Aomizu looked at Pakura with a faint smile on his face.
However, the more Pakura smiled back at him, the stranger his expression became.
Pakura noticed his gaze immediately.
She felt uncomfortable being stared at like that.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Aomizu tilted his head slightly as if pondering something.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"It's just… I suddenly realized something."
Pakura frowned.
"What realization?"
"You actually look very beautiful when you smile."
The words came out casually, but they stunned Pakura.
Her eyes widened slightly before she rolled them in annoyance.
"The way you say that makes it sound like I'm some stiff person who never smiles."
Aomizu shrugged.
"Aren't you?"
Pakura was momentarily speechless.
Aomizu continued mercilessly.
"Think about it. You rarely smile. Most of the time you're wearing that serious expression. Honestly, you look like a strict teacher ready to punish students."
Pakura opened her mouth to argue but quickly stopped.
Because after thinking about it carefully…
He wasn't entirely wrong.
"Am I really that stiff?" she muttered, suddenly reflecting on herself.
Aomizu nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Pakura glared at him.
Aomizu raised his hands innocently.
"But I'm serious. You're clearly a very beautiful woman. If you smiled more often, you'd probably charm half the village."
Before he could continue speaking, Pakura punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"That's enough! Stop talking already!"
Her face had turned slightly red.
"I'm hungry," she said quickly. "Let's go eat."
Without waiting for his reply, Pakura turned around and walked out of the meeting room.
Aomizu followed behind her with a calm smile.
"I'm only telling the truth."
"Stop talking!"
Pakura's voice echoed down the hallway.
Despite her annoyed tone, the atmosphere between them had clearly changed.
The playful conversation had unconsciously brought the two closer together.
Soon, Aomizu brought Pakura to one of Konoha's most popular restaurants.
Yakiniku Q.
The aroma of grilled meat filled the air.
Pakura's eyes brightened slightly.
"Eat as much as you want tonight," Aomizu said casually as they sat down. "My treat."
Pakura didn't even try to hide her grin.
"In that case, I won't hold back."
She picked up the menu and immediately began ordering the most expensive items.
Premium beef.
Rare cuts.
Special platters.
She ordered them all.
Watching her behavior, Aomizu simply smiled.
A ninja's appetite was far beyond that of ordinary people.
Although not everyone was as gluttonous as Hinata during training, most ninja could eat an incredible amount after exhausting missions.
But Aomizu didn't care at all.
With his current wealth, the cost of this meal was practically nothing.
If this weren't the dangerous Ninja World, he could have already retired and lived comfortably for the rest of his life.
The money he had accumulated would be impossible to spend even after several lifetimes.
As the food arrived, Pakura began eating without hesitation.
After a few bites, her eyes widened.
"This is really good."
Aomizu laughed.
"Of course it is."
During the meal, he kept asking casually.
"Is that enough?"
"Do you want to order more?"
Pakura eventually laughed.
"You're really acting like a rich man today."
Aomizu leaned back in his chair.
"That's because I am."
The two continued eating and chatting until they were finally satisfied.
Later that night, Aomizu escorted Pakura back to her residence.
When they arrived, Pakura waved casually.
"Thanks for dinner."
"Anytime."
Aomizu smiled and left.
But the moment Pakura stepped inside the residence—
She was instantly surrounded.
Three young female Sunagakure ninjas appeared in front of her with suspicious smiles.
"Lady Pakura!"
"Was that Lord Aomizu who just sent you back?"
"Are you two secretly dating?"
The three girls bombarded her with questions.
Pakura was stunned.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
"We're just ordinary friends."
However, as she spoke…
Her usually calm face turned slightly red.
The girls immediately gasped dramatically.
"She's blushing!"
"We've discovered the truth!"
Pakura's expression stiffened.
Back in Sunagakure, many men had tried to pursue her.
After all, Pakura possessed both incredible strength and stunning beauty.
She was a Jonin with the powerful Scorch Release Bloodline Limit.
However, Pakura had rejected every single one of them.
Her standards were extremely high.
A proud woman like her would never be interested in someone weaker than herself.
And unfortunately for the men of Sunagakure—
Almost no one met that requirement.
"Enough!"
Pakura's voice suddenly turned cold.
"If you have time to gossip, you should go train instead."
"Don't embarrass Sunagakure during the Chunin Exams."
The three girls instantly straightened up.
"Yes, Lady Pakura!"
They quickly ran back to their rooms.
However…
Soft giggles could still be heard from down the hallway.
Pakura stood there silently.
Then she sighed.
"Ridiculous…"
But for some reason—
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Meanwhile…
At the gates of Konoha.
Three young figures were walking slowly into the village.
Their eyes were full of curiosity.
"So this is Konoha," Konan said softly.
Her beautiful eyes wandered across the busy streets.
"It's much more prosperous than Amegakure."
The three of them looked like country visitors entering a grand city for the first time.
Everything felt new and exciting.
This time, Amegakure had only sent three participants for the Chunin Exams.
Konan.
Yahiko.
Nagato.
During the previous exam, nine genin had participated.
But the result had been disastrous.
After that painful lesson, Amegakure understood something.
If their ninja were not strong enough—
Sending more people would only result in humiliation.
So this time, they only sent their most promising team.
As the three walked through the bustling streets, Yahiko suddenly sighed.
"If only Amegakure could become like this someday."
Nagato remained silent.
But his eyes revealed the same wish.
Yahiko clenched his fist.
