Light and Darkness

Two days later, explosive news suddenly began spreading through the village.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had actually been attacked!

A Stone Ninja squad had somehow crossed the border and infiltrated the Daimyo's Palace. The situation had been extremely perilous; more than half of the Guardian Ninja at the Daimyo's side had been killed. Fortunately, Orochimaru, who had been responsible for escorting supplies, arrived in time and rescued the Daimyo at the critical moment.

The news spread quickly. It was only the second day after the incident, yet it was already circulating throughout the village.

It was said that the Daimyo had greatly praised Orochimaru and offered him many rewards, but Orochimaru had refused them all, instead requesting that the Daimyo provide Konoha with more military supplies and equipment. The request had been granted.

The incident had considerable impact. To ordinary civilians, the Daimyo's status was supremely revered. They did not understand the stakes involved; they only knew that what Orochimaru had done was remarkable and brought honor to their own side.

Moreover, he had refused the Daimyo's rewards and instead sought better treatment for his comrades fighting desperately on the front lines. Such spirit inspired admiration and earned everyone's respect.

As one of the Three Ninja, Orochimaru had always enjoyed great prestige in the village. Yet little had been heard of him during this war, and this incident brought Orochimaru back into the spotlight.

There were also rumors that Orochimaru had not been seen on the front lines because he had been carrying out a top-secret mission concerning the safety of the nation. The mission was extremely dangerous and required a powerhouse like Orochimaru to carry it out personally.

Orochimaru had yet to return to Konoha, but public opinion was already fermenting. Anyone perceptive could see that something seemed to be fanning the flames behind this incident, but unfortunately, there were too few perceptive people in the village at the moment. Most were on the front lines.

The northern border of the Land of Fire.

As the sealing barrier opened, a military camp suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest.

At its head stood a young man with two scars on his face and a resolute expression. Though he wore a beard on his chin, it was clear he was not very old.

"Lord Orochimaru." He walked to Orochimaru's side and bowed in greeting.

"Shikaku, are you in charge here?" Orochimaru slowly asked, his gaze sweeping over the camp behind him.

"The Hokage entrusted me with this responsibility," Shikaku replied, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Lord Orochimaru, you must have had a hard time transporting the supplies. I heard about what happened at the Daimyo's Palace. Thanks to you, Lord Orochimaru, the Land of Fire was spared a disaster."

Orochimaru gave a faint laugh. "Compared to you all risking your lives on the front lines, it is nothing."

Shikaku could not help but pause, somewhat surprised that Orochimaru would exchange such pleasantries with him.

"You are too modest, Lord Orochimaru. Please come into the camp."

The supply convoy Orochimaru had brought slowly entered the camp, where the personnel there took charge of the handover.

The arrival of these supplies gave the ninja forces on the front lines much-needed confidence. Watching wagon after wagon enter, everyone voluntarily stepped forward to help unload them.

Orochimaru's gaze continually swept through the camp. Quite a few ninja were stationed here. Even excluding the troops deployed elsewhere, several thousand remained. This was one of Konoha's larger garrison camps on the Land of Earth battlefield.

He was no stranger to places like this. During the previous ninja war, he too had once been a figure without equal in prominence.

Yet after this war broke out, he had not remained active on the front lines for long before being kept in the rear. Sarutobi had given him quite a few missions, but none had been directly connected to the battlefield.

Jiraiya was the same. He was clearly fighting on the front lines, yet there had been little news about him. Was he also making way for his student?

"Is Minato here?" Orochimaru asked.

"Minato is out on a mission," Shikaku said. "If all goes smoothly, he should be back soon. If Lord Orochimaru wishes to see Minato, there is still time."

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "It seems meeting him is not easy."

Shikaku explained, "You misunderstand, Lord Orochimaru. Minato rarely gives himself time to rest. His workload is dozens of times that of others. Even though I am stationed on the front lines, Minato and I basically have nothing to discuss except official business."

Only then did Orochimaru show surprise. He had always believed Minato had earned such a high reputation by participating in several important battles and leading everyone to victory.

Now it seemed he had been thinking too simply. Handling everything personally was something he himself had failed to do back then.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Minato really is pushing himself hard."

Shikaku said, "Minato once said that for Konoha, he would have no regrets even if he gave his life."

As they spoke, Orochimaru suddenly stopped walking. He raised his head toward a large tree beside him. Its crown was immense and its branches lush. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, forming countless patches of light across Orochimaru's face.

"When we built the camp, we thought it would be a pity to cut down such a healthy tree, so we left it," Shikaku said when he saw Orochimaru staring at the tree for no apparent reason.

"Everyone likes to sit beneath it in the shade and chat when they have free time."

Orochimaru spoke blandly. "It would be a pity to cut it down."

A gust of wind swept through the forest, making the leaves rustle. The patches of light on his face swayed with them, light and shadow intertwining in a dazzling blur.

"Lord Minato is back!"

A shout suddenly rang out through the camp, and it instantly became noisy.

From afar, Orochimaru saw a tall, blond young man quickly surrounded by the crowd. He wore a warm smile that made people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze as he responded to those around him.

"Lord Orochimaru, Minato has returned," Shikaku reminded him.

Orochimaru watched the man and merely gave a calm response.

"Yes, I see him."

The Yellow Flash, whose name struck fear into enemies on the battlefield; Konoha's hero, trusted and respected by the villagers.

This young junior's radiance had already eclipsed his own former glory.

Fabricated public opinion could fool ordinary people, but what about these ninja who had lived and died alongside Namikaze Minato? How could he win their hearts?

Orochimaru's thoughts raced, yet he could not find any way to break the deadlock.

Before this, he had dismissed it with contempt. The position of Hokage—given his status and standing, would it not be within easy reach if he merely exerted a little strength and employed some methods?

He resented Teacher Sarutobi for giving up on him. Wasn't he clearly the student Sarutobi had favored most?

Gifted beyond compare, brilliant and talented!

But compared to the man before him?

The proud and arrogant eldest son, the proud and arrogant eldest son...

Zhen's words echoed repeatedly in his mind, deafening in their force.

For someone who prided himself on his intelligence, his perspective on this matter had been so narrow and shallow.

"Lord Orochimaru?"

"Lord Orochimaru?"

Shikaku's voice pulled Orochimaru back from his thoughts. He turned his eyes toward him.

"Let us return to the main tent first. Minato will be coming there shortly as well," Shikaku said.

"Yes."

Before leaving, Orochimaru looked once more in Minato's direction.

The story was fabricated, but reality was even more fantastical...

What sort of ending could that boy possibly bring him?