Kimimaro remained silent for a moment, then pointed to his chest.
"This is where I belong!"
Orochimaru was a bit surprised.
This boy had an incredibly strong will.
To declare that his own heart was his destination—that kind of resolve could only come from someone with immense mental strength.
This boy, imprisoned for nearly ten years, had not sought anyone's approval. Instead, he had honed such a powerful will.
Truly remarkable.
A smile began to spread across Orochimaru's face.
This boy was quite intriguing.
Orochimaru could almost see his own reflection in Kimimaro.
Initially, Orochimaru only admired Kimimaro's talent, but now he felt a deeper connection, almost as if he had found a kindred spirit.
"Alone, what meaning is there in living?"
Orochimaru spoke again, though it seemed like he was asking himself as much as he was asking Kimimaro.
"The meaning of living?"
Kimimaro murmured softly, a look of confusion appropriate for his age appearing on his face.
To play his role completely, Kimimaro knew it would be odd to respond too quickly to such a question.
After a moment, as if he had come to a realization, he spoke firmly, "Right now, I don't know what the meaning of living is. But I do know that life is fragile. If you die, nothing has meaning. If you're not strong enough, you'll end up like my clan, with no control over your fate.
"I want to live! I want to live forever! To gain the power to change everything! Maybe then, I will find the meaning of living."
As he finished speaking, Kimimaro could clearly see the visible joy in Orochimaru's eyes.
The look in Orochimaru's eyes was like he had found a kindred spirit.
"Heh, that's quite an interesting thought."
Orochimaru wasn't afraid of loneliness—in fact, he thrived on it.
But finding someone like himself was certainly a welcome discovery.
People who pursued immortality and power were, in essence, Orochimaru's kindred spirits.
In that moment, Orochimaru's fondness for Kimimaro grew significantly.
Sensing the change in Orochimaru, Kimimaro felt the time was right. He tightened his grip on his bone sword and spoke coldly.
"Enough with the talk. Judging by your appearance, you're not a ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. Who exactly are you?"
He had answered Orochimaru's question and established his new persona of seeking immortality and power. It was time to get to the main point.
"You don't need to be so tense. I'm not from the Hidden Mist Village. But I can offer you everything you desire. Come with me, and I can help you gain both power and immortality. Because we are the same kind of people."
Sunlight shone from behind Orochimaru, making him appear radiant, almost like a savior sent to rescue Kimimaro.
The atmosphere was intense.
If Kimimaro didn't have the soul of someone who had traveled from another world, he might have regarded Orochimaru as a god in that moment.
There was no illusion, no manipulation—just the sheer force of Orochimaru's charisma.
You had to admit, in this aspect, Orochimaru could easily start a masterclass.
No wonder he was known as the friend of orphans.
"Remember my name. I am Orochimaru."
That deep, raspy voice slowly revealed his name.
"Orochimaru?"
Kimimaro repeated it softly, as if contemplating the meaning behind the name.
"You can give me everything I want?"
"Heh, I can make you stronger quickly. As for immortality, that road is long. I'm still searching myself. Perhaps we'll be companions on that journey. Come with me, Kimimaro."
Orochimaru extended his right hand in an offer.
Kimimaro put on an appropriate look of fascination and slowly walked toward Orochimaru.
The smile on Orochimaru's face grew wider.
"If I can gain immortality and power, I'm willing to go with you."
"Heh, you won't be disappointed."
Kimimaro grasped Orochimaru's outstretched hand, accepting his offer.
"Congratulations, traveler. You've acquired the Imperial Arm: The Hand of God. The Hand of God enhances the precision of your fingers by hundreds of times, greatly aiding in tasks such as weapon crafting and medical treatment. It can fully integrate with the soul of the traveler's hands."
Hearing this, Kimimaro felt a surge of joy within.
With the Hand of God, his path toward research and medicine would be much smoother.
Although ecstatic inside, Kimimaro maintained a composed exterior, showing no odd expressions.
"Let's go. We should leave this place."
"Where are we going?"
"To the place that belongs to us."
Kimimaro followed Orochimaru and left.
He knew he was safe, for now.
Leaving the Hidden Mist Village and joining Orochimaru's camp had granted him the freedom to survive, as well as the opportunity to learn.
There might be many places in the ninja world where he could learn, but Orochimaru was undoubtedly the best teacher for Kimimaro.
The two set off together, with little conversation along the way.
Most of the time, Orochimaru was offering Kimimaro guidance on his training.
That's right—his lessons had already begun.
Seeing Kimimaro's eagerness to learn, Orochimaru naturally didn't mind teaching him.
In Orochimaru's eyes, this boy was different from the other tools he had used in the past. He felt more like another version of himself.
However, this boy was still too weak to stand on the same level as him.
But with Kimimaro's talent, it was only a matter of time.
During breaks, Kimimaro continued to refine his chakra.
There was no denying the remarkable talent of his body.
According to Orochimaru, the amount of chakra in Kimimaro's body was already comparable to that of an average jonin.
If that weren't the case, the original Kimimaro wouldn't have been able to fight his way out on the night his clan was destroyed.
Other ninjas might envy him for this.
But Kimimaro knew that jonin-level chakra was just the starting point.
Without chakra comparable to a tailed beast, he wouldn't even be able to make proper introductions in the later stages of his journey.
The road of training was still long.
Moreover, he hadn't yet fully integrated the original body's strength. Otherwise, his escape from the Hidden Mist's encirclement wouldn't have been so difficult.
Seeing Kimimaro still diligently extracting chakra even during breaks, a glint of satisfaction flashed through Orochimaru's golden eyes.
This thirst for power greatly pleased him.
He had once gone through this same phase.
This boy really was like him.
"A genius of the Kaguya Clan… I wonder how far he can go."
Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation.
That night, the two arrived at an inn.
"Orochimaru-sama, we've received news from the organization."
It was the innkeeper who spoke, his face full of respect when he saw Orochimaru.
Kimimaro perked up upon hearing this.
"The organization? The Akatsuki? Of course, at this time, Orochimaru hasn't left the Akatsuki yet."
Just a few days ago, Itachi and Juzo had severely wounded the Fourth Mizukage, leading to Zabuza's rebellion and the massacre of the Kaguya Clan.
Orochimaru had been Itachi's second partner in the Akatsuki, and after returning from this mission, he would pair up with Itachi, only to lose an arm to him later, sparking his obsession with the Sharingan.
"What's the news?"
"Juzo-sama is dead. The leader is reorganizing the team. There's a meeting in seven days at the usual place."
"I see. Prepare two rooms. I'll be staying here tonight."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
Their conversation confirmed Kimimaro's earlier thoughts.
End of Chapter.