Kimimaro

At her words, a smile curled across Orochimaru's pale lips. His serpentine eyes watched Shimura Kazumi as he rasped with a laugh.

"How did you know, Kazumi?"

Kazumi stared fixedly at Orochimaru with her beautiful eyes, gritting her teeth as she said coldly, "Answer me right now!"

Seeing her reaction, Orochimaru no longer hid it from her. He gave a hoarse laugh.

"That's right, that man... has returned..."

At his words, Kazumi's pupils contracted slightly. Her lips trembled as she said in a somewhat shaky voice, "That man... that man... really came back..."

A faint smile rested on Orochimaru's lips as he slowly nodded. An unusual gleam flickered in his snake eyes as he rasped, "Though it is somewhat unbelievable, it is indeed true..."

"After fifteen years... he finally returned..."

"Isn't that an incredible thing?"

There was an inexplicable sense of emotion in his tone, as though he lamented the passage of time, or perhaps murmured at the wonders of the Ninja World.

For Orochimaru, there was no doubt that he was deeply interested in where Aizen had been all these years.

But... now was not the time to investigate that.

With that thought, Orochimaru unconsciously extended his tongue to lick his lips, an intrigued glint flashing through his snake eyes.

Just then, Kazumi in front of him said coldly, "Since he has already returned, why hasn't he appeared yet!?"

Hearing her words, Orochimaru slowly withdrew the contemplative look from his eyes. Looking at Kazumi's frosty expression, he laughed hoarsely.

"Perhaps Aizen has plans of his own."

"However, he has given us some tasks."

As he spoke, his snake eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at the boys and girls sleeping within the surrounding instruments, light flickering in his gaze as he said in a low, raspy voice, "We need to