Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

“…”

Uchiha Itachi glanced indifferently at the girl and the strange creature in front of him, then put the straw hat on his head. Although he didn't know who the girl and the strange creature were, the girl's emotionless tone did fit the character of a major villain, which made him secretly relieved.

I've finally found my people...

921. Snake is twenty years old every year.

Do you really think he's a vain person? Do you really think he wants to show off and flaunt his wealth?

The treatment he received along the way must have been incredibly difficult for this low-key person who disliked showing off.

After that masked man who used the name of Madara, the most powerful ancestor in the history of the Uchiha clan, to scam people out of food and drink approached him, he immediately went to the Hokage to plan the filming of Infernal Affairs 1 for the sake of the village. For this Infernal Affairs, he gritted his teeth and killed his entire clan, including his parents and the girl from that summer.

He had already made a deal with the masked man who was using Madara's name to scam people out of food and drink. After he destroyed the clan, the mysterious Akatsuki organization would send someone to pick him up.

But after he destroyed his clan and left Konoha, he traveled south for almost half a year!

He hadn't seen a single member of the mysterious Akatsuki organization. He was afraid that the Akatsuki wouldn't be able to find him, which was why he hadn't bothered to hide himself along the way. If the mysterious Akatsuki gave up on him, wouldn't his clansmen have died in vain?

God knows how he's been coping these past six months. He never imagined that girls these days would be so crazy. Whenever he goes somewhere, girls pounce on him, hugging and kissing him, asking for autographs. That's one thing, but ever since he got MVP in the Chunin Exams in Iwagakure, he's gotten used to it.

However, the girls in Konoha are generally more reserved and wouldn't do anything outrageous.

But the girls outside Konoha were much more unrestrained. Not only did they hug and kiss him, asking for autographs, but they also wanted to take his first kiss. If he hadn't spent some time with Lord White Fang in Iwagakure and learned his true skills and fancy footwork, he would have been devoured by those girls long ago.

Seeing that the emotionless girl and the strange creature beside her were dressed exactly like the masked man from before, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, I don't have to show my face in public anymore...

.......

"...Your codename is Suzaku, and Scorpion will be your teammate for the time being. Apart from missions assigned by the organization, the organization will not interfere with your freedom."

After the three returned to the headquarters in the Land of Rain, Nagato summoned all the key members to explain the core ideology once more. After handing over the ring and the flamboyant uniform to Uchiha Itachi, everyone left.

Once again, Sasori, the handsome young man, was replaced by a different teammate. He frowned in the strange shell but didn't say anything and turned to leave. Anyway, he hadn't seen any real missions in all these years, so it didn't matter whether his teammates were changed or not. Although he thought that his high-tech combination with Orochimaru was more in sync than this second-generation Uchiha brat.

However, Handsome Scorpion did one thing very well: when you lose in this world, you have to accept it. Before he could beat the boss, whatever the boss said went. Besides, the boss had been supporting him for so many years, so he had to give him face.

Just like back then, when he couldn't beat that bastard uncle and was thrown into Xiuli's room to have babies, he never complained. He figured he could just wait until that bastard got too old to fight back and then get his revenge...

However, everyone else left, but Orochimaru watched Uchiha Itachi's retreating figure, his eyes darting around as he followed him, seemingly lost in thought.

Then came the famous scene where Orochimaru was instantly killed by a genjutsu. Over the years, he had been well-fed and clothed in the Akatsuki, with ample research funding. Nagato and the wealthy Nagato tried their best to satisfy his various demands, giving him money and manpower whenever he wanted. After all, he was the only great scientist in the ninja world. Although his research projects were somewhat wicked, they did indeed elevate the Akatsuki's prestige, which was much more sophisticated than the human body art that Sasori studied all day.

In the Land of Rain, Orochimaru completely let loose, researching his immortality technique without any scruples. In just a few years, his progress was N+1 times faster than when he was restricted in Konoha.

