Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

Chapter 143: I’ve built my own village

Orochimaru suddenly felt he was in over his head.

In the original series, Orochimaru hadn't yet built his own village or even begun serious re

"It's fine, Tsunade," he assured her before turning back to Yahiko. "No, I'm not talking about Konoha. I'm offering you a place somewhere else."

"Somewhere… else?" Yahiko repeated, confused.

Orochimaru's words left not only the three children but also Tsunade and Jiraiya in shock.

"What are you talking about, Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked, frowning.

Orochimaru looked at his two teammates calmly. "I'll be honest with you… I've built my own village."

"What?"

Both Tsunade and Jiraiya stared at him in stunned silence, struggling to process what he'd just said.

"How… how is that possible?" Jiraiya stammered, disbelief clear in his voice.

Orochimaru continued, unfazed. "It's a hidden place. Specifically established to shelter orphans of war like these kids."

The two of them were still reeling, trying to grasp the implications.

"When did you do this?" Jiraiya finally asked, as if he could barely believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

"Now's not the time to go into details," Orochimaru replied curtly, cutting off further questions. He turned to Yahiko and spoke with a kind of cold sincerity. "Yahiko, right? Would you like to come to my village? There, you'll find other children who've lost everything to this war, just like you. No one will be able to harm you."

Yahiko looked unsure but intrigued. The thought of a place where he and his friends could be safe was tempting. In a world ravaged by war, the idea of a safe haven, especially one filled with kids like them, sounded like a miracle.

"I… I need to discuss it with Nagato and Konan first," Yahiko said hesitantly.

"Of course. But don't take too long to decide," Orochimaru said with a thin smile.

The three children moved a short distance away to discuss in hushed voices, leaving Tsunade and Jiraiya to confront Orochimaru directly.

"Orochimaru, are you serious? You really built your own village?" Jiraiya asked, still in shock.

Orochimaru nodded slightly. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

Jiraiya's expression darkened. "A problem? Orochimaru, do you realize that doing this… it's treason! Building a village outside Konoha's jurisdiction? That's betraying the Leaf!"

In Jiraiya's eyes, Konoha was home. Its interests came first, especially in times of war. For Orochimaru to go off and start his own village, it felt like a betrayal of everything they'd fought for.

Even Tsunade was looking at Orochimaru with confusion. She knew Orochimaru had secrets, but she hadn't expected something like this.

Orochimaru, however, remained calm and unbothered. "Treason? Only if you tell the village, Jiraiya."

He shifted his gaze to Tsunade, his expression unreadable. "You've often asked me if there's a way to end this endless cycle of war, haven't you? Well, this is my answer."

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