Kindred Spirits, Fat Sheep?

Haku's expression shifted, clearly tinged with sorrow, but he still nodded.

"Let's go! The people this time shouldn't be very strong, right?"

Zabuza thought it over as he walked.

"They shouldn't be. After all, that guy disguised himself as a Bridge Builder. An escort mission for a commoner, even in Konoha Village, is considered the lowest rank."

"Based on experience, those who take such missions are at most students from the village, the graduating class type, with a teacher leading them at most."

"However... a mere teacher, as long as it isn't one of those famous ones, the rest are easy to handle."

Haku nodded, yet he remained worried.

"Haven't you heard of someone called Uchiha Sora recently?"

"I heard he's very strong. What if it's him?"

Zabuza scoffed.

"You're overthinking it. Someone like that would be protected as a genius even by Konoha Village; there's absolutely no way we'd run into him. And even if we did..."

Halfway through his sentence, Zabuza tapped the large blade in his hand.

"Then I'd like to ask, is the speed at which he activates that ability faster than my blade!"

Haku nodded, thinking that made sense. Zabuza was very strong; even in the entire Ninja World, he was someone of note.

Not to mention dealing with a student, even a famous teacher like Kakashi would be no match for him.

With that, the two moved forward rapidly, their voices soon swallowed by the wilderness and forests.

Somewhere in a remote corner of the Naruto World.

Orochimaru looked anxious, with three corpses laid out before him.

"Damn it! What the hell kind of weapon does that brat Uchiha Sora have? Why does it feel like my body could collapse at any moment?"

Orochimaru was furious at this moment.

During the last invasion of Konoha Village, he clearly hadn't suffered any real injuries.

Moreover, the Hokage of Konoha Village was perfectly fine; logically speaking, it was just a tit-for-tat exchange.

Neither side had suffered any real losses.

But Orochimaru discovered that ever since he had close contact with Uchiha Sora, his body had been acting up.

Sometimes he would be walking along and an arm would fall off, other times parts of his body would suddenly ache.

In short, Orochimaru hadn't fought in the last few days, yet he had already used the Snake Clone Technique to create several clones.

But for some reason, it seemed useless; that power remained.

Orochimaru had no choice but to consider switching bodies.

He had been hesitant before because he hadn't found a suitable vessel.

The three guys in front of him were strong individuals Orochimaru had handpicked from various ninja villages.

Although they weren't famous, they were the best vessels available at the moment.

"Damn it... that weapon must have some kind of side effect that can actually infect me!"

"Next time, I must use an Uchiha's body as my vessel!"

Orochimaru was deeply unwilling, but he reluctantly began the soul transfer.

Soon, his consciousness was transferred into the new body.

After waking up, he still found that his movements were somewhat restricted.

Although it didn't hurt anymore, it seemed he was still injured.

"It seems I need to find a medical ninja to treat this, but as for famous medical ninjas... Tsunade!"

Orochimaru's eyes flickered as he suddenly spoke.

"Kabuto, come here for a moment and help me investigate if there's a 'fat sheep' appearing in any casinos recently."

Kabuto stepped forward, looking completely bewildered.

"My Lord, why are you investigating that?"

He was truly confused; Orochimaru didn't have this kind of hobby.

Why the sudden interest in gambling?

Orochimaru snapped irritably.

"I told you to check, so just check! Why so much nonsense!"

If it weren't for the fact that Orochimaru was currently in a bad state, he would have slapped him across the face already.

Kabuto seemed to sense something and couldn't help but shrink his neck.

"Alright, alright! I'll go investigate right away!"

With that, he hurriedly took his leave.

A moment later, Orochimaru took a deep breath.

"Sora, what exactly is this guy? Could he really be the reincarnation of Madara Uchiha, as the rumors suggest?"

Orochimaru had studied many sciences, including the concept of reincarnation.

There was a theory that once certain ninjas reached a specific level of strength, they would reincarnate after death.

Though it was useless, as they would lose their memories and emotions.

They would become entirely new people.

However, their combat prowess would be inherited, and that included their innate talent.

Now, with Orochimaru being tormented to this state by a mere brat like Sora, he had reason to be suspicious of his background.

"But that doesn't seem right either! If this guy were truly Madara Uchiha, his combat power should be displayed through actual combat, not these crooked, underhanded tricks."

"But is this really a function of his eyes? Or is he, like me, researching science..."

Suddenly, Orochimaru hesitated.

He felt that this Uchiha Sora might actually be a kindred spirit.

There was no need to turn into bitter enemies and attempt to possess his body.

If this guy was also into research, couldn't the two of them work together to create a technological myth?

At this thought, Orochimaru's eyes brightened.

"I'll see next time we meet. If this guy also believes in science, then we are fellow travelers on the same path."

In the Naruto World, in a certain city, the lights were bright and the atmosphere was bustling with prosperity.

It was one of the few places in the Naruto World dedicated to pleasure-seeking.

There were many entertainment facilities here, but the most famous was gambling.

Countless legends of people striking it rich overnight were born here.

But just as many unlucky souls lost every penny they had in a single night.

At this moment, a group of people were playing cards, their faces filled with anticipation.

"Are you saying the 'Fat Sheep' is coming soon? Is it the legendary Fat Sheep?"

A burly man's eyes were practically glowing.

"You bet! I heard that woman who loses ten out of ten times is coming here, and every time she arrives in a new place, she's loaded with money!"

"If we brothers win, we probably won't have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of our lives!"

The group became instantly excited.

Amidst their anticipation, footsteps sounded from outside the door, and everyone quickly looked toward the noise.

Soon, they saw a figure wearing a green haori with a large "Gambling" character printed on the back.

With beautiful blonde hair and a curvaceous figure, it was none other than Tsunade.

Beside her, Shizune was holding a small pig in her arms, looking utterly reluctant.

"Lady Tsunade! Let's just leave, please! We worked so hard on that mission to earn all this money, are you really going to lose it all?"

Tsunade glared at her.

"What kind of defeatist talk is that? We haven't even started gambling yet, how do you know I'll lose?"

Shizune sighed helplessly, thinking to herself, Isn't it obvious?

You lose ten out of ten times; people even call you the "Fat Sheep" whenever you arrive in a new town.

Sometimes, people even set up gambling tables specifically to invite Tsunade.

They were clearly just after her money!

However, Tsunade couldn't be bothered with such things and immediately walked into the room.

Seeing the cards before her, her eyes lit up.

"Everyone! How about we play for something big?"

The crowd grew excited in an instant.

Only Shizune remained helpless. Suddenly, she tilted her head and looked out the window.

"Is someone watching me?"