Orochimaru continued to observe Tsunade's expression; Tsunade was different from him.
Simply using personal emotions as a bargaining chip wasn't enough; he had to package this temptation into something grander to completely breach her final defenses, especially with a nagging Jiraiya nearby trying to ruin things.
The smile on his Face faded slightly, replaced by an air of seriousness.
"Tsunade, Jiraiya," he spoke slowly, no longer addressing Tsunade alone.
"The three of us all grew up bathed in the Will of Fire of Sensei Hiruzen. 'Where the leaves dance, the fire also burns unceasingly...' What a beautiful vision. However, after all these years, what has Konoha experienced? What have the three of us witnessed?"
Jiraiya's brow furrowed, not understanding why Orochimaru would suddenly bring this up.
"War, betrayal, sacrifice, famine, and an endless cycle of hatred."
Orochimaru answered his own question, his tone laced with mockery.
"The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, your grandfather—he dreamed of building a peaceful world where children would no longer have to go to the battlefield. Did he succeed? The balance brought by the Tailed Beasts was nothing more than a false, fragile peace. Once interests clashed, the flames of war reignited immediately."
"And then there's the Second Hokage. He developed countless Forbidden Jutsu, attempting to maintain peace through power. The result? Konoha's darkness never vanished. As for the Third... Heh, I have nothing to say about Sensei. You can see for yourselves what Konoha has become today."
Tsunade's fists clenched. Orochimaru's words were like a knife, precisely scraping against the wounds beneath her complex feelings for Konoha.
"The so-called Will of Fire, the so-called Hidden Village system—at its core, it's nothing more than a higher level of armed separatism. It trains children into killing tools and perverts Chakra, a life energy containing infinite possibilities, into a weapon for mutual slaughter and the creation of hatred. Between nations, between villages, for the sake of missions, resources, and that ridiculous Face and history of hatred, there is endless conflict, attrition, and death."
Orochimaru's voice gradually rose, carrying a highly infectious, critical passion.
"Is this the present and future you want to protect, Jiraiya? Is this the decaying order, destined to repeat tragedies, that you are willing to defend with your life?"
Jiraiya's Face turned ashen. "Orochimaru, a traitor like you has no right to comment on the Will of Fire! Peace requires time and effort to strive for, not your evil human experiments to subvert everything!"
"Evil? What is evil?" Orochimaru sneered.
"Is it justice to strive using traditional methods destined to bring more death? And is it evil for me to explore the taboos of life, seeking a way to fundamentally eliminate the possibility of strife? Tsunade, you are the top Medical Ninja; you should know better than anyone that existing Medical Ninjutsu has its limits. It cannot bring back a life that has completely dissipated. How many Ninjas and civilians can a single decision from the higher-ups sacrifice? Even if your medical skills are unrivaled, so what? Can you save them all!?"
He spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire world.
"I am currently searching for the antidote for this world!"
Jiraiya's expression was incredibly ugly, while Tsunade remained silent.
Hinata, watching from the side, was also stunned by Orochimaru's words.
He was just one step away from saying that studying medicine couldn't save the Ninja World.
"Hiss... Setting aside the fact that Orochimaru partially sold me out as his partner, this speech of his sounds like he's already written a great revolutionary manifesto."
[host, he might also just be using a grand narrative to pull Tsunade in.]
"I know, but the fact that he can say these things proves he's at least thought about it."
[Indeed. Orochimaru speaks well. One of the core drivers of conflict in intelligent life groups is the struggle for limited survival resources and a lack of security. If resource creation efficiency can be significantly increased and individual survival security guaranteed, the probability of conflict will drop significantly. Currently, Chakra application in the Ninja World is heavily biased toward destructive fields, which is a distorted development path. Orochimaru's remarks can be seen as an extreme critique and reverse conception of this distorted path.]
She looked at Orochimaru's profile, which appeared fanatical yet held a strange, underlying coolness.
"It's pretty good. He could be a revolutionary. If he successfully achieves immortality, he might actually go through with a revolution."
[Affirmative. Orochimaru possesses the intelligence of a top researcher, the courage to subvert tradition, the audacity to ignore common morality, and strong execution capabilities.]
"Alright, then let me see if this revolutionary lecture led by Orochimaru can actually move Tsunade."
With his impassioned speech, Orochimaru skillfully and seamlessly connected the selfish desire to "resurrect loved ones" to the grand narrative of "transforming the Ninja World and achieving peace."
Once the mantle of "for a higher ideal" was donned, the weight and allure were suddenly different.
Tsunade was completely stunned; she had never considered the problem from this perspective.
As the princess of the Senju Clan and the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she was more familiar with the "Will of Fire" than anyone, and she had felt its helplessness in the Face of reality more deeply than anyone.
If... if there really was such a path, where tragedies like those of Nawaki and Dan would never be repeated, where children could truly laugh in the sun instead of being indoctrinated with techniques of hatred and slaughter at the Ninja Academy—even if that path was covered in thorns and filled with sin, would it be worth a try?
Jiraiya was also shaken by Orochimaru's "high-minded theory," but he immediately flew into a rage.
"Absurd! Flowery words! How could your ideas possibly lead to true peace? Those are just lies you've concocted to satisfy your own selfish desires and ambitions! True peace requires trust, understanding, and bonds between people, not your cold so-called technology that treats people like experimental subjects!"
"Trust? Understanding? Bonds?" Orochimaru laughed mockingly.
"Jiraiya, you are still so pedantic. You've traveled the Ninja World for years; haven't you seen enough? How fragile these beautiful words are in the Face of interest and hatred. I am not denying the value of emotions, but I believe more in controllable power that can fundamentally change the situation. Emotions cannot bring the dead back to life, but technology can. Emotions cannot make nations give up their disputes, but new rules and a new world that can eliminate the root of those disputes can."
He looked at Tsunade again.
"Tsunade, join us. Your medical knowledge and your understanding of life will be an indispensable part of this great undertaking. Together, we can find a true path to light for this world filled with tears and blood. This is far more meaningful than wandering aimlessly in Konoha or this world, numbing yourself with gambling and alcohol, isn't it?"
Tsunade breathed heavily, the storm in her eyes gradually subsiding.
She looked at the silent Kimimaro, then at the confident Orochimaru, who was painting a shocking picture of the future.
Jiraiya's shouts seemed to grow distant.
After a long time, Tsunade's dry throat moved as she asked a key question.
"Orochimaru, that future you speak of is very far away; you can't prove it now. Right now, I only want to know: what kind of resurrection is your so-called resurrection? Is it creating a Puppet with their memories, or truly bringing them back?"
Orochimaru knew that Tsunade was swayed. She had begun to ask about specific technical details, a clear signal of compromise and a willingness to cooperate.
He wore a smile that suggested everything was under his control.
"A very good question, Tsunade. That is exactly what we need to discuss in depth. This is clearly not the place for a conversation, and..."
He glanced at Jiraiya, whose Face was incredibly grim. "We seem to have a rather unwelcome listener. How about we move to a quieter place more suitable for communication? I can show you part of the research foundation that doesn't involve core secrets, and perhaps reveal a little information about that partner of mine."
Tsunade closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently. When she opened them again, although there was still struggle in her eyes, a certain decision seemed to be taking shape.
"...Lead the way." She finally squeezed out those two words.
"Tsunade! Are you crazy?!" Jiraiya roared.
But Tsunade didn't look at him again; she simply stepped forward, walking toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction and turned to lead the way, with Kimimaro following silently.
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