After the central city of the Land of Frost was established, the entire shinobi world was essentially at peace.
Countless organizations relocated to this city from the major shinobi villages.
In addition to Orochimaru's clone army, the city housed schools, hospitals, shops, casinos, and all sorts of other establishments!
Even Orochimaru's laboratory and Nonō's orphanage were moved here.
As for Orochimaru's old laboratory? Whatever needed to be moved was moved, and whatever needed to be destroyed was destroyed.
Of course, the women associated with Orochimaru also moved into this city.
And their relationship with him had been made public.
For Orochimaru to have so many women at the same time?
Some accepted it, while others didn't.
Those who could accept it weren't surprised, and those who couldn't… had no choice but to keep their opinions to themselves.
After all, even Namikaze Minato, the ruler of the Land of Frost, only held his position because of Orochimaru's recommendation.
Who would dare talk about Orochimaru behind his back?
After settling into life in the city, Orochimaru felt that everything was more or less in place. It was then that he told Tsunade and the others about Kaguya.
However, after listening to him, Tsunade didn't quite understand.
Based on Orochimaru's explanation, wasn't Kaguya nothing more than a cold-hearted being who sacrificed humans to the Divine Tree?
Why revive her? And why did Orochimaru believe that the Sage of Six Paths was the one who was wrong?
"Husband, you can't just say things like that. The Sage of Six Paths is the legendary Ancestor of Shinobi, he did countless good deeds in the past. How could you think he was in the wrong?"
"Exactly! I agree with Tsunade-sama!" echoed Mikoto, who had just arrived with a tray of hot tea.
"I've seen the Uchiha clan's stone tablet. According to its records, if not for the Sage of Six Paths' battle against the rampaging Ten-Tails, the entire human race would have been wiped out."
Tsunade and Mikoto seemed to be in complete agreement, they didn't believe Orochimaru's claim.
After all, the Sage of Six Paths' achievements were undeniable.
But upon hearing their arguments, Orochimaru simply smirked.
"The rampaging Ten-Tails? That so-called Ten-Tails was his own mother!"
"With Kaguya already sealed away, he could say whatever he wanted, and no one would question it."
Orochimaru casually sat down on a nearby sofa, picked up the tea Mikoto had prepared, took a sip, and continued.
"Think about it carefully, during Kaguya's time, although humans were sacrificed to the God Tree every year, at most a hundred people died."
"And what did the Sage of Six Paths do? He raised his sword against his own mother, the ruler of this world and in the end, he extracted her chakra and distributed it among ordinary people."
"And what happened when those ordinary people gained power? Not only did they constantly wage wars, but they even sought to control the tailed beasts!"
"How many people die each year because of war? More than just a hundred, right? I'd say thousands, at the very least!"
"So in my eyes, Kaguya wasn't the one in the wrong, it was those two short-sighted, unfilial sons!"
"…This…"
The two women were momentarily at a loss for words. They couldn't come up with a rebuttal.
"But… based on what you're saying, wasn't it immoral for Kaguya to treat humans as sacrifices?"
Kushina, who had just stepped out of the bedroom in her pajamas while brushing her red hair, joined the conversation.
Using living people as sacrifices was something that went against all morals.
However, Orochimaru remained unfazed.
"Let's set aside the matter of her using people as sacrifices for a moment, there was a reason behind it. But let's talk about the nine tailed beasts that the Sage of Six Paths created. Have you ever considered morality when they go on a rampage?"
"…"
The three women fell silent once again.
Because whenever a tailed beast went berserk, it always resulted in countless casualties.
At the very least, the death toll would be in the dozens, if not the hundreds.
Seeing their silence, Orochimaru smirked.
"Different species, so where does compassion come into play? Cattle and sheep are pitiful too, yet people still slaughter them for food."
"Do humans feel sorrow when they step on an ant? Of course not."
"In the same way, why would a god concern themselves with how many mortals die?"
Orochimaru stopped speaking after that. He knew the three women would eventually understand his point.
Yes—in Orochimaru's mind, Kaguya was a god, a being completely different from the humans of this world. She was immortal, her body impervious to destruction.
The reason she created her army was simply to protect the Ninja World.
Perhaps her methods were extreme, but without them, when the beings from her homeland arrived, the Ninja World would have been doomed.
"Then… what if things aren't as you believe?"
After a long pause, Tsunade cautiously asked.
After all, everything Orochimaru said was merely speculation. And if his speculation turned out to be wrong, the consequences would be catastrophic!
"You don't have to worry about that. I've already accounted for such obvious concerns."
Late at Night
Atop the tallest building in the Land of Frost's central city, several figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds gathered.
Looking down at the brightly lit city, Kisame, carrying his massive sword Samehada, grinned.
"Unbelievable. Not only did they unify the land, but they also built all of this in just a few years? Heh… legends are legends for a reason."
"It really is incredible," another figure added. "But more than that, I'm curious about how Orochimaru plans to deal with us."
"Yeah, we're all S-rank wanted criminals. There's no way this ends well for us."
"With his strength, killing us would be a simple task."
"True, but… aren't only the three of you actual wanted criminals?"
"This is starting to feel ominous…"
"Relax. I have no interest in taking your lives."
A sudden voice interrupted their discussion.
"Orochimaru!?" Kakuzu slowly turned around.
Orochimaru landed lightly among them.
"We've worked together before, so… how you choose to handle your fate is up to you."
"Of course, if you truly can't find a reason to live and wish for death, I can grant you that as well."
"What a distasteful way to put it!"
"If I didn't know how strong you were, I'd have already made my move."
Orochimaru smirked. "Alright, enough joking. Head to the central square."
"There, find Namikaze Minato. He'll assign you your roles. If you're dissatisfied with his arrangements, you can either negotiate or leave."
"Is that so? Seems like there's no real choice then."
"I'm heading out first."
"Does this building's elevator work?"
"Not sure. It was under repair for two days, but it should be fixed by now, right?"
As the Akatsuki members departed, their casual remarks made Orochimaru chuckle.
Seeing them adapt to life in a modern city was rather amusing.
"Zetsu!" Orochimaru suddenly called out, stopping the last figure in the group.
"What is it?"
"When you see Minato, tell him to notify the other four Kage to gather at the city gates tomorrow morning."
"We'll be resurrecting Uchiha Madara first."
***
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