"How is your recovery, Uzuki-kun?"
"Almost there."
Shimizu studied Orochimaru with a faint crease in his brow. Perhaps it was only his imagination, but the man before him felt… different. Softer in demeanor, easier to speak to—almost accommodating. And, strangely enough, even helpful.
"By the way," Shimizu asked, "how did you end up here?"
"In the same manner as you," Orochimaru replied smoothly. "I was reverse-summoned."
"No—that's not what I meant." Shimizu shook his head. "I mean, why are you here at all?"
"Nagayama and the others returned," Orochimaru said after a brief pause, his tone turning more measured. "I learned what had transpired. Though it seemed there was no chance of survival… I found it difficult to believe you would die so easily."
At the outset of the mission, Orochimaru had regarded it as nothing more than a transaction—a simple exchange of effort and reward. But when he learned that Shimizu had taken the burden upon himself, willingly stepping into such peril, it had stirred something, however faint. After all, from Orochimaru's perspective, the task could have been accomplished by gathering a group of shinobi willing to sacrifice themselves.
What Shimizu had given exceeded the bounds of any mere agreement.
And one of the Legendary Sannin did not make a habit of taking advantage of others.
"So I asked Her Highness to reverse-summon you to Ryūchi Cave."
"…What about my summoned creature?" Shimizu asked.
"It died," Orochimaru answered plainly. "Its body was left in the depths of Ryūchi Cave." Then, with a faint, almost amused smile, he added, "Though by now, I imagine even the corpse is gone."
A memory surfaced—something Orochimaru had once mentioned: when a summoned beast dies, it returns to its original world.
Which meant that, had Orochimaru not intervened… Shimizu might well have ended up inside the belly of another snake.
"…Then I really do owe you my thanks," he said sincerely.
"Hehe… there is no need for gratitude, Uzuki-kun," Orochimaru replied lightly. "Had you not risked your life to carry out the mission, none of this would have come to pass."
Was he… moved?
The thought felt almost absurd. Snakes were cold-blooded creatures, after all.
More likely, Orochimaru was mocking him—mocking the reckless courage of the ignorant. To stumble so disastrously over something like this…
"Then why didn't you ask whether I completed the mission?" Shimizu pressed.
Orochimaru's lips curved into a quiet laugh. "Uzuki-kun, you do enjoy your jokes. The entire southwestern mountain range has collapsed—do I truly need to ask?"
"…What?"
Shimizu stared at him, stunned.
That vast southwestern mountain range… gone?
"Your methods were… quite spectacular this time," Orochimaru continued, his voice tinged with amusement. "The entire shinobi world has been shaken."
Shimizu pursed his lips.
How could it not be? First Rakuyō City, and now the southwestern mountains—entire regions wiped clean from the map. For a fleeting moment, he could almost hear the distant clamor of onlookers, waving imaginary white flags and shouting exaggerated slogans:
"Our creed is simple—leave the enemy with no land left to occupy, and ensure Konoha stands undefeated forever!"
"Our next target: Kikyo Castle!"
Orochimaru went on, "You should know, the collapse of the mountains also buried several thousand Sunagakure shinobi stationed in the area."
"You've rendered great service, Uzuki-kun. Naturally, your… value has risen accordingly."
There was something off about that smile.
"Value?" Shimizu echoed. "What do you mean?"
"Sunagakure would dearly love to flay you alive," Orochimaru said with a soft chuckle. "On the black market, the price on your head has already climbed to four hundred million ryō."
"…."
A chill settled in Shimizu's chest.
It wasn't the bounty that troubled him.
It was something else entirely.
Well… there goes my friendship with Kakuzu.
The fragile little boat of camaraderie had sunk without a trace.
Then again… how many sincere bonds could truly withstand the lure of money?
With that thought, Shimizu found himself oddly at peace.
"When you return, Sensei will surely reward you," Orochimaru added.
"Money?" Shimizu asked immediately.
"Perhaps," Orochimaru said. "Or perhaps a new jutsu. Or even a higher position."
"I see." In truth, none of it stirred much interest in him. If anything, he would have traded it all just to know how he might still learn senjutsu.
"By the way," he asked after a moment, "how did your mission go?"
