Land of Waves, around the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, on a bustling street named White Snake Street.
Uzumaki Chigusa's beautiful red hair was particularly striking in the sunlight. Dressed in elaborate clothing that clearly wasn't what a Ninja would wear, she walked gracefully and leisurely down the street.
Ever since the survivors of Uzushiogakure decided to stay in the Land of Waves, they stopped hiding and began to live normal lives in the Land of Waves.
The people of the Land of Waves were initially surprised by these red-haired individuals, but as people from various countries always came to the Land of Waves, they quickly grew accustomed to these new residents.
Uzumaki Chigusa looked at Orochimaru beside her, who was completely wrapped up in a white robe with a hood, making her airtight. She couldn't help but complain, "It's not that I'm criticizing you, but you always wear this outfit that completely covers you. Don't you feel stifled? Anyone who didn't know might think you're an old hag!"
"It's not stifling."
Orochimaru took off her hood, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. She twirled a playful strand and said, "If anyone's going to be an old hag, Chigusa, you'll be one first. I'm still very young."
"Don't talk as if I'm so old; I'm only…"
Uzumaki Chigusa almost blurted out her age, quickly covering her mouth and glaring suspiciously at Orochimaru, suspecting she was trying to trick her into revealing her age.
"I'm still very young, old! Ha! G!"
Orochimaru's lips curved into an arc, and she glanced triumphantly at Uzumaki Chigusa, enunciating the words "old hag" with emphasis.
"Miya-sensei, I hear your book is being adapted into a movie~!"
Uzumaki Chigusa leaned close to Orochimaru's ear and whispered.
You little rascal, I can't deal with you!
"You…"
Orochimaru's smile vanished, and she glared angrily at Uzumaki Chigusa.
So we're just moving past that, huh!
"Oh, congratulations, Miya-sensei."
Uzumaki Chigusa clapped her hands. Orochimaru's smile didn't disappear; it simply transferred to Uzumaki Chigusa's face.
In a park near the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, Uzumaki Chigusa wiped a finger across a bench. Seeing no dust, she sat down with relief.
"Chigusa, there's something I need to ask of you."
Orochimaru sat beside Uzumaki Chigusa and handed her a scroll.
"This is?"
Uzumaki Chigusa looked at the scroll in Orochimaru's hand.
"The Eye Sealing Curse Mark, a curse mark I developed against ocular Ninjutsu by studying the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird Curse Mark."
Orochimaru didn't hide how the Eye Sealing Curse Mark was developed. Even if she didn't say it now, Uzumaki Chigusa would find out once she read the scroll's contents.
"The Caged Bird Curse Mark… Could it be that the internal strife in the Hyuga Clan at that time was related to you?"
Uzumaki Chigusa took the scroll, looking suspiciously at Orochimaru. She recalled the Hyuga Clan's past internal conflict, which led to a change in their long-standing main family and branch family system.
"I merely researched the Caged Bird Curse Mark. The Hyuga Clan's internal strife had little to do with me."
Orochimaru didn't deny that the Hyuga Clan's internal strife was related to her, but it was more due to the oppression of the main family over the branch family that caused the conflict.
Without revolutionaries like Hyuga Mio who wanted to abolish the Hyuga Clan's main family and branch family system, her improved Caged Bird Curse Mark would have been useless.
This can be seen from the Chinoike Clan; they hated the Uchiha Clan for so many years, and who knows how many rulers of the Land of Lightning changed, their true enemies would have died many years ago.
"How old was I back then? Chigusa, you think too highly of me."
Orochimaru's fingers rested on the chair, sensing for any suspicious individuals nearby.
"Don't worry, there's no one suspicious around."
Uzumaki Chigusa saw Orochimaru's actions and knew she was worried about someone eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Your ability is still so convenient."
Orochimaru withdrew her fingers. With Uzumaki Chigusa, who possessed Kagura Shingan, her previous actions seemed a bit redundant.
"I remember someone saying they hated my ability the most?"
Uzumaki Chigusa blinked, staring at Orochimaru, then propped her chin on her hand, feigning distress, "Hmm… Now, who thinks my ability is convenient? Who is it? Who is it? Who exactly is it? Huh?"
"It's me, it's me! I said it, I said it all! You petty person!"
Orochimaru's face flushed as she glared at Uzumaki Chigusa, never expecting that a single sentence from her would be remembered until now.
