I'll be taking the next two days off.
Happy Year of the Snake to everyone!
I never expected that, in the Year of the Snake, I would end up writing a novel with Orochimaru as the main character. Thinking about it now, the coincidence feels oddly fitting.
I applied for a total of five days of leave this month. Three of those were compensation days for various problems I encountered, yet in the end, only two days were approved.
Keeping up with daily updates throughout this period has been incredibly exhausting. Since I started writing this book, I haven't missed a single day. To be honest, I'm really tired. Writer's block is especially draining—it's frustrating, mentally exhausting, and difficult to push through.
Still, happy Year of the Snake!
I sincerely wish everyone a prosperous Year of the Snake and harmony within your families.
Hopefully, your relatives won't interrogate you about your job or your marital status this year—and may you be spared from blind dates!
We'll be resting today and tomorrow. Updates will resume on the 30th.
During these two days, I'll also take some time to work on drafts.
Before that, I want to briefly address the emotional development everyone is most curious about.
Emotions will unfold gradually. If everything happens all at once, the story becomes diluted; if emotions are too intense and characters come together too quickly, it becomes far more vulnerable to censorship.
Tsunade is a relatively naïve character. Even when she takes the initiative, she does so subtly and cautiously.
Uchiha Hikari represents a more traditional Uchiha temperament.
Hyuga Mio is an opportunist—she waits patiently for the right moment before making her move.
Uzumaki Chigusa, much like Uzumaki Mito, is an elderly woman who enjoys dramatics and prefers to act first. Once her feelings for Orochimaru are confirmed, she will be extremely proactive.
As for Orochimaru himself, he genuinely values the people around him. However, it never occurred to him that women might be interested in him—especially given how rare it is for women to be attracted to other women. This is uncommon even in the real world, let alone the ninja world.
Most of Orochimaru's energy is devoted entirely to research. Unless someone explicitly confesses or makes their feelings unmistakably clear through sincere actions, he simply won't consider the possibility.
If Tsunade and the others never confess, Orochimaru could very well remain single forever.
Given his personality, he would never fall in love with a man either.
Friendship is acceptable to him, but he instinctively rejects deeper emotional bonds. His rejections leave no room for misunderstanding or false hope.
The final segment of this chapter has been re-edited.
During the clash between the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, Orochimaru directly confronted the Tsuchikage. In that moment, Orochimaru launched a stealthy attack with the intent to kill.
Orochimaru doesn't care about reputation. Whether others see him as a ninja or something else entirely is irrelevant to him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, does care. He wants Orochimaru to become the Fourth Hokage.
From another perspective, Ōnoki's death would only plunge the situation into greater chaos—an outcome unfavorable for Konoha.
In truth, Konoha has no real allies. If they did, there wouldn't be so many concerns.
Throughout the village wars under successive Hokage, Konoha was either betrayed or subjected to large-scale assaults.
Chapter 171 (Preview): Rinnegan Awakening
A desolate, rocky region stretched endlessly beneath the sky. An unremarkable mountain stood quietly within it, blending seamlessly into the barren landscape.
This mountain housed the Hidden Stone Village's logistical medical unit.
Using Earth Release techniques, the Hidden Stone ninjas had hollowed out the entire mountain, creating a natural fortress to protect their wounded.
Under the care of medical ninjas, Ōnoki stared at the bloody wound in his chest.
"If only I hadn't flown upward at that moment…" he thought bitterly.
Had Orochimaru been aiming for his head?
Ōnoki's heart pounded violently. If the Third Hokage hadn't struck him and sent him flying backward at that precise instant, he would already be dead. Orochimaru's insidious attack had pierced his chest before he even had time to react—and that blow had originally been meant for his head.
"I can't believe I owe my life to the Third Hokage…"
The irony left a bitter taste in Ōnoki's mouth, yet he couldn't deny the relief of survival. Dying like that would have been humiliating.
"Lord Tsuchikage," said the captain of the medical unit, his expression grave, "I strongly advise you to return to the village for a full examination. This wound may not be as simple as it appears."
"I understand," Ōnoki replied.
He had already anticipated this. He didn't believe the injury caused by that strange ninja tool could be so straightforward. During times like these, caution was essential. If anything were to happen to him, the other great villages would seize the opportunity to attack Iwagakure without hesitation.
He needed to recover as quickly as possible.
That hateful little girl… Ōnoki had never imagined he would suffer such a setback at Orochimaru's hands. He hadn't taken significant losses while fighting Hiruzen Sarutobi, yet he had nearly died to Orochimaru's sneak attack.
Ōnoki ordered the Hidden Stone forces to retreat to the village to rest. Their campaign against Konoha was not over, but it would no longer proceed on such a massive scale.
