From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 7 Orochimaru, do you have the courage to defy fate?

Inside the magnificent and imposing main hall of the Church of Bones, the three sat at a long bronze table.

Zong Yue sat in the head seat, on an extremely tall bronze chair that seemed not to have been made for humans, but rather specifically for giants.

Enveloped in a mysterious mist, Zong Yue looked down upon every seat on the bronze table like a high and mighty god. Orochimaru and Sakumo, who were under his gaze, felt a sense of awe from the depths of their souls, as if they were facing a vast ocean with towering waves, ready to be crushed by the raging torrents at any moment.

Almost subconsciously, or perhaps out of biological instinct, Orochimaru and Sakumo lowered their heads.

Cannot be looked at directly
White Fang and Orochimaru obediently lowered their heads, the arrogance and pride in the latter's eyes also being hidden.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Zongyue breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With the help of the 'intimidation' of the sixth position in the sequence, Orochimaru was barely managed to restrain his ulterior motives.

Da. Da.
Zong Yue tapped her index finger lightly twice on the bronze table and said in a calm and even tone, "You are free to communicate here."

As the heavy aura dissipated, Orochimaru secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he no longer dared to look directly at him. Instead, he turned his gaze to the other side, cleared his dry throat, and said hoarsely, "If you don't mind, can you tell me about your story? I'm very interested in what happened to you, Hatake Sakumo."

Hatake Shiroga frowned slightly and glanced silently at the person in the seat of honor, seemingly seeking their opinion.

"It's alright, tell him, White Fang."

Zong Yue smiled faintly and raised her right hand slightly: "The Twilight Hermit Society doesn't have many complicated rules; you can speak freely here."

Having received permission, Hatake Sakuga slowly spoke, his eyes somewhat lost, his expression troubled and conflicted: "I suddenly came here a month ago. Like you, at first I didn't believe him, but soon... he revealed my destiny to me."

The truth has been revealed?!
The key word in this sentence is not fate, but 'reveal'. Orochimaru, who keenly grasped the key point, had a look of shock in his eyes.

"He said: 'I will commit suicide in a month.'" Hatake Sakumo's expression was slightly bitter, and he sighed bitterly: "As it turns out, I did indeed go down this path, and as for the reason for my suicide, you, as the Third Hokage's disciple, should know it all too well, right?"

"Yes, of course I know very well." Orochimaru sneered sarcastically, "At this crucial time when the next Hokage is about to be elected, we must eliminate all destabilizing factors."

He paused slightly, then said with a cold laugh, "And you, Hatake Sagumo, the White Fang of Konoha, are not directly affiliated with the Hokage, yet you have extremely high prestige in Konoha, even surpassing the legendary Sannin and overpowering all your competitors. Naturally, you will become the biggest 'destabilizing factor'."

"Therefore, I must die."

Hatake Sakuga lowered his head in anguish. He never imagined that the village he had fought so hard for would ultimately become a deadly weapon.

“That’s right, you must die, and your death cannot be directly related to the Hokage.” Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and licked his lips. “According to my investigation, the teammate you saved was actually a member of Root, and the source of the rumors was also done by that group.”

Root is an ANBU controlled by Danzo, and it only obeys one person, not even the Hokage.

As for whether this matter is related to the third generation, opinions will vary.

"Yes, I was driven to the brink of despair, and I had no choice but to commit suicide." Hatake Sakumo said bitterly, "I originally intended to end this generation's grudges with my death, but he told me that decades later, Kakashi would die in Konoha."

Can the fate of not only the individuals involved, but also the fates of others be 'revealed'?!
Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly. Having learned from White Fang's experience, although his reason told him it might be fake, he couldn't suppress the tremor in his heart. He stiffly twisted his neck, unable to meet the other's eyes directly, his gaze fixed on the index finger on the bronze table. His tone unconsciously carried a hint of awe: "May I ask... what is my future destiny?"

No one can resist the allure of the future being revealed right before their eyes.

At this moment, the impulse for the future even surpassed Orochimaru's previous allure of immortality.

"You in the future..." Zong Yue paused deliberately for a few seconds, whetting Orochimaru's appetite, and then, under the other's pleading gaze, said with amusement, "You lost everything."

Boom!

His calm words struck like a bolt from the blue.

Orochimaru's mind went blank, as if his computer had crashed, and he was completely stunned.

What does it mean to lose everything?
"Please tell me, what exactly have I lost?!" Faced with that terrifying future, even Orochimaru could not remain calm. Cold sweat poured down his pale face, and his pale golden vertical pupils trembled, radiating a trace of fear.

"literal meaning."

Zongyue examined Orochimaru's mental form, noticing the rising aura of fear. He was quite satisfied and continued, "You lost the position of the Fourth Hokage, you lost your beloved teacher, you lost your sincere friendship, you lost your dream, until you had nothing left to lose. But the good news is, you are still alive."

"tsk"

Sitting opposite him, Shiro teetered at the corner of his mouth, looking at Orochimaru with pity.

I'd rather be dead!

In contrast, Orochimaru, after his future fate was revealed, seemed completely exhausted, sitting slumped with lifeless eyes.

His first reaction was, "That's impossible."

But then, reason told him that, given White Fang's example, even with only a one percent chance, he couldn't face that future.

Snake, oh Snake, I'm not lying to you.

At most, I only said a couple of words less.

Zongyue watched the rare scene unfold, witnessing Orochimaru's mental breakdown, and chuckled to himself.

After a moment, seemingly having finally calmed down, Orochimaru regained his expressionless demeanor, let out a long breath, glanced at White Fang opposite him, and said thoughtfully, "Since he's here, it means his fate has already been changed by you, right?"

"In a sense, yes."

Zongyue leaned forward slightly, his right hand resting on his chin, and said, "But, do you have the courage and will to defy fate, Orochimaru?"

He doesn't make promises without a reason.

Every gift of fate comes with a price already marked in secret.

Orochimaru understood the meaning. He slowly rose from his seat, like a submissive lamb bowing its proud head before the shepherd: "I am willing to offer my loyalty and life, to carry out the Lord's will, and to be driven by the Lord, only to break free from the shackles of fate!"

"very good."

Uchiha Muneki's lips curled into a smile, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

Finally, after fifteen years, having gathered all the necessary conditions, he could officially take the first step.

(End of this chapter)