If Orochimaru were still in Konoha, even though Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan was very powerful, it wouldn't be easy for him to KO Orochimaru, even if he summoned the ancestral red giant and wielded two divine weapons. After all, Orochimaru was the man who disgusted the Third Raikage, who was at the peak of his strength during World War II, to the point that he voluntarily withdrew his troops.

However, due to the superior conditions in the Scions, although Orochimaru's immortality technique still had many flaws and was not perfect, it was basically completed. Moreover, he successfully possessed several bodies, which allowed him to remain twenty years old every year.

However, this other person's body is never truly his own, and every time he fights for control of another's body, he engages in a battle with the original soul within that body. Coupled with the compatibility issues between the body and his own soul, this results in Orochimaru having a significant deficiency in mental strength. This also makes him very weak in genjutsu. If it were a real fight, Orochimaru's highly distinctive and powerful snake-skin-shedding technique would be difficult for even Nagato with his circle eyes to injure.

However, Orochimaru happened to encounter Uchiha Itachi, whose genjutsu talent was off the charts and who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, making even the eyes of a cat or dog bleed. Moreover, before Sasori and Minami went to bring Uchiha Itachi back, Orochimaru suspected that Nagato had been living in someone else's schemes all along, so he already had the idea of ​​finding another way out. Although he had gotten along well with his two disciples, Jiraiya, over the years and they had not mistreated him, he couldn't very well let him live and die with Jiraiya, could he?

He just never had a reasonable excuse to run away. After all, Orochimaru was a famous scientist and a leading figure in the scientific community. If he quit his job for no reason, his reputation would not be good. But the moment he saw Itachi Uchiha, a flash of inspiration struck him, and in the short time it took to have a meeting, he had already completed his escape plan in his mind.

So when the meeting ended, he didn't have the confidence to leave and instead followed Uchiha Itachi all the way. Of course, he wasn't lying; he really wanted to study Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan. He had studied the Sharingan for decades but had never seen the Mangekyou Sharingan before. It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted. However, studying this kind of thing didn't require taking out the entire Mangekyou Sharingan; just a tiny bit of Uchiha Itachi's cells would suffice. But Orochimaru didn't explain this and instead showed his greed for the Mangekyou Sharingan, also wanting to witness its power.

In his plan, he would first fight Itachi Uchiha to a standstill, then "accidentally" be defeated by Itachi, and finally, "enraged and resentful," leave the Akatsuki. He would then find a peaceful haven in the ninja world to continue his pursuit of immortality!

922. Snake Uncle: Thank you for your care over the years.

However, Orochimaru could foresee the beginning but not the end.

Having already been possessed multiple times, his genjutsu skills were already weak. But he happened to encounter Uchiha Itachi, whose genjutsu talent was off the charts and who never made a move, only glaring at him. In the end, the intense battle that Orochimaru planned, where the two sides were evenly matched, did not happen. He was glared at by Uchiha Itachi and the next second his hand was cut off.

Orochimaru is an arrogant person. As for the great scientist who came after Senju, he was able to turn the hot-blooded anime Naruto into a fantasy cultivation story, which shows how high his ambition was. In addition, he was a double-flower red stick who had been famous in the ninja world for many years. Even the Raikage, who was known as the strongest in history, could not defeat him. Now he was actually defeated by a Konoha junior. Even knowing that he has a weakness now, he cannot accept it.

So after being instantly killed by Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru was furious. Although his plan had succeeded, Orochimaru was still angry that he had been instantly killed by a kid who was only two and a half rounds younger than him.

Enraged, Orochimaru picked up his severed hand and, amidst Nagato's bewildered gaze through Pain's perspective, returned to his laboratory. He packed up all his experimental results and expensive equipment, leaving behind a resignation letter: "Thank you for your care over the years. The world is so big, yet I am so insignificant. I want to go out and see it..." Then he quietly left without a trace.

The next day, when Nagato, controlling his Pain and the wealthy Nan, arrived at Orochimaru's laboratory, they prepared to comfort Orochimaru's wounded heart. They told him that failure is the mother of success, one failure doesn't define success or failure, that he was still young and had a future, that he was a highly educated intellectual and that such rough work wasn't suitable for him, etc. They had found countless motivational quotes the night before, planning to wait until Orochimaru's anger had subsided before giving him these words of encouragement for the best effect.

