The next morning.
The clouds in the sky shifted and shapes, whistling by in the strong wind. It was another clear day with no clouds in Sunagakure Village.
Orochimaru didn't linger there for long. His visit was merely to settle the aftermath of the Roran affair.
He handed over half of the promised funds directly to Kazekage Rasa, and the other half to Queen Roran.
Orochimaru didn't plan to perform the promised physical enhancement surgeries for the Sand Shinobi himself. Instead, he transferred these abilities to Konoha Village.
Plans, however, change.
Before this, Orochimaru hadn't expected his progress to be so rapid, almost reaching the threshold of immortality.
Now, what truly mattered to him wasn't worldly wealth but more precious resources. Neither Ryuuchi Cave nor the Slug Great Forest could be bought with money.
Of course, Orochimaru wasn't so arrogant as to believe he had completely transcended the mundane world. He simply didn't need to use worldly powers for now; they weren't strong enough to provide sufficient value.
Therefore, Orochimaru took a slight step back. For the immediate future, he intended to adopt more conservative measures, such as offering protection to the people of Roran.
It would take little time to achieve this with a single word, but it would fully leverage his deterrent power, especially in front of Kazekage Rasa. He wouldn't worry about the agreed-upon terms being violated or deliberately delayed.
"From now on, you can live in Sunagakure Village with peace of mind. If you wish to become ninja..."
Orochimaru glanced at Kazekage Rasa and said with a smile to the mother and daughter, "I doubt the Sand Shinobi will refuse."
Kazekage Rasa noticed Orochimaru's gaze and immediately spoke, "The people of Roran joining Sunagakure Village means they are part of our village. The ninja academy is open to you at any time."
He said this to conveniently grant a favor. He knew very well when the prime period for ninja training was. The men of Roran would have no further opportunity. However, if the simple-minded children joined the ninja academy and received proper training, they would truly become part of Sunagakure.
In a generation or two, they could successfully assimilate the people of Roran.
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru and Kazekage-sama, for giving the people of Roran this opportunity."
Queen Roran, Seiba, bowed slightly with a very solemn expression.
Having left the secluded paradise of Roran and stepped into the conflicts of the ninja world, there was no longer any room for evasion. She had to firmly grasp power.
Her recent experiences had made it clearer than ever what was essential for survival in the ninja world.
Especially now that the Dragon Vein was destroyed; she had lost her greatest value.
Honestly, she was very surprised and grateful that Orochimaru was acting according to their prior agreement, rather than betraying her.
"Heh... this is nothing," Orochimaru said with a slight smile, taking in the Queen of Roran's expression.
The deal was one thing. This money meant little to him now, but it was crucial for Sunagakure Village's recovery. He wouldn't easily break his promise.
Moreover, not only the Sand Shinobi, but the people of Roran themselves were quite valuable.
These people had lived near the Dragon Vein for years, constantly bathed in natural energy. Especially Seiba and her daughter, who could communicate directly with the Dragon Vein, might possess some promising potential…
"Now that my business here is concluded, I will not bother you any further."
Orochimaru smiled and leaped into the sky under their gaze, vanishing into a black speck in moments.
"..."
A gentle breeze stirred the dust and gravel at their feet. After a moment of silence, Kazekage Rasa suddenly laughed, "Your Majesty, some individuals are like clouds in the sky, out of reach. Thinking too much can wear out your mind and heart, leading only to sorrow."
"Kazekage-sama, Roran is no more, so there is no Queen of Roran. Please call me Seiba."
Seiba pursed her lips and said calmly, "Since I am now a part of Sunagakure Village, as long as the village does not mistreat the former citizens of Roran, I will not have much contact with outsiders."
The implication was that if the village mistreated the people of Roran, she would have the right to use the trade agreement.
"...How could that be? Madam Seiba, the Kazekage never abandons his people."
Kazekage Rasa changed his address, his smile fading, and he returned to his usual serious and calm demeanor.
Since both sides had clearly stated their intentions today, he wouldn't engage in unnecessary probing. This was good for both parties.
"However, Madam Seiba, your heart is mature, and you can cast aside unnecessary distractions. But someone else cannot."
