"Orochimaru, the village needs you now."
The Third's expression was one of earnest persuasion.
But Orochimaru merely said calmly, "Sorry, I still need to research ninjutsu."
"Isn't researching ninjutsu also for defeating enemies and protecting the village?" The Third frowned.
Orochimaru's vertical pupils watched him. "No. Researching ninjutsu is to understand the true essence of life, to understand why creatures like shinobi exist."
The Third felt weary.
He felt like he and Orochimaru simply weren't on the same wavelength.
"Why not summon Jiraiya and Tsunade back?" Orochimaru withdrew his gaze. "With them, plus Hatake Sakumo and Hyuga Wuye, whose strength is growing exceptionally quickly, Konoha won't lose."
He sat back down and picked up the dossier, the gesture practically equivalent to serving tea to see a guest out.
The Third stared at his back in silence. Only after a long while did he say, "Jiraiya only cares about searching for his so-called Child of Prophecy. At most, he sends the village some intelligence. As for Tsunade... I don't even know where she is. Something happened to Hatake Sakumo, so he can't go to the battlefield. And Hyuga Wuye..."
He took a breath and said slowly, "I can't let him gain any more prestige. Otherwise, the clans whose influence has been steadily weakened will return along with him."
Orochimaru turned back, clearly speechless. "Teacher, what have you been doing these past few years? How come there aren't even any shinobi left you can use?"
As he spoke, he casually added, "Oh, Hyuga Wuye has returned from the Daimyo's residence?"
The Third was embarrassed by his previous words and could only answer the latter question. "Yes, he's back. It seems he wants to go to the battlefield."
"The people you want to recall won't return, while the one who wants to fight