章 62: 62 - A World Worth Breaking
Although Shin had not expected to encounter Orochimaru here and today, it's worth noting that he had long been thinking about him.
For the issue surrounding Yahiko, Shin's initial plan was to utilize Orochimaru's research capabilities to find a solution. The plan had always been complex, but now fate had handed him an unexpected opportunity.
However, Orochimaru was still Konoha's frontline commander, possibly even the captain of the jonin squad. Approaching him directly to seek cooperation at this moment was unfeasible.
The options were simple: either accelerate Orochimaru's defection from Konoha or find a way to expose him to White Zetsu's body tissue early, enticing him to initiate his research on his own.
Unexpectedly, before Shin could fully formulate his plans, fate seemed to align perfectly. By a series of coincidences, an opportunity presented itself, giving him the chance to achieve both objectives simultaneously.
At that moment, Orochimaru, who had just been forced back by a spear made of Wood Release while retreating from Hiruko's side, looked utterly baffled as he caught the lump of White Zetsu tissue Shin had casually tossed over.
The turn of events was so abrupt—one moment they had been locked in fierce combat, and the next his opponent was nonchalantly throwing strange items his way.
"What are you planning this time?" Orochimaru temporarily halted his actions, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Shin. His lower body retained its snake-like form, muscles coiled and ready to spring away at the slightest sign of danger.
But this time, Shin seemed unusually forthright, withholding nothing as he explained further.
"White Zetsu's body possesses a structure entirely different from that of humans. It naturally holds Wood Release abilities and an extraordinary capacity for self-regeneration."
"They can use chakra and nearly exhibit properties of limb regeneration and immortality."
Here, he deliberately paused and raised his gaze, locking eyes with Orochimaru's.
Immortality... could it really be possible?
Orochimaru couldn't help but glance at Hiruko again. This time, his gaze held no trace of concern for an old friend; instead, his eyes searched for signs of the spores Shin had described spreading across Hiruko's body.
Sensing Orochimaru's shift in demeanor, Hiruko grew increasingly alarmed.
Kneeling in the water in pain, he raised his bloodshot eyes to look at Orochimaru in the distance. He no longer questioned whether Tsunade had betrayed him; instead, he directed a pleading gaze at the Snake Sannin.
"Stop all this nonsense about research! Research can be done anytime. Save me! Save me now!"
On one side, an old teammate was desperately begging for help. On the other, Shin's whispers were tempting Orochimaru.
"I can give you as much of this White Zetsu tissue as you want. I even have a living specimen sealed away."
"Don't you want to uncover the meaning of life? Don't you desire eternal life?"
Just like not long ago, when he had to choose between Tsunade and Hiruko, Shin had created another dilemma for him.
Two paths lay before him: loyalty or knowledge.
In this moment, Shin resembled the Lich King, continuously orchestrating painful choices for Prince Arthas. However, unlike Arthas, Orochimaru was unbound by notions of justice or duty.
He didn't mourn Hiruko's predicament for even a moment. Not long ago, Orochimaru's smile had faded briefly. But now, despite failing to reclaim Hiruko and bearing a deep wound on his chest, he laughed again.
"Hahaha! You've certainly presented me with a difficult choice."
He slowly retreated, his body sinking into the water.
"Hiruko and my sword will remain with you for now. Before our next meeting, I hope you'll keep that White Zetsu specimen safe for me. I'll come for it then."
"Orochimaru! You bastard! You abandoned me, just like Tsunade did!" Hiruko shouted when he saw Orochimaru disappear beneath the water's surface.
From his perspective, all of his comrades, apart from Jiraiya, had turned their backs on him today.
With Orochimaru gone, and the Akatsuki's members closing in further, he had no choice left.
From the sky, Konan said, "It's your turn to decide—will you stay loyal to Konoha or become our prisoner?"
Hiruko collapsed to the ground, grabbing Orochimaru's discarded Kusanagi.
In that instant, both Kakuzu and Konan grew wary, ready to fight. However, what happened next defied their expectations.
Hiruko knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and raised the sword with both hands in surrender.
"My answer is simple: I pledge my loyalty to you."
For a moment, both Konan and Kakuzu were stunned. Shin reacted quickly, stepping forward to accept the sword.
"The scrolls too," he commanded, gesturing at Hiruko's pouches. "Open them where we can see."
Hiruko complied, laying out each scroll. Most contained weapons and tools, but the last one revealed rations—dried meat, fruit, and other travel provisions. The sight reminded him he hadn't eaten since the battle began.
Almost absently, he picked up a banana from among the supplies. As he peeled it, he muttered under his breath, "Third time being the fool..."
In that moment, Shin slapped him across the face. The force sent Hiruko spinning three times before he collapsed into the water with a huge splash.
"What was that for?" Hiruko sat up, clutching his face.
Shin innocently shook his hand, droplets of water flying from his fingers. "Reflex."
"…" Hiruko was clearly upset but dared not say another word. He remained sitting in the shallow water, one hand still pressed against his reddening cheek, looking very much like a scolded child.
The other Akatsuki members watched this exchange in silence, though Kakuzu's shoulders shook slightly in what might have been suppressed laughter.
