When Uchiha Hikari spoke with Hii Kōri, she did not mention the matter of Orochimaru.
From the lip reading she had done earlier, Hii Kōri and that gloomy man did not seem to be particularly close companions.
Moreover, in her view, having been caught in the flames of Amaterasu, that man had surely died there long ago.
Uchiha Hikari had developed the habit of not wasting unnecessary emotions on the dead during her time as a tool of war, though she hadn't had any companions back then either.
After some back-and-forth, however, Kōri dispersed the Scorch Release chakra he had channeled into Orochimaru's left shoulder. After that, Orochimaru set off on his journey back to Konoha.
Although both of his plans had failed — whether to take Uchiha Hikari for himself or to take advantage of Hii Kōri's exhaustion after the fierce battle to ambush and bring him back to Konoha, or to win him over to his side — it was ultimately of little consequence to Orochimaru.
The former had always been an unexpected bonus. If they weren't going to fight, according to the rules of dividing spoils it should have gone to Hii Kōri anyway. Moreover, as Kōri himself had said, given the current circumstances, bringing back a Mangekyō Sharingan user who harboured intense hostility towards the Senju, the Sarutobi and even the Uchiha themselves would be difficult to judge as either a gain or a liability.
As for the latter... whether it succeeded or not didn't make much difference.
Just as Hii Kōri had ultimately let him leave as if nothing had happened, even if Orochimaru had held an absolute advantage, he could not have killed Hii Kōri.
That made things simple. It was just a matter of who was superior and who was subordinate.
Even if he couldn't firmly grab Hii Kōri and turn him into his own personal wallet, being kept by such a knowledgeable patron wasn't such a bad thing either!
As long as he could get money from him for research, what did it matter whose name was technically higher?
Orochimaru had never really cared about such things.
As for Manda, who had turned into a snake skin on the spot... well then. Time to pop the champagne!
What he had told Hii Kōri about wanting to switch summoning animals wasn't just a pretext to ease the tension—it was at least seventy to eighty percent sincere.
Just look at the slug Tsunade summoned. Although it didn't have much combat ability, its strategic-level healing capabilities were in a league of their own. Moreover, its temperament was very gentle; it never talked back or went against the summoner's will.
And then look at Jiraiya's toads. Even though the leader, Gamabunta, acted like a yakuza boss, a total ruffian, he got along with Jiraiya like a brother and never half-assed anything. The sages of Mount Myōboku could even come out to help him activate Sage Mode.
Manda? Ha!
Every time Orochimaru thought about it, he could only feel a strange sense of desolation.
Why was it that he could only find a piece of crap like Manda in Ryūchi Cave?
Lamenting to himself, Orochimaru had already made up his mind to visit Ryūchi Cave again in a while and find a snake with a better disposition to serve as his summoning animal.
Although he had already signed the summoning contract for Ryūchi Cave and could theoretically summon the vast majority of snakes there—this was how he summoned all those free snakes he threw around so freely—it was obvious that while those wild snakes without intelligence didn't care, the White Snake Sage's attendants would never give him the time of day.
And on the other hand, no matter how much he complained about Manda, that dead snake had still been his partner for many years, and they had a certain understanding. Suddenly switching to a new summoning animal would require time to build that rapport again.
Yes. Rapport.
Next time, it didn't matter whether the summoning animal was strong or not. Just as long as its personality was better than that bastard Manda's.
A few days later, having returned to Konohagakure, Orochimaru smoothly completed his debriefing report—a report that had been thoroughly and falsely altered to claim that he had traveled around various countries with a merchant caravan, then received a new commission, traveled throughout the Land of Fire, and finally been "afflicted" by the Crimson of Agony once again.
In terms of content, it succinctly summarized the events of his trip, merely omitting most of the "unimportant" details.
As a veteran who needed to "extract" research funding from the Finance Department, the ninja clans, and other merchants through various means year-round, Orochimaru was actually quite skilled at lying through his teeth and fabricating false reports.
In the past, within Konoha, he had never needed to go this far. But now, to cover up his actions, which had essentially amounted to defecting from the village, he had no choice but to return to his old trade.
Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully flipped through the scroll, the smoke from his pipe slowly rising.
The report itself had no holes, and Orochimaru's narration matched his usual style. But the matter was of great importance, so he had to carefully examine every detail. Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, put away the scroll, and spoke in a gentle yet concerned tone: "You've worked hard, Orochimaru. It seems this mission indeed encountered considerable trouble. Are you injured?"
"A few minor injuries, nothing serious, Sensei." Orochimaru lowered his head slightly and replied hoarsely.
