Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

But when he thought about how Konoha's lineup, capable of taking on four opponents, was even stronger than Sunagakure's, and how Iwagakure had been around for so many years, apart from him, this old man, still active in the ninja world, the others were of little use. His son, Yotsuchi, was quite satisfactory in every way, but damn it, he lacked talent. As long as he couldn't learn Dust Release, he would at best be a Red Staff, unable to reach the Double Flower level, and would never be able to stand out. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been beaten to a pulp by Konoha's Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze, who was about the same age as his son, was already known as one of the Twin Stars of the ninja world, and even Rasa from Sunagakure had reached the Double Flower Red Staff level. Iwagakure still had to rely on this old man to hold things up.

"Hahaha! Orochimaru did a fantastic job this time!!!"

Onoki felt he had grown taller and his nose had become noticeably lighter. According to his underlings' intelligence, Orochimaru had defected, and Jiraiya had followed him out of Konoha to pursue him. Adding to this, Tsunade had already left, meaning Konoha had suddenly lost three top-ranking members. In a few years, when Hiruzen Sarutobi was truly old and the White Fang of Konoha was also frail, the gap between Iwagakure and Konoha would have narrowed considerably. Perhaps then they could put up a fight again. Whenever he thought of the indelible scars Madara Uchiha left on him and his teacher, the Second Hokage, even though Madara had defected, he would still hold Konoha accountable!

And then there's Sunagakure. In a few years, that bastard Shiki will be old, and then we'll settle all our old and new scores...

......

"Orochimaru has defected. The first time I saw Orochimaru, I knew he was a true dragon. How could Konoha's small pond not contain him? You don't know, I even wanted to invite him back then, but White Fang ruined it. You don't know, that bastard White Fang has no martial ethics at all. I even tried to persuade Orochimaru with kind words... ptooey! I tried to convince Orochimaru, but White Fang immediately flew into a rage. At that time, I could already tell that Orochimaru was tempted. If I just added fuel to the fire, this number one scientist in the ninja world would be our Sunagakure!"

If we're talking about who was most excited about Orochimaru's defection, it would definitely be Shinto. He told everyone that this kid was no ordinary person, and that he would rise to prominence once the winds of change blow. He didn't even miss the opportunity when Rasa was convening a meeting of the village's high-ranking officials.

Feng Yinglou, Zhen Dou, was talking nonsense, praising the various high-ranking officials present.

They showed no sign of stopping.

"Lord Shinto, do you think we should try to contact Orochimaru...?"

Upon hearing Masato's words, Rasa's eyes lit up. He had an idea of ​​his own and eagerly spoke to Masato.

This is Orochimaru, the Cold Lord, one of Konoha's two Red Rank 1 ninjas. He is a famous Orochimaru in the ninja world. Of course, although the number of Red Rank 1 ninjas in Sunagakure is not as many as in Konoha, there are still quite a few, at least more than in Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Therefore, he does not have a great need to acquire a Red Rank 1 ninja like Orochimaru. It's good to have him, but there is no loss if he doesn't.

However, Orochimaru's other title is truly impressive: another great scientist after the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Although he never met Tobirama, the village has records of him—a forbidden technique generator who could create forbidden techniques with a flick of his wrist. Moreover, according to rumors, Tobirama's talent had made their Lady Chiyo covet him for decades. If Orochimaru could come to their Sunagakure, they wouldn't even need him to create a forbidden technique; just one A-rank ninjutsu would be enough to make Sunagakure rich!

764. Terrorist organizations should also pay attention to their image.

"...Don't even think about it. Orochimaru's research project is great, but it's also very unethical. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left Konoha. Since he left Konoha, why would he join Sunagakure? Besides, given Orochimaru's status in Konoha, he wouldn't come to Sunagakure. It won't work."

Masato shook his head and said.

Snake is someone who is single-mindedly pursuing immortality, and his vision is much broader than others. In addition, they didn't have anything to offer Snake except research funding. Snake isn't the kind of person to compromise his principles for a pittance.

In the original work, Orochimaru joined the Akatsuki because the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan, belonging to Nagato, a rice carrier, was incredibly alluring to him. The research funding promised by the Akatsuki was secondary. Later, when Itachi used his cheat-like abilities to wipe out his clan, Orochimaru, having no hope of researching the Mangekyou Sharingan, became interested in the Mangekyou Sharingan and thus attacked Itachi. However, because his immortality technique was not fully developed and his soul was incomplete, he felt ashamed after Itachi cut off his arm and left the Akatsuki.