"It is complete," Orochimaru replied.
Shimizu blinked.
…Wasn't that a little too concise?
"How did it go? What were the losses? The results?"
"It was a hard fight," Orochimaru replied evenly. "We lost nearly a thousand shinobi just to burn through their supplies."
"Then Sunagakure will retreat soon, won't they?"
"On the contrary," he said, a faint glint passing through his eyes. "The final battle has been brought forward. Within the next few days… there will likely be a fierce confrontation."
Shimizu understood at once. Sunagakure had no intention of backing down. They had already committed enormous manpower and resources, holding back from a full-scale assault until now—such restraint could only mean one thing: they were confident, utterly so, that they could take Kikyo Castle.
And yet, even with that looming storm, there was something more immediate on his mind. He had not forgotten the other reason he had made a contract with Ryūchi Cave in the first place.
"Since I'm here," Shimizu said, "does that mean you've also found me a suitable summon?"
"I have," Orochimaru replied.
At this point, he was beginning to seem almost… dependable.
Like some strangely attentive confidant—an unlikely ally wrapped in serpentine calm.
"Where is it?"
"In the deepest reaches of the upper layer of Ryūchi Cave," Orochimaru explained. "The cave is divided into three levels—upper, middle, and lower. In the upper level, visibility remains relatively unaffected. But from the middle level onward, your vision deteriorates drastically, and the lower level is shrouded in complete darkness. Your target lies at the very end of the upper layer."
"It is called Garaga—a crimson snake with a single eye and a reverse scale."
"The snakes of Ryūchi Cave both fear and despise it. Its strength is formidable, and its temperament… violently unstable."
"These details were provided by Her Highness."
"Stronger than Manda?" Shimizu asked.
"Yes," Orochimaru answered. "Though it does not belong to Manda's domain."
"I'll leave this particular matter to you," he added calmly. "I have no intention of involving myself."
He paused, then continued, "However, I will wait here for two days. If you do not return within that time, I will have no choice but to assume you are dead."
At Shimizu's silence, Orochimaru elaborated, his tone measured. "Her Highness will not expend her chakra on a mortal to perform reverse summoning more than once. You will only have a single opportunity to leave."
"In two days, she will enter a period of deep hibernation. If you miss that window… you will have to wait until she awakens."
"And when a snake sleeps," he added with quiet emphasis, "it may be for days… or for years."
The implication settled heavily over Shimizu.
If he failed to return in time, he could be trapped here for years.
"…Understood," he said at last, his expression growing solemn. "I'll keep track of the time."
Then, after a brief hesitation, he asked, "Is there any trick to it? Any weakness?"
He had not forgotten how terrifying and intelligent these snakes were. This was not something that could simply be resolved through brute force.
"Remove its reverse scale," Orochimaru replied.
"That's it?" Shimizu blinked.
"Yes. Those were Her Highness's exact words."
"Alright. I'll go and return quickly."
With that, Shimizu turned and dashed toward the depths of Ryūchi Cave, his figure soon swallowed by shadow.
"…You seem rather confident in him, Orochimaru."
A young girl's voice drifted through the air, soft yet clear.
"Because he always manages to surprise," Orochimaru said, watching the direction in which Shimizu had vanished. "I have never encountered a shinobi quite like him."
"And yet," the girl replied indifferently, "he cannot learn senjutsu. What a pity."
"My sensei could not use senjutsu either," Orochimaru said slowly, "and yet he was hailed as the strongest Hokage in history—the 'God of Shinobi,' Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Senjutsu and ordinary chakra are not even on the same plane of existence," the girl countered coolly. "That you would hold such a view only proves you do not truly understand its power."
"You have lived for so long," Orochimaru said, his voice quiet but probing. "Have you ever seen the First Hokage?"
"Why would I concern myself with the existence of a mere mortal?" she replied dismissively.
"Heh… neither have I," Orochimaru admitted. "But I have witnessed my sensei in battle."
His gaze narrowed slightly, conviction settling into his tone.
"He is the strongest shinobi this village has ever known."
"And not just I—every elder in the village, even those long retired relics of a bygone era, share the same belief."
"To them all… he is the greatest Hokage in history."
...
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