Oguri Hayashi watched them with a smile. He never underestimated these "natives," especially the strong among them. Anyone who could become strong undoubtedly possessed the mindset and intelligence of the strong. Among those Reincarnators who rose rapidly to power, he had yet to encounter anyone as resolute and quick-witted as them.
Yun Duanyou, the esper who had escaped, might have been quick-thinking, but he lacked Tsunade and the others' unwavering will.
Even if Wuying's words attacked them, Tsunade and the others would never waver. Instead, they immediately thought of something else.
After facing the other four for the first time and killing them in return, why had Oguri Hayashi so decisively defected from Konoha?
He clearly bore no ill will toward Konoha—his subsequent actions proved that.
Yet he had betrayed Konoha without hesitation and gone to the Hidden Cloud Village to steal books.
His actions simply did not fit the common sense they understood.
But when they connected it with Wuying's words, along with Oguri Hayashi's recent actions, Tsunade and Orochimaru could keenly infer his origins.
Oguri Hayashi smiled. If this had been three years ago, he would never have allowed his secret as a transmigrator to be exposed so openly.
But now, with a body full of extraordinary skills and Kage-level strength, Oguri Hayashi had already become a strong man at heart. So what if a secret was exposed? If Orochimaru from three years ago had learned this, he would likely have gone to every length to capture him and force him to reveal the future. But now, he was already strong enough to speak with Orochimaru as an equal.
So be it if they knew.
"No. He was born and raised in Konoha. Those aren't fabricated memories or implanted suggestions." For some reason, Tsunade instinctively defended Oguri Hayashi.
Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade, not knowing why she would say that.
"That's right. I was born and raised as a villager of Konoha, but my soul was reincarnated into this body..."
"You're a transmigrator! You're a transmigrator!" Wuying shouted excitedly. "I knew we wouldn't lose to natives! I knew it! It was you, wasn't it? We lost because of a variable like you!"
Oguri Hayashi glanced at him. Even reduced to this state, he still had not learned his lesson. "If you don't get rid of that mindset that 'natives are all idiots,' then even if you don't die here today, you'll die in another world sooner or later."
"What does transmigrator mean?" Orochimaru and the others could not understand Oguri Hayashi and Wuying's conversation at all. They urgently needed more information.
Orochimaru, who controlled Wuying, asked the question. Wuying had no ability to resist. "In our world, transmigrators are written about in countless books. Most refer to people who know the original plot, whose souls travel to a local world, and who alter its original course."
"Such people can usually grow strong easily because they know the plot. And because they understand the plot, they can easily gain your favor."
Wuying recklessly undermined the foundation of trust between both sides. Oguri Hayashi did not speak, merely watching them with a smile and an extraordinary air.
His words did cast a shadow over Tsunade's heart. Had Oguri Hayashi deliberately catered to her preferences in order to gain her affection?
Oguri Hayashi did not explain. Romance held no meaning for him. With Hagoromo Otsutsuki ahead and the Reincarnators of the Infinite Hall behind, no one could guarantee they would survive another day. Romance meant nothing.
"If you want to call me a transmigrator, then fine. I'll speak with you as one." Though Oguri Hayashi had been acting alongside Tsunade, he was not a Konoha ninja. Even his relationship with Tsunade was one of equals. There was no need for him to humble himself and beg for an alliance.
"If you're a transmigrator, then you must know our future?" Orochimaru stuck out his tongue. His hair concealed his cheeks, making his expression inscrutable.
"I'll tell you, and he'll confirm it. That makes it harder for me to lie, doesn't it?" Oguri Hayashi smiled, completely unconcerned. "You conducted forbidden human experiments using Konoha ninja, and Danzo betrayed you. Your crimes were exposed, and you were driven out of Konoha."
"And Tsunade, only after more than a decade would she emerge from the shadow of her hemophobia and become the Fifth Hokage."
Orochimaru turned to look at Wuying. Wuying nodded.
"So Jiraiya became the Fourth Hokage?" Orochimaru gave a mocking laugh. He was an ambitious man as well as a researcher, pursuing far grander goals. The idea that he might secretly resent Konoha merely because he had not become the Fourth Hokage was impossible. His anger toward Konoha likely stemmed from Konoha's betrayal of him.
And all of it came from the Third Hokage and Danzo.
So he would destroy what the two of them cherished most.
Konoha.
"No. The Fourth Hokage was Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze." Oguri Hayashi smiled. Perhaps no one had expected that outcome at the time.
"That kid...?" Orochimaru froze. Minato Namikaze had left a deep impression on him when he pursued Oguri Hayashi three years ago. But he had never expected that unknown kid in the ninja world would become the future Fourth Hokage.
"Enough talk about the future. I want you to hear my plan." Oguri Hayashi stood where he was and said, "Although our futures have been fixed to a certain extent, I do not believe we are livestock raised by these Reincarnators from the Infinite Hall."
"The proof came when Lord Orochimaru summoned Wuying's dead soul just now through Impure World Reincarnation."
"I don't know whether their Infinite Hall is simply poor at dealing with souls, or whether some power in our world protects the souls of the dead..." Light blazed in Oguri Hayashi's eyes. "But either possibility means we are not without the strength to fight them, nor are we incapable of resisting."
"The fact that Lord Orochimaru was not erased and merely had his head steamed cooked is the greatest proof." His words made Orochimaru's expression stiffen. Had this brat asked him to use the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu just now to test that Infinite Hall?
If the Infinite Hall truly possessed immense power, would he be the one lying on the ground with his head steamed cooked?
That little bastard.
"Listen. I have a plan." Oguri Hayashi stepped two paces closer, causing Orochimaru and Tsunade to unconsciously lean in. "I have a way to fight the Infinite Hall—and the future."
Damn it, I can't hear them. Several meters away, a Yin-Yang Face man emerged from the roots of a tree. He muttered to himself, but he knew that if he moved any closer, the three Kage-level experts would likely discover him instantly.
It was far too dangerous!
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