svetikya Page 285
Page 285
Thinking of this, Payne withdrew his gaze, and with a swift movement, retreated rapidly towards the outside of the courtyard.
Upon seeing Itachi, the two exchanged a glance, needing no further words.
Pain put his hand on Itachi's shoulder: "Let's go!"
Bang!
Chapter 223 Then let me ask you, where is the Konoha Orphanage now?
Meanwhile, in the audience seats of the theater, Kimimaro finally calmed his tense nerves.
After Yakushi Kabuto's explanation, he understood his current situation.
Looking around, one sees a dimly lit and spacious theater.
A huge screen stood in front of me, surrounded by rows of comfortable seats; everything looked just like a movie theater.
But it also has a mysterious quality that defies common sense.
The thought of witnessing Lord Orochimaru's dream firsthand filled Kimimaro with excitement.
An uncontrollable flush rose on her cheeks, and her eyes became excited and expectant.
For Kimimaro, Lord Orochimaru was a god who rescued him from darkness.
Being able to glimpse Lord Orochimaru's world, even for just a moment, would be an immense happiness for him.
[Ding! Kimimaro's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
……
on the screen.
Orochimaru stood quietly on a street in Konoha Village, staring at the sign that read "Konoha Orphanage" not far ahead, his expression full of surprise.
"How did we end up here?"
Orochimaru looked around in confusion.
The orphanage that came into view seemed to be much larger than I remembered.
Orochimaru remembered that the Konoha Orphanage was founded by Yakushi Nonou after she left the Root organization.
Although it was nominally an orphanage, it was initially very small, housing only a few destitute war orphans in a few simple wooden huts on the edge of the village.
However, the orphanage before him was not the dilapidated scene he remembered. There were several houses with blue tiles, and even a small playground for the children to play in.
Just as Orochimaru was pondering to himself, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.
A clear voice rang out: "Master, you've arrived!"
A young man ran out cheerfully from behind and rushed in front of Orochimaru.
It is the Thousand-Handed Rope Tree.
Their young faces were full of energy and joy.
Orochimaru looked at Nawaki, who had suddenly appeared before him, and his originally indifferent expression softened.
The rope tree was already almost as tall as him.
He smiled faintly, a hint of warmth flickering in his golden eyes, and replied softly, "Yes, I've come."
……
in the audience.
As Tsunade gazed at her radiant younger brother on the screen, her expression softened unconsciously.
A layer of tears welled up in her eyes, and she was completely satisfied.
"Orochimaru's dreams are still the best; he always gets to see Nawaki..."
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing to the side, nodded slightly upon hearing this, saying with a hint of reminiscence and regret, "I remember, Orochimaru valued Nawaki highly back then..."
Kimimaro stared blankly at Orochimaru on the screen, who was showing a gentle smile, and felt a surge of heat in his chest.
That was a side of him he had never seen before.
A gentle and humane expression.
Kimimaro blinked, looking at Kabuto with some confusion, and asked in a low voice, "Orochimaru-sama's disciple?"
Unexpectedly, Kabuto did not respond to him.
Kimimaro turned his head and saw that Kabuto Yakushi was staring blankly at the screen, his eyes wide open behind his thin glasses.
Dou's mouth was slightly open, and he stood there motionless, frozen in place.
Kimimaro was stunned.
In his memory, Kabuto Yakushi had always been a calm and composed person, and had never lost his composure like this before.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
……
on the screen.
Nawaki led Orochimaru into the orphanage.
As I walked through the orphanage's courtyard, several homemade toys lay scattered on the ground, and a few simply dressed children were huddled under the eaves, whispering amongst themselves.
Upon seeing strangers visiting, they peeked out curiously.
When Rope Tree saw this, he simply waved gently to the children, indicating that they were not afraid, and then continued to lead his master directly to the door of an office in the orphanage's office building.
Pushing open the door, the room was somewhat dimly lit.
In the orphanage director's office, pharmacist Nono was sitting behind her desk.
His brows were furrowed with a complex expression, a mixture of hesitation and determination.
As soon as she saw Orochimaru enter, she immediately stood up to greet him, bowing sincerely and saying, "Lord Orochimaru! I am very grateful for your continued support of the Konoha Orphanage, but I cannot grant your request!"
Orochimaru was somewhat puzzled after hearing this.
He funded orphanages?
Orochimaru thought for a moment, then turned his gaze to Nawaki beside him. Could it be that Nawaki did this in his name?
Before Orochimaru could think too much, Nawaki spoke up: "We can guarantee the safety of the experiment!"
"None of the volunteers who participated in the last experiment were injured or killed!"
"We will be fully responsible for the safety of every child!"
Pharmacist Nonou shook her head firmly: "I'm sorry, but I cannot agree. These children are war orphans; they've already suffered enough. I can't send them to the experimental table!"
Nonou took a deep breath and took a wooden box from the table.
Her hands trembled slightly, but she still pushed the box in front of Orochimaru with all her might, and said apologetically, "This is all the money the orphanage can afford right now. We will definitely try our best to raise the money you gave us before and repay you as soon as possible."
Seeing this, Rope Tree sighed helplessly, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face. He waved his hand and said, "Director, you don't need to do this. Even if we can't cooperate, it won't affect our determination to support the orphanage. You should take the money back."
However, Yakushi Nonou was extremely determined. She gently pushed the box back and said in a deep voice, "No, we can't take this money."
……
in the audience.
Tsunade looked at the young Nawaki, who was speaking eloquently on the screen, and couldn't help but show a look of admiration.
"I never expected that Nawaki in Orochimaru's dream would be so reliable and dependable..."
That impulsive younger brother can actually discuss things with people so calmly.
At this moment, the spirited Rope Tree in her dream and her younger brother, forever frozen in his youthful form, gradually overlapped in her mind.
If Rope Tree could live and grow into an adult, perhaps it would become a reliable and outstanding young man like the one depicted in the picture...
Just then, Kimimaro suddenly cried out in alarm, "Kabuto, are you alright?!"
Upon hearing the sound, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately turned his head to look, only to see that Kabuto Yakushi's face was deathly pale, with large beads of sweat sliding down his temples.
He was trembling slightly, his chest heaving violently, and even breathing became extremely difficult.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and squinted as he examined Kabuto Yakushi.
He could only guess, based on his extensive experience, which village the snow-white-haired young man came from; he had no idea of his specific identity.
But Kabuto knew about Yakushi's background.
They are children who came from the Konoha Orphanage.
The way Dou is reacting to the scene right now seems to be recalling the past, but isn't his reaction a bit too intense?
……
on the screen.
These scenes, as Orochimaru watched, caused him to momentarily lose himself in thought.
The scene before him was so familiar that it brought back long-forgotten memories.
In reality, Danzo also targeted this orphanage.
At the time, Danzo's confidant, he and Ryoma Aburame were ordered to accompany him to this place to put pressure on Yakushi Nonou.
In my memory, he and Ryoma Aburame worked in tandem, one threatening to withdraw their funding if they didn't cooperate, the other threatening to steal the children from the orphanage...
However, the unfolding of the dream now is completely different from the experience of that year.
Orochimaru watched the back-and-forth negotiation between Nawaki and Nonou and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Unlike Danzo, the Nawaki in the dream did not press the issue relentlessly, and even persisted in providing support after the other party refused.
Yakushi Nonou remained steadfast in her principles, never backing down even when facing Orochimaru.
Thinking of this, a complex and enigmatic smile appeared on Orochimaru's lips.
Seeing that Nono's attitude was so firm, Nawaki had no choice but to accept the wooden box.