After standing for several minutes by the stone slab—indistinguishable from thousands just like it—I silently turned and trudged home. I would have plenty of chances to come back here, so I could sit for a while in more pleasant weather next time. Reiko wouldn't have approved if her beloved daughter caught a chill in this kind of temperature.
"Orochimaru-sama!" a bright voice pulled me out of the depths of my gloomy thoughts a few hundred meters from home.
"Nami-chan," I gave a faint smile as I noticed the girl running toward me. "And Mikoto-chan?"
Yes, this time the Hyuga was, for some reason, with an Uchiha. Hm. I'd never seen them together before, except back at that training ground before the mission.
Nami was dressed in warm pants and a jacket bearing her clan's crest. Again, the first time I'd seen her like this—her usual outfit consisted of capris of varying lengths, T-shirts, and hoodies. Well, at least the colours were the same—blue, lilac, and white with beige. Honestly, I had a suspicion this was their clan's palette; most of the Hyuga seemed to wear clothing in those tones.
While the energetic Hyuga splashed through puddles, racing toward me, Mikoto walked carefully along the dry patches, her hands tucked into her sleeves. Poor thing—she must be freezing stiff. Well, whose fault is that? What were hats invented for? Nami at least had pulled on earmuffs, but this one was relying solely on the high collar of her crimson coat. Showing off, is she?
"Hello," I smiled at them, waiting for the Hyuga to reach me.
"Good afternoon, Orochimaru-sama. Please accept my condolences," the girl bowed stiffly.
"Thank you, Nami-chan," I chuckled at such concern coming from a little girl. "Where are you coming from, and where are you headed?"
"Classes at the Academy were canceled because of the frost!" Hyuga reported.
Frost? What frost? It's zero degrees, people! Even I, a cold-blooded snake, don't feel cold. Though, they don't have heating here, and Academy students don't control their chakra well enough to endure the cold yet… Yeah, that's what a mild climate does to people. The temperature drops a little and suddenly it's a disaster.
"G-Good af-ternoon, Or-rochimaru-s-san," the Uchiha greeted us, finally catching up.
"Hello, Mikoto-chan. You're freezing!" Her teeth were practically chattering!
"I'm f-fine, Orochimaru-san," this time she managed to say my name without stumbling.
I was about to warm her up with ninjutsu—there was something suitable in my arsenal—but I remembered in time that officially I only wielded Earth Release. That wouldn't look good.
"Would you like to stop by my place?" I said at last, taking pity on the Uchiha—she might catch a cold at this rate! "Some hot tea wouldn't hurt right now."
"Can we?!" Nami practically jumped in place.
"Of course."
"I shouldn't…" the Uchiha started, but the Hyuga immediately jabbed her sharply in the side with an elbow.
"Mikoto-chan really wants to visit you too," Nami assured me, her eyes shining with excitement. "She's just very shy!"
I merely snorted at the display. The Uchiha didn't seem to need warming tea anymore—look how red she'd turned. She'd be steaming soon!
"Well then," I formed a hand seal: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A pair of my clones appeared in a puff of smoke, instantly consuming a noticeable portion of my chakra reserves, and immediately vanished in a body flicker, scattering droplets of water in all directions.
"They'll prepare everything while we walk," I explained to the girls, who were watching me with shining eyes.
Damn, it feels good when someone looks at you like that! Not like those old geezers. And it's so easy to impress kids.
"By the way, since when are you studying at the Academy?" it suddenly occurred to me to ask.
"It's a turbulent time—most adults are out on missions. So everyone who fit the criteria was enrolled," Nami answered easily, walking confidently beside me.
"A lot of people are out on missions right now, so they sent us to the Academy to keep an eye on us," Mikoto explained.
Makes sense. Though I suspect Sarutobi-sensei is also hoping the new generation will fill the ranks of the valiant army of the Land of Fire sooner this way. Yes, Konoha isn't weak enough yet to send children into battle—that will come during the Third War. But even during the First, I had to take part in some missions from the age of nine, so it's unlikely the Second will be any better in that regard.
Many powerful shinobi who had survived from the Warring States Period were killed in the battles of the last war, but it also forged new monsters like Hanzo, Hiruzen, Onoki, and others. And my generation is coming of age as well. In short, by the time the furnace of war truly roars to life, the young forces of the Hidden Villages will have reached their prime. For now, despite the de facto start of hostilities, there are no major battles—just minor border skirmishes, sabotage, and the like. Because of that, the Second Shinobi World War is likely to drag on for a while. But when it finally erupts in full, it'll be such a nightmare you'll want to hang yourself.
Uzushiogakure will be destroyed outright—something I'd very much prefer to avoid. In this world, where everyone has a bone to pick with everyone else, alliances like the one between Fire and the Whirlpool are a rare luxury. Only a fool, like Hiruzen, would allow himself to lose an ally like the Uzumaki clan.