Hyuga Mio still remembered who Chiyo was.
"Exactly. With them, Chiyo might betray Hidden Sand Village and defect to Konoha. And Chiyo's arrival would bring Konoha the Puppet Technique inherited from the puppet progenitor Monzaemon. The Konoha Higher-Ups wouldn't fail to see the stakes involved."
Orochimaru believed this was highly likely to happen. "Perhaps Konoha won't need to do anything to Hidden Sand Village; Hidden Sand Village will fall into disarray on its own."
Even if Chiyo abandoned Akagitsune and Eryu, she would surely develop a rift, or even resentment, towards Hidden Sand Village in her heart. Once cracks and resentment appear, they are difficult to mend.
A puppeteer skilled in poisons who wanted to kill silently would find it all too easy.
In the original story, Chiyo might have betrayed Hidden Sand Village for Sasori to develop the Forbidden Technique of One's Own Life Reincarnation, for her son.
As for Ebizo, his strength was not great; his prowess lay in intelligence gathering, making him a formidable intelligence Ninja. Whether he would follow Chiyo in betraying Hidden Sand Village was an unknown.
And knowing they were abandoned, Akagitsune and Eryu might choose to stay in Konoha for Sasori, pledge loyalty to Konoha, and become Konoha Ninja, thereby also bringing Hidden Sand Village's Puppet Technique to Konoha.
In the original story, Sakumo Hatake killed Akagitsune and Eryu in direct combat to become the Konoha White Fang, famous throughout the Ninja World, rather than just the somewhat well-known Konoha White Fang.
From this, it is evident that Akagitsune and Eryu were not weak.
Intelligence transmitted by the company's informants in Hidden Sand Village also confirmed this: Akagitsune and Eryu had perfectly inherited Chiyo's Puppet Technique, and the couple specialized in controlling different puppets for coordinated attacks.
Therefore, even without seeing the couple fight, Orochimaru could roughly deduce their level of strength.
Overall, Orochimaru knew from the start whose children among the Hidden Sand Village Higher-Ups were most suitable to be sent to Konoha as hostages, which is why she proposed such a strategy.
And whether her strategy would be adopted, Orochimaru didn't care at all; her sense of belonging to Konoha was not high.
Ichikishimahime wandered through the Laboratory, exploring room by room as if on an adventure. She saw chunks of meat in culture tanks and strange vascular tentacles in other culture tanks.
This is… Ichikishimahime pressed her face against the culture tank, looking at the chunk of meat with Senju Hashirama's face emerging within it. She knew of Senju Hashirama, who held the title of God of Shinobi.
How could Senju Hashirama's face be here?
Images flashed through Ichikishimahime's mind: Orochimaru desecrating Senju Hashirama's grave, then peeling off Senju Hashirama's face.
Gulp—!
Ichikishimahime swallowed hard, hesitating whether to continue exploring.
Driven by curiosity, Ichikishimahime continued her exploration. Her eyes widened when she saw various fierce beasts in the massive culture tanks, including even Summoning Beasts.
What exactly is Orochimaru researching… Chapter 220 Hyuga Mio's Invitation
"Mio, did I scare you?"
Orochimaru looked at the silent Hyuga Mio, seemingly not expecting that just two… no, three hostages exchanged for Bunbuku could shake the entire Hidden Sand Village.
"I just feel sorry for their fate, that feeling of being controlled and not being able to help oneself… it's too much like my past self."
Hyuga Mio was very fortunate to have met Orochimaru, and even more fortunate that she didn't go to extremes at that time. Otherwise, she might have already died from the Caged Bird Curse Mark destroying her brain.
After years of being together, Hyuga Mio understood that if she didn't actively seek out Orochimaru, she would never intervene in the Hyuga Clan's internal affairs.
The Hyuga Clan would not have changed at all, and she would still be a Caged Bird, bound by the Caged Bird, unable to find release.
Who would have thought that a decision made out of despair could bring such a great change? At that time, she had completely given up.
"Don't worry, even if they are Konoha's hostages, as long as they don't foolishly try to escape Konoha, they won't be in mortal danger, nor will they be imprisoned."
Orochimaru reached out and hugged Hyuga Mio, patting her back. "Don't forget, they are nominally Hidden Sand Village envoys who came to Konoha to witness the friendship between Konoha and Hidden Sand Village."
"Orochimaru, it's really wonderful to have met you."
Hyuga Mio took off her somewhat bothersome wire-rimmed glasses and kissed Orochimaru's lips, expressing her emotions through her actions.
