Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

Chapter 112: Destiny

Orochimaru was headed toward the Land of Rice Fields, and there was little need to explain why.

At the same time, as Orochimaru made his way toward the Land of Rice Fields, a couple also crossed the border into the same territory. 

Both husband and wife were cloaked in black, stumbling along, looking thoroughly exhausted.

"H-Husband… can we rest for a moment? My stomach… it hurts."

The woman was panting heavily, her face pale with exhaustion.

If one looked closely, they'd notice she was heavily pregnant under that cloak, her belly round and ready for delivery.

"Hold on just a bit longer," the man replied, teeth gritted. "We're at the edge of the Land of Grass—it's not safe here. Let's get over this mountain first, then we can rest."

"But… it hurts so much," the woman pleaded, struggling to keep moving.

A heavily pregnant woman, running for her life for so long, it was a miracle she hadn't collapsed already.

Seeing her in such pain, the man hesitated, then cursed under his breath. "Alright, wait here for a second. I'll find us a safe spot."

The woman nodded weakly, resting against a large boulder.

The man quickly ran ahead,

Madara chuckled softly. "Hmm, maybe my luck isn't so bad after all…"

Sometimes, fate truly does work in strange ways.

As a former friend of the First Hokage, Madara knew the power of the Uzumaki clan well. But with age weighing on him and time running out, he couldn't afford to take risks by openly seeking out the remaining members of their clan. That would risk drawing Konoha's attention. He had to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity.

And now, it seemed, the opportunity had come to him.

The Uzumaki clan had been annihilated, but a couple had survived, crossing the Land of Grass in hopes of finding refuge. And the woman was pregnant, a perfect vessel for his plans.

It was as if destiny had delivered them to his doorstep.

---

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already anticipated that things like this might happen, but he didn't concern himself with it too much. The world was vast, and finding Nagato's parents on his own would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. He simply didn't have the time or resources for that kind of pursuit.

For now, he had other matters to attend to, and so he found himself in the war-torn Land of Rice Fields once again.

Despite the tense relationships between the major nations, Konoha still hadn't declared war on the Land of Lightning. According to intelligence, the Land of Lightning had provided extensive evidence that they weren't involved in the destruction of Uzushiogakure. Additionally, the peace treaty they had signed after their previous conflict seemed to be holding for now.

Orochimaru scoffed at the idea.

He knew that Kumogakure had a habit of studying the secret techniques of other villages. If they weren't involved in the downfall of the Uzumaki clan, then no one was. Orochimaru could barely suppress his laughter at the thought.

Still, the fact that Konoha hadn't engaged in open conflict with Kumogakure meant that the Land of Rice Fields would remain relatively safe for now.

That was good news for him.

Reaching a mountainous area, Orochimaru surveyed the terrain. The place was surrounded by rivers and peaks, a scenic location that would make a fine vacation spot, under different circumstances. But leisure was far from Orochimaru's mind.

Suddenly, a figure dressed in black appeared out of nowhere, kneeling before him.

"Lord Orochimaru," the figure said, head bowed.

"Yoru, how's the lab?" Orochimaru asked.

"Everything is ready."

"Good. Take me inside," Orochimaru commanded.