Then, to Hiruzen Sarutobi's slight surprise, Orochimaru pulled an extraordinarily thick envelope from his robes and placed it on the desk.
"During this mission, I also took care of some private commissions along the way, as well as some... incidental gains."
Orochimaru explained in a flat tone. "The fact that the Crimson of Agony can operate almost unhindered within the Land of Fire also shows how fragile our intelligence network truly is. Consider this money my contribution to the village."
The thick envelope contained roughly three-quarters of the compensation he had earned from Hii Kōri's commissions.
It wasn't that Orochimaru, now with his "patron's" sponsorship, had come to look down on such "small change." This contribution was more out of a subtle sense of "guilt."
After all, associating with a powerful foreign ninja like Hii Kōri could, in a sense, be considered a "traitor" to Konoha.
Of course, there was also a more practical purpose—to shut the mouth of that old dog named Shimura Danzō, so that he wouldn't keep biting and snapping at him over funding issues during this time.
When it came to wasting time, Orochimaru would rather read Jiraiya's novels than argue with that old geezer Shimura Danzō.
After all, although what that guy wrote wasn't particularly nutritious, it was indeed a fairly high-quality pastime. For ninjas who spent their days either killing or on the way to kill someone, reading something a little spicy was actually good for their physical and mental health.
And the eggs at Jiraiya's place were fresher too.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the stack of money on the desk, then at his most reliable disciple. A thousand words finally condensed into a soft sigh. He stood up, patted Orochimaru's right shoulder, and said, "You're thoughtful. The village... will remember your contributions. Go back and rest well for now."
"Yes, Sensei."
With a respectful acknowledgment, Orochimaru withdrew from the office.
After leaving the Hokage Building and returning to his own residence, tucked away in a quiet corner of Konohagakure and which he hadn't seen for several months, Orochimaru mimicked how Hii Kōri used chakra in daily life—making a one-handed hand seal and releasing a Wind Release technique in an attempt to blow out the dust that had accumulated in the room. But with one misstep, he ended up covered in dust himself.
Orochimaru didn't feel embarrassed. He found it interesting and tried again. This time, he found the trick and blew all the dust out the window.
He brewed a pot of tea—high-quality goods he had scammed from Hii Kōri.
Thinking that the epithet "Crimson of Agony" didn't really suit Hii Kōri, and that "Snack Box" might be more appropriate, Orochimaru took a sip of tea and sighed with complicated emotions: "Having money... is really nice."
On the other hand, after parting ways with Orochimaru, Hii Kōri's itinerary wasn't affected much.
Although his battles with Uchiha Hikari and Orochimaru had caused quite a commotion, and Konoha would certainly not ignore it, that didn't matter. For one thing, it was doubtful whether anyone in Konoha could catch up to him. And even if they could, so what?
Just capture them and use them as experimental material. What trouble could there be?
During the time Uchiha Hikari was still unconscious, Hii Kōri had already put enough distance between them, so the two of them weren't traveling very fast now.
After all, there was a considerable gap between this 'Great-Grandmother of the Uchiha' — or perhaps 'Ancestral Grandmother' — and the knowledge held in this era. Hii Kōri needed to give her a remedial education.
Along the way, he also needed to help her overcome her overly sensitive nerves, a habit she had developed while imprisoned in the past. However, this sensitivity may have been caused by Hii Kōri carrying her on his back or holding her in his arms while travelling. Such close contact could be overwhelming.
But Hii Kōri had his own defense. He had clothes she could change into for now, but he didn't have any suitable shoes or socks.
He couldn't very well let a little girl walk barefoot all the way to the next town, could he?
Even if Uchiha Hikari herself didn't mind, Hii Kōri wouldn't accept it.
Ah, he was almost convincing himself, as if he had completely "forgotten" that he could use cursed technique constructs, or that there was an off-road vehicle still parked inside Rashōmon.
What a desirable adult.
It was only when they passed through a fairly large town that Hii Kōri finally took Uchiha Hikari on a shopping spree.
The bustling crowds, the diverse architecture, the dazzling array of goods, and the relatively peaceful scenes of daily life all left Uchiha Hikari's eyes wide with wonder, even as she nervously pressed closer to Hii Kōri, instinctively on guard against her surroundings.
Habits from the Warring States period made her wary of dense crowds.
The past few days of interaction had made her develop an extraordinary level of trust in Hii Kōri.
That's how Uchiha girls are. If you treat them well, they tend to respond with even stronger emotions. Given Hikari Uchiha's lack of love and affection in the past, this trait was likely even more pronounced.
Shame on you, Hii Kōri. Truly shameful. (Shakes head).
