This Orochimaru Is Like That Cool, Beautiful Sword Goddess-A Few Words Are All It Takes to Make Him Go "Oh-ho-ho-ho"

"See more beautiful... scenery?"

Orochimaru repeated Sakuya's words. His golden eyes fixed on Sakuya, and for a long while, he didn't move.

He had never imagined that Sakuya, a boy ten years younger than him, could say something so profound.

Even his most revered teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't say something like that.

Hiruzen only ever talked about protecting the village and safeguarding the future generation.

"I love ninjutsu, but I don't love only ninjutsu. I love its structure, its form, and the source of its power..."

Sakuya said, "I crave all of it. I want to understand the truth behind everything. That's why I want to live, train as hard as I can, and uncover the source of ninjutsu and chakra—to see the most essential beauty of chakra, this power."

"Truth... power... immortality..."

Orochimaru murmured the words over and over.

To Orochimaru, those words were like honey to a child. The moment he laid eyes on them, he couldn't tear himself away.

As though some deeply buried code had been triggered, his golden, serpentine eyes stayed fixed on Sakuya. Then a low, delighted laugh rose from his throat.

"Heh heh... Sakuya, your way of thinking is fascinating."

More than anything, though, you're easy to deal with.

Sakuya smiled as he savored his dango, but didn't reply.

The third simulated mission required someone to remember him forever. He'd made some progress with Tsunade and Jiraiya, but what about Orochimaru?

Hey, you've come to the right person.

Orochimaru had a speedrun strategy.

For Orochimaru, it all came down to research and immortality. As long as Sakuya shared his interests and completely outclassed him in strength, Orochimaru would naturally never forget him.

Just like a blonde guy with someone else's girlfriend, or a netorare guy with his own wife.

Specialized strategies are the best, kids!

In a dating sim, Orochimaru was like one of those yandere landmine girls or aloof sword goddesses. They looked hard to approach, but once you found the right way in, you could get in there in no time... get them on your side!

"Sakuya, speaking with you today has been very enlightening."

Orochimaru looked at Sakuya, his eyes brimming with mutual understanding. He felt he had finally found a kindred spirit, a friend who understood his true feelings.

He took a silver card from his sleeve and handed it to Sakuya.

"These are getting more and more turbulent times. I think this gift should come in handy."

"This is... a Kanurigami all-you-can-eat pass?"

Sakuya took it and glanced over, looking surprised.

Kanurigami was a famous dessert shop in Konoha. It was expensive, and its sweets were delicious.

The important thing was the sweets!

The Uchiha Clan were masters of fire, but beyond that, they were also a clan wrapped in a cold, proud power.

The Sharingan contained a vast amount of Yin Release Chakra. This naturally gave the Uchiha great talent for genjutsu, but it was a double-edged sword. That cold chakra seeped into their minds day and night, bringing invisible pressure that only grew over time.

As a result, almost every Uchiha suffered from low blood sugar. The higher an Uchiha's Sharingan level, the worse the symptoms.

That was why the Uchiha Clan had such a sweet tooth. They couldn't resist foods packed with sugar.

Sakuya, with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, was no exception.

This body needed a large amount of sugar every day to stay balanced, so buying sugar or eating desserts was nothing unusual.

But at a time like this, sugar was hard to come by.

The Second Shinobi World War was imminent, and the prices of strategic supplies in every country were skyrocketing.

Especially sugar.

For the Uchiha Clan, sugar was as vital as life itself.

Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. But with the situation in chaos, sugar—a strategic supply—had become something you couldn't find at any price.

Now, Orochimaru had given him a silver card for unlimited desserts. In a way, it was like giving Uchiha Sakuya a supply station he could use anytime to replenish his energy. It was an incredibly generous gift.

"Then I'll accept it."

Sakuya took the silver card and nodded to him.

In this simulation, Orochimaru was a friend who knew what was good.

"Creak—"

The front door of the house swung open.

"Nagato? Nagato?"

A woman's gentle voice reached the boy's ears, making his spirits lift.

"Mom!"

The red-haired boy hurried out of his room and looked at his mother. "Welcome home, Mom!"

"You must be hungry, right?"

The man standing beside the woman smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Just wait a little longer. Mom and Dad will make you dinner right away."

"Okay! I want seaweed rice balls!"

Nagato said eagerly.

"We'll have those, and anything else you want."

The woman shook the bag in her hand. "Mom and Dad made lots of money today, Nagato. You can have whatever you like."

"Okay!"

Nagato nodded obediently. "Thank you, Mom!"

"Mom and Dad are going to make dinner in the kitchen. Go play in the living room for a while."

The man nodded to Nagato, then helped the woman into the kitchen.

The light came on, revealing the woman's pale face.

"Honey, sit down first. I'll get some sugar and make you some sugar water."

As he spoke, the man picked up a bottle. "You just had blood drawn, so you're weak. Don't overexert yourself. I'll make dinner."

"Thank you, darling."

The woman leaned against the kitchen wall and looked at her husband tenderly. "Things are hard all around right now. We should save sugar for when we really need it."

"It's fine."

The man took a large bag of sparkling white sugar from his pack. "Look."

"Such beautiful white sugar... Where did you get it?"

The woman looked puzzled.

"The village chief handed it out last night."

The man explained, "Apparently, the people from Amegakure opened up a route through the Land of Fang. Now our Land of Rain can buy excellent white sugar from the Land of Fang. So don't worry—you can eat as much as you like."

"Mm."

The woman nodded, a happy smile appearing on her pale face. "Then I'll drink a little more. Once I've recovered, I can have some more blood drawn."

"Even though we're members of the Uzumaki Clan, we can't keep doing this forever!"

The man tried to dissuade her. "Next time, let me do it. I'm strong enough to handle having my blood drawn."

"Mm."

The woman didn't refuse. She thought it was perfectly normal.

They were members of the Uzumaki Clan who had ended up in the Land of Rain after Uzushio Village was destroyed.

The Uzumaki Clan were distant relatives of the Senju Clan, and their blood carried the same vigorous life force.

Because of that, an injured person could bite them and draw chakra from their bodies to heal their wounds.

Their blood could also be drawn and made into various kinds of medicine.

In the Land of Rain, with its constant drizzle and uncertain dangers, medicines that could effectively treat injuries were always in high demand.

That was why this Uzumaki family, after settling in the Land of Rain, made a living by drawing blood to produce medicine. They ran a clinic in a small village and lived a quiet life.

"Dad! Mom!"

Their son's voice came from outside the living room, and the couple exchanged a glance.

"What is it, Nagato?"

The man asked.

"We have visitors, Dad!"

Nagato said.

The couple left the kitchen and looked toward the door. Two travel-worn men stood there.

"Sorry to bother you."

The man at the front nodded to them. "We're merchants from the Land of Fire. Could we stay here for one night?"