But their chicken soup was already cooked, and all that was missing was Orochimaru, the patient. When they entered the laboratory, they were completely dumbfounded. In the empty laboratory, apart from a letter left by Orochimaru, there was not a single person, not even a hair. Orochimaru had actually packed up the entire laboratory and taken it with him.

Looking at Orochimaru's resignation letter, Nagato wanted to slap himself, but considering that this body belonged to his friend, he couldn't slap his friend's face, so he forced himself to hold back.

But Nagato truly regretted it!

Over the years, besides Kakuzu, the finance minister, Orochimaru has been the most reliable member of the Akatsuki. Not only do his research projects enhance the Akatsuki's prestige, but Orochimaru, being a cultured man, has also guided the two of them—who grew up in poverty and received little formal education, even being taught by a semi-literate teacher like Jiraiya—through numerous misguided attempts. Sometimes, he has enlightened them, and only high-level scientists like Orochimaru possess such advanced knowledge. Even Sasori, who is also a researcher, is fine for showing off, but he's completely incapable of offering constructive suggestions to the organization.

The others didn't see Orochimaru's fight with Itachi Uchiha yesterday, but they did witness it. To be honest, when they saw Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan, they weren't surprised at all that Orochimaru was defeated.

Although Orochimaru was also a Red Rank 1, he was ultimately just a Red Rank 1 who rose from humble beginnings. It's normal that he couldn't defeat someone with a high-level bloodline limit like the Sharingan. Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, naturally understood the vast difference between a commoner and someone with a bloodline limit. Moreover, the Sharingan and Rinnegan are known as the three great dojutsu of the ninja world. Although he couldn't defeat someone with the Rinnegan, it was still far beyond what Orochimaru, who couldn't escape his commoner status even after turning himself into a snake, could compare to.

The reason they didn't stop it in the first place was because they wanted to see if Uchiha Itachi's fighting ability was as strong as the rumors suggested. After all, those were just rumors from the outside world, and they had never seen his true skill level.

Orochimaru, with his renowned reputation, is indeed a good benchmark.

However, when they saw Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan, they knew what was going on. They weren't worried when Orochimaru lost his arm. They figured Orochimaru had seen all sorts of things over the years, and a little setback wouldn't hurt him. But they still offered him some words of comfort.

So they planned to let Orochimaru calm down for a night, so they could take the opportunity to give him some inspirational words. Also, Uchiha Itachi's strong practical skills made Nagato think about turning Orochimaru into an office worker, making him their secretary. After all, every major ninja village has wise ministers who use their brains, such as Grand Marshal, Grand Steward, and Minister of Military Affairs.

Their Akatsuki group, an organization dedicated to fighting against the entire ninja world, can't afford to be low-class. It wouldn't be unreasonable to appoint a secretary-general, would it?

Moreover, compared to Orochimaru's combat skills, his knowledge and high intelligence are what the Akatsuki group needs most. Anyway, he has the Six Paths Puppet Master, so he can outmaneuver anyone he fights. In the future, new people will join one after another. One more Orochimaru won't make a difference, and one less Orochimaru won't make a difference either.

On the contrary, capable and wise ministers with such strong thinking abilities are becoming increasingly rare in the entire ninja world. Among the five great ninja villages today, only Nara of Konoha, Azabu of Kumogakure, and Tsuchiki, who served Onoki for decades, are present. Neither Sunagakure nor Kirigakure has such talents. Back then, Chiyo and Ebizo of Sunagakure could only be considered half of them. Since Chiyo and Ebizo retired, there have been no more. This shows just how rare such talents are.

But they never expected that Orochimaru would leave a note and run away overnight.

Moreover, seeing the empty laboratory, Orochimaru left so resolutely, which shows that this blow was quite significant for him!

The more this happened, the more devastated Changmen felt. A perfectly good Grand Marshal, Grand Steward, and Secretary-General were gone just like that...

