Orochimaru himself had lost his parents, and even after being reborn into this world, he still had no family or close friends.
Konoha never felt like home to him, and he couldn't feel his presence there.
Initially, he trained tirelessly to survive, conducted meticulous research, took on missions to prove himself on the battlefield, and even collaborated with Danzo.
Later, to give himself purpose, he set a lofty goal.
To unite the entire ninja world under his power.
But that goal was distant, and the journey toward it was exhausting.
There were times when Orochimaru felt lost.
Why push so hard? To survive? To prevent Madara's resurrection?
If that were the case, his current strength would be more than sufficient.
It didn't take monumental power to thwart Madara's return; just a few well-placed plans would suffice.
And uniting the ninja world?
What real benefit did that bring him?
What was the point of pursuing it?
Orochimaru found himself grappling with these thoughts, unable to make sense of his own motivations.
Sometimes, he needed to feel alive through unconventional means.
Many people in the ninja world searched for their purpose in unusual ways.
For instance, in the early stages of the original series, Gaara found his purpose in killing.
Haku existed for Zabuza.
Nagato's life revolved around Yahiko and Konan.
Kimimaro lived for Orochimaru.
There were endless examples—people, goals, power, ideologies—all serving as anchors to keep going.
At the core, it was about finding a reason to live.
And Orochimaru was no different now.
For him, that reason was Tsunade.
Only when he was with Tsunade could he truly feel that he was alive…
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a young red-haired girl watched everything happening in the yard, eyes wide with astonishment under the moonlight.
What… did she just see?
Kushina was bewildered.
Though only ten, ninja children matured faster than most.
She didn't fully grasp what was happening, but she knew enough to understand that whatever it was, it was meant for adults.
The fact that the usually fierce, strong-willed Tsunade would act so submissive around Orochimaru? That was beyond belief.
And was that… edible?
Why else would Tsunade seem to enjoy it so much?
Kushina's cheeks flushed as she clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle any noise. She tiptoed back to her room and buried herself under her quilt, heart racing.
But her face stayed hot, and she couldn't shake the scene she'd just witnessed.
The words, the movements, the looks, and the expressions—all replayed vividly in her mind.
And Tsunade's chest... it was really that big… Wait! What was she even thinking?!
Kushina pulled the blanket over her head, trying to block out the memory and calm herself…
The next morning, Orochimaru and Tsunade were up early and headed to the village gates while Kushina was still fast asleep.
The war continued, but this time, Orochimaru's entire squad had changed.
In addition to Uchiha Mikoto, there was one jōnin and three chūnin.
Orochimaru didn't even bother to remember their names, but each of them showed him utmost respect.
When they found out they'd be assigned to Orochimaru's team the day before, they were thrilled.
Even the jōnin, named Jiro, was taken aback by his assignment.
He was going to fight alongside Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin? It was almost surreal.
"Let's go."
When Orochimaru reached the village gates, he gave a casual wave to the team.
He'd seen more than enough war in his time.
There was no need for pre-battle speeches or rallying cries. Once they arrived at the battlefield, he would assess their skills, that was more than sufficient.
Tsunade and Orochimaru parted ways there, as they were suited to different roles.
Orochimaru wasn't bothered by it; during wartime, there was little time for romance anyway.
This time, battles were still conducted in team formations.
Orochimaru led his squad swiftly toward the front lines facing the Sand Village.
Though he found these repetitive wars tiresome, he still fought with meticulous precision.
Summoning reconnaissance snakes, the small black serpents, Manda—none were spared.
Upon learning that Orochimaru had joined the battlefield, the Sand shinobi became more cautious in their strategies.
Even the Third Kazekage was frustrated but could do little against him.
Chiyo had already lost her son and was struggling with her motivation to fight.
Meanwhile, Konoha had its own formidable lineup with the Sannin and Hatake Sakumo.
In such a balanced struggle, the Sand Village was stuck.
After less than a year of Orochimaru's presence on the battlefield, the Sand Village found itself in a difficult position.
Advance? With Orochimaru and Sakumo there, they couldn't break through.
Retreat? That felt like admitting defeat.
So, after deliberation, the Third Kazekage made an important decision…
The Land of Rivers was a small country situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
During war, such neutral lands inevitably became the battlefields for larger nations.
Just like the Land of Rain before it.
Now, while there were still battle sites in the Land of Rain, due to Hanzo's previous strength, many conflicts had shifted to the Land of Rivers.
Amid the rugged mountains of the Land of Rivers, five figures hid behind large rocks flanking the road, waiting in silence.
Mikoto, dressed in standard-issue gear with a sword on her back, hid behind a boulder, eyes fixed on Orochimaru's back with admiration.
Over the past year, she had witnessed countless battles led by him and understood just how different the Sannin were from ordinary ninja.
Even among jōnin, they weren't equals.
Five enemy jōnin attacking with everything they had still couldn't harm Orochimaru.
With someone like him in the village, how could any other shinobi village hope to win against Konoha?
"Mikoto!"
"... Mikoto?"
"Yes… Yes!" Mikoto snapped out of her reverie, responding quickly.
Orochimaru frowned. "Stay focused on the battlefield."
"Apologies, Lord Orochimaru!"
"Never mind that. Are we at the right position according to our intel?"
Mikoto glanced at the map, then at the terrain around them. "Yes, this matches the map perfectly."
"Good."
"Um, Lord Orochimaru, if I may ask, who are we waiting to ambush here? Even you seem… cautious."
"Who are we ambushing?" Orochimaru smirked. "I'm not certain. But according to our intel, it's likely the Third Kazekage."
"W-What? The… Third Kazekage?"
***
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