Looking at Sasuke's hesitant eyes, Nanaya smiled and said,
"Why? Don't you want to become a rogue ninja?"
"No, Lord Nanaya," Sasuke replied firmly. "As long as I can gain power, I don't care if I have to follow the devil himself."
He spoke from the heart. He wasn't afraid of Orochimaru — what he feared was failing in his quest for vengeance.
Uchiha Nanaya simply snorted.
Of course, Sasuke didn't know that Orochimaru had been eyeing him for a long time.
The Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai — the Sharingan — was something Orochimaru coveted desperately. Not to mention Sasuke's young, promising body — perfect for Orochimaru's twisted experiments.
Whether Sasuke could gain power, kill Uchiha Itachi, or even betray Konoha — none of it mattered to Nanaya.
"In that case, I'll arrange a meeting for you two. Don't worry, you won't be branded a rogue ninja while I'm around."
As Hokage's advisor, Nanaya's influence held weight. Even if Sasuke joined Orochimaru, no one would dare label him a traitor without his say.
"Thank you, Master Nanaya!"
Sasuke bowed respectfully and departed.
This encounter had been more than worthwhile for Sasuke.
From his fight with Uchiha Nanaya, Sasuke gained more than just a few bruises — he learned about Sharingan evolution, Susanoo's power, and how to control it.
Most importantly, he found a path to power — a path that would make him strong enough to kill Uchiha Itachi.
Sasuke clenched his fists, his gaze burning with determination.
"Uchiha Itachi... just wait. Your life belongs to me."
On the other side, Nanaya clapped his hands and smirked.
The last time he spoke with Orochimaru, the snake had already shown interest in Sasuke.
Besides, Orochimaru's assassination of the Third Hokage had been of his own accord — recommending Sasuke to him was just doing the snake a small favor.
"Come out now... you've been watching for a while," Nanaya said lazily, spinning a kunai in his hand.
"Tsk tsk... As expected of Nanaya-kun, you noticed me so quickly."
From behind a tree emerged a pale figure with gray hair and glasses — Kabuto Yakushi.
Nanaya had sensed Kabuto's presence when Sasuke cast his Great Fireball Technique but had chosen to ignore him until now.
"What about Orochimaru? Isn't he eager to meet his favorite 'successor'?"
Kabuto smiled coldly.
"Don't worry, Nanaya-kun. Lord Orochimaru will be here soon."
What surprised Kabuto most was that Nanaya had actively encouraged Sasuke to join Orochimaru — despite being aligned with Konoha.
How could allowing Sasuke to leave Konoha possibly benefit the village?
Kabuto didn't know that Nanaya was simply fulfilling a favor.
Moments later, a massive snake slithered through the forest.
From the snake's gaping mouth, Orochimaru emerged — pale, serpentine, and unsettling as ever.
"Oh my, Nanaya-kun... you've been quite active lately!"
Nanaya smirked.
"Oh, you mean Danzo and the others? Well... they got what they deserved."
Orochimaru: "..."
Kabuto: "..."
Both were speechless.
They hadn't expected Nanaya to speak so casually about killing three of Konoha's most influential elders — Danzo, Homura, and Koharu — all from the same era as the Third Hokage.
It had taken Orochimaru immense effort to kill the Third Hokage. Yet Nanaya had eliminated three formidable figures so easily — proof that Nanaya's power was no ordinary force.
To Orochimaru, Uchiha Nanaya was now a terrifying existence.
If provoked, Orochimaru doubted he'd even survive long enough to resume his twisted experiments.
Thus, whenever facing Uchiha Nanaya, Orochimaru acted with extreme caution.
Nanaya seemed to read Orochimaru's mind and chuckled.
"Orochimaru-san, relax. Weren't we partners before? No need to get so tense."
"Heh heh..." Orochimaru forced a smile.
"By the way, I already spoke to Sasuke. He's agreed to join you. You can pick him up whenever you like."
"I know... thank you, Nanaya-kun."
Oddly, Orochimaru didn't seem overly pleased.
"Hey, Orochimaru... aren't you excited to get your hands on Sasuke's body?" Nanaya teased.
Whoosh—
The wind howled, leaves rustling through the air.
Orochimaru licked his lips with his long tongue.
"Nanaya-kun, ever since I met you... I've had a new outlook on the world."
Nanaya's face twitched slightly.
"Don't tell me you've... developed some weird hobby?"
His suspicions grew.
"My little Uchiha charms Orochimaru enough to change his worldview? Am I that captivating?" Nanaya thought.
Orochimaru continued.
"Sasuke's body isn't what I'm after. He's merely a test — I want to see how far his 'wind' can blow."
Nanaya chuckled.
"Tsk tsk... You're really evolving, Orochimaru. Quite philosophical of you."
It seemed Nanaya's presence had accelerated Orochimaru's eventual shift in ideals — the realization that science was the ultimate power.
"Of course, Nanaya-kun... I'm also curious to see how powerful your wind can become."
Orochimaru's voice held a faint hint of excitement.
Turning serious, Orochimaru added,
"By the way, Nanaya-kun, do you know about that organization?"
"You mean the one Uchiha Itachi belongs to? I've heard a little."
"They've begun moving... and their target is the tailed beasts — including Konoha's Nine Tails."
Nanaya's expression remained calm.
"Hmm... sounds troublesome."
Orochimaru paused.
"Nanaya-kun... why do you sound like you don't care?"
Nanaya chuckled softly.
"Orochimaru... I'm always prepared."
Orochimaru lingered for a moment before melting into the ground, his long tongue flicking in anticipation.
"Sasuke-kun... I look forward to your arrival."
Meanwhile, Nanaya smirked to himself.
"So... the Akatsuki is finally making their move."
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