"Support the Strong, Not the Weak!"
In truth, Uchiha Itachi had already met Orochimaru even before Uchiha Ren brought him to see the Sannin.
It had happened during a small memorial service.
Experiencing the weight of death for the first time, Itachi happened to encounter Orochimaru and asked him a question that came straight from the depths of his heart:
What is the meaning of life?
Orochimaru's answer had been philosophical.
Everyone dies eventually. Therefore, life itself has no inherent meaning.
After hearing that, Itachi went to a cliff and jumped, intending to end this meaningless life.
Yet at the final moment, clarity returned to him. He pulled back from the brink and survived.
From that experience, Itachi arrived at a new conclusion:
Life might have no inherent meaning—but no one truly wants to die.
At the time, he had not yet discovered deeper answers. The only thing he knew was that no one desired death—and having personally faced it, he believed that conclusion firmly.
Later, after meeting Uchiha Ren, Itachi asked him the same question.
Ren's answer resembled Orochimaru's, yet it was also different.
Life may have no meaning.
But death gives life its value.
That was Ren's answer.
And today, Orochimaru's words made Itachi gain an even deeper understanding of it.
Orochimaru nodded.
"To master every technique in the world and understand all knowledge that exists—that is the meaning of my life."
"And since techniques and knowledge are infinite, I too must possess infinite life."
Itachi looked at him strangely.
"Someone once told me that life is precious precisely because it cannot be repeated."
"When you truly realize that life is finite—that is when it becomes most beautiful."
"One day you will eat your last meal."
"You will see a certain landscape for the final time."
"You will smell the fragrance of a flower for the last time."
"And you will gather with your family and companions one final time."
"But you never know when those last moments will come.
"That is why you should pursue everything you love with passion, cherish every moment you live, and maintain your enthusiasm for life."
"Because once you lose passion for everything… your life loses its meaning."
Orochimaru fell silent.
He was deeply moved.
Even now, he had already lost interest in many things. Naturally, passion was something he could hardly speak of.
He also knew that no human could maintain endless enthusiasm for the same thing forever.
If one day he truly gained infinite life, would he still feel the same passion for ninjutsu and knowledge after countless years?
If that day came…
Would that endless life still hold meaning?
For a moment, Orochimaru felt a strange sense of emptiness.
"That's an interesting perspective," he said quietly.
"It seems you're no longer interested in infinite life either."
But Itachi shook his head.
"That person also told me something else."
"Maintaining passion for life is an attitude, not something determined by the length of one's life."
"Time passes like a shuttle; seas turn into mulberry fields."
"Just as you don't know what people ate in ancient times, the food you eat today may one day vanish from history for reasons you cannot imagine."
"So you still don't know when the last time you'll taste it will be."
"Landscapes will change. Flowers will wither. Family and companions will eventually die."
"A long life doesn't prevent you from experiencing these 'last times.'"
"In fact, the longer you live, the more 'last times' you will witness."
"That is why you must maintain your passion for life."
"Immortality itself isn't bad."
"But if you live the way you do now—Orochimaru—repeating the same routine and losing interest in everything…"
"Then sooner or later, life will lose its meaning."
Orochimaru: "..."
He hadn't expected to become a negative example in someone else's lesson.
Still, he could already guess who had told Itachi those words.
With a helpless sigh, Orochimaru said:
"Speaking ill of someone behind their back isn't exactly a good habit."
"Is Ren-kun worried about my mental state?"
He was starting to suspect those words had been deliberately delivered through Itachi.
Itachi did not deny it.
"Big Brother Ren does worry about that."
"He said that for a scientist, passion and imagination are extremely important."
"And most knowledge in this world cannot be obtained from laboratories or books."
"Why does the sun rise in the east?"
"Why is the sky blue?"
"Why does an apple fall to the ground?"
"Why do two iron balls of different sizes dropped from the same height land at the same time?"
"In truth, every blade of grass and every tree in this world contains vast knowledge."
"Some of it even points directly to the fundamental nature of the world."
"Only by maintaining passion for the world can you develop eyes capable of discovering knowledge."
At that moment, Orochimaru's eyes shone brilliantly.
Those few sentences from Itachi felt as if they had opened an entirely new world before him.
He suddenly realized he had overlooked far too many things.
Now, when he looked around again, the grass and trees nearby seemed far more vivid than before.
"Please thank Ren-kun for the reminder."
"There will be a battle soon. You should also take this opportunity to rest."
Orochimaru's thoughts were racing.
Ideas poured into his mind like a flood.
After dismissing Itachi, he immediately took out paper and began recording the inspiration flooding his thoughts.
Itachi didn't disturb him.
Instead, he quietly observed the Konoha shinobi resting around him, wondering how many people would lose their lives in the coming battle.
Time passed slowly.
Before long, the entire night had gone by.
The sky began to brighten with dawn.
"Report!"
A reconnaissance ninja broke the silence as he hurried over.
"The Three-Village Allied Forces have begun moving! They're marching toward Kikyō Mountain Fortress!"
Orochimaru's eyes sharpened.
He packed away the notes he had written overnight and stood up.
"Inform everyone to prepare for battle."
"Do not rush the advance. Maintain concealment."
Orochimaru understood that the army under his command was a surprise force.
Their greatest advantage lay in striking unexpectedly.
Therefore, concealing their presence remained the most important priority.
Soon, the two thousand Konoha shinobi hidden in the ravine began moving as well, advancing toward Kikyō Mountain Fortress.
By the time they arrived nearby, the Three-Village Allied Forces and the Konoha defenders were already locked in fierce combat.
"Report! Commander Nara has sent word!"
A communications ninja rushed over and handed Orochimaru a message.
"He will lure away the enemy's reserve forces so we can act at the right moment!"
Orochimaru nodded.
"Tell everyone to prepare."
"Send one thousand men to Hill Two and Hill Three to assist the defenders and eliminate the remaining enemies there as quickly as possible."
"The other one thousand will follow me to Hill One."
Among the four hills on the battlefield:
Hill Two and Hill Three were already collapsing for the allied forces due to the presence of Uchiha Ren and Obito Uchiha .Hill One remained in a stalemate.Hill Four, however, was occupied by the elite forces of the Three-Village Alliance and they had already gained the upper hand.
Orochimaru understood a simple principle:
Support the strong, not the weak.
Only by quickly ending the battles on Hills One through Three could Konoha free up its superior forces and redeploy them to turn the tide elsewhere.
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