"Don't be angry."
Uzumaki Chigusa looked at Orochimaru, who was much livelier than before. She pinched her cheek, then her smile faded as she asked, "Orochimaru, giving me the Eye Sealing Curse Mark means that people with ocular Bloodline Limits will soon come to the Land of Waves, right?"
"Hmm, the Chinoike Clan might join the company sometime soon."
Orochimaru was very confident that the Chinoike Clan would choose to join the company, but she wouldn't speak in absolutes.
"The Chinoike Clan, the family with the Ketsuryugan?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Uzumaki Chigusa's face. "Wasn't that family exiled many years ago to a place said to have a very harsh environment?"
"The Chinoike Clan was exiled to Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Springs. The survivors still live in Hell Valley to this day. I encountered a member of the Chinoike Clan not long ago."
Orochimaru briefly recounted how she met a Chinoike Clan thief after going to find Tsunade, who had finished her training in Shikkotsu Forest.
"So, the fewer people who master the Eye Sealing Curse Mark, the better, right?"
Uzumaki Chigusa looked at the scroll in her hand. She didn't think it was better for more people to master the Eye Sealing Curse Mark.
"Chigusa, just make your own decision."
Orochimaru's research on the Eye Sealing Curse Mark was not yet complete. Even if there was the slightest possibility of further advancement for the Eye Sealing Curse Mark, she would not give up.
After all, in the future, she would have to face a bunch of monsters with various ocular Ninjutsu.
Whether it was the Eye Sealing Curse Mark, Chakra Poison, or Sage Art Explosives, all were developed to deal with those monsters.
"Are you sure?"
Uzumaki Chigusa's red eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at Orochimaru.
"I'm sure."
Orochimaru met Uzumaki Chigusa's gaze, her clear golden eyes like a pristine spring.
Uzumaki Chigusa saw the trust in Orochimaru's eyes, and the hand holding the scroll trembled slightly. In that moment, she found Orochimaru, whom she had always treated like a child, to be very charming and attractive.
Is this why Aokawa and the others follow Orochimaru…? Uzumaki Chigusa hadn't quite understood before why Aokawa and the others would blindly trust and even entrust their lives to Orochimaru, but now she somewhat understood.
Trust is mutual; just as they trusted Orochimaru, Orochimaru also trusted them.
"Then leave it to me."
Uzumaki Chigusa leaned in close to Orochimaru and kissed her cheek.
"Don't treat me like a child!"
Orochimaru frowned, displeased with Uzumaki Chigusa's kiss on her cheek. "I'm 15 now."
"I'm not treating you like a child."
Uzumaki Chigusa smiled with narrowed eyes, then stood up and said, "I will choose the most trusted people to teach the Eye Sealing Curse Mark to. Naino will be one of them."
"Chigusa, thank you for your hard work."
As the developer of the Eye Sealing Curse Mark, Orochimaru was well aware of its difficulty to learn.
"To still say such things, isn't that a bit too distant!"
Uzumaki Chigusa was about to leave, but hearing Orochimaru's words, she turned back and pinched her nose.
Orochimaru covered her nose, her wide eyes filled with reproach, as she watched Uzumaki Chigusa leave.
Well then, next, it's time to go to the company.
Orochimaru stood up and disappeared from the spot using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, President's Office.
"Kakuzu, these are the experimental data from using your Jiongu tentacles. Take a look yourself, and tell me your decision once you've made it."
Orochimaru handed Kakuzu the documents containing the experimental data on implanting Zero-Tails Cells into vascular tentacles and carving Transformation Formulas onto them, letting him decide whether to undergo body modification.
Kakuzu noticed the lipstick mark on Orochimaru's cheek, paused slightly, then pretended not to see anything and picked up the documents to read them.
"Aokawa, the Chinoike Clan might be arriving soon. When they do, you can arrange things for them. This is information about the Chinoike Clan's Bloodline Limit."
Orochimaru took out another document and placed it on the coffee table.
Hmm? Lady Orochimaru's face… Aokawa also noticed the lipstick mark on Lady Orochimaru's face, hesitating whether to remind her.
"The Chinoike Clan? Isn't that the Bloodline Limit clan that was exiled by the Land of Lightning?"
Kakuzu paused his movements, sighing, "They were exiled to a place like Hell Valley and managed to survive tenaciously."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"