"Mmm…"
Orochimaru wrapped her arms around Hyuga Mio's waist, being pressed against the culture tank and kissed by her.
Mio, you're… too passionate. This is a Laboratory!
Hyuga Mio had always been very restrained, especially in the Laboratory, rarely acting like this.
"Orochimaru, tonight…"
Hyuga Mio panted slightly, her face flushed, her white eyes glistening with moisture as she gazed at Orochimaru, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Tonight… come to my room… okay?"
Orochimaru touched Hyuga Mio's cheek, and at her direct invitation, nodded with a blush.
Tonight… tonight?!
The invisible Ichikishimahime had just entered the room when she felt she had heard incredibly explosive news.
At the training ground near Orochimaru's house, Uchiha Hikari was practicing Sealing Technique on a summoned large snake.
With Orochimaru's help, she had signed a contract with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave and could summon a large snake from the Ryūchi Cave's large snake nest—the very one often used for Sealing Technique practice.
Perhaps because it was frequently tormented by Sealing Technique, this large snake had developed a certain resistance to Sealing Technique and could even undo some seals, making it the perfect target for Sealing Technique practice.
The large snake was also very cooperative; it wasn't working for free. Every time it assisted Uchiha Hikari in her training, it received Chakra-rich soldier pills and life-force-filled rebirth pills to eat. It wished it could be summoned every day.
At this rate of growth, it believed it would someday defeat Manda and become the strongest large snake in the large snake nest!
"Take a break."
Uchiha Hikari walked into the forest, jumped onto the trunk of a large tree, and sat down. She thought of Tsunade, who had recently become very womanly, and combined with the faint sounds she heard from the bathroom yesterday, if she still didn't understand what had happened, she would be too stupid!
I'm already over a hundred years old, but my physical age hasn't reached 18 yet!
Why does Orochimaru insist on waiting until I'm 18!
Uchiha Hikari bit her lip. The thought of having to wait so long until she was 18 made her feel incredibly unwilling. She didn't want to keep that promise anymore but was afraid Orochimaru would be angry, so she had to obey.
Hokage Building, Command Room.
As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to personally welcome Akagitsune and Eryu, who had traveled from Hidden Sand Village to represent the alliance and friendship between Konoha and Hidden Sand Village, and also handle other matters.
Therefore, only Assistant Hokage Danzo Shimura and the two Hokage Advisors were in the Command Room at this time.
"According to the intelligence transmitted by the intelligence Ninja, Iwagakure has not given up on its actions against Konoha. On the battlefield between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Third Raikage A has not reappeared. It is highly likely he has returned to Hidden Cloud Village to plot something, and Konoha must be wary of Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
Danzo Shimura was not happy about the alliance between Konoha and Hidden Sand Village. In essence, Hidden Sand Village was merely a tool for Konoha to attract firepower.
"I can't understand what Kumogakure's Third Raikage is thinking."
Homura Mitokado clasped his hands tightly together; Kumogakure's movements made him uneasy.
"Danzo, how should we handle the Hidden Sand Village envoys exchanged for the One-Tail Jinchuriki?"
Utatane Koharu asked. After all, they were Hidden Sand Village envoys. Surely, they couldn't restrict their freedom?
"Arrange work for them; they can live normally in Konoha. I presume they are well aware of their situation and won't cause trouble, especially with the Anbu Hiruzen has assigned to watch them."
Danzo Shimura would not believe that Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law were fools. Akagitsune and Eryu were both personally taught by Chiyo. Could they not know that their arrival in Konoha as Hidden Sand Village envoys was, in reality, them being Hidden Sand Village's hostages in Konoha?
It's impossible for them not to know!
With their strength, they probably already discovered the ANBU Ninja secretly watching them.
Night fell, and under a cloudy sky, a drizzling rain began to fall.
In the quiet room, the rustling of pen and paper intertwined with the pitter-patter of rain outside.
Orochimaru put down her pen, closed her notebook, and said to Uchiha Hikari and Tsunade, who were looking at her expectantly from the bed, "You two go to sleep first. Tonight, I'm sleeping in Mio's room."
"Go, go!"
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. She knew this day would come!
Uchiha Hikari's cheeks puffed out slightly. She wasn't some naive blank slate; how could she not know what this meant?
"Good night, Tsunade, Hikari."
Orochimaru seemed not to notice Tsunade's dismissive wave, walked to the bed, bent down and kissed her lips, then kissed Uchiha Hikari's forehead, turned to walk out, removing her crystal hairpin, letting her dark hair fall over her shoulders.
Tsunade and Uchiha Hikari watched Orochimaru leave the room.
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