"It will happen."
"As long as we keep working hard, Amegakure will definitely become a better place."
His voice was firm.
Yahiko had always dreamed of peace.
He wanted to change the tragic fate of the Land of Rain.
Just as the three were talking—
A familiar voice suddenly appeared behind them.
"You three seem to be enjoying yourselves."
The three instantly froze.
Konan was the first to react.
Her eyes lit up with joy.
"Brother Aomizu!"
Without hesitation, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.
Aomizu laughed softly.
Yahiko and Nagato finally recovered.
Their faces immediately brightened.
"Long time no see, Big Brother Aomizu!"
They spoke in unison.
Aomizu looked at the three children with a warm smile.
"Long time no see."
He gently patted Konan's head.
"It seems you've all grown a lot."
"Being chosen to represent Amegakure in the Chunin Exams means you've become excellent ninja."
Konan puffed her cheeks proudly.
"And Konan," Aomizu added with a teasing smile, "has become even more beautiful."
Konan blushed slightly.
The compliment clearly pleased her.
After chatting for a while, Aomizu led the three to the residence that had been prepared for them.
Once they had settled in, Konan immediately became restless.
"I want to go out and explore!"
She looked at Yahiko and Nagato.
"Brother Aomizu is here anyway. Let's go shopping!"
It was her first time visiting Konoha.
There was no way she wanted to stay stuck inside a room.
Yahiko nodded enthusiastically.
"Good idea."
Nagato quietly agreed as well.
Soon, the four of them began wandering through the lively streets of Konoha.
The children were amazed by everything.
Food stalls.
Shops.
Crowds of people.
It felt like a completely different world compared to the gloomy Land of Rain.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a large building.
Yahiko looked up in surprise.
"Pingchuan Film and Television Company?"
"I've seen this name before in Amegakure."
"But I didn't know there was a cinema in Konoha too."
The three had heard of the company before.
But they had never actually watched a movie.
After leaving the orphanage, they barely had enough money to survive.
Spending money on entertainment was impossible.
And even if they could afford it…
They probably wouldn't have the heart to enjoy it.
"This company was opened by me," Aomizu explained casually.
Yahiko nodded absentmindedly.
"I see. Since it's your company, Big Brother Aomizu, that makes sense."
Then he suddenly froze.
"Wait…"
His eyes widened in shock.
"This company… was opened by you?!"
Konan and Nagato reacted the same way.
They stared at Aomizu in disbelief.
After all—
No one would expect that a famous company was owned by someone they personally knew.
Even if the company name contained the same surname.
Most people would simply assume it was a coincidence.
Aomizu smiled calmly.
"That's right."
Then he said,
"Since you've never watched a movie before, I'll treat you today."
He led them inside the cinema.
Employees immediately bowed.
"Hello, Boss."
The three children froze again.
Their shock deepened.
It was real.
Aomizu truly owned the company.
This was basically the real-life version of—
"My older brother turned out to be a billionaire."
Soon they were seated inside the theater.
"So this is what a cinema looks like…"
Konan whispered excitedly.
Before the movie began, Aomizu handed them snacks.
"Popcorn and cola," he said.
"The standard combination for watching movies."
These foods didn't originally exist in the Ninja World.
They were recreated by Aomizu based on memories from his previous life.
Konan took the first bite.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"It's delicious!"
Yahiko and Nagato quickly tried it as well.
They nodded enthusiastically.
"It really is good!"
Konan suddenly grabbed a piece of popcorn and held it up.
"Brother Aomizu, you should eat too."
She fed it to him.
Aomizu laughed and accepted it.
Soon…
The lights dimmed.
The movie began.
The three children were completely captivated.
Meanwhile…
Deep inside Orochimaru's hidden laboratory.
The pale Sannin slowly walked out of the research room.
His golden snake-like eyes flickered with excitement.
"Immortality through the soul…"
"That is definitely the correct path."
However, his expression darkened slightly.
"The problem is that the process is extremely complicated."
In the ninja world, there were very few techniques involving the soul.
For example—
Edo Tensei.
And Kato Dan's Spirit Transformation Technique.
Both were extremely dangerous S-rank forbidden jutsu.
This clearly proved one thing.
Techniques involving the soul were among the most advanced fields in the entire ninja world.
Ordinary people could never understand them.
But Orochimaru was not ordinary.
He was a genius researcher.
Even so, true results would take time.
And because the research was so complex, he had no assistants.
Of course…
Even if he could find one—
Orochimaru would never share the secret of immortality.
"Living Corpse Reincarnation…"
He murmured softly.
"No matter what, I must complete this technique."
He had already formed the basic concept.
Now he only needed time to perfect it.
Finally, Orochimaru stepped outside.
The sunlight felt strange after spending so long underground.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Ah… the Chunin Exams are about to begin."
A sinister smile slowly spread across his face.
Like a venomous snake preparing to strike.
He had not forgotten his agreement with Danzo.
During this period, Danzo had frequently sent Aburame Ryoma to pressure him about the operation.
But Orochimaru had always postponed it with excuses.
Now…
The timing was perfect.
"I'll use this opportunity to test Lord Qingshui's true strength."
"And at the same time…"
"I can test the power of Edo Tensei."
His voice became colder.
"I hope Lord Qingshui won't disappoint me."
The wind rustled quietly.
And when the sound faded—
Orochimaru had already disappeared.
Like a snake slipping silently into the shadows.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)