48. A Small Showdown With Orochimaru

After parting ways with Uzumaki Kushina, Sora returned to Orochimaru's base.

Orochimaru was in the midst of packing his belongings when Sora arrived. Noticing Sora's return, Orochimaru set down what he was holding, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips as he teased, "Why didn't you spend a little more time with Kushina?"

Sora flushed slightly and replied, "Konoha hasn't been very safe lately, so I sent her home early."

Orochimaru continued organizing his things, his tone casual as he asked, "Really? Have you made a decision?"

Sora frowned in confusion. "Decision?"

Orochimaru glanced at him and explained, "I assume you already understand why Kushina was brought to Konoha. You don't have many friends, and your relentless drive to grow stronger—most of it is likely for Kushina.

Konoha plans for Kushina to become the next Nine Tails Jinchūriki. Judging by your attitude toward Lady Mito, I'd imagine you're strongly opposed to this decision. After all, I'm still your teacher—I can make some educated guesses about your thoughts.

You need to decide soon. Will you allow Kushina to become the Nine Tails Jinchūriki, or will you try to stop it?

Lady Mito's health is failing day by day. If you wait too long, the decision will be finalized, and no amount of resistance will change it."

Sora stared at Orochimaru, his gaze steady yet silent. Orochimaru appeared unbothered by the scrutiny and continued packing as if the weight of the conversation didn't concern him.

After a long pause, Sora spoke quietly. "Orochimaru-sensei, I don't understand. You know that I see Konoha as a cage from which I'll eventually escape. So why do you put so much effort into training me? You're aware that when I leave, there's a chance you and I may end up as enemies."

Orochimaru looked up, his snake-like eyes gleaming with amusement. "Sora, I thought you would understand me better than that."

Sora froze, his breath catching for a moment. He did know where Orochimaru's ambitions would lead one day. Yet, the Orochimaru standing before him now felt different, harder to comprehend. Orochimaru, at this stage, still appeared dedicated to Konoha—or so it seemed.

Orochimaru's piercing gaze locked onto Sora as he spoke. "The Will of Fire and all those ideals... they mean nothing to me. They're shackles—things that can be discarded when necessary.

In my eyes, such beliefs only restrict us, preventing us from achieving greater things. Life is too short to be wasted on fear or limitations imposed by ideology."

Sora remained silent as Orochimaru continued. "But... discarding such things isn't so simple. Both you and I require an identity, a role, to survive in this world of shinobi. Don't you agree?"

Sora hesitated before asking, "So... Orochimaru-sensei, will you help me?"

Orochimaru shook his head, his expression sly. "As your teacher? No. But... if you can offer something that genuinely interests me, we can cooperate—as collaborators."

A small smile tugged at Sora's lips. "Orochimaru-sensei, I'll tell you this: I've already made my decision, and I've thought of a way to handle it. I hope that, in the future, we can indeed work together as collaborators."

Orochimaru's smile widened, his amusement evident. "I'll look forward to that day, then. But remember, Kushina's role as the next Nine Tails Jinchūriki is crucial to Konoha. I'm curious—what method have you devised to deal with this?"

Sora's eyes gleamed with resolve as he replied, "For now, with Lady Mito still alive, Kushina remains merely a backup—a candidate.

Konoha values her because of the Uzumaki clan's unique vitality and her special chakra. But a candidate isn't the same as a container... not yet."

Sometimes, Kushina was regarded as merely a spare vessel for the Uzumaki clan.

"Wouldn't it be better to have one more?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? Does that mean you've found other surviving members of the Uzumaki clan?"

Sora shook his head. "Not yet. But I have some leads. I'm confident that with enough effort, I'll find them."

Orochimaru's expression shifted slightly, his curiosity piqued. "And what if you can't find them?"

After a moment of thought, Sora replied firmly, "Then it will depend on how strong I've become by then."

Orochimaru studied Sora, an amused smile creeping onto his face. "You're truly determined, Sora."

Sora's tone was solemn. "I believe that moment won't come too soon. I still have time. For now, I need to focus on improving my strength. The future will unfold as it should, and when the time comes, I'll find a way."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "You're not wrong. The stronger you become, the more options you'll have.

The memories of the three Kumogakure shinobi have been analyzed. Two were special Jōnin, and one was a full-fledged Jōnin. Additionally, the three disguised as pirates were spies from Kirigakure. They were scouting the Land of Fire.

Thanks to this, your achievements are undeniable. It's no surprise you'll officially become a Chūnin tomorrow. If this were wartime, you might have already been promoted to special Jōnin or even Jōnin by now."

Sora was unsurprised by his upcoming promotion. It was something he had anticipated. After all, to earn it, he had gone to great lengths—capturing the three Kirigakure spies alive and bringing back the heads of the three Kumogakure shinobi.

"Rest well tonight," Orochimaru said. "Once we reach the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water, there won't be much time for rest."

"Understood, Orochimaru-sensei," Sora replied.

With that, Sora bid Orochimaru goodnight and returned to his room.

Lying on his bed, Sora replayed his earlier conversation with Orochimaru in his mind.

It had been something of a small confrontation between them. Sora was now certain that Orochimaru had already begun pursuing his experiments on immortality, no matter the cost.

Knowing this, Sora felt he no longer needed to worry about Orochimaru. In many ways, their goals now aligned. It could even be said that he and Orochimaru were tied to the same rope.

The next morning, before dawn, Sora and Orochimaru went to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen. As expected, the Third Hokage formally awarded Sora the rank of Chūnin.

After giving Orochimaru a few final instructions, Hiruzen sent them off. Sora and Orochimaru made their way to Konoha's main gate, preparing to leave the Land of Fire and head toward the Land of Hot Water.

There, at the gate, Sora saw someone both expected and unexpected—Uzumaki Kushina.

Walking up to her, Sora couldn't help but smile. He reached out and gently rubbed her cheeks, which were flushed pink from the early morning cold.

"Why didn't you stay in bed a little longer?" he asked softly.

Kushina pouted slightly. "I couldn't sleep, knowing you'd be gone for a long time. I wanted to see you off."

"Don't worry about me," Sora reassured her. "I'll write you letters and send them with one of my snakes. And when you miss me, you can send a letter back with the snake."

Kushina's face brightened, and she held out her pinky finger. "Then it's a promise!"

Sora hooked his pinky around hers and smiled. "It's a promise!"

After saying his goodbyes to Kushina, Sora turned to leave with Orochimaru. Together, they set off for the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water.

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