"Interesting…"
Tsunade fell into deep thought, the breeze teasing the ends of her golden hair. After a long pause, she scoffed in disdain:
"You can rest assured—you won't see anything 'interesting' from me."
"Heh…" Orochimaru shook his head and chuckled. "One shouldn't be too absolute in actions, nor too absolute in words."
With that, he turned to leave.
Tsunade shouted angrily:
"Are you really that cold and heartless?"
Orochimaru paused in his steps. Of course, he understood she was referring to his attitude toward Jiraiya and Konoha.
He looked back and said calmly:
"I've felt sorrow too. Long ago—when I realized the three of us, and our teacher Sarutobi, were no longer walking the same path—it hurt."
Sadness flickered in Tsunade's eyes.
That much was true. Even Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi had begun to diverge in ideals.
Orochimaru's face remained expressionless as he continued:
"The main theme of the ninja world has always been war, pain, and hatred. And it all stems from the greed in ninjas' hearts when they fight for resources.
I don't think the world should be like this.
Even if I don't know what the right path is, I can be sure—it has already gone wrong.
Though we are not the same kind of people—
Whether it's my pursuit of immortality, Jiraiya's pursuit of prophecy, or your pursuit of freedom—
They all reflect our inner desires.
We all wish the shinobi world could change—to become something closer to what we want it to be."
As she listened to Orochimaru's long speech, Tsunade felt a strange sense of déjà vu—like she was back in her genin days, hearing a young Orochimaru lecturing in that rigid tone.
Back then, Orochimaru used to ramble like this too. Over time, he became silent, smiling at everyone—then slowly disappeared from their lives.
Tsunade grew impatient. "So, what's your point?"
"Heh… My point is, since none of us can change the ninja world ourselves, why not place our hopes on someone who can?"
As Orochimaru spoke, his golden snake-like eyes shifted toward Yu's upright figure ahead.
"But he still killed Jiraiya!"
"You must understand—death was the best ending for Jiraiya. Only in death does a person remain unchanged." Orochimaru shook his head in resignation, then turned and walked away.
Leaving Tsunade alone in contemplation.
The massive summoned serpent slithered across the land, over mountains and plains.
Fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Up ahead was the open terrain of the Land of Rice Fields.
"..."
Yu noticed Orochimaru returning from the rear and had already heard the conversation between him and the others.
Ever since Tsunade's hemophobia acted up, Yu had lifted the control of Yasakani from her.
Tsunade could jump off the serpent at any time with Shizune and escape—
But neither of them made a move. Like a boat lost in the misty depths of the ocean, they had no idea which way to go.
"Yu-kun, come take a look at my base. I have a small gift for you," Orochimaru said sincerely.
Yu glanced at Karin and her mother huddled together at his side and gave a slight nod.
He could take them along while he was at it.
As for the so-called gift—
He didn't really care. But since Orochimaru had invited him multiple times, if it could help trigger a few more quests, then why not?
Seeing Yu agree, a smile appeared on Orochimaru's face. He added,
"Don't worry—this gift is much more reliable than Ōnoki's. You'll like it."
"…Alright," Yu replied with a small nod.
Nearby, Mei Terumi overheard the conversation between Yu and Orochimaru. She looked down at her empty hands and frowned.
Even Ōnoki had prepared a gift for Yu.
Yet here she was, the one asking Yu for a favor, and she'd only offered vague promises—not even trustworthy ones.
She glanced at Ao beside her. Her sharp eyes unintentionally swept past his right eye.
"Hm?"
Sensing the gaze, Ao raised an eyebrow and subtly turned his Byakugan to where Mei couldn't see it.
No way. That eye was his treasure!
There was no way he'd give it up.
Mei looked away and glanced at the other Uchiha, racking her brain over a topic she normally never had to think about—gift-giving.
Rumble—
The giant serpent slithered off the plain and into a forest teeming with dense, eerie trees.
The scenery shifted.
The Uchiha looked around and noticed they had arrived in what appeared to be a massive, forested combat training ground.
A few hundred meters away, there were some scattered wooden houses that looked extremely old.
In a patch of camouflaged grass on the ground, a square stone-brick opening led to an underground stairway.
"We're here. This is the Hidden Sound Village!"
Orochimaru spoke as he jumped off the serpent, landing lightly.
Kabuto glanced at Yu and Nonō, and after receiving their approval, followed behind Orochimaru along with Kimimaro.
Shadows flickered.
The others landed one by one.
Dead leaves scattered in the wind.
Boom—
A loud sound rang out as Orochimaru sent the giant serpent back via reverse summoning.
The giant snake turned into smoke and vanished, rustling the leaves again.
"…" Uchiha Izumi blinked her beautiful eyes as she looked around the shadowy, gloomy forest, subconsciously edging closer to Yu.
The other Uchiha began inspecting their surroundings too.
Since their captain Yu had said they would build a new shinobi village, they naturally had a duty to help him choose a suitable location.
The Uchiha hadn't yet finalized what kind of terrain their territory should be, but they could always take inspiration from other shinobi organizations.
"Click, click…"
Tamao glanced around the area, shaking his head repeatedly.
Minami noticed something was off with Tamao but had gotten smarter this time—he didn't try to strike up a conversation and make things awkward for himself.
Orochimaru, however, seemed to appreciate Tamao. While leading the way, he glanced back and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
"Underground living isn't suitable," Tamao replied bluntly.
"Oh?" Orochimaru looked intrigued.