......

As for Orochimaru, since leaving the Land of Rain, he has been traveling extensively. Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone a smart person like Orochimaru, who naturally keeps a backup plan. He has at least seventy or eighty laboratories in the entire ninja world, if not a hundred. In addition, he found several children with bloodline limits in the ninja world a few years ago and established an orphanage. So, a talent like Orochimaru is never short of suitors.

However, Orochimaru didn't go to those secret laboratories or the orphanage this time. Instead, he was genuinely provoked by Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan and came to Sunagakure to find Shiki, with whom he had a fairly good relationship.

Of course, I'm not here to break up a fight...

923. Handsome Scorpion's natural performance is very promising.

"Hey! Big science, instead of doing your scientific experiments in the Land of Rain, what are you... planning to do as a laborer?"

At the narrow pass outside Sunagakure, Masato stared in surprise at the weary scientist, wondering what he was up to. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time this guy had ever come to him on his own initiative; the last time, Tsunade had detained him over the issue of Nawaki's takeoff...

Moreover, seeing Snake leaning against a large bag resembling a urea sack, looking like a migrant worker returning home, he was completely baffled by Snake.

Why would such prestigious scientists give up their jobs and become migrant workers? Are they being forced to work to earn money because no funding is being provided?

"Hehe, you're still as good at joking as ever. I've already left the Akatsuki organization. I came here to ask if you would mind giving me some of your blood so I can go back and do research."

Orochimaru chuckled softly, took out a test tube, and habitually licked his lips, a gesture that sent chills down Masato's spine.

The reason he came to find Shiki was because he was truly shocked by the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan. He had dominated the ninja world for decades. Although he was not a top-tier double-flowered red-spotted master like Shiki, and he had even focused his ultimate skill on running away, he had never been instantly killed by anyone. Even the Raikage at his peak could not kill him instantly. But now he was actually instantly killed by a kid who had just awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. Although there was an element of cheating involved, after all, his soul and mental strength had obvious defects after several body changes, but he still had to admit the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

He had studied the Sharingan for decades and could be said to have a considerable understanding of it, even more so than the Uchiha clan. However, the Mangekyou Sharingan once again refreshed his understanding of the Sharingan. No wonder Madara Uchiha was able to rule an era alongside Senju.

Secondly, besides himself, the only other person in the ninja world who has ever fought against the Mangekyou Sharingan is Shiki, who fought that mysterious wild Uchiha in the Land of Water. Moreover, Shiki was able to drive that wild Uchiha away, which excited him even more. He couldn't wait to study Shiki's cells. However, back when the peace talks ended after World War II, he had asked Shiki for a vial of blood. But because he was busy perfecting the Second Hokage's Edo Tensei and collaborating with Danzo to research the First Hokage's cells, the Uchiha Sharingan was delayed. He also left it behind when he defected from Konoha.

So after leaving the Land of Rain, he went directly to Sunagakure and asked the white snake to inform Shiki that he needed a vial of blood to find a beautiful, secluded place where no one would disturb him, and to stop worrying about worldly affairs and study it slowly.

"Of course I don't recommend it, but speaking of which, weren't you doing just fine in the Land of Rain? And with a wealthy patron like Kakuzu taking care of you, why did you quit? I was thinking of asking you to help look after my nephew. You know that brat, although he's quite talented and good-looking, he's a bit clueless when it comes to taking care of himself. And Kakuzu is always traveling for business, I'm really afraid my nephew will starve to death..."

The outcome of a real fight is obvious, so I deliberately changed the subject.

It seems that Orochimaru was defeated by Itachi Uchiha. This is a painful memory for him, so let's not bring it up again.

Orochimaru's talent points are all focused on running away. The only things he can use are a bunch of snake ninjutsu and some random forbidden techniques. But looking like a young man in his twenties, he probably has changed bodies countless times. Genjutsu has become a weakness for him. It's not surprising that he was instantly killed by Itachi Uchiha.

