Chapter 53 — Even Orochimaru Felt a Chill Run Down His Spine
A question:
When is a man-eating tiger—the kind that strikes terror into the world—at its most frightening?
The answer:
When the tiger lowers its head, arches its back, and bares its fangs just before pouncing.
But once that tiger actually attacks—
If, by some stroke of fortune, the victim not only survives but turns around and beats the tiger bloody—
Then something changes.
The survivor no longer fears the tiger.
And worse still, others begin to lose their fear as well.
If he could do it… why can't I?
That thought spreads faster than terror ever could.
And so it was with the war between the Cloud Village and the Sound Village.
When news spread that the Sound Village had emerged victorious, the entire ninja continent was shaken to its core.
Among civilians and daimyō alike, the way people looked at ninja villages—at shinobi themselves—quietly but unmistakably changed.
And beyond the Cloud Village…
The remaining four Great Ninja Villages, along with countless minor ones, began casting strange, probing glances at the once-overbearing Cloud.
Especially after Oda Nobunaga deliberately guided public opinion—emphasizing the overwhelming strength of the Cloud Village, while openly admitting the weakness of his own Sound Village.
He even publicly acknowledged that the Land of Fields had nearly bankrupted itself just to repel the Cloud's assault.
And yet—
Despite all that strength, despite all that pressure—
The Cloud Village still failed to crush a newborn Sound Village.
That was the part the other villages couldn't ignore.
They didn't care that the Land of Fields was nearly broke.
They didn't care how terrifying the Cloud Village was supposed to be.
What mattered was this:
If the Cloud Village was truly powerful enough to intimidate the entire ninja world—strong enough to once force even Konoha to bow—
Then why couldn't it conquer a fledgling village like Sound?
On paper, the Sound Village was undeniably weak.
Even after reviewing detailed battle reports and analyzing Sound's tactics, Konoha, Iwagakure, and even Sunagakure—the weakest of the Five—came to the same conclusion:
With sufficient preparation, a single Kage-level powerhouse breaking through the front lines would instantly shatter the explosive-tag suppression.
And besides—
The Land of Fields had nearly gone bankrupt from that one battle.
Who in their right mind could afford to fight wars like that repeatedly?
"The Cloud Village's hegemony… has collapsed."
That sentiment echoed through ninja villages everywhere.
The mountain-dwelling barbarians who once suffocated the world beneath their shadow—
Were no longer feared.
---
"Money. So much money. And you just burned it."
Back at the Sound Mountain Fortress, Kakuzu had just returned—and he was clutching his chest in pain.
The sheer extravagance of Nobunaga's explosive-tag bombardment stabbed straight into his soul.
Having returned with the priestess Shion of the Land of Demons and the precious Gelel Stone of an ancient kingdom-
His green eyes instantly turned bloodshot.
He stormed into Nobunaga's office like a hurricane, slammed his fists onto the massive desk, and shouted so hard he completely ignored the traitor of the Akatsuki standing nearby—Orochimaru.
"How many times have I told you?! Give the money to me, and I'll handle everything perfectly!"
"All that money spent on explosive tags—give it to me instead! I alone could wipe the Cloud Village off the map!"
Spittle flew everywhere.
The more worked up Kakuzu became, the more outrageous his claims grew.
"Yes, yes, yes," Nobunaga replied calmly.
What else could one say to an enraged Kakuzu?
He nodded along perfunctorily, soothing him with empty affirmations—then turned his attention to the shrine maiden beside him.
Shion of the Demon Country.
Comparing her unconsciously to Princess Koyuki of the Land of Snow, Nobunaga found that each possessed her own unique grace.
Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo—each beautiful in its own way.
"Greetings, Lord Oda Nobunaga, Daimyō of the Land of Fields."
After receiving Nobunaga's personal letter through Kakuzu, Shion had used her power of foresight and discovered something startling:
This man was a crucial figure in the future.
Someone who would change her fate.
That realization was why she had helped Kakuzu obtain the Gelel Stone—and why she had personally followed him into a war-torn, dangerous nation just to meet Nobunaga.
After the greeting, Shion immediately activated her ability once more—
To confirm, beyond any doubt, Oda Nobunaga's future destiny.
Yet under Oda Nobunaga's calm and gentle gaze, Shion's ability failed to pierce his destiny at all.
Instead, the forced activation of her power backfired violently—she spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately slumped, her entire body growing weak.
"—What?"
Shion coughing blood stunned everyone present.
But if anyone was truly at a loss, it was Oda Nobunaga himself.
A high-ranking shrine maiden of the Land of Demons—someone who was, in effect, a ruler in her own right—had barely met him before collapsing and coughing blood at his feet.
If word of this got out, it would be disastrous for his reputation.
He rose from his seat at once, intending to personally check on her condition.
"I'm fine… I just need some rest."
Waving her hand weakly, Shion refused Nobunaga's concern as well as everyone else's, saying only that she needed a room to recuperate.
"Zōmajirō, escort Shrine Maiden Shion to rest."
Seeing this, Nobunaga had no choice but to temporarily abandon any thoughts of further engagement. He instead instructed his trusted aide to arrange proper accommodations for her.
Once Shion's figure disappeared from the office, Kakuzu seemed to finally calm down. He tilted his head and cast a sidelong glance at Orochimaru.
"Well, if it isn't Orochimaru," Kakuzu sneered. "Not planning to keep hiding anymore?"
"Heh heh."
Orochimaru let out a few low chuckles.
Knowing that Nobunaga had already walked through the Land of Rain with Kimimaro and returned unscathed, Orochimaru felt not the slightest fear toward Kakuzu.
Still, mindful of propriety, he did not expose the Akatsuki's existence in front of Nobunaga.
Instead, he ignored Kakuzu's provocation and turned to what truly interested him.
"You actually found the Gelel Stone," Orochimaru said. "What do you intend to use it for?"
In his pursuit of immortality, Orochimaru had always been adept at drawing connections.
He had heard the legends of the Gelel Stone—of its supposedly limitless power. Even if the stone was not as omnipotent as the stories claimed, legends never spread without reason.
At the very least, it must possess something extraordinary.
"Within books lie beauties like jade; within books stand houses of gold."
In response to Orochimaru's question, Nobunaga casually shifted the origin of his knowledge to the library in his own estate.
He claimed that through ancient texts he had learned fragments about long-lost kingdoms, then enlisted Kakuzu to seek the aid of Shion—the shrine maiden gifted with foresight.
Thus, the legendary Gelel Stone had been found.
Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied this explanation.
After all, his mention of the Gelel Stone had merely been a pretext.
What he truly cared about was its power, and how Nobunaga intended to use it.
"From my analysis," Nobunaga continued, "the Gelel Stone is much like the Dragon Vein spoken of in Rōran's legends."
"It is likely a crystallization of extremely dense natural energy—or perhaps the solidified remains of an enormous quantity of chakra."
"Either way, there is no doubt that the Gelel Stone contains staggering power."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up instantly.
He understood at once.
The scientific ninja tools of the Land of Snow desperately required a stable, high-grade energy source to serve as their core engines.
And then—
Orochimaru thought of something beneath their feet.
In that instant, a deep, instinctive chill ran down his spine.