After letting Orochimaru escape, Shin and his group took stock of their gains.
Although the battle had been extremely perilous, with the situation becoming chaotic and overwhelming at times, and with both sides engaging in two fierce confrontations, the outcome was favorable.
Akatsuki had suffered almost no losses and had instead gained many tangible and intangible rewards. Even the mission's initial objective was achieved: they had secured Nonō.
This was largely thanks to Rai. While he hadn't contributed much in the battle, he had kept a close watch on Orochimaru's barrier. The moment it was dispelled, Rai rushed in without hesitation, seizing what mattered most to him, and even managed to bring back Kabuto.
Although Orochimaru had been distracted by caring for Tsunade, managing to take someone from one of the Sannin would be a tale Rai could boast about for a lifetime.
Shin then examined Nonō's condition. With Tsunade gone, he was the only one in the group with any medical ninjutsu expertise. After confirming she was fine, he prepared to return to Ame.
"Give Sasori to Pakura, along with the human puppet," Shin instructed Konan.
"Huh? Are you serious?"
"Yes, give him to her," Shin said, smiling at Pakura's murderous glare.
Konan unwrapped the paper bundle. The paper peeled away layer by layer, revealing the severely injured Sasori and the imposing form of the Third Kazekage puppet.
She handed them over to Pakura.
Taking them, Pakura immediately leaped far away, landing on a higher branch before speaking up. "How interesting that Akatsuki hands over its members so easily."
"A fair trade is a fair trade," Kakuzu commented pragmatically, earning a sharp glare from Konan.
Shin silently prayed that Kakuzu wouldn't have his pay docked—after all, Konan still handled Akatsuki's logistics.
"We might have opportunities to collaborate in the future," Shin said. "I hope that next time, you won't have fallen to being a traitor to Suna again."
"That's impossible!" Pakura replied firmly, before disappearing with a Body Flicker, leaving only a few scorched leaves.
The remaining Akatsuki members also departed from the area soon after, moving through the trees.
On the way back, noticing Konan still seemed a little flustered, Shin moved closer to her and comforted her. "It's okay to have such thoughts. I considered keeping Sasori too. After all, he was the first new member you brought in."
When Konan's gaze finally turned back to him, Shin continued, "However, I believe we need allies within the five great villages far more than we need another member. Even potential allies are incredibly important for us."
"Why? We're only at war with Konoha right now. Doesn't maintaining hostilities with Konoha naturally make Suna our ally?"
Hearing this, Shin felt gratified. Konan was starting to view war and strategy from the perspective of a leader, rather than clinging to an idealistic belief in mutual understanding.
Even though her perspective was still somewhat naive, it was a step forward. Shin shook his head gently.
"That's far from enough."
His gaze deepened, revealing not just thoughts of the present but conclusions formed from countless sleepless nights.
Since the system's recent update, he had been exploring his new skills while tirelessly pondering how to break free from the death loop. Every night spent training, every moment analyzing possible futures, all of it felt like trying to grasp smoke.
Though his situation was vastly better than when he first arrived in this world—back then, the system's death warning had made it clear he wouldn't survive the year—his eventual death still felt inevitable.
Even having extended his lifespan by a decade or two, he was still destined to die young.
Death was the purest fear of all living beings. Even ants cling to life; naturally, so did he.
Regarding the 47% probability of death that awaited him, the system provided scant information. The numbers floated before his mind's eye, cold and unforgiving.
It only mentioned that during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Ame, as the prime suspect behind the conflict, would be targeted and destroyed.
A simple equation: one small village against the world. The math wasn't in his favor.
But as Shin delved deeper into the issue, a question troubled him—what would the five great villages be doing when Ame was annihilated during such a massive conflict?
Would they simply not receive the news in time?
If Shin disconnected entirely from the world for years, perhaps that could happen. But as long as he was alive, this scenario was impossible. He would never ignore such a threat without warning the major villages.
Even if he had no influence, the original timeline's trajectory showed that the great villages would naturally form a shinobi alliance to face the larger threat. It was one of the few certainties he could count on.
There was no precedent in the original story for Obito or others preemptively wiping out a minor nation before the war began. It simply didn't fit the narrative.
The only explanation was that the great villages would knowingly choose not to intervene.
Reasons for this were easy to imagine—perhaps the actions of Ame and Shin himself would alienate the great nations. Or perhaps the villages would prioritize preserving their dominance over the shinobi world by standing idly by.
This aligned with the system's classification of his demise as a worldline convergence point. If the worldline was destined to converge, minor changes wouldn't alter the outcome.
Simply leaking information, forming alliances, or relying on the original protagonists wouldn't suffice to overturn this fate.
If they won't extend a hand to save us, perhaps they deserve to fall with us. Let them feel what it's like to be powerless.
He wasn't one to accept fate. Every fiber of his being rejected the idea of a predetermined death.
"You cannot heal a poisoned wound by stitching it closed—the infection must be burned away completely, or it will fester until everything dies."
"Konan, we have only one chance to save this world."
If fate demands a tragedy, I'll give it one worth remembering.
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