Listening to Orochimaru's sentiments, Tatsumi nodded.
"No one is immortal, are they?"
"Indeed. Nothing is eternal. Even someone like the Sage of Six Paths has disappeared into the river of history," Orochimaru sighed.
"Aging, and then dying without a trace. Life is truly an empty thing. And I, barely twenty years old, already deeply feel this," Orochimaru said.
"Tatsumi, what do you think of life?" Orochimaru narrowed his golden snake eyes and suddenly asked.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Tatsumi did not directly answer the question.
In his opinion, Orochimaru's enthusiasm towards him was a bit excessive.
How could a twenty-year-old Jonin ask a nine-year-old kid such a question?
"Haha… it seems I asked abruptly." Orochimaru smiled slightly, a rare occurrence, his voice hoarse yet magnetic.
"The first time I saw you, I had a strange feeling. I felt you were very different."
"I've observed you for a long time, and I feel you're somewhat out of place in this world. Although you're just a child, I feel you possess a mature soul. It's truly fascinating."
Tatsumi became vigilant. Orochimaru was too perceptive.
"I feel like you're a wind that will eventually stir the whole world. So, I think your answer should be interesting."
Orochimaru paused and continued, "From the day my parents died and I became an orphan, I was already prepared for death."
"But even so, the moment I fought on the battlefield, I couldn't help but feel insignificant. It's a completely different feeling from fighting during ninja missions."
"Death, everywhere is death. Everywhere you look, there are corpses. Some are enemies, some are our own. Some are even your classmates and close friends."
"And what is gained from those numerous sacrifices? Only a wealth of experience and knowledge in war."
"Life is truly a boring thing."
Orochimaru poured himself another cup of sake.
"Yes. We are all ordinary people. Everyone is pursuing happiness, but not everyone will achieve it," Tatsumi nodded.
Orochimaru's eyes were calm and a little sad as he repeated Tatsumi's words, seemingly recalling things he had lost and could never retrieve.
After a moment of silence, Tatsumi picked up the vegetables in front of him with his chopsticks and asked.
"Is the war about to begin?"
"Yes, some places are already in a mess. The friction between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass is getting worse and worse," Orochimaru said.
"The Land of Wind and the Land of Earth have already begun to amass troops on the border. If they continue to amass troops on the border, Konoha will immediately be at a disadvantage once the war breaks out."
"Then why did you come back in this situation?" Tatsumi had a guess, but still narrowed his eyes and asked.
Orochimaru smiled and said in a hoarse voice, "The Third Hokage summoned us back. The Jonin mission assignment has been issued."
He smiled as he spoke, picking up a peanut with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth.
"We are coming back as the team leaders for you students," Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice.
"Team leaders? But we're only in the fifth grade, we haven't graduated yet," Tatsumi asked in confusion.
"Yes. It's because you haven't graduated that we have to take you on missions now."
"Once the war starts, no one will have time to take care of you like nannies. At that time,"
"You children will go straight to the battlefield."
"You Genin are the future of Konoha. So the Third Old Man took great pains to summon us back, just to let you experience the first war before the real war comes."
"Once the war breaks out, the Genin always suffer the most casualties."
"Because they have no psychological experience, no adaptation time. We create such experiences just to make sure your first bloodshed isn't in war. It's always good to reduce deaths."
Tatsumi nodded.
"So, Lord Orochimaru, are you my team leader?"
"That's right. It was originally supposed to be Tsunade, but the Uchiha clan leader temporarily requested to change it to me," Orochimaru said meaningfully.
Tatsumi did not speak.
Uchiha Shan… what a big trouble.
"What about Teacher Tsunade?"
"She went to the teacher to reason, and then smashed the door of the Hokage's office."
"…"
"In the end, Tsunade extorted two thousand taels from the teacher and went straight to the casino."
"…"
"Oh, I see. So, in Teacher Tsunade's eyes, I'm only worth two thousand taels," Tatsumi touched his hair and said helplessly.
Just then, the owner of the tavern brought up another roast chicken.
"This is so embarrassing. You're spending too much. You're much better to me than Teacher Tsunade," Tatsumi smiled embarrassedly.
However, he didn't look embarrassed at all, and wanted to eat the chicken with his chopsticks.
"Don't rush. This chicken is not for you," Orochimaru said, "These are reserved for a distinguished guest."
"Distinguished guest?"
Orochimaru did not answer Tatsumi's question but silently bit his finger, "Summoning Technique!"
After completing the hand seals, Orochimaru pressed his blood-stained hand on the ground, and then white smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, there was a white snake that was over a meter long.
Except that the snake had two small purple horns on its head.
"Here." Orochimaru picked up the chicken.
The little snake's mouth suddenly cracked open and became bigger and bigger, swallowing the entire chicken directly.
Tch, aren't you afraid of choking to death!
After the white snake finished eating the chicken in its mouth, it showed a satisfied expression.
It first glanced at Orochimaru, and then looked at Tatsumi, who was regretting the roast chicken.
But that look was as if Tatsumi was just a piece of garbage placed in the wrong place.
"…"
"This kid? He's too small," After glancing at Tatsumi, the white snake began to speak.
Its tongue licked its lips and stared straight at Tatsumi.
"It doesn't matter, we'll need this scroll sooner or later," Orochimaru shook his head and said, "Give it to me."
The white snake did not speak, but still spit out a sealed scroll from its mouth.
"This is the summoning contract, write your name here in blood."
After opening the scroll, Orochimaru pointed to a blank space on it.
"I think you already know the hand seals for the Summoning Technique from Jiraiya's stupid disciple."
"Starting tomorrow, you will be going out on missions with me. This contract is a gift from your teacher."
After writing, the snake swallowed the contract again, and then used the Reverse Summoning Technique to return.
Then, Orochimaru also disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Damn it, another shadow clone.
Tatsumi touched the corner of his eye and smiled.
However, his smile immediately froze.
He suddenly thought of something terrible.
Orochimaru left without paying...
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