Therefore, Luo Sha's idea is somewhat impractical.

"..."

Rasa nodded upon hearing this. He didn't know much about Orochimaru, but this guy used to spend all his time in Konoha and should be quite familiar with him. Since he said it wouldn't work, he gave up on trying. Anyway, their village had a half-baked scientist, Umekawa Naie, who hadn't made any major contributions yet, but things would get better...

.....

“Nagato, we’re short-handed right now, and Orochimaru’s defection is a perfect opportunity.”

In the Land of Rain, after receiving the message from the White Zetsu, Obito immediately rushed over to persuade Nagato to accept Orochimaru. If you want to destroy the world, Konoha, the number one village in the ninja world, will always be the first to stick its neck out. Besides, the Akatsuki only has three or four true core members, which is far too few. There aren't any other high-profile S-rank rogue ninja in the ninja world right now. There was originally Hiruko, who could devour others and obtain their bloodline limits—a pretty good ability, and his strength was sufficient. They also found someone to fill the White Zetsu clone slot, but the appearance wasn't appealing; it looked like a villain, which Nagato didn't like. So, after recruiting Kakuzu and Sasori, they haven't had a suitable candidate. Over a year has passed, and they haven't managed to recruit a single talent. Nagato and the rich girl aren't in a hurry, but Obito, who's been working diligently since his corruption, is practically frantic.

The Elementalist group is still just a handful of people. Although their plan may take more than ten years, at Nagato's leisurely pace, who knows how long it will take to reach full strength.

Black Zetsu clearly told him that the Sand Village's Golden Lion was extremely strong, even comparable to Madara and Hashirama Senju at their peak. Although Madara was already very old, he could still easily defeat the Third Mizukage, and he was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of the ninja world. However, Madara, who was still at the pinnacle of the ninja world at that time, was still completely overwhelmed by the Sand Village's Golden Lion. Although their main focus was not on the Sand Village, the later Tailed Beast Plan involved the Sand Village. The One-Tail and the Seven-Tail were both in the Sand Village. Madara was over seventy years old and still at the pinnacle of the ninja world, while in a dozen years, the Golden Lion would only be in his fifties or sixties. Who knows if he would be as strong as Madara? If the Akatsuki were still the same lineup then, what would be the point of collecting the Tailed Beasts? Nagato's eye circle wasn't even his. How much power he could unleash and whether he could defeat the Golden Lion was anyone's guess.

So, upon hearing that Orochimaru had defected to Konoha, and after White Zetsu confirmed its authenticity, Obito immediately went to find Nagato. "Didn't you complain about Hiruzen's looks before? Orochimaru, well, he's got fame, and he's a top-tier handsome guy, way more handsome than your old Jiraiya..."

"...Konan, you and Sasori go there too, and see if the once-powerful Uchiha Madara can bring Orochimaru in before you do."

Nagato stared at the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara for a long time before speaking to the wealthy girl beside him.

Do you really think he's an idiot? Wearing a mask with only one eye showing, he claims to be Uchiha Madara. Although he may not be well-educated, he's been in the ninja world for quite some time. He's witnessed the love story between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama several times. Especially considering that the Akatsuki group and Kakuzu, who came from that era, everyone knows that Uchiha Madara always looked down on everyone and was so domineering. Would someone like that wear a mask and act like a clown?

The masked man's offer to cooperate with him turned out to be nothing but bad news. However, he wasn't worried. Even if it wasn't Uchiha Madara, he wouldn't take it seriously.

It has to be said that ever since Nagato activated his Circle Eyes and fully adapted to their power, he's really become arrogant...

However, the masked man's mention of Orochimaru does fit his aesthetic standards perfectly. He is many times more handsome than that ugly monster Hiruko, and his fame is also great enough. He is indeed a suitable candidate.

Although they are a terrorist organization, terrorist organizations also need to pay attention to their image. While they don't expect everyone to be as handsome as Scorpion, they should at least look like human beings, right?

That Hiruko was so damn ugly, Konan had nightmares about him for days...

"Hehe, you can trust me to handle things. I'll take my leave now..."

Obito showed no disdain for Nagato; after all, he was destined to die anyway, so why bother arguing with a dying man?

"Nagato, do we really want to cooperate with this person? I have a feeling that he doesn't have good intentions and doesn't even dare to show his true face."

After Obito left, the rich girl said to Nagato that she had noticed her friends had changed a lot since Yahiko died.

