"Are you going somewhere?" Kakashi finally asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Orochimaru didn't look up. His attention remained on a row of scrolls spread neatly across the table. Ration packs, water reserves, kunai—all sealed and labelled. Kakashi had gathered them himself, following Orochimaru's precise instructions. Large quantities. Too large.
"Yes," Orochimaru replied calmly, eyes still scanning the scrolls. "Quite far."
He picked one up, fingers gliding over the seal. "This should be enough… in case something happens."
Kakashi's gaze narrowed slightly. The sheer volume of supplies was excessive. Even for a long mission, this much preparation was unusual. His mind quietly reviewed potential destinations that might require such precautions. None made sense. Not with the war over. Not with the current fragile peace.
Orochimaru didn't need to be a telepath to read his thoughts.
"Don't overthink it," Orochimaru added casually, as if reading his mind. "If all goes well… I'll be taking you along next time."
"Next time?" Kakashi echoed, wary.
"Indeed. Consider this a scouting expedition. Familiarising myself with the method, shall we say."
Kakashi fell silent. The explanation was vague. Expected, coming from Orochimaru. But his instincts were screaming. This wasn't a routine journey.
And the offer to come next time? It felt more like a warning than a promise.
Orochimaru glanced at him again, sensing the hesitation.
"You have something to tell me?" he asked.
Kakashi paused.
His mind flashed back to last night. Asuma had shown up at the training ground, all casual at first. Then the questions started. About Sakumo. About why he took his own life. Why no one did anything. The tone was off. Too direct. Too intentional.
Asuma was digging. And Kakashi knew it.
He confronted him, but Asuma played it off. "Just curiosity," he claimed.
Right.
But even asking was a red flag.
Kakashi's gaze drifted to Orochimaru, who was now staring back at him. Calm. Unreadable.
He shouldn't be involved. Right?
I shouldn't drag him into this. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
"…No," Kakashi finally said. "Nothing important."
Orochimaru studied him for another beat, then nodded slowly and turned back to his scrolls.
Looks like Asuma did what I expected. I figured he'd approach Kakashi.
"You should get going," Orochimaru said. "Isn't today the day you join ANBU?"
He remembered Minato mentioning it during a brief visit to the Hokage's office, while he was there checking some information regarding the Mist Village.
"Yeah," Kakashi nodded, giving him one last look before vanishing.
Once the door clicked shut, Orochimaru muttered, "Now then, let's begin."
Yes, he was planning to use the Travelling Card, and since he didn't have the authority to choose the timeline, he was taking enough resources to survive there without depending on the native world.
But first… let's roll the dice.
He opened the system interface.
POINTS: 30
Let's see what the Omniverse presents me this time.
FRIGHTWIG (BEN 10)
SPIDER-MAN SUIT (MARVEL)
PIKACHU PLUSHIES (POKÉMON)
CHOCOLATE FROG (HARRY POTTER)
VOICE-CHANGING BOWTIE (DETECTIVE CONAN)
SIZE SCOUTER (HIGHSCHOOL DXD)
BRACELET OF THE NIGHT (SHINKA NO MI)
CAPTAIN HERO (MHA)
TOPH BEIFONG (AVATAR)
HEART OF THE OCEAN (TITANIC)
Jackpot.
The Toph template was easily the best pull here. With it, my earth style is going to improve drastically.
Especially with her unrestricted manipulation abilities. I can already think of the jutsu I'm going to create.
Although the decades of experience have made me sharp enough to avoid ambushes, Seismic Sense is going to improve my sensory side drastically.
Even better than chakra sensory in certain terrain.
As for sandbending, though she wasn't a master at it, I can train and improve my proficiency.
And if I remember correctly, there's also lava bending, though she never learned it. Doesn't matter. With my talent, learning it on my own shouldn't be difficult.
As for metalbending, given this is not a technologically advanced civilisation, the metals still contain a high amount of impurities. Much more than the modern world. So, no problem with that either.
The second template I got is of that girl from the mutant trio working for... Jumbosaur or whatever his name was. She could manipulate her hair, use it like extra limbs. I don't think it increases her strength, though. Will have to test it. Still, it might be useful in unexpected situations.
Bracelet of the Night gives the wearer night vision equal to daytime. A useful item.
The rest? Useless.
Spider-Man's suit is from the Tobey Maguire movie. No built-in gadgets. Just stretchy fabric.
Captain Hero is just a fictional comic from the MHA.
It would be great if I got a quirk. Even a corpse of some quirk user would be useful.
Sighing, he took out the chocolate. The packaging was just like in the movie.
The frog jumped, but I caught it instantly and popped it in my mouth.
Mmm. Definitely the best chocolate I've had in years.
I glanced at the card.
The Dumbledore figure isn't exactly like in the movies in my memories, but it still has that twinkle.
I turned the card.
Albus Dumbledore
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and for his work in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Currently he is the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
It seems this came from a time when Dumbledore was still alive.
Seeing him… I'm reminded of Sensei. Both are hypocrites, doing everything "for the greater good."
In fact, he seems more like Charles Xavier from Marvel.
Yes, that's a more accurate comparison.
Let's not waste time anymore. He turned back to the Travelling Card.
Let's see what that madshup includes.
**************
Suggestions for apocalypse