Orochimaru maintained a steady pace as they traveled, pulling out a scroll and tossing it to Takuya.
"There's a spy placed in the Hidden Cloud Village by Konoha. He'll help us infiltrate, but after that, it's up to the two of us to handle the rest," Orochimaru explained.
"Too bad though... such pieces can only be used once."
"…Of course, they can," Takuya muttered internally. Once things blow up, the Hidden Cloud will definitely launch an internal investigation. All the spies planted by different villages will be rooted out one by one.
That's the whole point of a spy, right? To be useful when it matters most. What's the point of being sentimental about it? Anyone who takes this path knows they'll be discovered eventually. The moment they make a move, their value is gone.
Not many spies can stay hidden forever—unless they never act at all.
"Do we have any information on the Two-Tails jinchūriki?" Takuya asked, skimming through the scroll.
Orochimaru took the scroll back and replied, "Konoha only has detailed intel on the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. As for the Two-Tails, it rampaged not too long ago, and they've likely replaced the jinchūriki since then. I'm afraid the Hidden Cloud has hidden them away."
"That's a shame," Takuya said, slightly disappointed.
He was looking forward to testing himself against the Two-Tails jinchūriki, but if they were locked away, it seemed their target was limited to the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. If they managed to release the Eight-Tails, it would certainly make the Third Raikage furious.
How much destruction they could cause would depend on how quickly the Raikage returned to the village. The Hidden Cloud had special transportation seals, and given the Raikage's near-superhuman durability, it would hardly slow him down.
"Takuya, are you interested in the Two-Tails?" Orochimaru asked with a sly grin.
"Yeah, I've heard the Two-Tails is a rather unique bijū among the tailed beasts. I was curious to see for myself, but it looks like the Hidden Cloud isn't giving me the chance. I guess we'll focus on the Eight-Tails," Takuya replied.
If the Two-Tails isn't available, then the Eight-Tails would be the next best thing. As long as they could cause a little chaos in the Hidden Cloud, that was enough for him.
By the time the Hidden Cloud got their next Eight-Tails jinchūriki, it would probably be that goofball, Killer Bee.
"What do you think is the meaning of life?" Orochimaru suddenly asked as they continued on their journey.
Takuya paused, glancing back at him, then sat down on a nearby rock. He decided to take a short break.
Orochimaru sat down as well, his gaze never leaving Takuya.
Takuya pulled out a scroll, retrieving some supplies. He was planning to grab a quick bite before they continued.
"Probably... just staying alive," Takuya said casually.
It was a question everyone had a different answer to. For Orochimaru, it was immortality. For Takuya, he wasn't as ambitious—just living was enough. In a way, it was the same as immortality, just without the obsession.
After all, who wants to die if they can keep on living? Although, in the world of shinobi, not dying was easier said than done.
"Just staying alive?" Orochimaru repeated.
"Of course. What else?" Takuya replied.
"And why is that?" Orochimaru asked, clearly intrigued by Takuya's answer.
It wasn't the kind of response you'd expect from someone Takuya's age. Most kids at this age would struggle to answer such a deep question. Many wouldn't even know what to say.
Orochimaru had asked the same question to Nawaki before, and his answer… Well, Orochimaru could only describe it as underwhelming.
"Because life only has meaning while you're alive. Once you lose it, you lose everything."
Orochimaru was still thinking over Takuya's words. Was this question coming from a place of personal reflection? Nawaki was still alive and well. So what was triggering this line of thought in Orochimaru? Takuya wondered.
Maybe something happened to Orochimaru on the frontlines in the Land of Rivers. He had been acting a little strange since he returned from the battlefield.
After a while, Orochimaru suddenly chuckled.
"Takuya, your answer is... fascinating. The meaning of life is to live, and once life is gone, so is everything."
"Mmm..." Orochimaru seemed to be lost in thought again. He quickly stopped walking, pulling out a scroll and a pen, and started jotting down notes.
Takuya had no idea what Orochimaru was doing, so he waited, watching the snake-like shinobi scribble away.
This was why Takuya had to be careful around him. Orochimaru, once he went down a darker path, would become utterly ruthless. It was safer to keep a distance from someone like that.
Especially since a darkened Orochimaru would develop a particular fascination with the Sharingan, and Takuya didn't want to get caught up in that.
Once Orochimaru had finished writing, he smiled, pleased with himself, and tucked away the scroll and pen.
The two resumed their journey.
The world wasn't exactly peaceful at the moment. While the war between Konoha and the Hidden Rain had ended, a fierce conflict was now raging between Konoha and the Hidden Sand in the Land of Rivers.
Meanwhile, Hanzo of the Hidden Rain had launched an invasion of the Land of Iron.
In another corner of the world, tensions between the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Stone were escalating, as the two long-time rivals clashed once again. In fact, the threat of an attack from the Hidden Cloud had forced the Tsuchikage, Onoki, to withdraw his forces from the Hidden Rain and redirect them to defend against the Hidden Cloud.
In a roundabout way, the Hidden Cloud had actually helped Konoha.
If the Hidden Stone hadn't pulled back its forces, the war in the Hidden Rain would have dragged on. Konoha's all and, Chiyo, was able to negotiate a truce with Hanzo, but Onoki wouldn't have given him the same courtesy.
Takuya and Orochimaru passed through the Land of Iron as they made their way to the Hidden Cloud.
The war had even brought chaos to the once-neutral Land of Iron. Villages burned, and the signs of battle were everywhere.
They stopped to rest in one such village, which had been ravaged by conflict. Takuya handled the food while Orochimaru went hunting.
Soon, a half-grown deer was roasting over the fire, filling the air with the mouth-watering scent of venison.
"Takuya, your cooking skills are truly impressive. No wonder Tsunade is always going on about your food," Orochimaru remarked, taking a bite of the perfectly roasted meat.
Although he wasn't picky about food, Orochimaru didn't mind indulging in good cuisine when the opportunity presented itself.
As they ate, Takuya mused, "I wonder how long the war between the Hidden Rain and the Land of Iron will last."
"The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone won't stand by and watch. The Land of Iron is neutral, after all, and they have good relations with the five great villages. Even if Konoha doesn't get involved, the Cloud and Stone certainly will," Orochimaru replied.
Among the five great villages, Konoha was stretched thin. The Sand was struggling to hold its own. The Mist was too far away and too isolated to interfere. Orochimaru believed the fate of the Land of Iron would be decided by how the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone reacted.
Konoha might want to intervene, but they were in no position to do so, and it wasn't like Hanzo would listen to them anyway.
If the Raikage or Onoki got involved, Hanzo wouldn't have much choice but to retreat. He might be known as a "demi-god," but his power only extended so far.
Against the Raikage or Onoki, Hanzo didn't stand a chance.
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