Kazekage Rasa lowered his head slightly, his eyes holding a deep meaning.
Seiba followed his gaze to her daughter, who was watching the distance. She sighed softly and spoke after a moment, "She can too. Time may not teach her, but responsibility will."
...
In the Black Tower of Amegakure, Nagato, with his red hair, closed his eyes and was undergoing a routine check-up by Yakushi Kabuto.
Since the two transplant surgeries, their trust had grown leaps and bounds. While it wasn't as close as his bond with Konan, it had reached the level of former members of the 'Original Akatsuki organization.'
Over the years, Yakushi Kabuto was the first person he had allowed to perform such regular physical examinations.
A moment later, Yakushi Kabuto finished his examination and habitually pushed up his glasses.
"How is Nagato's condition?" Konan asked immediately upon seeing this.
Although the position of the head administrator of Amegakure was very busy, no matter how busy she was, Konan always made time to come here whenever Yakushi Kabuto examined Nagato.
It wasn't due to a lack of trust in Yakushi Kabuto, but rather a desire to get the news about Nagato's health as quickly as possible.
"With the Uzumaki bloodline, plus the inherited First Hokage cells, Nagato's vitality is incredibly strong. He's recovering much faster than expected."
Yakushi Kabuto was also very surprised. Even though Orochimaru-sama had designed it so that Nagato's bones were injured, the damage had now roughly healed.
"It seems Orochimaru-sama's estimate was off, or perhaps the combination of the Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines is too good... What should we do? Should we reintroduce the poison?"
This thought flashed through Yakushi Kabuto's mind but was quickly dismissed. The risk was simply too great.
Things were different now. During the surgery, the First Hokage cells' rapid proliferation had consumed a lot of Nagato's energy. They had even used lies to cover up any minor symptoms. Doing the same now would destroy the trust they had painstakingly built.
If the direct approach wouldn't work, a more subtle one might.
Yakushi Kabuto tugged at the corner of his mouth and smiled, "This surgery seems to suit your body better than expected. In fact, most of the 'side effects' have already been resolved. However..."
"However what? You can speak frankly, sir," Nagato opened his eyes. A strange, alluring light flickered within them. Even with his deliberate restraint, he exuded an immense pressure. Even Yakushi Kabuto, who considered Orochimaru his goal, had to admit that Nagato's current strength surpassed that of his known Orochimaru-sama.
Under such a gaze, an ordinary person, let alone lie, wouldn't even be able to speak normally.
But Yakushi Kabuto had no intention of lying. He smiled.
"After all, you've been confined to bed for several years and haven't been able to move freely for a long time. To return to a normal state, you'll need to put in effort to recuperate. Simply put, it's post-operative rehabilitation training."
As he spoke, Yakushi Kabuto slowly walked, his voice softening. "Walking, sitting, and lying down all require the support of muscles and bones. Correct posture helps to align muscle growth and bone development properly. Conversely, it can lead to deformities."
"Actually, even some minor incorrectness wouldn't be a major issue. The human body has a strong self-adjusting ability and wouldn't affect normal life. You might not even see it with the naked eye. But you are different..."
Yakushi Kabuto turned back and looked at Nagato, who had straightened up on the wooden bed. "You are too strong. Your spirit overwhelms your body's instincts. Even if something is incorrect, you can force yourself through it."
It was like a regular running race. Besides training basic physical fitness, to improve speed, a relatively suitable running posture, a relatively correct breathing rhythm... these were all necessary.
And for a racer like Nagato, even if he ran upside down or with one hand... his speed would still be much faster than others, completely dominating the competition.
But Nagato's strength came from himself. If others thought he achieved that speed by 'running upside down' or 'with one hand' and tried to imitate it, it would be a laughable mistake.
"Therefore, the initial training must be extremely cautious."
Yakushi Kabuto looked at the man before him, who was like a 'bull who could break through a wall,' and slowly said, "Starting tomorrow, we will go through everything from basic walking, sitting, and lying down to taijutsu combat. During this process, I will help you realign your bones and muscles."
Not harming the enemy, but instead providing them with abundant benefits, would only make them more troublesome in the future. This was undoubtedly like drinking poison to quench thirst.