Hii Kōri first carried her on his back to a ready-made clothing store. Under the somewhat curious gaze of the shop assistant, he picked out several sets of seasonal casual wear and underwear for her. Then he went to the shop next door and bought her a few pairs of shoes.
It wasn't that the shop assistant was easily shocked—after all, Uchiha Hikari's loose, oversized robe and bare feet were quite out of place, making it hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
In this environment, Uchiha Hikari initially felt somewhat embarrassed, but under Hii Kōri's matter-of-fact attitude, she gradually relaxed.
Next, they purchased some travel necessities and personal items.
What puzzled Uchiha Hikari was that Hii Kōri rarely took out coins when paying. More often than not, he would show the shop assistants a hard card and simply sign the bill.
"Um... what is that card and signature for?"
Inside a shop selling dried goods and spices, Uchiha Hikari finally couldn't help but ask in a small voice.
After several days of remedial lessons, she had a basic understanding of the concept of currency. She knew that in this era, you still needed money to buy things.
"Oh, that." Hii Kōri packed the items into a storage scroll and explained casually, "It's a kind of credential. This card represents an account. At shops under my own brand, I can just use my identity record to deduct the payment directly from the account."
"Un-der... your... brand?" Uchiha Hikari blinked. The word was a bit unfamiliar to her, but she could vaguely guess the meaning from context. "Are you saying these shops—are they all yours?"
"More or less." Hii Kōri nodded, pointing at the rows upon rows of shops lining the street. "About one-third of the shops on this street have my investment, or are directly operated by me. That ready-made clothing store and the shoe shop next to it, the restaurant across the street that does good business, and this spice shop—oh, and the pharmacy we're going to next to stock up on medicinal ingredients is also mine."
Uchiha Hikari opened her mouth, momentarily struggling to understand just how much wealth and influence "owning many shops" actually represented. She ventured cautiously, "Just... just how rich are you?"
Hii Kōri stroked his chin thoughtfully, then gave an answer that only left Uchiha Hikari even more bewildered: "Hmm... let's put it this way. For the current five great nations of the ninja world, as well as most of the smaller countries around them that have any reputation, the main towns basically have either a branch of my merchant guild or a partner shop. As for business—well, it covers everything from basic grain and cloth, to ninja tools and medicinal ingredients, to some more specialized 'technical services' and 'information consulting.'"
He paused and gave an example: "Take the Uchiha clan, for instance. You could say they're actually one of my more loyal customer bases."
"Huh?" Uchiha Hikari was stunned.
"This eye drop I developed to relieve eye fatigue sells quite well in the Uchiha district in Konoha. Great reviews, high repurchase rate."
Hii Kōri pulled a small bottle of eye drops—the same kind he used himself—from his pocket and answered casually.
The girl from centuries ago tilted her head, still unable to grasp just how vast this wealth truly was. But that was all right. She would soon see it with her own eyes.
A few more days passed, and they arrived at a bustling port town in the southeastern part of the Land of Fire, near the coastline.
The autumn coolness tempered the humidity of the sea breeze, making this arguably the most livable time of year there. The town was quite large, with boats of various sizes docked at the pier. The streets were crowded with people, a mix of accents from various nations, giving the place a vibrant, lively atmosphere.
The Red Hot Sand Guild's branch office here was an imposing five-story building of stone and wood, located on the town's busiest street with a conspicuous emblem hanging at the entrance. When Hii Kōri entered the guild hall with Uchiha Hikari, a manager-looking figure immediately approached respectfully.
"Lord Hii, you've arrived. Lord Sasori and Lord Sakaki are already waiting in the reception room on the third floor."
"Yeah, got it." Hii Kōri nodded and led Uchiha Hikari up the stairs by the hand.
In a bright, spacious room on the third floor with a partial view of the sea, two people were sitting on a sofa.
Sasori was messing around with this really complicated metal ball made of loads of tiny gears. When Hii Kōri arrived, he immediately greeted him: "Uncle."
"Hey, our busybody finally decides to show his face?"
The man with the fluffy curly hair—Ahaha-kun—looked at the girl beside Hii Kōri, then smiled teasingly. "And where did you find this little girl this time?"
"Cut that out."
Hii Kōri just let the teasing roll off his back. He gave Sakaki Tatsuma a friendly pat on the face, which made him flop back down onto the sofa. Then he sat down on his own seat, pulling Uchiha Hikari into his lap. With a playful smile, he replied, "I've already got a son. You're four years older than me, so I'm just wondering why I don't see any sign of one from you?"
"..."
"..."
Oh no! The S.S. Ahaha has sunk!
***
->Support me with power stone
->for 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!
patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!