Tagitsuhime, this Snake Princess, really had no sense of restraint at all. That hypnosis put the poor woman to sleep for a full day.
Little Karin was starving. If Nonō hadn't been good at taking care of children, just dealing with a single infant would have driven Orochimaru completely speechless.
"I'm scared. Truly scared. I have absolutely no way to deal with this little thing."
"Yo yo yo, my famous teacher Orochimaru actually can't handle a baby? Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter. If this got out, who knows how many people would have their jaws drop."
Gekko Chizan looked at Orochimaru's exhausted face and nearly laughed himself to death.
The latter shot him a vicious glare and said fiercely:
"If it weren't for you bringing them here, I would've acted long ago. I have plenty of ways to shut people up."
After speaking, his tone shifted, and the helplessness in his voice sounded especially helpless.
"But judging from how you're treating this mother and daughter, you're planning to raise that little one?"
"That makes sense. A member of the Uzumaki clan—if properly cultivated—would be a powerful asset."
Gekko Chizan looked at Nonō, who was taking care of the child, then at the woman who had just woken up and still looked a bit dazed, and nodded.
That was indeed his plan. The Uzumaki clan's innate abilities were simply too strong—whether it was the Kagura Mind's Eye or the Adamantine Sealing Chains, both were enormous advantages.
Facing Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu, he had to make thorough preparations.
"Uchiha Madara and the Rinnegan have already attacked Konoha once. Even though they were exposed, judging by their personalities, this definitely isn't over."
"I suspect they're hiding in Kirigakure. After all, Kirigakure's policies are far too suitable for outside forces to interfere."
The Rinnegan? Orochimaru's interest was piqued again.
For him, the only things that could truly arouse his curiosity—aside from immortality—were all kinds of novel techniques or abilities. Clearly, the Sharingan and the Rinnegan were among them.
"Who exactly are you people?"
"Where is this place? Why did you capture my daughter and me?"
The woman looked at her child in another woman's arms, watching her skillfully feed the baby—yes, powdered milk.
She was shocked, but when she looked at Gekko Chizan again, she still couldn't wait to ask.
"I already told you, Grass Village isn't suitable for you."
"You're currently in the Land of Waterfall. This is my teacher, Orochimaru. As for me—Gekko Chizan."
Gekko Chizan?
The one hailed as one of Konoha's Twin Stars, the Ghost of the battlefield?
Just as Gekko Chizan struck a pose and waited for her amazement, the woman's next words completely overturned his worldview.
"So you're that war-crazed lunatic despised on the battlefield?"
"You never kill proactively because you enjoy tormenting people, releasing snakes every day on the battlefield to bite others? And you even use that disgusting move called One Thousand Years of Death to inflict both psychological and physical trauma on your enemies? You're that devil?"
Gekko Chizan: .....
Orochimaru: ...pfft!
"Ahahahahaha!"
Orochimaru really couldn't hold it in anymore. It was too interesting—truly too interesting.
Looking at his disciple's face, now black as the bottom of a pot, he couldn't help himself at all.
"Who was it..."
"Which bastard spread these rumors about me..."
Gekko Chizan felt like all the good mood he'd had this entire year was gone. How could his reputation possibly be like this?
He was the clan head of the Gekko clan of Konoha! One of Konoha's Twin Stars! The Ghost of Konoha!
How could he be some kind of deranged lunatic?
"Lots of people in Grass Village say that about you. And people in Iwagakure say the same."
"You even managed to abduct my daughter and me. I think the rumors are completely accurate—you really are a lunatic!"
The woman grew more and more agitated as she spoke, her face flushing from excitement.
Even Nonō, standing to the side, stopped what she was doing and covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Nonsense! This is all slander!"
"When was I ever that deranged?! I'm so pissed off! Grass Village, huh?!"
"Just wait! I'm going to wipe them out!"
The more Gekko Chizan thought about it, the angrier he became. This was blatant rumor-mongering. Grass Village, Iwagakure—fine! This grudge is settled!
If he, Gekko Chizan, doesn't avenge this, he swears he won't rest!
"Hahahaha, I think the rumors are spot-on. When you don't act, fine—but whenever you do, isn't it always incredibly underhanded?"
"I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter."
"It's been a long time since I've heard something this amusing."
Orochimaru sat in his chair, laughing so hard his face was practically cramping.
The woman didn't shrink back at all because of Gekko Chizan's rage. In her mind, since she'd already been captured, what was there left she couldn't say?
"Stop laughing!"
"Your disciple is being mocked, and you're still laughing as his teacher—that's too much!"
"Alright, enough about me. You—introduce yourself."
"After all, you'll be living in the Land of Waterfall from now on."
Gekko Chizan took a deep breath, forced down all the irritation in his heart, and began asking about the woman.
Nonō walked over as well and handed little Karin back to the woman.
Looking at the three people before her—Gekko Chizan, Orochimaru, and a woman wearing glasses—there was no way she could feel at ease.
"My name is Ruzuki."
"Uzumaki Ruzuki?"
"No. I've already abandoned that surname. I'm just Ruzuki. This is my daughter, Karin."
Abandoned the Uzumaki surname...
The destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan had left Ruzuki with wounds far too deep. In an era like this, survival came first.
So she gave up the Uzumaki surname in exchange for a chance to live on.
"Alright then. Teacher, do you still have anything to take care of here?"
"If not, I'll send her to Takigakure. Nonō, you're in charge of her daily life—no problem, right?"
Originally, Gekko Chizan wanted to hand her over to Konan, but thinking about the recent issues with the intelligence network, he decided not to add to Konan's burden.
Nonō Yakushi was now Orochimaru's assistant and had also established a new orphanage within Takigakure.
"Sure, no problem."
"But—expenses?"
Since leaving the Land of Fire, Nonō had felt much more relaxed. As Orochimaru's assistant, she received a certain amount of pay.
But the establishment and daily expenses of the orphanage still made her worry about money.
Now that a big sponsor had practically delivered itself to her door, she had to squeeze him for all he was worth.
Through her glasses, Gekko Chizan could practically see gold coin symbols in her eyes, making him feel that this year really was cursed.
In the past, he was always the one extorting others. Now what—everyone was lining up to extort him?
Didn't they know that Gekko Chizan was the kind who only takes in and never gives out?
Money? Don't even think about it! Every bit of his money was earned one coin at a time!
"Go ask my teacher!"
"That's it—I'm leaving!"