Is human life fragile?
That depends on who you compare it to...
Compared to mayflies and ants, humans are undoubtedly not fragile.
Even compared to animals and beasts, humans can also earn the title of "terror erectus ape," considered close to the top of the food chain.
But compared to human ideals and desires, life appears fragile and fleeting.
This was also the reason why Minato intended to cooperate with Orochimaru.
Although he wasn't as obsessed with immortality as Orochimaru, he was definitely not satisfied with a lifespan of merely decades or a hundred years.
With Minato's own conditions, it wasn't actually difficult to achieve longevity.
Wait for the power of "All Creation" (Senra Banshō) to fully integrate and awaken the Rinnegan.
No need to collect Tailed Beasts, just gather the chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts, harvest the Gedo Statue's "kidney," modify it into a mini Ten-Tails, and seal it into his belly.
Then theoretically, he would be an existence on the level of Kaguya, at least in terms of life hierarchy.
Whether he could be immortal like Kaguya was hard to say, but living a little longer shouldn't be a big problem.
But aside from the potential drawbacks of this method, immortality alone was meaningless to Minato.
"Do you know? Minato-kun..."
Orochimaru put down his glass, his tone much more serious than before, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.
"We are very similar. Both lost our parents at a young age, both possess outstanding talent, hehehe... Although it's nothing compared to Minato-kun, I was once called a genius seen once in decades by Teacher Sarutobi."
"At that time, I often stood in front of my parents' graves and thought, since people always die, what is the meaning of life?"
Saying that, Orochimaru looked at Minato, seemingly hoping to hear his opinion.
"Well..."
Minato smiled. "Senior Orochimaru, food eaten into the stomach will eventually be digested into excrement, but would you eat shit directly?"
"Hehehe... that is indeed the truth."
Orochimaru let out a low laugh, looked down at the barbecue on the table, and suddenly felt his appetite fade a lot.
"You see, you actually know that the meaning of life lies not in its result, but in its process. I think this should also be most people's view on life." Minato said gently.
"Is it also Minato-kun's view?" Orochimaru asked.
"If there is no choice, then... yes." Minato didn't hesitate for a moment.
"What if there is a choice?" Orochimaru pressed.
"Isn't that better? Who would complain about living long?"
Minato answered matter-of-factly. Not just going along with Orochimaru, he indeed thought so in his heart.
"Then... what if this choice inevitably touches upon moral issues?"
Orochimaru stared into Minato's eyes. This was the point he cared about most.
He wanted to know what choice Minato would make.
Minato was only five years old now, not yet the S-rank rogue ninja who killed without blinking an eye in the future.
"For example?"
"For example... human experimentation?"
"That depends on Senior's moral standards."
While they were talking, the barbecue was almost ready.
Minato picked up a piece of meat and put it on his plate, saying calmly, "Although I don't care about the life and death of strangers, I can't kill innocent people indiscriminately for my own selfish desires. But if I can recycle waste like Danzo, then I won't have any psychological burden."
"In comparison, I think the key to this question lies in whether one can stick to one's bottom line in the face of desire."
Orochimaru fell silent.
Minato was right. This was also the fact he dared not face.
Recently, he had dark thoughts more than once, and many times they were even directed at Minato. After waking up, he couldn't help but feel guilty for his thoughts.
But the desire for longevity was like a forbidden fruit, constantly teasing his nerves.
Human experimentation was actually very common. For example, testing a cold medicine could be considered a human experiment. The development of medicine was inseparable from anatomy. This wasn't something shameful.
The problem was that Orochimaru had a guilty conscience.
Deep in his heart, he had unconsciously crossed his bottom line.
At this time, as long as there was a trigger, such as the death of an important person, he would fall at an extremely fast speed.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened. The heat of the charcoal fire brushed against their faces. Orochimaru was deeply silent.
Watching Orochimaru in deep thought, Minato suddenly chuckled. "However... I think this shouldn't be a problem for Senior Orochimaru."
"Hm?"
Orochimaru was slightly stunned, raised his head from silence, and looked at Minato in surprise.
"Why do you say so? Minato-kun..."
"Senior's lament about the fragility of life stems from cherishing life itself, doesn't it?"
Minato said gently. He didn't want the other party to go down the old path of the original work. "You are a teammate trusted by Sensei, and an elder brother admired by Nawaki. Although I don't know much about Senior, being trusted by them proves that you are at least not a shallow person like Danzo who looks down on everyone."
"I am very happy to be evaluated like this by Minato-kun."
Orochimaru chuckled. He was genuinely happy.
After all, he also had people he cherished.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nawaki, Teacher Sarutobi... were all emotions he was unwilling to give up, anchors for his already indifferent humanity.
If these emotions were cut off, then even if he lived long, what meaning would such a life have?
Even if he learned all the ninjutsu in the world, who could he share the satisfaction of realizing this ideal with?
At that time, what kind of existence would he be?
A human?
Or a monster that just looks like a human but is actually empty inside, only fleeing by instinct?
"Minato-kun really has a keen mind."
Orochimaru sighed with emotion. The other party obviously noticed his thoughts, so he offered advice in advance.
Honestly, he was quite grateful to Minato.
From Danzo's experience, it wasn't hard to see that Minato wasn't the type of character to leave hidden dangers for himself.
So this advice appeared particularly valuable!
"If I say I found a possibility of another choice, is Minato-kun willing to lend me a hand?"
Looking at the little blond boy only five years old in front of him, Orochimaru issued a sincere invitation, not despising him at all because of his age.
"I thirst for truth, but always wander outside the door of truth unable to enter. If I can have a companion like Minato-kun, maybe we can really find another possibility."
"Okay, I agree."
Minato nodded without any hesitation.
The straightforward attitude made Orochimaru freeze slightly.
He opened his mouth. For some reason, he suddenly felt like he had been played.
But he couldn't figure out what was wrong. After all, he was the one who proactively issued the team invitation to the other party.
"Then, in the days to come, please give me your guidance, Minato-kun."
"..."
This guy speaks so ambiguously...