"Whether he is Uchiha Madara or not, it doesn't matter. We are just using each other. No matter what tricks he has up his sleeve, he can't hide from my eyes."

Perhaps influenced by his eyes, Nagato, who was soaking in the jar, suddenly possessed an aura extremely similar to Madara's, an aura that could dominate everything.

The wealthy girl nodded when she saw her friend, who seemed like a completely different person. Now, Nagato was all she had left as family, and she would support him no matter what he did.

...

"Scorpion, come with me to pick someone up. He will be your future teammate."

The wealthy girl arrived at Sasori's exhibition hall and was momentarily stunned by the incredibly luxurious decorations and furnishings. It was like seeing a royal palace. She wondered how much money Kakuzu had spent here. However, she quickly realized that she had important business to attend to with Sasori.

765. Even the most handsome scorpion can't beat his girlfriend.

Ever since Sasori successfully created a baby and returned, he's been staying indoors all day and never goes out. The exhibition hall is so soundproofed; if it weren't for Nagato's Six Paths puppets popping in every two or three days, I'd seriously doubt he'd even known when he died inside...

"I don't need any teammates, my art is enough."

Handsome Scorpion's eyes never left the toy in front of him as he said no.

"We can't do this with just a few people, let's go. You've heard how lucky the other side is, Orochimaru who recently defected from Konoha."

The rich girl then left on her own.

"Orochimaru... I didn't expect him to defect as well."

As the handsome Sasori watched the departing rich girl, he muttered to himself, "Back when Orochimaru went to Konoha for peace talks with that bastard uncle, he and that bastard uncle even went to Orochimaru's laboratory. Speaking of which, he found a lot of inspiration from seeing some of Orochimaru's research. His bastard uncle had said that Orochimaru was a man comparable to the Second Hokage. How could someone like that betray us?"

Did Konoha take the wrong medicine?

.......

In the capital city of the Land of Fire, a large casino was bustling with people, business was booming. However, everyone was currently gathered around a gambling table, clutching their banknotes and staring intently at the famous fat sheep of the Land of Fire in the center.

"I'll bet two million on the big one!"

The person in the center pushed out the chips in front of them without changing their expression. In the entire ninja world, who else could be so nonchalant about money, except for Tsunade, the gambling goddess of the Land of Fire who single-handedly supported the gambling enthusiasts of an entire country? After losing for so many years, plus the monthly allowance she received from Sunagakure, a mere two million taels of silver didn't stir any emotion in her heart.

"hiss....!"

Shinto, mingling in the crowd, couldn't help but gasp as he watched Tsunade's nonchalant demeanor. She was so damn carefree and generous that it made him wonder if it was right for Chiyo to give Tsunade all his monthly allowance. Even Nawaki, who was always by Tsunade's side, remained completely unfazed despite having seen so many big scenes.

Orochimaru's defection has nothing to do with Sunagakure. According to the main storyline, after the Third Shinobi World War and before the main plot unfolds, Sunagakure, as a supporting character, will not undergo any major changes for the next ten years or so. He has nothing to do in Sunagakure anyway. Since Karin was born, his status at home has dropped a notch compared to that of Sasori's father. In addition, every morning when he wakes up, Chiyo holds Karin and sees him with that resentful look in her eyes, like a mother worried that her son will not find a wife. He can't stand it. While nothing major is going to happen in the village, and Gaara's brother has just been born and Gaara is still at least a year away.

Masato quickly left that resentful place and ran to the Land of Fire to continue his unfinished business.

That's right!

Whether it was fate or not, Karin's fate and Karin's fate have been completely changed. The ordinary Karin in the original work has become the super Fourth Hokage of Sunagakure. But as if by some mysterious arrangement, Sasori's father, who loves the right to name his granddaughter, still inexplicably named her Karin.

Since Karin's birth, it's still uncertain whether she inherited Sasori's incredible puppetry talent. However, given her immense vitality, Chiyo is certain that her great-granddaughter's future achievements will be substantial. Even without puppetry talent, just learning sealing techniques would easily make her a top-tier master. After the Uzumaki clan was wiped out, they brought back many of their sealing techniques, many of which require Uzumaki blood to learn. If Karin learns all those sealing techniques, it would be enough for her to reach the top tier. If she inherited Sasori's puppetry talent... it doesn't seem to raise her ceiling much higher, since the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, passed down for thousands of years, are far superior to puppetry.

Just like how Handsome Scorpion has now risen to the rank of Double Flower Red Stick, he is still no match for Uzumaki Xiuli. He has never been able to defeat Xiuli since childhood, whether it is day or night, Handsome Scorpion is always suppressed.

