When "Tetsuya" infiltrated the Hyūga Clan, Orochimaru had been asleep, recovering from a soul injury. By the time he awoke, he immediately set off to chase Obito—there was no time to gather any evidence.
The Fourth Raikage's eyes widened. He glanced at the discarded scrolls on the ground, then glared furiously.
"Orochimaru… are you mocking me?"
"There's barely anyone here. Who do you think you're putting on this little performance for?"
Orochimaru shot him a sideways glance.
"If I didn't give you a way to back down, would you really have chosen to fight?"
He gestured toward the Snake Princess standing behind him.
"If you're serious about that… then now's the perfect time to make your move."
"Every minute you delay, their chakra regenerates."
"And every bit of chakra recovered is another advantage for us later on."
Despite their lack of combat experience, the three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave had lived for centuries and possessed chakra reserves that rivaled even the tailed beasts. They didn't need advanced combat techniques—just their sheer raw power and longevity gave them overwhelming presence.
As long as they were summoned, even passively, their mere existence was a threat.
Raikage's expression froze. He glanced uneasily at the three enchanting women behind Orochimaru. Suppressing his fury, he sneered:
"So you're just leaning on Ryūchi Cave's power."
It sounded bitter—because it was. But if the chance to ally with the White Snake Sage had been available to him, even the proud Fourth Raikage would've set aside his pride, plastered on a smile, and groveled for it.
Unfortunately for him, the White Snake Sage wasn't moved by politics or status. If Orochimaru hadn't presented Kabuto as a live specimen—his body infused with First Hokage cells and natural energy chakra—the Sage never would've supported him.
Orochimaru hadn't "clung to a powerful thigh"; he'd paid for it—dearly.
Of course, Raikage didn't know that. From the outside, all he saw was that Jiraiya had gained the favor of Mount Myōboku, Orochimaru was backed by Ryūchi Cave, and if Tsunade were to master sage mode and gain the Slug Sage's inheritance, then all three sacred summoning realms would be aligned with Konoha.
The Fourth Raikage's expression soured as if he'd swallowed a vat of vinegar. He was practically seething with envy, his frustration visible down to his clenched fists and tensed muscles.
And Orochimaru knew. He'd been through this stage himself and could guess exactly what Raikage was feeling. A faint smile curled at the edge of his lips.
Then, forming a hand seal, Orochimaru summoned earth from the ground. The soil shifted and rose, quickly forming a row of long stone tables and chairs in the middle of the clearing.
Orochimaru took the lead seat and smiled.
"Since Raikage-dono has no intention of starting a war, why don't we sit down and have a proper conversation?"
The technique he used to summon the seats was seamless—so subtle that the Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes, suspecting it was some sort of Sage Art from Ryūchi Cave.
If Orochimaru could conjure a chair from nothing, then he could just as easily summon weapons. This was no mere parlor trick.
But the Fourth Raikage wasn't about to show weakness. With deliberate force, he sat across from Orochimaru like a golden statue, his Kumogakure entourage standing behind him.
Orochimaru gave a slight nod.
"While I don't have direct evidence that Tetsuya was under a genjutsu, I'm sure Raikage-dono is capable of investigating that himself."
The Fourth Raikage scoffed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. No evidence—just your words. Are we supposed to be fooled by that?"
"Still pretending to be clueless..." Orochimaru shook his head with a sigh.
"I didn't come here to fight, thinking you'd appreciate the gesture."
Then, dropping the formalities, he pulled out a document from a scroll and tossed it toward the Raikage.
"This isn't the old agreement from Tetsuya. This is a new one—mine. Sign it, and we'll have a peace agreement."
The Raikage didn't reach for it. The way Orochimaru had thrown it felt dismissive—an insult to someone of his position.
But before it could hit the ground, Kaede caught it cleanly. He broke the mud seal and read the contents with care. After a moment, he gave a subtle nod to the Raikage. The demands were high, but not outrageous—especially considering Kumogakure had been on the losing side.
Had this been offered at the start, it might have been acceptable.
But not now.
Tetsuya was dead—and both Konoha and Kumogakure needed answers. Orochimaru was framing it as the work of a third party, clearly trying to shift the blame.
Kumogakure didn't see it that way. Whether or not they helped Konoha go after the real culprit, they believed the explanation and restitution should come from Konoha.
In other words, Kumogakure had no intention of signing this agreement—not without making their own demands.
Kaede placed the document back on the stone table. It wasn't about actual compensation—it was about setting the tone. On the negotiating table, you always start high, then bargain your way down.
But to their surprise, Orochimaru simply smiled.
"Compensation? Be specific."
Kaede was briefly caught off guard. This meeting had originally been planned as an ambush. He hadn't expected real negotiations. But he recovered quickly.
"Nothing excessive. Just something from the list Konoha already provided."
"That's quite reasonable," Orochimaru replied, nodding slightly.
The stone table rippled like water, sliding the document back to the Kumogakure side.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Orochimaru produced a pen and signed the document—right in the compensation section—before tossing it over again.
Kaede caught it automatically, blinking in disbelief as he stared at Orochimaru's clear signature under the "compensation" clause.
He hadn't signed in the wrong place—Orochimaru had intentionally agreed to it.
Unless Konoha later claimed Orochimaru was acting on his own, the agreement would be binding. They would have to honor the terms.
Kaede glanced at the Konoha shinobi standing behind Orochimaru. Their confused expressions showed they had no idea this was coming.
Clearly, Orochimaru had acted on his own.
But why? Why surrender so easily?
The Fourth Raikage leaned in, a shadow of amusement in his eyes. He didn't sign the document right away.
"And after the agreement is signed, what's your plan?"
Orochimaru smirked.
"Hmm… sharp, aren't you?"
His smile grew colder.
"It's only fair for Konoha to compensate for Tetsuya's death. But once that's done, neither side owes the other anything."
"Whatever happens after that—Kumogakure can't hold Konoha responsible."
"Otherwise, we might as well resume the war now."
"If you want more, I'll pay ten times the price."
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