"Speak. Who are you, and why did you steal from us?"
Tsunade stood before the man with her arms crossed, her expression sharp and intimidating. The stranger glared back stubbornly, the unusual purple eyes in his sockets carrying an eerie gleam.
"You seem to hold quite the grudge against Konoha," she added. "Did our village do something to your clan?"
Orochimaru walked up silently, placing a hand on Tsunade's shoulder as he studied the man. His golden eyes narrowed as he examined the strange dojutsu swirling in the man's gaze—a bloodline ability he had never seen.
"Our clan holds an ancient hatred for the Uchiha Clan," the man spat, voice trembling with contained fury. "And because the Uchiha helped found Konoha alongside the Senju, I also despise Konoha. The Uchiha Clan dragged our people into ruin!"
His purple eyes began to redden as emotion stirred the chakra in them.
"You look like you need to calm down," Orochimaru said softly.
Without warning, he covered Tsunade's eyes with one hand and, with the other, extended a white snake tail from behind him. The tail morphed into a sharp fang and touched the man's throat. The cold, killing intent froze him instantly.
"I–I'm calm," the man blurted, shaking.
"That's better," Orochimaru said.
Still, "better safe than sorry."
His palm shot forward, striking the man's stomach. A dark pattern instantly appeared on the man's forehead. The man gasped and staggered, clutching himself.
"You! What did you do to me?! My bloodline—my eyes—I can't activate anything!"
"I placed a sealing curse mark on you," Orochimaru replied. "It prevents any eye-based ninjutsu."
Tsunade stared at the mark. "This looks similar to the Hyūga Clan's Caged Bird Seal…"
Orochimaru smirked slightly. "Inspired by it, perhaps."
He then waved his hand, releasing the ropes binding the man.
"Now," Orochimaru said, "tell us the real story. What exactly happened between the Chinoike Clan and the Uchiha Clan?"
He sounded genuinely curious—almost excited, as if waiting for a juicy drama.
Disappointingly, the man took a deep breath and slowly explained.
He belonged to the Chinoike Clan, a clan with the Ketsuryūgan, a dojutsu adept at genjutsu and blood manipulation. Its abilities could even turn living creatures into explosives. Many years earlier, the Chinoike were a functioning clan in the Land of Lightning.
Everything changed, however, when a Chinoike girl married into the Daimyō's household as a concubine. Shortly after, the Daimyō fell ill and died. The jealous main wife accused the Chinoike girl of murdering him with her bloodline abilities. As a result, the entire Chinoike Clan was exiled to Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water.
The Uchiha Clan—acting as hired military support—was tasked with containing and monitoring the exiled Chinoike. When members of the Chinoike tried seeking an audience, negotiation, or assistance from the Uchiha, they were rejected every time. Over the years, the clan dwindled, trapped in a toxic wasteland.
"It's all the Uchiha Clan's fault!" the man shouted angrily. "Because of them, we lost everything!"
Orochimaru's expression went blank.
T-this is it? This is the melodramatic clan feud I was expecting? Where is the betrayal, the star-crossed lovers, the forbidden romance? Did they even think this through?
He pressed his fingers to his forehead in disbelief.
"You said it yourself," Orochimaru muttered. "Why are you blaming the Uchiha? Isn't it the Daimyō's main wife who framed your clan? What kind of logic is this?"
He looked at the man with a mixture of pity and irritation.
"Why not hate the woman who destroyed your clan's future? Instead, you fixate on the Uchiha—the hired help who just did their job? Even mercenaries need to eat."
Tsunade, surprisingly, nodded sympathetically. "But the Uchiha still refused to listen to them. Isn't that still unfair?"
Orochimaru stared at her.
As expected of Senju Tobirama's descendant... the bias runs deep.
He couldn't let this nonsense continue.
"Enough," Orochimaru said firmly. "The core problem here was never the Uchiha. The Chinoike Clan is the one who misunderstood everything from the beginning."
"Ha?" Tsunade blinked.
"What are you talking about?" the man asked, confused.
Orochimaru pointed at him.
"You've been hating the wrong enemy your entire life. Tell me—who slandered your clan? Who caused your exile?"
The man hesitated. "…The Daimyō's main wife."
"Exactly. So who's actually responsible? The Uchiha? What did the Uchiha ever do to you besides carry out a mission they were paid for?"
Orochimaru spread his hands.
"At that time, even the Senju Clan worked for money. You expect one mercenary clan to sacrifice their reputation and livelihood for you? If the Uchiha refused orders or helped your clan escape, they would lose credibility across nations. They'd never receive missions again. Their whole clan could collapse."
Tsunade rubbed her forehead awkwardly. It was hard to argue with that.
Orochimaru continued ruthlessly:
"In the end, your clan wanted something for nothing. You expected the Uchiha to risk everything, while your clan offered no compensation, no political leverage, nothing. And now, decades later, you still dare to hate them as if they owed you something?"
The man opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Orochimaru grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"Tell me—after all these years, are you still convinced you're the victims? Your real enemy was the Daimyō's family. Did you ever seek revenge? Did you ever confront them? No—you hid in Hell Valley and blamed the easiest target."
The man trembled, speechless.
"Pathetic," Orochimaru muttered. "Your clan clung to a false hatred while doing nothing to address the actual cause of your downfall."
He dropped the man unceremoniously. The man collapsed to the dirt, his beliefs shattering.
Tsunade watched him with pity—and a hint of embarrassment for not realizing the truth earlier.
"Orochimaru… you're actually pretty smart," she said.
"Of course," Orochimaru sniffed, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes.
The man slowly looked up. "…Orochimaru? Did you say… Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru blinked. "You've heard of me?"
The man nodded vigorously.
"In the entire ninja world, very few people do not know your name. The Four Great Shinobi Villages sent countless shinobi to kill you. None succeeded. On the black market, no bounty hunter even dares attempt to collect your reward."
He stared at Orochimaru with awe and fear.
Orochimaru felt… slightly disappointed.
"So my fame comes not from my research achievements, but because I survived assassination attempts?" He touched his chin. "Should I give myself a more glorious title? Something like… the 'Undying Phoenix Orochimaru'?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
Orochimaru shifted the topic.
"Is your Chinoike Clan still in Hell Valley?"
The man nodded warily. "Why?"
"If you have nowhere else to go, you may find this useful."
Orochimaru flicked a business card onto the ground in front of him.
"The president of this company… let's just say our relationship is a bit complicated. But arranging stable work for your clan is something entirely within their abilities."
He was about to place his arm around Tsunade's shoulder again, but she grabbed his hand before he could.
A buzzing sound filled the air.
Both of them vanished in an instant, leaving only drifting dust.
The man stared dumbfounded at the empty space, then slowly bent to pick up the card.
"White Snake… White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Corporation…?!"
His eyes widened, trembling with excitement.
If their clan truly could gain the support of this powerful organization, they could finally escape Hell Valley's suffering.
For the first time in decades, he felt hope.