After the Hidden Stone forces withdrew, Konoha's troops took a brief rest before retreating toward the Land of Fire under the leadership of the Third Hokage.
The Takigakure ninjas who had been observing the conflict finally breathed a sigh of relief. Had Konoha and the Hidden Stone Village engaged in a full-scale battle within the Land of Waterfalls, Takigakure would have been unable to remain neutral. Unfortunately, their strength was insignificant compared to either side.
"Orochimaru, are you angry that I stopped you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly asked, glancing at Orochimaru beside him.
"Hiruzen-sensei, why would you think that?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Orochimaru's eyes before she smiled faintly.
"The only reason I wanted to kill the Third Tsuchikage was because he wanted to kill me. Nothing more."
"I see…"
Hiruzen's words caught in his throat.
"You must have had your concerns when you stopped me. I understand that."
Orochimaru understood—but that didn't mean she agreed.
If given another chance, she would have aimed slightly higher. Then, when Ōnoki flew upward, the bullet would have struck his head cleanly.
Killing Ōnoki might have led to worse consequences, but when an opportunity presents itself, why not seize it?
That night, the Konoha forces camped within the Land of Fire. They would return to the village the next day.
Orochimaru leaned against a tree trunk, examining the black, matte-textured miniature pistol in her hand.
If she had infused the bullet with a chakra nature transformation at that moment, Ōnoki's chest would have been blown open entirely. Even with healing pills, survival would have been unlikely.
"I remember seeing the blueprints for this on your desk before," Tsunade said as she sat beside Orochimaru. "You even told me it was just a toy back then."
She bit her wrist in frustration at the memory.
"A toy nearly killed the Third Tsuchikage?"
"At the time, it really was just a toy," Orochimaru replied calmly.
Back then, the technology was immature. The gunpowder and bullets were dangerous at best—nothing more than an enhanced plaything.
Now, however, this weapon was the result of countless refinements. The propellant was chakra gunpowder, and the bullets contained chakra explosives capable of elemental transformation.
If Orochimaru had used stronger Lightning or Fire Release enhancements, Ōnoki would almost certainly be dead.
"Let me try it," Tsunade said.
She took the miniature pistol and mimicked Orochimaru's movements, pulling the trigger toward the ground.
With a sharp crack, the shell casing ejected. Tsunade felt a slight recoil, and a neat hole appeared in the earth.
"Let me try too—it looks interesting!"
Jiraiya hurried over, his curiosity piqued.
"Ask Orochimaru," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes as Jiraiya stared at the pistol like a child with a new toy.
"Let him see," Orochimaru said indifferently. "Against an Ōtsutsuki, this thing is still just a toy."
Tsunade reluctantly tossed the pistol to Jiraiya.
"Hey! That's dangerous!"
Jiraiya caught it carefully, terrified of accidentally firing it and hurting someone.
"Orochimaru, you're a genius!" he exclaimed, admiring the craftsmanship.
"It's nothing special," Orochimaru replied. "Just a ninja tool suited for assassinations."
She watched the flames of the campfire dance.
"Orochimaru, do you think the war with the Hidden Stone Village will continue?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes," Orochimaru said flatly. "Their actions won't stop, and Konoha won't stop either until they declare a ceasefire."
She snapped a branch and tossed it into the fire.
"This war is more complicated than you think. Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure haven't moved yet. We don't know what they're planning."
Jiraiya sighed. Was there any meaning in endless slaughter?
Could the ninja world really be changed by a single person?
As he walked away, Orochimaru and Tsunade watched his retreating figure.
"Is he struggling because of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy?" Tsunade asked softly.
"It's written all over his face," Orochimaru replied.
She didn't care about prophecies. Whether Jiraiya listened to her warnings was no longer her concern.
"Jiraiya wouldn't be Jiraiya if his thoughts were that easy to change."
Tsunade nodded and handed the pistol back.
"This is yours."
Orochimaru didn't take it.
"Really?" Tsunade's eyes lit up.
"If you don't want it, give it back."
"Who said I don't want it!" Tsunade protested, trying to hide it—only for a white snake to coil around her wrist.
"Before I give it to you, I need to teach you how to use it properly," Orochimaru said seriously.
She didn't want Tsunade—or anyone else—to get hurt.
"A… miniature gun?"
"Yes. A miniature gun. For ladies only."
Orochimaru demonstrated its use, then handed Tsunade a box of special ammunition.
Each bullet tip bore miniature transformation formulas, allowing chakra conversion into different properties—much like magical projectiles in games.
"It's complicated…"
"Remember this," Orochimaru said, pinching Tsunade's cheeks. "If you ever hurt yourself with it, you'll regret it."
"I know!"
Tsunade sealed the pistol and ammunition into a scroll, smiling brightly.
She really liked the gift Orochimaru had given her.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)