Thinking Too Small

"Orochimaru, we of Kumogakure agree to end this war."

The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, spoke up on his own initiative.

In the current battle, Kumogakure still held the advantage in numbers; if they could hold out until the summoning of Manda ended, they might even be able to turn the tide against Konoha.

But that was only if one did not account for Orochimaru.

Logically speaking, after such a series of intense battles, the opponent's chakra should be nearly depleted, and his current unscathed appearance was likely just a facade.

However, Killer B dared not gamble. This guy was simply too mysterious, and his methods were endless; who knew what kind of trouble he might stir up if they continued.

More importantly, his brother's injuries were truly severe.

Killer B glanced at the Fourth Raikage, who was receiving treatment from a medical ninja, and his brow furrowed.

Although the bleeding had been barely stemmed, the wounds showed no signs of healing. He did not know what the consequences might be, but more comprehensive treatment was required immediately; there was no time to waste.

Killer B knew his brother's temper well, and the status of the Raikage prevented him from being forced to bow his head, so he had to be the one to speak.

As for the consequences of acting on his own, Killer B did not care. He was the Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, and there were some things he had already come to understand.

"Killer B, you..."

The Fourth Raikage clutched his side. The two brothers had a tacit understanding, and he immediately grasped what the other was thinking.

But as the Raikage, how could he let his brother swallow the bitter fruit of defeat for him?

He struggled to stand up, only to be pulled back by a tentacle.

"Take the Fourth away; I will cover your retreat."

Under this obstruction, the Fourth Raikage lost his chance to speak, and the other Cloud Ninja dared not let the village's leader come to harm. They acknowledged the order and carried the Raikage away.

The Eight-Tails Gyuki dragged its massive body behind them, retreating as it went.

The dark clouds dispersed. Under the cold night wind, Orochimaru stood high atop Manda's head, saying nothing, allowing the Kumogakure side to withdraw.

"Lord Orochimaru, are we not going to pursue them?"

Fugaku Uchiha could not help but ask. Even if they only harassed them slightly, in this situation, it would make things extremely difficult for the Kumogakure side.

Orochimaru turned his head, and the moonlight spilled onto his face, making Fugaku Uchiha's heart jump in shock.

A deep crimson had replaced his original pale complexion. Drops of blood, like wriggling mites, were scrambling to crawl out of his pores; one could only imagine how many capillaries had ruptured beneath that layer of skin.

Only then did Fugaku Uchiha realize that Orochimaru's injuries had not fully healed. At a time like this, it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Orochimaru, remember your payment to this lord: ten times the amount, and double the portions!!"

Manda's two vertical pupils rolled upward to glare at the figure on its head. After this shout, it transformed into white smoke and vanished.

"Hmph... that foolish snake. I should find an opportunity to properly 'repay' it."

Orochimaru adjusted his posture in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground, though his expression turned extremely gloomy; he was not satisfied with Manda's performance.

He glanced at Fugaku behind him and ordered, "Gather the troops; we are returning to the fortress."

"Yes!"

Time flowed on, the sun rose, and in the blink of an eye, it was dawn.

Compared to their march to the battlefield, the Konoha ninja army's speed on the return trip was noticeably slower.

Firstly, due to exhaustion, and secondly, because there were many wounded but very few medical ninjas. They could only provide temporary aid to those with severe injuries, and Orochimaru, whose medical ninjutsu was the most exquisite, had consumed too much energy to intervene.

Thus, it was not until daybreak that the group returned to the Konoha fortress.

The two Hokage Advisors had sat through the night in anxiety. Hearing that the army had returned, they hurriedly activated the fortress's defensive barrier and went out to greet them personally.

Utatane Koharu glanced at Orochimaru and asked, "How is it? What is the situation on the battlefield?"

Having received continuous treatment along the way, Orochimaru had recovered somewhat, but his face was naturally deathly pale and devoid of color. Utatane Koharu could not tell the difference, and her question was inevitably laced with a sense of urgency.

"You choose this moment to question me?"

Orochimaru's face darkened. He shot her a cold glance and walked straight into the fortress.

The Konoha ninja army behind him followed Orochimaru without a word.

They had fought hard all night and traveled back and forth; they were exhausted to the extreme. Several of the severely wounded were still struggling on the brink of death—they were in no mood to accept any interrogations.

Of course, this was also because they had achieved victory in the war; had it been the other way around, they would not have dared to adopt such an attitude.

Seeing this, Utatane Koharu's brows knit together, her aged face filled with anger.

Mitokado Homura, standing to the side, saw the situation for what it was. He hurriedly pulled her behind him, turned, and ordered, "Gather the Medical Corps and save the wounded immediately..."

Under a flurry of commands, the ninjas stationed in the fortress sprang into action.

Once the severely wounded were taken into care, the Konoha ninja army dispersed, either finding rooms to rest or waiting for the Cooking Squad to light fires and prepare food...

In a room facing away from the sun, Orochimaru sat cross-legged on a stone bed to recuperate, while simultaneously splitting a portion of his consciousness to communicate with the Genie.

"You, why didn't you take the opportunity to kill the Raikage?"

Others had no concept of the Genie's final sword strike, assuming that breaking through the Raikage's body was its ultimate power, but Orochimaru knew that was merely the most basic operation.

The energy contained within the blade remained condensed and unreleased until the very end, revealing only its razor-sharp edge.

"Why did you want to kill the Fourth Raikage?"

The Genie floated in mid-air, his upper body swaying as he laughed, "Isn't your goal to end the war? If the Fourth Raikage were killed, there's no guarantee that Iwagakure wouldn't seize the opportunity to strike, which would lead to a war engulfing the entire ninja world."

"Look at how things are now; it's perfect. The Fourth Raikage's flank and internal organs won't heal anytime soon. I'm afraid he'll have to carve away a layer of flesh along the wound just to gradually recover during his convalescence. For a very long time, he will have no ability to wage war."

"I am aware of that." Orochimaru raised his head and spoke, "But that is not your reason, at least not the only one."

Killing the Fourth Raikage was one way to quell the war, but he always felt that the Genie had some other scheme in mind.

The Genie smiled, not answering Orochimaru's question directly, "Chakra is the combination of physical energy and spiritual energy."

Orochimaru frowned slightly, unsure why he was bringing up a fact even a child would know.

"The vast majority of living organisms possess these two types of energy, which means they all have the potential to refine chakra."

The Genie spread his hands, "Such a universal form of energy is very valuable to an existence like me, who can traverse various worlds."

Orochimaru's expression shifted; he knew what the Genie was about to say.

"The Fourth Raikage has mastered the pinnacle of Lightning Release nature transformation; he is a rare treasure of the ninja world. How could I simply destroy him?"

The Genie chuckled, acting as if the entire ninja world were his personal field of leeks, "Your perspective is too narrow, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but retort sarcastically, "However, my dear Genie, before I die, you seem unable to change contractors, nor can you copy the Fourth Raikage's abilities. And my wish is to attain eternal life."

"That was before."

The Genie shook his head.

100,000 words reached.