Chapter 144

After hearing Orochimaru's words, Tsunade was momentarily stunned.

Before she could respond, Orochimaru continued, "War breeds hatred. The more hatred there is, the more wars will erupt, it's a vicious cycle, one that hasn't been broken yet."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "So, I've used my own resources to create a sanctuary for these war orphans. A place where they don't have to be tools for anyone, where they can just live. Right now, it's insignificant in the grand scheme of the ninja world, but I believe that one day, this place will grow and its ideals will spread far and wide."

"W-Wow… Orochimaru…" Tsunade looked at him, speechless. Orochimaru's tone and vision took her by surprise, and it was clear Jiraiya was equally shocked.

Was this truly the same Orochimaru they had grown up with? They were here fighting to protect Konoha, while Orochimaru was already envisioning something bigger than just one village. He was thinking of the entire ninja world.

"But… isn't Konoha itself a kind of sanctuary?" Jiraiya managed to stammer. "Shouldn't our first duty be to protect it?"

Orochimaru gave him a faint smile. "There's nothing wrong with protecting Konoha. But that doesn't conflict with my goals."

He looked Jiraiya in the eye, his expression deadly serious. "Think about it, Jiraiya. How many orphans are created by these endless wars every year? Even if Konoha wanted to help, it doesn't have the means or the will to shelter them all. They can't save the world, not in the state they're in. They can't even risk taking in orphaned children from other nations, out of fear those children might be spies."

He shrugged. "But my village? It's hidden and still unknown. I don't have those limitations."

"Enough, Orochimaru," Tsunade said suddenly. Her voice was soft, yet firm. "I support you."

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya looked at her, taken aback. "You too?"

"There's nothing wrong with creating a place for these kids to escape the war," Tsunade replied, placing a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder. "If no other village dares to do it, then Orochimaru's decision is admirable. If you want to go back to Konoha and report him to sensei, go ahead."

"What? Who do you think I am?" Jiraiya protested, looking hurt. "If Orochimaru were doing something dangerous or wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to stop him. But… this…"

Just then, a small voice interrupted their discussion.

"Excuse me!"

The three turned to see Yahiko looking up at them, his face serious despite his young age. "I want to ask… how can we be sure you're telling the truth?"

He glanced between Orochimaru and his teammates, the distrust evident in his eyes. As the oldest of the three, Yahiko felt responsible for their safety.

"Smart kid," Orochimaru remarked with a slight smirk. "But think about it—what do I gain by lying to you? If we wanted to hurt you, wouldn't it have been easier to do so already?"

Yahiko paused, clearly thinking it over. It made sense. If Orochimaru and his friends had wanted to kill them, they could've done it the moment they met.

After a moment of contemplation, Yahiko clenched his fists and nodded. "Alright. We believe you. We'll go with you."

"A wise decision." Orochimaru's smirk widened, and he gestured for the children to follow him. He took a moment to glance at Konan and Nagato, then turned to lead the way.

Yahiko and his friends exchanged a few looks, then nodded and followed close behind.

"Hey, Orochimaru, wait!" Jiraiya called out, catching up with them. "Are you just taking them to this village of yours?"

"What else would I be doing?"

"But… how many people are in this village?" Jiraiya asked, still incredulous.

"A lot," Orochimaru replied smoothly.

"How many subordinates?"

"Just one."

"What? Just one?" Jiraiya spluttered. "How do you plan to keep them safe?"

"You'll understand when we get there," Orochimaru said dismissively, clearly not interested in explaining further. "Seeing is better than hearing."

And with that, he began to lead Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato toward the Land of Sound. A faint smile crept across his face as he walked, his thoughts drifting to the next steps.

"So, Uchiha Madara... how will you respond to this?"

---

High above, hidden in the branches of a tree, a white face slowly emerged from the bark, watching the group depart. With a snicker, the face sank back into the tree, vanishing from sight.

---

Two days later, in a dimly lit chamber, an elderly man lay on a stone bed, his breath shallow. His single red eye was closed as he rested.

Suddenly, a white figure emerged from the wall beside him.

"Bad news, Madara. The boy, Nagato, was taken away by some Konoha ninjas."

"Hm?" Madara opened his remaining Sharingan, his voice weak yet filled with authority. "Explain in detail."

White Zetsu gave a quick report on what he'd witnessed.

"Konoha took him… could they have discovered the Rinnegan?" Madara murmured, furrowing his brow. "No, that's unlikely. The Rinnegan is a myth to most of them. Even if they noticed something, it wouldn't warrant this kind of response."

"Right. No one knows the true power of the Rinnegan except you."

"Then… why would they take him?" Madara closed his eye again, looking weary. "Forget it. Just keep watching. I'll decide what to do later."

"Understood."

White Zetsu nodded and sank back into the ground, disappearing from view.

---

With the war between the three great nations temporarily at a standstill, a fragile peace settled over their borders. Under the guidance of Orochimaru, Yahiko and his friends traveled safely, avoiding any remaining dangers.

Meanwhile, back in the world of shinobi, a new legend was being born.

Word of "The Sannin" spread quickly, and soon the entire ninja world knew their names. Rumors circulated, telling of how three shinobi from Konoha had stood their ground and defeated Hanzo of the Salamander, the fearsome leader of Amegakure.

Sure, it was three against one, but to the average shinobi, even thirty fighters wouldn't stand a chance against Hanzo.

People across the nations gossiped about how the Sannin had managed such a feat, and some hot-headed shinobi even considered teaming up with others to replicate the victory, hoping for their own moment of glory.

But once they truly thought it over, how Hanzo's poison alone was enough to kill them they quickly gave up on the idea.

And so, as Orochimaru led Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan on their long journey across forests and mountains, the world buzzed with tales of the Sannin's exploits. After days of travel, they finally reached their destination: the Land of Rice Field.