Everyone in the ninja world knows that Sasori is the Sand Village's super genius after Shiki, but little do they know that the most amazing super genius is Sasori's girlfriend. With the high purity of the Uzumaki clan's bloodline, she can seal the Nine-Tails without any scruples. Sealing a Seven-Tails is as easy as Shaquille O'Neal fighting Zhou Yao. In addition, the Seven-Tails' personality is the easiest to get along with the Jinchuriki. Therefore, Uzumaki Shuri is more likely to perfectly exert the power of the Tailed Beast than Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Shuri. At least when she summons the Seven-Tails, Uzumaki Shuri won't faint or have weak legs.

It can be said that Sasori's girlfriend is the No. 2 in Sunagakure. Sasori's father and Rasa, these two top-ranking members, are like children in front of the Seven-Tails.

"Small!"

"I'll buy the smaller one!!"

"I'll buy a small one too..."

As soon as Tsunade placed her bet, the gamblers around her followed suit and placed their money on the other side as well. This beacon was so damn bright that even a blind man could feel the warmth emanating from it.

"Place your bet now!"

"One, one, two, four dots!"

"Sister, I'm not doing well today, I think I'll save some money and come back tomorrow..."

Rope Tree covered his head, staring at the two million that had vanished. His older sister was about to lose it again, so he quickly got up to persuade her, lest she lose it all in the next round and then spend the next month borrowing money and hiding from creditors. Such a life was truly inhuman.

It didn't matter when he was young, but now he's quite young, and Minato, who's a few years younger than him, has become Hokage. It's not right for him, the legitimate leader of the Senju clan, to still be spending his days borrowing money and hiding from debt.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade, my luck isn't good today, let's try again tomorrow..."

At this point, even the person in charge of the gambling operation came over with a smile that looked more like a grimace, trying to persuade them.

Even though the other person lost money, he just couldn't feel happy.

Because every time Lady Tsunade comes, although they win her money, with such a beacon in their sights, they lose even more at the casino. If it were anyone else, he would have already sent his underlings out to lie in wait in the bushes, but not this one!

Their Fire Country princess, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, is a sitting duck for her no matter how many of her underlings visit. It used to be alright; Lady Tsunade would only come once or twice a month, and even if she lost a lot, she wouldn't win it back in a few days. But today is the birthday of the 362nd wife of the Fire Country's Daimyo. This Daimyo is really strange; he never celebrates the birthdays of his other wives, but he's throwing a birthday banquet for this one. These past two days, there have been an unusually large number of people coming to the Daimyo's place to freeload. His casino is the biggest, and with so many people coming these past few days, if Lady Tsunade loses a couple more rounds, he'll really have to declare bankruptcy...

What a terrible tragedy!

766. Gambling skills that even casino owners would beg for.

"..."

Shindou looked at the casino owner, whose smile was more like a grimace, and silently mourned for him for three minutes. This kind of thing, where even the owner had to kneel down and beg, could probably only happen with Tsunade's heaven-defying gambling skills and luck. Running a casino in the Land of Fire to support a family is not easy!

"boom!"

"Stop talking nonsense, I'm going to gamble again, I just don't believe it will always be a small bet!"

The casino owner's words only made Tsunade more unhappy.

"Ahem...! Tsunade, come again tomorrow. I have something urgent to discuss with you about Nawaki. Let's go now."

Seeing that Tsunade was about to clear the stage again, Masato's eyelids twitched, and he walked out of the crowd with a serious expression and said.

No wonder he has his monthly allowance and has to borrow money every day to avoid debts. His gambling style of clearing the table as soon as he gets carried away is something even the Golden Sands of the Wind Kingdom couldn't handle.

Whenever I see her gambling, I'm always shocked by her extravagance...

"Brother-in-law...you're finally here! (^?)"

When Rope Tree saw her future brother-in-law appear, she instantly burst into tears.

If it weren't for the large crowd and the fear of embarrassment, I would have already rushed up and hugged his leg...

I know how he's survived these past few days of war. When his future brother-in-law was around, although his older sister was a gambler, at least he didn't go hungry and could eat meat. In the years since the war started, just the two of them have had to rely on his Orochimaru brother for support, and only occasionally get meat. Now, Orochimaru has defected for some reason, and his sister won't let him contact anyone. He's practically eating tree bark. Luckily, the Senju clan has strong vitality; he won't starve to death even if he goes hungry for ten days or half a month...