While Orochimaru before his physical body was weaker, he was still quite formidable. Even with his overpowered abilities, Itachi Uchiha would have had a tough time defeating him, having witnessed Orochimaru's peak. Although Orochimaru didn't possess Jiraiya's half-baked Sage Mode or Tsunade's explosive entry into Zone Mode upon releasing the Yin Seal, Orochimaru, as a forbidden jutsu master, was still incredibly powerful. While he couldn't fly like Onoki, he was known as the most difficult man to kill in the ninja world, even able to unleash snakes against the seemingly invincible Third Raikage...

However, before Orochimaru developed the "body-stealing technique" and researched cloning technology, he was indeed past his peak. A simple genjutsu could make him take a break, not to mention someone like Itachi Uchiha who was good at showing off but tried not to be difficult.

Of course, Itachi Uchiha is very different from his younger brother. The second male lead's showing off was too deliberate and his intentions too obvious, while Itachi's showing off was so natural, without the slightest hint of artifice. Nowadays, girls are drawn to this kind of thing; this is the highest level of showing off...

"Heh... I don't need to take care of Sasori. Speaking of which, Konoha had the courage to give up the Uchiha clan and let Itachi Uchiha join Akatsuki because the Uchiha and Konoha had a deep-seated conflict. But I really didn't expect that Sunagakure had even greater courage than Konoha, actually giving up the Third Kazekage and letting their village's super genius leave the village to join Akatsuki?"

Orochimaru carefully put the test tube filled with blood into his ninja tool pouch, his eyes flickering as he looked at Shinto, seemingly lost in thought.

"...That's why I say that in the entire ninja world, besides Senju, the person I admire most when it comes to using their brains is you, the great scientist! Even Nara and Azabu, those two big heads, can't compare in this regard."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, although he didn't know what Orochimaru was basing his conclusion that Sasori, like Itachi Uchiha, had gone to the Land of Rain as an undercover agent, Shinto wanted to slap himself. Why didn't he think of the "Infernal Affairs" scenario when he and Sasori's father were laying the groundwork for Sasori?

Compared to Itachi Uchiha's acting skills, which could see right through even a shark's face, Sasori's natural performance, where he lives in the play and doesn't even know he's an undercover agent, is the real protagonist!

It's not surprising that Orochimaru could see that Itachi Uchiha's joining the Akatsuki was problematic. Even someone like Sharkface, who only received the most basic six years of compulsory education, could see it. It's not surprising that Orochimaru, a postdoctoral scientist, could see it either. He could only fool two semi-illiterate people taught by Jiraiya, who was also illiterate.

"Hehe, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. I'm really looking forward to studying your cells properly."

After finishing his wicked act, Snake went underground.

"Have a safe journey and wish you a bright future..."

Shindou waved his hand dismissively. He wasn't worried that Snake would be able to figure out anything from his cells. Rules were far more powerful than science. He was still thinking about what Snake had just said. It seemed like there was a lot of potential in the performance of Handsome Scorpion's true nature!

However, they need to go back and discuss it with Handsome Scorpion's father. Their previous efforts only ensured Handsome Scorpion's return from the performance, but if this script comes to fruition, Handsome Scorpion might even receive a lifetime achievement award...

924. There are no veteran actors left in the village.

Shinto thought it over and over and found it very promising. He didn't even need Sasori to give them any real intelligence; if nothing major happened in the plot, he knew the Akatsuki's operations better than that of the rice-carrying foreman. All he had to do was label Sasori as their Sunagakure's top spy...

...

"puff!"

"What?! Giving Scorpion the cover of being an undercover agent?"

In the middle of the night, Scorpion's dad had just gotten home from the puppeteer unit. After taking a shower, he was about to go back to his room to cuddle with his wife when he was pulled out by Masato. After hearing Masato's plan, he stared blankly at his older brother.

Wasn't the groundwork they laid for Handsome Scorpion already perfect?

Even Mei Chuan Baidi, who was about to die, made a cameo appearance back then. Now it's been several years since the movie was released, and suddenly the script has been changed. What's going on?

but...