Did that even need to be asked?
Of course, he was interested.
Kushina was his to protect. If the Hidden Cloud wanted to mess with her, then he'd gladly raze their village to the ground.
When Orochimaru had taken his revenge on the Hidden Cloud in the original timeline, he'd released the Eight-Tails, wreaking havoc on the village.
So why not go a step further? Maybe he could control the Two-Tails' jinchuriki and set that loose too.
If they were going to cause chaos, why not make it a full-blown spectacle? Let the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails tear through the Hidden Cloud and put on a real fireworks show.
"Tomorrow."
"Alright, come get me in the morning. You'll have to handle the higher-ups, though. I just refused their request to negotiate with Hanzo, so leaving the village might stir things up."
Since Orochimaru was the one inviting him, he could handle the fallout with the higher-ups. Having secured Xin's agreement and enjoyed a good hotpot meal, Orochimaru was in a great mood.
"Lord Hokage, Xin has agreed to come with me to the Hidden Cloud. As for Hanzo, you'll have to send someone else."
"Why do you insist on bringing him along?" Third Hokage asked, confused. With Orochimaru's skills, even if he couldn't complete the mission, he should at least be able to get away safely.
Why was he so adamant about bringing Xin?
Orochimaru's response was calm but clear.
"For my own safety, and to ensure the mission causes enough chaos."
"If we're going to retaliate, we need to hit the Hidden Cloud hard-enough to make them feel
it. Besides, Kushina is important to Xin. His desire for revenge will be stronger than mine."
Kushina belongs to the village!
Not to any one person!
The Third Hokage wanted to shout that out, but he held his tongue.
Just thinking about Kushina's feelings for Xin made the Third Hokage swallow his words.
If Xin was willing to retaliate against the Hidden Cloud Village for Kushina, it meant she hadn't chosen the wrong person.
But the problem was Xin's background... his bloodline...
"Well, I'll leave you to it, old man. You can worry about it yourself," Orochimaru said nonchalantly, seeing right through the Third Hokage's dilemma. He turned and left without a care.
"Captain!!"
The three kids from Xin quad had just finished a mission and returned to the village, only to see Xin waiting for them at the gate.
Hyuga Suzune handed over the mission scroll, which Xin took with a nod.
"I'm going to be leaving the village for a while,"
Xin said to them. "I've been assigned a rather special mission. During my absence, focus on your training and improving your skills. As for when we'll regroup as a team, just wait for my notification."