After Hozuki Suigetsu's bold words, the air seemed to turn cold. He carefully glanced at the expressionless Orochimaru, then lifted his head to look at Yuto, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Suigetsu feared Orochimaru from the bottom of his heart.
That was exactly why he found Yuto—who could speak to Orochimaru as an equal—so interesting.
"If I go with you, where are we going?" Suigetsu asked quietly.
"Back to Kirigakure, of course. Who else do you think would come for you?"
Yuto looked at him like he was an idiot.
Of course, that wasn't entirely true. In three or four years, a certain "second brat" would also come to take Suigetsu out.
Back to Kirigakure?!
Suigetsu froze, then his face darkened. Compared to being kept in Orochimaru's tanks, he'd rather do anything else than return to Kiri.
He had stolen a clan scroll before he ran away. If he went back now, the Hozuki Clan would kill him.
Just as he was about to speak, Yuto's calm voice cut in:
"You don't have the right to refuse."
Suigetsu pouted but said nothing more.
Impulsive as he was, he wasn't stupid. Anyone who could treat Orochimaru as an equal had to be terrifyingly strong.
Status alone wouldn't make Orochimaru respectful—it had to be power.
"I've already given Yuto-dono what he asked for," Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes flashing. "Now, I wonder if you're interested in one of my plans?"
"A plan?" Yuto's eyes sharpened slightly, though his face stayed calm.
"A plan about Konoha."
Orochimaru's tone carried excitement.
Yuto smiled. "I'm very interested."
In truth, aside from taking Kimimaro and Suigetsu, Yuto also wanted to get involved in the "Konoha Crush" plan.
It was too good an opportunity to weaken Konoha.
But in its original form, that plan was trash. Aside from killing the Third Hokage and knocking down some buildings, Konoha barely suffered.
Orochimaru even screwed over Sunagakure, costing them a Kazekage, reparations, signatures—everything short of ceding land.
Not that Konoha would even want Suna's barren land.
Still, if Konoha was to be crushed, Yuto thought coldly, then even if he couldn't destroy it without revealing himself, he'd make sure it was left half-crippled.
The day his identity spread across the ninja world, it would mean the war had begun.
Yuto and Orochimaru didn't speak long. Soon, Yuto left with Kimimaro and Suigetsu.
Neither needed to share details. Yuto believed: there's no such thing as a flawless plan. A shared direction was enough.
This trip to Otogakure had gone smoother than he imagined.
Orochimaru's treasures meant little to him—aside from Edo Tensei (Reanimation), which was too precious for Orochimaru to part with. That jutsu was Orochimaru's lifeline and bargaining chip.
On a narrow dirt road—
Yuto walked ahead, looking bored. Behind him, Kimimaro was silent and expressionless, while Suigetsu kept glancing around, clearly scheming.
"So… are we really going back to Kirigakure?" Suigetsu asked cautiously.
Yuto didn't even bother turning around. Suigetsu had asked a dozen times already.
Seeing Yuto ignore him, Suigetsu just shifted his eyes toward the roadside, weighing his chances of escape.
"I advise you not to try running. Otherwise, you won't keep your legs."
Yuto's calm words made Suigetsu's body shiver.
Compared to Suigetsu's restless chatter, Kimimaro was silent.
"No longer useful as a weapon—tell me, Kimimaro, do weapons without a master deserve to exist?" Yuto asked, still walking.
Kimimaro froze. From the moment Orochimaru took him, he had lived only for him, believing himself Orochimaru's strongest weapon.
Now that Orochimaru didn't want him, what could he do?
"As a weapon… do I even deserve to exist anymore?" Kimimaro muttered.
"This world still has fools who see themselves as weapons? What, you don't even have friends or family?" Suigetsu muttered under his breath.
Though quiet, both Yuto and Kimimaro heard him.
Friends?
Kimimaro repeated the word softly. A figure appeared in his mind.
"Jugo…" he whispered.
"If you have friends, then you're no weapon," Suigetsu said casually, scratching his head.
Yuto gave Suigetsu a surprised glance. The boy had, by accident, helped him.
Stopping suddenly, Yuto turned to Kimimaro.
In Kimimaro's dazed expression, Yuto smiled.
"Who said you have no family? You are the descendant of an old friend of mine. That makes you my kin. You were never a weapon."
Kimimaro blinked, stunned by the words.
Family—foreign, yet tempting.
He didn't sense Yuto was lying.
Yuto smiled faintly and reached out toward Kimimaro's head.
Instinctively, Kimimaro drew a bone blade and stabbed forward.
It struck Yuto's chest—but as before, it couldn't pierce his clothes.
Yuto's hand fell on Kimimaro's head.
He ruffled the boy's white hair, smiling gently. "I'll take you home."
Kimimaro froze, struck by a sense of déjà vu.
Like when Orochimaru first took his hand and led him away.
But now the feeling was stronger, warmer.
A strange, calming peace.
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