Orochimaru, We Can Act Now

Orochimaru's way of life is undoubtedly selfish; he takes no responsibility, so he can do anything without any scruples.

Murder, conducting human experiments, instigating wars... these things might just be 'interesting' to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru doesn't need anyone else, and no one needs Orochimaru... The only exception might be Jiraiya!

But Hinata is different. Hinata has her own responsibilities to bear. At first, they may have been imposed on Hinata by others, but when bonds are formed, Hinata becomes willing to accept them.

Are you afraid of losing something, afraid of being alone?

Orochimaru hit the nail on the head; he understood Hinata's mindset perfectly because he had once felt the same way.

His first murder, his first human experiment, his first time seeing a test subject die on the experimental table... He was then discovered by the Third Hokage, defected from Konoha, and wandered the Shinobi World alone.

When Orochimaru was recklessly pursuing his ideals, he also experienced moments of confusion, but in the end Orochimaru remained steadfast in the path he had chosen.

As time goes by, it doesn't seem like much anymore, but occasionally when I recall the past, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic.

The longer time goes by, the weaker this feeling of nostalgia becomes, but it also becomes all the more precious.

Orochimaru could kill the Third, as well as Jiraiya and Tsunade. Orochimaru would shed tears when killing them, and would occasionally reminisce about the past afterward.

But that's all.

"Actually, if you live a long time and see a lot of death, these things don't seem like much."

Orochimaru believed that Hinata could understand him, as they both pursued immortality and Hinata would eventually become like him.

Hinata's current reluctance stems from the fact that she hasn't yet witnessed the departure of her comrades and loved ones.

In this world, there are only a handful of people who can truly offer you warmth.

Hinata remained silent. Hinata admitted that she was indeed afraid of losing her bonds and being alone, so she willingly took on the responsibilities imposed on her by others.

"The bonds between people... are truly amazing!"

Hinata sighed, realizing that when you spend a lot of time with someone, you start to see them as someone important and develop feelings for them.

Because they were afraid of their feelings being hurt, they were willing to risk their lives to protect the other person.

Orochimaru coldly replied, "Emotions are the most selfish thing in this world, so what we can't accept the most is betrayal. If you give, you must get something in return!"

"Bonds... are nothing more than an exchange of emotions."

"To live, one must have a purpose; without ideals, one will lose the motivation to live. However, different ideals lead to different ways of living."

Hinata nodded slightly.

Hinata completely agrees with Orochimaru's statement that bonds are the exchange of emotions, and protecting bonds is also an ideal.

What about Hinata herself?

Hinata fell into deep thought, wondering what kind of life she should choose.

Hinata did not transform Urashiki into Chakra Fruit in order to appease her conscience when facing Urashiki.

But looking back now, trying to appease one's conscience was also a form of selfishness.

"Everything we do is ultimately for our own benefit."

Hinata said from the bottom of her heart, "We want to protect them because we don't want to lose them, not because we really care about them."

After a pause, Hinata asked with some doubt, "Orochimaru, in your opinion, what kind of person was the Third who died fighting for Konoha?"

"For Konoha?"

Orochimaru scoffed and said coldly, "No matter how selfless a person is, in the end it's all their own choice."

"Those things that seem great, those people who give their lives for others... are only praised because they bring benefits to others."

"But who knows what they were really thinking as they faced death?"

Hinata sighed inwardly, feeling like she understood a little, but also a little confused.

Orochimaru's way of life was ultimately not suitable for Hinata, and Hinata did not want to become someone like Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, I'm much greedier than you!"

Hinata said firmly with a light laugh, "I want to fulfill my ideals and protect the people I want to protect. I will do these things within the rules."

"Being bound by rules may mean losing some freedom, but I am actually willing to shoulder these responsibilities and enjoy the happiness of bearing them."

Even if I can never be as free as you in this life, and even if I sincerely want to become like you... I'm greedy, I don't want to lose any of them!

Orochimaru listened quietly to Hinata's words, imagining what he would be like now if he hadn't left Konoha.

Orochimaru had already made his choice and never regretted it.

Hinata stopped talking. Although the topic she discussed with Orochimaru this time was different from the issues that had been troubling Hinata had resolved her inner conflict and gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of life.

"You've grown again!"

All our choices must be weighed against our inner values; we determine our choices based on our own values.

Simply put, it's the degree to which you care.

Why should we take things that we don't care about to heart?

People's thoughts are constantly changing, but as long as you respect your own feelings at this moment, that's enough.

Just like Urashiki... Hinata chose to give up back then, so there's nothing to regret.

As for Ryūchi Cave, since Hinata never cared about them from the beginning, why should she care about them, who possess intelligence comparable to that of humans?

To live, one must have ideals, but one must also bear the burden of sins.

This evil happens all the time, because the energy that sustains human survival is obtained through plunder.

Plundering nature, plundering other species, and even plundering their own kind.

"Orochimaru... it seems we need to take action!"

Hinata was still contemplating the changes in her state of mind when she caught a glimpse of a massive mass of chakra leaving the area of Ryūchi Cave.

Orochimaru leaped onto a tree, and even from a distance, he could vaguely see a giant red Orochimaru, its tongue flicking as it crawled away into the distance.

"It's Garaga!"

Orochimaru said calmly, "This guy has a violent temper and likes to devour humans. Judging from the direction it's heading, it must have found new prey."

Hinata turned her gaze to the direction where Garaga was crawling, and sure enough, there was a caravan resting.

With the activation of All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Hinata appeared out of thin air next to Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, let's grab this guy!"

Hinata was quite interested; judging from the chakra reaction alone, this guy was much stronger than Manda Gamabunta.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.

Is this... Space-time ninjutsu?