No. If he encountered Naraku again, it would mean certain doom.
He had no desire to experience that soul-rending agony again, nor to be reduced to ashes by those terrible flames.
Recalling his time as Shihouin Naraku's teacher, Orochimaru's lips curved into an unexpectedly genuine smile.
"Those who would become gods must first create miracles," he mused.
"He walks the path toward divinity. How... fascinating to witness."
Yakushi Kabuto hesitated to interrupt his master's reverie but felt compelled to raise a crucial point. "Lord Naraku certainly won't return to Konoha immediately. Shouldn't we seize this opportunity to acquire Uchiha Sasuke?"
"Konoha's defenses are weakened with their forces divided. More importantly, Lord Naraku is absent."
"BANG!"
Orochimaru's palm slammed against the table as he shot to his feet.
He'd been so consumed with the Living Corpse Reincarnation and his soul experiments that he'd nearly forgotten about Uchiha Sasuke—his perfect vessel.
Indeed, even though he couldn't perform another body transfer for three years, securing Sasuke now was crucial. Once Shihouin Naraku returned to the village, any attempt to lure away the last Uchiha would become impossible.
If Naraku decided to target him again... the consequences didn't bear thinking about.
"We leave immediately! Return to the Fire Country base first, then execute the plan to retrieve Sasuke!"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
The two departed without delay, racing back toward Fire Country. They had to secure Sasuke before Naraku's return.
The psychological scars Shihouin Naraku had inflicted ran deep. Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, now actively avoided any possibility of encountering his former student.
At the Lightning Country Border - Konoha Camp
The negotiators from both villages had assembled, and peace talks were officially underway.
Konoha stood as the undisputed victor. Cloud Village had no choice but to acknowledge their defeat.
However, finalizing the actual peace treaty would require considerable time and discussion.
Cloud Village's losses had been catastrophic: 376 dead and 695 wounded. Among the casualties, the deaths of the Fourth Raikage Ai, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito Nii, Darui, and other elite ninja represented irreplaceable losses.
These weren't merely soldiers—they were Cloud Village's finest warriors, the backbone maintaining the village's stability and power. Such talent couldn't be cultivated through resources alone.
Every major village faced this same limitation: true elite ninja remained frustratingly rare.
These individuals served not only as military assets but as crucial links in passing knowledge and techniques to future generations. Cloud Village had permanently lost many of their most important ninja.
Konoha's casualties told a starkly different story: merely 23 killed and 77 wounded or disabled. Not a single elite jonin had fallen.
The primary reason, naturally, was Shihouin Naraku's presence. He'd provided unwavering support throughout the conflict, handling any crisis with overwhelming force.
Additionally, Konoha's medical ninja had proven invaluable during the war. Their healing techniques saved those who would have died on other battlefields and accelerated recovery for the wounded, dramatically reducing Konoha's casualty rate.
These two factors combined to maintain consistently high morale among Konoha's forces. They fought with confidence and determination, ultimately crushing Cloud Village's resistance.
In summary: Cloud Village had initiated this war, and Konoha had emerged victorious.
Shihouin Naraku took no part in the tedious treaty negotiations—such matters fell to Mitokado Homura's expertise.
Though both sides currently argued fiercely over seemingly minor points, the general framework had already taken shape.
As victors, Konoha naturally demanded substantial compensation. After all, Cloud Village had started this conflict. Having lost, they must pay reparations that would satisfy Konoha's demands.
The current disputes centered on specific amounts, with both sides engaging in the time-honored dance of demands and counter-offers.
One thing remained certain: Konoha would not seek to completely devastate Cloud Village economically.
The relationships between the Five Great Ninja Villages existed in delicate balance—cooperation and conflict intertwined in complex patterns.
Should Cloud Village truly collapse, it might not benefit Konoha at all. Iwagakure and Kirigakure would certainly seize any opportunity to expand their influence.
While Konoha's relationship with Cloud remained strained, their conflicts with Mist and Stone ran far deeper.
Even if only to maintain a buffer against Kirigakure and Iwagakure, Konoha couldn't allow Cloud Village to suffer complete destruction.
This strategic reality shaped every aspect of the negotiations.
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