Akira and Orochimaru were in disguise, as they traveled. When they rested in a small town.
The small town was lively despite the late hour.
Lanterns glowed along the streets, and faint electric-powered lamps hummed softly above the roads. Compared to many frontier settlements, the place had surprisingly decent technology—reinforced stone streets, mechanical pumps, and small electric generators that powered lights across the market district.
Inside a modest restaurant near the main road, the warm smell of grilled meat and broth filled the air.
Orochimaru sat calmly at a wooden table across from Akira, his golden eyes half-lidded as he observed the boy.
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru spoke.
"You know, Akira-kun," he said slowly, "you and Ryo were similar in a few… very specific ways."
Akira looked up slightly. 'Does this guy has a crush on him or what? Like I really he is taking about way too much.'
Orochimaru rested his chin lightly on his hand.
"They were traits unique to the two of you."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"The first was a strange confidence."
"Not arrogance," he clarified quietly.
"Something more… absolute."
He tapped the table once.
"Both of you behaved as if you were always right."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"And more importantly… as if you would always succeed in whatever you attempted."
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened.
"Most people hesitate before acting. They doubt outcomes. They consider failure."
He shook his head slightly.
"But you and Ryo never truly did."
Another pause followed.
"The second similarity," Orochimaru continued, "was fear."
Akira frowned faintly.
Orochimaru's voice remained calm.
"You do feel fear. So did Ryo. But neither of you experienced that deep, primal terror that controls most people."
His golden eyes seemed to study something invisible in Akira.
"It's almost as if the two of you are detached from the future."
"Most people fear what might happen tomorrow."
"But you…"
A slight pause.
"…act as though the future has already been decided."
No fucking way he found out that I am a reincarnat-...
He tilted his head slightly.
"Like someone who already knows how events will unfold."
SHIT! Shit! Shit!
The implication hung quietly between them.
Before Akira could respond, the waiter arrived with their food.
Plates were set down—steamed rice, grilled fish, vegetables, and a bowl of thick broth.
The two began eating.
For a few moments, only the sounds of utensils and quiet conversation from other tables filled the restaurant.
Then Orochimaru spoke again.
"But that is where the similarities end."
His tone shifted slightly.
"Because the difference between you and Ryo was… fundamental."
He placed his chopsticks down.
"Ryo cared too much."
Orochimaru's eyes reflected the lantern light. "He loved his family. He loved his comrades. And most of all…he loved his village."
He leaned back slightly.
"That devotion shaped everything he did and eventually it twisted him."
Orochimaru's voice became colder.
"A person who loves something too much can become its greatest monster."
He looked directly at Akira.
"Ryo would burn the entire world if he believed it would protect what he loved."
"Family."
"Village."
"Legacy."
His gaze sharpened.
"That is the kind of man who becomes a tyrant."
Silence settled for a moment.
Then Orochimaru picked up his chopsticks again.
"You, however…"
A faint smile returned.
"…are very different."
He took another bite before finishing the thought.
"You are selfish."
But there was no insult in his voice.
"Not cruel. Not emotional."
"Simply selfish."
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed faintly.
"Your primary goal is survival."
"You don't chase ideals."
"You don't worship loyalty."
"You don't sacrifice yourself for something abstract like a village."
He studied Akira carefully.
"You simply want to live."
Another small pause.
"In many ways…"
Orochimaru smiled slightly.
"…that makes you far more dangerous than Ryo ever was."
He continued, "That's if you have the talent to match Ryo... Which I think you do."
Outside, the quiet town continued its nightly routine, completely unaware of the conversation unfolding inside the small restaurant.
------
After finishing their meal, Orochimaru and Akira left the restaurant and walked through the cool evening air.
Their destination was a modest hotel near the edge of the town. It wasn't luxurious, but compared to most roadside inns it was comfortable enough—two floors, wooden balconies, and warm light shining from the windows.
Inside, the owner quickly arranged rooms for them.
When the keys were placed on the counter, Akira immediately spoke.
"I'll take a separate room."
No way I sharing a room with your pedophile ass.
Orochimaru glanced at him briefly.
His lips curled slightly in amusement, but he didn't argue.
"Very well," he said calmly.
They walked upstairs, the wooden floor creaking softly under their steps. When they reached the hallway, Akira stopped before entering his room and looked toward Orochimaru.
"There's something I wanted to ask."
Orochimaru paused, turning his head slightly.
"Are we going straight to the battlefield?", Akira asked.
The golden-eyed Sannin studied him for a moment before answering.
"No."
Akira raised an eyebrow slightly.
Orochimaru leaned lightly against the hallway wall.
"Before heading to the front lines, I need to collect several… materials."
His voice remained casual, but there was something deliberate in the way he said it.
"It won't take long, I have... several farms or rather.... reserves, we just need to collect them."
The way he said freaked out Akira but nodded slightly nonetheless.
Then Orochimaru continued, He turned his gaze fully toward Akira.
"After that, I will travel to the front myself.
The Iwagakure front."
The war between villages had intensified recently, especially after the death of the Third Raikage while facing ten thousand shinobi. With Kumogakure weakened, the balance of power was shifting, and the pressure on Konohagakure's borders was growing rapidly.
Orochimaru continued calmly.
"When that happens…you will remain here."
Akira frowned slightly.
Orochimaru's expression didn't change.
"You are free to wander for a while."
He gestured vaguely toward the town outside.
"Observe the world."
"Train if you wish."
"Learn what you can."
His golden eyes glinted faintly.
"But you will not follow me to the battlefield."
There was no hostility in his voice—only certainty.
"The front lines are… unpredictable."
He straightened and turned toward his own room.
"And unlike My sensai…"
Orochimaru added quietly,
"…I have no interest in losing another prodigy to war."
With that, he stepped inside his room and closed the door.
The hallway fell silent.
Akira remained standing there for a moment, the faint glow of the hallway lantern reflecting off the wooden floor as the quiet town slept outside.
The he entered his room for a good night sleep.