(Last Day of Free Trial).
With such convenient railways and luxurious carriages, this is no less comfortable than riding in a traditional carriage or sedan.
Gaining recognition from the daimyo had given Sasuke even more motivation, making it all the more justifiable for him to "acquire" greater power.
That night, Sasuke hosted the Third Hokage at the Uchiha mansion.
Orochimaru was present.
The moment the Third Hokage saw Orochimaru, despite being mentally prepared, he couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.
His feelings toward this former student were truly complicated.
Did he care for him? Undoubtedly, Orochimaru was his favorite.
Among the three disciples, the Third Hokage had perhaps liked Orochimaru the most. He was intelligent, eager to learn, quick-witted, and incredibly talented. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had gone astray, conducting unethical human experiments on fellow villagers, forcing the Third Hokage to personally expel him.
What? You think Orochimaru escaped on his own? Don't be absurd.
If the Third Hokage had truly wanted to kill Orochimaru, would he have escaped? Orochimaru was indeed powerful, but when he defected, the elite forces of Konoha Village were still intact and stationed in the village.
At that time, the Uchiha clan was still strong. Shisui, with his exceptional abilities, could almost handle Orochimaru alone. If the village had mobilized its full strength, Orochimaru certainly wouldn't have been able to escape.
In the end, aside from the brief confrontation between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, there had been no real pursuit. Orochimaru's escape from the village was clearly intentional. Only Jiraiya had objected, and he had pursued Orochimaru alone, though he failed to bring him back in the end.
"It seems you've given up on those experiments," the Third Hokage said after observing Orochimaru for a moment.
Orochimaru smiled, slipping his hands into his sleeves.
"I wouldn't say I've given up. I've simply found more interesting research projects for the time being, thanks to Sasuke-kun. So, those other experiments have been put on hold."
"That's good. People aren't meant to live forever. Your kind of research is too unethical," the Third Hokage remarked as he walked inside, smoking his pipe.
"That's not necessarily true, Sarutobi-sensei. Don't ghosts live forever?" Orochimaru smiled behind him.
The Third Hokage paused slightly, turning his head slightly in the darkness.
"So, how did you come to that conclusion?"
"Of course, I have my sources," Orochimaru replied with a grin.
The Third Hokage didn't inquire further, and Orochimaru fell silent.
Sasuke, representing both the Uchiha clan and the daimyo, hosted the Third Hokage with a formal dinner.
No important issues were discussed during the meal; it was mostly casual conversation.
When the topic of the recently released movies came up, the Third Hokage commented that the films were well-made and did a great job of portraying the greatness of the two main figures. The characters' personalities were captured faithfully. However, he raised a small concern. Was it appropriate for Sasuke to have ninjas use the Transformation Technique to appear exactly as they did in real life?
In truth, for this type of artistic work, a close resemblance would have sufficed. It wasn't necessary to recreate exact likenesses.
Sasuke accepted the critique with humility, acknowledging that the movie had already been released and it was too late to make changes. He would be more mindful in the future.
The Third Hokage assured him it wasn't a criticism, merely a suggestion.
Sasuke then expressed his desire to extend the railway to Konoha Village. Since Konoha was essentially the Hokage's private territory, even though the railway plan was connected to the development of the Land of Fire, it still needed to be discussed with the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage responded that he couldn't make the decision alone and would need to consult with others.
In short, the evening was filled with subtle exchanges, with both Sasuke and the Third Hokage engaging in a battle of wits over drinks. Neither party emerged with a clear victory.
Sasuke held a positional advantage, with the daimyo backing him and the grand project of developing the Land of Fire. Unless Konoha Village severed ties with the Land of Fire, it was inevitable that they would be drawn into the larger plan. However, the Third Hokage's experience and wisdom made it so that Sasuke was unable to achieve any significant objective that night.
As the dinner concluded and the Third Hokage departed, Sasuke sighed in frustration.
"That old man is really difficult to deal with. Even after everything I said, he didn't give an inch."
"That's perfectly normal. He's the strongest Hokage, after all," Orochimaru said, stepping up beside Sasuke, glancing mockingly at the retreating figure of the Third Hokage.
(End of Chapter).
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