But the smile on his face was impossible to hide.
After Kabuto Yakushi finished speaking, Orochimaru struggled to sit up from the bed.
Then, with that sickly smile on his face, he looked at Sasuke and said, "Sasuke, did you hear that? I never expected that among your peers, aside from you, there would be someone so interesting."
"No, someone even more interesting than you."
"Hinata Hyuga, that little girl from the Hyuga Clan—no, she should be called Shuoyue now. Sasuke, what do you think?"
Sasuke's gaze flickered, and at last he said coldly, "Actually, I knew a long time ago."
"Oh, is that so, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru said.
"That's really interesting. I've never heard you mention it."
Sasuke raised his head and snorted coldly.
Orochimaru did not mind in the slightest. Instead, he continued, "Hehe, I knew it. The system Konoha maintains now is completely wrong."
"Look at it. Those who are truly capable never come to a good end, while the ones left behind are nothing but a pack of mediocrities."
"The Will of Fire!"
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout."
"That truly is a beautiful hope, but if you really examine it closely..."
"Leaving aside how the tree itself will decline once its roots rot, just consider those dancing leaves."
"Dust returns to dust, earth to earth. Yet the fallen leaves cannot meet a good end. Instead, they drink poison to quench their thirst, using those leaves to illuminate the village."
"In the end, it is merely a hope."
He seemed somewhat wistful, and somewhat melancholy.
He had once contributed to Konoha too. He had once felt as though he possessed everything.
But after he understood what he truly wanted, he felt