"It's too damp!" Tamao said, shaking his head.
"And what's the issue with that?" Orochimaru asked.
"My big brother doesn't like overly damp places. Living in such conditions can cause rheumatism."
"Hehe… your brother sure knows a lot."
"..." Yu sighed inwardly.
When the group arrived at the underground entrance, Yu instructed the Uchiha to stay at the surface.
He was only escorting Karin and her mother and possibly looking to trigger a quest—no need to bring so many people down.
As foreign allies, Mei Terumi and Ao weren't invited by the host Orochimaru, so they obediently waited outside.
Nonō, unwilling to let her adoptive son Kabuto go alone, entrusted Mikoto to Izumi's care and requested to accompany Yu into the underground base.
Tsunade also followed with Shizune; she wanted to see the place where her old friend had lived since defecting from Konoha.
Tap tap tap—
The group stepped onto stone stairs, entering the dark corridor. After about three meters, torch brackets appeared on the walls.
The tunnel branched off in all directions—like an underground maze.
Uzumaki Kanna held onto Karin's hand, nervously glancing around the dim surroundings.
"Don't worry," Orochimaru said with a smile. "Soon I'll station people outside the Sound Village. Once the Uzumaki and Tsuchigumo clans arrive, they'll be guided in."
He and Kimimaro led the way ahead.
The dim firelight reflected in Kabuto's round glasses. He wore a serious expression and silently memorized the maze's layout.
---
Underground Combat Training Grounds, Hidden Sound Village
The area was dark, damp, and filled with the stench of blood and decay.
"You bastard! Remember this—pick your next opponent wisely!" Kin smashed her foot, clad in an open-toed ninja sandal, into another Sound ninja's face.
The ground was splattered with blood and scattered teeth.
"Let him go, Kin. We're all comrades in the same village, heh…" came a raspy voice from the shadows—Dosu Kinuta stepped out, mimicking Orochimaru's tone.
"Boring."
Zaku leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching other sparring matches. He ignored his two teammates.
The two of them had already finished off their sparring opponents. Kin was just dragging hers out.
Boom—
Kin drove a fierce kick into the Sound ninja's stomach, sending him flying.
Currently, the training ground was full of Sound ninja fighting in pairs.
A bulky young man glanced over, noticing that Dosu's trio had completed their session.
This Sound ninja, named Egawa Takeshi, defeated his own opponent, then removed his mask to reveal a rugged face that looked far older than his twenties. He sneered at Dosu's group and said with scorn:
"Trash is still trash. If you fought like that in the field, you'd be the first to die."
Then, with a malicious glint in his eye, he raised his thick leg and stomped down hard on his defeated opponent's head.
BOOM—
With a loud thud, the floor cracked, and red and white matter splattered everywhere. All activity in the training ground came to a halt. Everyone stared in shock at the bloody display.
The other Sound ninja wore grim expressions.
This musclehead was notorious—any opponent who fought him ended up brutally maimed or dead.
Unlike in other villages, Sound's combat training was different. Sparring could result in actual death—and Orochimaru encouraged it, just like the Root organization's survival-of-the-fittest method.
If the loser died, the winner faced no punishment.
"What did you just say?" Kin growled, rage twisting her petite face. It looked like she wanted to tear Egawa Takeshi apart.
After a match, Sound ninja weren't allowed to challenge or kill each other again that day, or they'd suffer terrifying consequences.
Egawa scoffed. "You better hope you don't run into us in real combat next time."
His two bulky teammates laughed mockingly and walked away with him.
"..."
Dosu didn't even bother responding to the brute's provocations. He stepped in front of Kin, worried she'd do something reckless and drag him and Zaku into trouble.
When it was clear that no fight would break out between the two teams, disappointed murmurs rippled through the crowd as the others resumed their sparring.
"I heard Lord Orochimaru's bringing some Uchiha back to the village. You think they'll really come?"
"They're legendary across the shinobi world. I bet they'll get the best treatment—just like Kimimaro."
"I wonder how big the gap is between us and the Uchiha…"
Some of the Sound ninja who had finished sparring began gossiping about the village's biggest news.
Egawa's two teammates looked curious too. Egawa suddenly smirked darkly, pulling them into a corner. He whispered:
"If we prove we're stronger than the so-called Uchiha, Lord Orochimaru might grant us Curse Marks…"
All three wore sinister smiles as they began scheming.
Suddenly—
The noise in the training ground ceased. Everyone turned pale.
They had heard a familiar, chilling voice and looked toward the upper-level balcony at the exit.
There, Orochimaru and Uchiha Yu walked side by side. Orochimaru smiled as he introduced the surroundings.
Egawa's trio locked eyes on the white-robed Yu beside Orochimaru.
"That's the Uchiha!"
Egawa sneered. He and his two teammates exchanged glances—and sprang forward like tigers, leaping toward the balcony above.
Everyone in the training ground was stunned.
They never expected Egawa's team to be this bold.
Just then, a sharp, unembellished black arc streaked through the air—a blade coated in tightly condensed Wind Release chakra.
THUD—
A dull, wet sound.
Three clouds of blood mist burst in midair.
"..."
Yu sheathed his blade, his right hand trembling slightly. The sword vanished back into his storage space.
He shot a sideways glance at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's smile stiffened. He sighed awkwardly.
"Where were we?"
"Oh—right, I was about to give you your gift. It's a summoned serpent."
Yu nodded.
The two continued walking as if nothing had happened.
°°°
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