The Third Hokage was in a bad mood, and so were the other members of the council, but Tsunade was quite pleased. The council wanted to suppress the news, but they didn't dare to and couldn't even try. Doing so during wartime would offend many and dishearten countless others.
Moreover, Tsunade wouldn't allow it, and neither would the Fire Daimyo.
When the news returned to Konoha, Tsunade quickly informed the Daimyo's mansion to prevent any interference from the council. The Daimyo, initially in a terrible mood, became delighted upon hearing the news. Tsunade subtly mentioned her connection to Shinki, which made the Daimyo even happier.
"One of ours," he thought.
In his joy, the Daimyo promised to greatly reward Shinki after the war. With both Tsunade and the Daimyo on his side, and with the news already spreading throughout the village and even the entire ninja world, the Third Hokage had no choice but to let Shinki's fame grow.
Once the wounded stabilized, the camp began its journey back to Konoha.
Shinki led a group of ninjas to escort the injured and important supplies back to the village first, while Nara Shikashin stayed behind as the rear guard.
"We finally left that dreadful place."
After entering the Land of Fire and moving away from the border, the endless rain stopped.
Sitting in the carriage, Shinki muttered, "I think I'll hate rainy days for a while."
Two long years! He had spent one year stationed at the border and another year in active war, both spent in the rain-soaked Land of Rain or its bordering camp. Over 700 days of relentless rain, even in winter—it was enough to drain anyone's spirits.
Living there long-term must be crushing.
Orochimaru, sharing the carriage with Shinki, glanced at the clear sky and remarked, "It'll start snowing soon."
"Are you planning to head to the River Country battlefield?"
In the Second Great Ninja War, Orochimaru's most significant accomplishments had not been in the Land of Rain but on the River Country front.
"Not right away."
Orochimaru smiled slightly. "I need to take some time to create new puppets. As for the war, it can wait a bit. Total war isn't something that will end quickly, and I need some rest."
Despite the Third Hokage's push for Orochimaru to head to the River Country battlefield, Orochimaru had declined. He would go, but only on his own time.
While Orochimaru always wore a smile when speaking to his comrades, he was not easy to push around. Jiraiya was more compliant, always ready to do as the Third Hokage asked. Tsunade, on the other hand, acted on her own terms and only when she wanted to. Orochimaru fell somewhere in between; he would agree but delay, as he was doing now. The Third Hokage could do nothing about it.
After all, Orochimaru had just returned from a grueling campaign in the Land of Rain, so resting was justified.
As for Shinki...
The council preferred not to see him on the battlefield again, or even at any battlefield camp. It would be better if he stayed in the village and didn't pull off any more feats that would complicate matters.
Since Shinki's rise, the Third Hokage had felt increasingly threatened. In peacetime, his position was secure, but war had a way of changing everything.
Shinki had already soared high, and they didn't want him to climb any higher.
"It's time to rest for a while. You've been in the spotlight enough recently," Orochimaru said, looking at Shinki with a smirk.
Shinki nodded and shifted the conversation to Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo had taken a heavy blow during the Land of Rain campaign but was later recalled. He redeemed himself by leading the assault that dismantled the Sand Village's elite teams, earning repeated military distinctions.
More than half of the infiltrators who entered the Land of Fire fell to his blade.
The legend of the "Konoha White Fang" began to spread.
"White Fang is exceptional," Orochimaru said, though he didn't seem overly invested. "But Shinki's title, 'God Slayer,' now that carries much more weight."
"..."
Shinki's expression darkened slightly.
He had no idea who started calling him that, but the name had stuck. "God Slayer" was now how people referred to him after defeating Hanzo, the "demigod."
Sure, he killed a demigod, but did that mean he wanted such a dramatic title? It felt juvenile.
Even though "Konoha White Fang" was well-known, it couldn't compare to "God Slayer." And as word continued to spread among the shinobi world, this title would only grow more famous.
Shinki sighed at the thought of being called "God Slayer" from now on.
"Your title, 'Konoha White Snake,' isn't bad either," Shinki shot back at Orochimaru, smirking.
"Uh..."
Orochimaru's smile froze.
It was clear the nickname "Konoha White Snake" left him stunned.
"Hahaha..."
Orochimaru's expression soured. Tit for tat. He might have enjoyed teasing, but Shinki's comeback was cutting. While "God Slayer" was flashy but impressive, "Konoha White Snake" sounded... strange.
This nickname came from an incident during an ambush by Iwagakure. Konoha's elite were caught in a trap; Jiraiya was severely wounded, and Hatake Sakumo barely escaped injury. Orochimaru, however, came out relatively unscathed, albeit exhausted. Rumor had it that he almost transformed into a giant white snake during that battle.
Kitsuchi, one of Iwagakure's prominent leaders, mockingly coined the title afterward.
"By the way, how did you end up with that nickname?" Shinki asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Orochimaru turned away, clearly uninterested in discussing it.
Kitsuchi... there was no doubt Orochimaru loathed that man.
Sure, Orochimaru liked using snakes and had various snake-related techniques, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the "White Snake" moniker. And adding "Konoha" in front made it sound even weirder.
"Hahaha..."
Shinki's laughter echoed through the carriage, leaving Orochimaru with no choice but to step out and feign ignorance.
From that day forward, Orochimaru ignored anyone who called him the "Konoha White Snake."
It was too ridiculous.
While he accepted that people knew about his snake techniques, for those unaware, it might suggest something completely different... and Orochimaru wasn't having any of that.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 270 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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