Little Kabuto's Fate

The life trajectory of Kabuto Yakushi kept flashing through his mind; it was a complete tragedy.

As a child, Kabuto was displaced during the war, like a lone boat lost in a vast world. Fortunately, he was taken in by the orphanage director Yakushi Nonō. In that small orphanage, Kabuto may have felt a sliver of warmth.

However, fate once again revealed its cruel side to him. Danzo's coercion forced Kabuto to voluntarily submit to Nonō and the Danzo, and from then on, he became an active ninja in the Five Great Nations.

At a young age, Kabuto was sent to various countries as a spy. The hardships he endured were unimaginable. He traveled alone across unfamiliar lands, facing countless dangers and challenges, with loneliness and fear constantly haunting him.

After returning to Konoha, Danzo's suspicions led him to a life-or-death struggle with Nonō. In the moment he accidentally killed Nonō, Kabuto seemed to have lost all meaning in life.

Just as Kabuto was falling into the abyss of despair, Orochimaru's appearance brought him a glimmer of hope, inviting him to join the Otogakure, and from then on, he became one of Orochimaru's subordinates.

But Orochimaru never truly considered him a friend; he merely used him.

After Orochimaru was sealed by the Totsuka Blade, Kabuto, in order to find his true self, embarked on the path of imitating Orochimaru, inheriting his abilities and the power of the Sound Five, and trained in Sage Mode in Ryūchi Cave.

However, even with such immense power, Kabuto didn't even dare to admit who he was.

Ultimately, he became entangled in the Izanami of Itachi and Sasuke, Impure World Reincarnation through Edo Tensei.

Looking at the pitiful child before her, Koki felt a deep sense of pity.

He wondered if having Kabuto Yakushi learn from Tsunade would interfere with his development. Was that really the right thing to do?

Should we send him back to the orphanage?

Anyway, Danzo is gone, and no one can threaten them. In the orphanage, Kabuto can live a simple and ordinary life with Yakushi Nonō and enjoy his childhood in peace.

It felt as if two voices were constantly arguing in Koki's mind.

A voice told him that Tsunade was one of the Sannin, and that by learning from her, Kabuto might gain great strength and a bright future.

Another voice reminded him that Dou had already endured too much suffering, and perhaps an ordinary life was what he truly needed.

His gaze fell on Kabuto again, his eyes seemingly hiding endless longing. Koki a pang of pain in his heart; how he wished he could find a path that truly belonged to Kabuto.

Time ticked by, Koki remained silent, while everyone waited for him to make his final decision.

This is a decision that could change Little Kabuto's life forever.

"Since Koki- kun is so indecisive, why not let him go with me? After all... ha, my interest in him is second only to Koki -kun!" Orochimaru's voice echoed in the room, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, sending chills down everyone's spine.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense and confrontational.

Orochimaru's eerie smile seemed to carry endless danger as he gently stroked a small snake, his gaze fixed intently on Kabuto Yakushi.

"Orochimaru!" Before Koki could speak, Tsunade glared angrily at Orochimaru, her eyes burning with fury.

"Are you determined to go against me?" Tsunade roared.

Her memory was instantly pulled back to the past, when she wanted to take Koki as her disciple, and Orochimaru suddenly jumped out to obstruct her.

In the past two years, for some reason, Koki and Orochimaru have become quite close, and they have been in frequent contact in private, which makes Tsunade's anger even more difficult to suppress.

"Heh." Orochimaru chuckled a few times, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a pair of cold and sharp eyes.

In an instant, the faint sound of snakes crawling echoed in the room, a sound that sent chills down one's spine, as if countless ghosts were quietly gathering in the dark night, and countless snake shadows were surrounding them from all sides.

Tsunade showed no fear, and instantly unleashed a Ninjutsu. The powerful force exploded in the air, and countless snake shadows fell like raindrops.

Koki felt truly helpless. Were these the legendary Sannin?

The three of them are over a hundred years old combined, and when they meet, they either fight or argue. They're just like a bunch of immature children!

He gently shook his head, bent down and carefully picked up Little Kabuto, then gently covered his eyes and whispered comfortingly, "Don't be afraid."

In fact, Little Kabuto wasn't scared at all.

He hugged Koki's neck tightly, secretly delighted. In his little world, as long as Koki was by his side, he felt safe and fearless.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy and oppressive. The confrontation between Tsunade and Orochimaru had just subsided, but a faint Yakumi still lingered in the air.

Fortunately, the two of them were still somewhat rational and knew they couldn't let things get out of control, especially since Koki was watching right there.

Although the two of them thought they were being very restrained, when Koki's gaze slowly fell on the dead snakes on the ground, his anger erupted like a volcano.

A layer of frost instantly settled on his handsome face. His eyes were cold and expressionless as he stared at Orochimaru, saying in a chilling voice, "You'll clean this place up in a bit!"

Orochimaru's narrow eyes suddenly contracted, his body stiffened involuntarily, and his face clearly showed extreme reluctance.

But in the end, under pressure from Koki, he nodded slightly and acquiesced to the request.

Koki stood quietly in place, her thoughts churning.

Originally, he was somewhat hesitant about whether to let Little Kabuto follow Tsunade, but Orochimaru's sudden appearance and intervention made his doubts disappear instantly.

After all, in Koki's opinion, Tsunade was far more reliable than Orochimaru.

As a Tsunade, Tsunade would be more responsible than Orochimaru. Not only would she impart all her Ninjutsu knowledge, but she would also always care about her students' safety and growth.

Orochimaru? He spends all his time doing improper things and often deceives children.

Following him? We'd be lucky if he didn't sell us out; how could we possibly learn anything from him?

That's the decision!

Just as Koki was about to express her decision, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Little Kabuto's expression.

At that moment, his heart sank. He saw Little Kabuto staring intently at Orochimaru, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.

A thought flashed through Koki's mind: Is fate still beyond change? In the anime storyline, Little Kabuto seems to have always been filled with endless admiration for Orochimaru.

If that's the case...

But the truth is that Koki's speculation was completely wrong. At this moment, Little Kabuto did not have the same admiration for Orochimaru as he did in the anime. He was simply driven by an endless thirst for power.

Little Kabuto at the people around Koki, each one of them seemed so powerful, and Kou longed to possess that kind of strength, to be able to stay by Koki's side like them.

More importantly, he hoped that Koki could recognize him, see his value, and stop treating him as someone who could be disposed of at will.

He will become very powerful.

Tsunade and Orochimaru remained locked in a tense standoff, the air thick with a cold indifference as neither paid any attention to the other.