But conversely, this was a helpless choice to buy time.
Yakushi Kabuto didn't know how long Orochimaru-sama's transformation would take, so he could only stall.
In fact, if Nagato knew that the price of him recovering to his perfect state was allowing Orochimaru to transform and be reborn, he would clearly not have agreed.
But at present, Nagato still held his previous beliefs, confident that once he fully recovered and had no weaknesses, he could easily defeat and seal away Orochimaru.
To achieve this state, a little time was evidently insignificant. So Nagato nodded, accepting this sweet offer.
This should have been the case...
Without warning, Nagato's expression suddenly changed. His gaze turned towards Konoha Village, his eyes filled with deep shock. "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible..."
...
The forest to the east of Konoha Village was vast and boundless. Seen from a bird's-eye view, it resembled a rolling sea of trees, or a painting with a green background. High and low trees, lakes, streams, and footpaths... together formed the scenery on this canvas.
And the battle that occurred more than a month ago had undoubtedly left deep marks on this painting.
Not to mention the area of green trees that had fallen due to the Ninjutsu, which now only faintly showed a tinge of green, but the giant rock formed from countless grains of sand and dust was particularly eye-catching.
In fact, this giant rock was not only eye-catching now, but it had also 'opened its eyes.'
"Although I wasn't too surprised for this to happen, seeing it with my own eyes is truly moving,"
Genie Lamp floated in the air, looking at the giant rock that had split in two and said with a smile,
"'Chibaku Tensei' - the strongest sealing jutsu in the ninja world. Besides the Rinnegan, it seems there are other ways to break it."
"After all, it's not a Six Paths-level 'Chibaku Tensei'. If it were the one above, it would truly be a bit troublesome."
Orochimaru glanced at the pale moon in the sky, then lowered his head, his gaze shifting to the crack. "Are you dead or alive? If you're not dead, come out."
Sand and stones shifted, dust billowed. Without the sealing power of the Rinnegan, it was just a dense rock.
Even an ordinary Earth Release Jonin couldn't stop it, let alone Orochimaru, who controlled Senjutsu.
But even so, the person sealed below took some time to stand up from the earth and stones.
Orochimaru wasn't surprised by this. Their souls hadn't reconnected yet, let alone the chakra within their bodies. Some dullness was inevitable.
However, this wasn't entirely bad. Nearly fifty days had passed since that battle, but judging by his complexion, he was only a bit weak, not rotting.
"Judging by your appearance, the First Hokage cell transplant surgery was successful?"
"Orochimaru" grinned, excitement on his face. The young Orochimaru in front of him nodded slightly, "Not only that, but it unexpectedly progressed further."
"That's really good."
"Orochimaru" narrowed his eyes, genuine joy on his face.
Sealing jutsu vary. 'Chibaku Tensei' is the most severe kind. At least, in his previous state, he couldn't maintain his self-awareness within it, often feeling like he was in a dream.
But if just having nightmares could make his ideal come true, then the price paid was too small.
However, he thought to himself, being the same Orochimaru, he knew the main body wouldn't be here to find him for any good reason.
"Alright, alright, you're both ancient snake spirits, stop testing each other."
Genie Lamp poked its head out from behind Orochimaru, raising an eyebrow. "Regardless of anything else, at least in my eyes, there's no fundamental difference between you."
Whether it was the soul or the body, the transformed Orochimaru was difficult to say if he was the same person as before. Not to mention that the deep soul connection between them had somehow been severed, further deepening their suspicion.
But Genie Lamp's presence and explanation easily resolved these issues.
Both were Orochimaru. In fact, if the Orochimaru sealed inside died, his soul would likely not go to the Pure Land but would reintegrate into Orochimaru's body.
"Tsk... I suppose so. It's too tiring to scheme against the main body. Speak... what do you need my help with?"
"Orochimaru" curled his lips and showed a smile.
Being unable to compete was one thing. How strong he was after completing his transformation was immeasurable, plus this bug-level Genie Lamp behind him, whose abilities were truly irresistible.
Besides, Orochimaru didn't want to oppose the main body. Before him stood the ideal he had pursued his entire life.
How could Orochimaru shatter his own ideal...
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