They had come out under the pretense of accompanying Shimizu to view the cherry blossoms, but before long, the group of kids had each drifted into their own little worlds.
Shimizu didn't mind. To begin with, he had never really been able to connect with them on the same wavelength.
After he casually said, "Feel free to do as you like," they scattered in all directions, disappearing one by one.
Looks like each of them has their own story to chase…
He let out a faint chuckle.
Still, they're just a bunch of kids.
"It seems you're recovering quite well, Uzuki-kun."
Orochimaru.
Of all the people who had come and gone, he was the only one who hadn't visited the hospital—until now.
Shimizu lifted his gaze to meet him directly. Orochimaru's skin looked even paler than before.
Has he been staying in the lab this whole time?
"I still can't walk. Might as well be a cripple."
"I heard from Tsunade that the fact you survived at all is nothing short of a miracle," Orochimaru said with a faint, inscrutable smile. "After all, that was a Tailed Beast Bomb—something even my Rashōmon couldn't withstand."
"And yet, you lived through it… truly astonishing."
"I've just got a stubborn life. Seems I can't die even if I want to." Shimizu forced a smile. No matter how many times he saw it, Orochimaru's expression was something he could never quite get used to.
"Is that so… I had thought it might have something to do with the Sage of Six Paths."
Shimizu chuckled dismissively. "The Sage of Six Paths? Something that vague and intangible—and you believe in it?"
"Aren't you yourself the best proof, Uzuki-kun?"
Shimizu narrowed his eyes slightly. "You came all this way just to say something that meaningless?"
Orochimaru paused for a moment before replying, "…Naturally, I came to check on your recovery."
And who would believe that?
"I'm recovering just fine…" Shimizu frowned faintly, unable to guess Orochimaru's true purpose. Deciding not to waste time, he spoke plainly. "Just say it—what do you want with me?"
Orochimaru's gaze deepened.
"What do you think of this war… now that it has ended?"
Shimizu raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know what's been happening lately. And you're asking for my opinion?"
"Sunagakure has requested peace with Konoha. Iwagakure has withdrawn its forces back into the Land of Earth. Konoha has already signed a peace agreement with Kumogakure. And Kirigakure… still hasn't made a move."
"That sounds like a good thing," Shimizu said lightly. "The war ends, the village is at peace, everyone's happy."
Orochimaru let out a low, cold laugh. "And yet, the information I've received suggests that Konoha's higher-ups are leaning toward Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage…"
That, at least, aligned perfectly with how history was supposed to unfold.
Shimizu thought for a moment, trying to step into Orochimaru's perspective. "You're hoping the war continues?"
"…It's not a matter of what I hope," Orochimaru said quietly. "It's a matter of what is about to happen."
A chill flickered through Shimizu's chest. "What do you mean?"
"Konoha has agreed to Sunagakure's request for peace—but the terms they're demanding are nothing short of outrageous." Orochimaru shook his head slightly. "I don't believe Sunagakure has any intention of honoring such an agreement. More likely, they're simply stalling for time."
"And in truth, Sunagakure's actual losses this time were not that severe… I'm referring to their remaining combat forces. They still possess enough strength to support another large-scale war."
That much was true. Sunagakure still had over ten thousand capable shinobi—far from a negligible force.
"As for Iwagakure, their retreat is real—but not because of Konoha." Orochimaru paused briefly before continuing, "Do you really think Kumogakure would back down so easily? The only reason they did… is because Konoha's leadership agreed to cede the entire Land of Grass to the Land of Lightning."
What?!
Ceding territory in exchange for peace?
For years, the Land of Grass had existed as a dependent state under the Land of Fire, maintaining nominal independence while paying a substantial annual tribute in resources in exchange for Konoha's protection.
And now…
Konoha had simply given up that prize?
The price of that decision was anything but small.
"Yet the agreement between Kumogakure and Konoha was supposed to be a secret… and somehow Iwagakure still learned of it," Orochimaru continued, his tone laced with quiet amusement. "It seems those old foxes in Konoha were never truly intent on giving up the Land of Grass."
With a bit of thought, Shimizu quickly grasped the crux of it.
Iwagakure had been using the Land of Grass as a foothold, even establishing camps within its borders as a springboard to invade the Land of Fire.
And now, Konoha had ceded that very territory to Kumogakure.
If Iwagakure continued advancing into the Land of Grass, it would effectively be declaring war on Kumogakure.
Konoha had deliberately leaked the information—just enough to make Iwagakure hesitate.
"I see… but wouldn't it have been more effective to wait until Iwagakure had pushed deeper into the Land of Grass before revealing it?" Shimizu asked, puzzled.
That way, Iwagakure and Kumogakure would be locked into a direct conflict of interests. With Kumogakure's pride, there was no way they'd let it go.
Wouldn't that inevitably spark a war between them?
And then Konoha could simply sit back and watch the tigers fight from the mountain.
Wouldn't that be the better outcome?
Orochimaru shook his head slightly. "If Iwagakure's invasion were firmly established, Kumogakure would indeed not let it slide… but in that case, the Land of Grass would inevitably become a battlefield. That would damage Konoha's long-term interests."
"I see!" Shimizu's eyes lit up in realization.
If war broke out there, the Land of Grass would be ravaged—its people devastated, its economy crippled. Even if it ultimately returned to Konoha's control, what value would remain?
Konoha had no intention of letting that happen.
But then another question surfaced.
Why would Kumogakure prefer that Iwagakure not know about the Land of Grass's new ownership?
Orochimaru's lips curved faintly. "The Third Raikage is in his prime—renowned as possessing both the 'strongest spear' and the 'strongest shield.' He has always sought to challenge my teacher and claim the title of the strongest Kage…"
"They're eager to expand their territory, to make their mark. What they truly want… is simply a justification to wage war."
"So even without this excuse," Shimizu concluded, "they would find another one."
As for who their next target would be—that depended entirely on Kumogakure's strategic needs.
If Konoha were to break the agreement, it would give them the perfect excuse to launch a full-scale invasion into the Land of Fire.
"It seems you understand what I'm getting at, Uzuki-kun."
Originally, both Iwagakure and Kumogakure had taken advantage of Konoha's reluctance to fight on multiple fronts, pushing their demands to the extreme.
But now, with the war temporarily paused, Konoha had finally gained a moment to breathe.
Sunagakure was stalling Konoha.
Konoha, in turn, was stalling Kumogakure.
And at the same time, it was making Iwagakure wary.
Everything had settled into a delicate, shifting balance.
The only question was—
What would be the spark that shattered it?
After all, none of the great powers had achieved their original objectives. There was no way they would simply let things end like this.
Perhaps tomorrow… a new war would erupt.
"That's why I came—to see how well you've recovered," Orochimaru said, his tone growing more deliberate, "and to remind you not to forget our agreement."
He looked straight at Shimizu.
"Uzuki-kun, we had a deal."
"Yes, I remember." Shimizu smiled faintly. "And I won't forget."
"Good…" Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction.
"So," Shimizu continued, still smiling, "is there anything else?"
He had never been one to show politeness toward Orochimaru.
"…There is one more thing."