Naruto: Minato Namikaze, born evil

Chapter 54 Orochimaru Invites Players to Team Up

Is human life fragile?

That depends on who you're comparing yourself to...

Compared to mayflies and ants, humans are undoubtedly not vulnerable.

Even compared to wild animals, humans can earn the title of terrifying upright apes, placing them near the top of the food chain.

But compared to human ideals and desires, life seems fragile and fleeting.

This is also why Minato intended to cooperate with Orochimaru.

While he wasn't as obsessed with immortality as Orochimaru, he was certainly not satisfied with a lifespan of only a few decades or a hundred years.

Given Minato's own abilities, achieving immortality wouldn't be difficult.

Once the power of all things in the universe is fully integrated, the Rinnegan will be awakened.

There's no need to collect all the tailed beasts. As long as you gather the chakra of all nine tailed beasts, you can take the kidneys of the Gedo Mazo, create a mini Ten-Tails, and then seal it inside its belly.

So theoretically, he is at the same level as Kaguya, at least in terms of their life level.

Whether she can be immortal like Kaguya is hard to say, but living a long time shouldn't be a problem.

But putting aside the potential drawbacks of this method, immortality is meaningless to Minato.

"You know what, Minato-kun…"

Orochimaru put down his cup, his tone much more serious than before, a look of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

"We are very similar. We both lost our parents at a young age and both have outstanding talents. Hehehe... Although it's nothing compared to Minato-kun, I was once called a genius that only comes along once every few decades by Sarutobi-sensei."

"Back then, I would often stand in front of my parents' graves and ponder: since everyone has to die, what is the meaning of life?"

As he spoke, Orochimaru looked at Minato, seemingly hoping to hear his opinion.

"Well..."

Minato smiled wryly: "Orochimaru-senpai, food, once ingested, will eventually be digested into feces, but would you eat feces directly?"

"Hmph...that's certainly true."

Orochimaru let out a low laugh, glanced down at the grilled meat on the table, and suddenly felt his appetite diminish.

"You see, you actually know that the meaning of life lies not in its outcome, but in its process. I think this is also the view of most people on life," Minato said gently.

"Is that also Minato-kun's opinion?" Orochimaru asked.

"If there is no other choice, then... yes." Minato did not hesitate for a moment.

"What if there were a choice?" Orochimaru pressed.

"Isn't that better? Who would complain about living too long?"

Minato's answer was perfectly natural; he wasn't just agreeing with Orochimaru, he genuinely thought the same thing.

"So... what if this choice inevitably touches on moral issues?"

Orochimaru stared intently into Minato's eyes; this was what he was most concerned about.

He wanted to know what choice Minato would make.

He is only nineteen years old now, and he is not yet the ruthless S-rank rogue ninja who will kill without blinking an eye in the future.

"For example?"

"For example...human experimentation?"

"That depends on the senior's moral standards."

While the two were talking, the barbecue was almost ready.

Minato picked up a piece of grilled meat and placed it on a plate, calmly saying, "While I don't care about the lives of strangers, I can't bring myself to kill innocent people for my own selfish desires. But if I can make use of someone like Danzo, I won't feel any guilt."

"In comparison, I think the key to this issue lies in whether one can uphold one's bottom line in the face of desire."

Orochimaru remained silent.

Minato is right; this is a fact he dares not face.

Recently, he has had dark thoughts more than once, and many of them were even directed at Minato. After sobering up, he couldn't help but feel guilty about his thoughts.

But the desire for immortality, like a forbidden fruit, constantly tantalized his senses.

Human experimentation is actually quite common. For example, testing a cold medicine can be considered a human experiment. The development of medicine is inseparable from anatomy, so it's not something to be ashamed of.

The problem is that Orochimaru has something to hide.

Deep down, he had unconsciously crossed his own bottom line.

At this point, given a trigger, such as the death of an important person, he will fall into depravity at an extremely rapid pace.

As darkness fell outside the window, the heat of the charcoal fire shone on their faces, and Orochimaru remained deeply silent.

Seeing Orochimaru deep in thought, Minato suddenly chuckled: "However... I think this shouldn't be a problem for Orochimaru-senpai."

"Um?"

Orochimaru paused slightly, raised his head from his silence, and looked at Minato with surprise.

"How do you know, Minato-kun…"

"The reason why our elders lamented the fragility of life stemmed from their deep appreciation for it, didn't it?"

Minato said gently, not wanting the other to follow the same path as in the original story: "You are a teammate trusted by the teacher and an older brother admired by Nawaki. Although I don't know much about my seniors, the fact that they trust you proves that you are at least not a shallow person like Danzo who looks down on everyone else."

"I'm very happy to receive such praise from Minato-kun."

Orochimaru chuckled softly; he was genuinely pleased.

After all, he also has people he cherishes.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nawaki, Sarutobi-sensei... these are all emotions he is unwilling to sever, anchors of his already indifferent humanity.

If we sever these emotions, then even if we live a long life, what meaning would that life have?

Even if he learns all the ninjutsu in the world, with whom can he share the satisfaction of having his ideal realized?

At that time, what kind of existence will I be?

Humanity?

Or is it just a monster that looks human but is actually empty inside and only knows how to escape according to its instincts?

"Minato-kun, you really are very perceptive."

Orochimaru sighed, realizing that the other party had clearly sensed his thoughts and had offered advice in advance.

To be honest, he was quite grateful to the other party.

It's clear from Danzo's experiences that Minato wasn't the type to leave himself with hidden dangers.

Therefore, this advice is especially valuable!

"If I were to find another possible option, would Minato-kun be willing to lend me a hand?"

Looking at the five-year-old blond boy in front of him, Orochimaru extended a sincere invitation, showing no disrespect for Minato's age.

"I thirst for truth, yet I always linger outside the door of truth, unable to enter. If I could have a companion like Minato, perhaps we could truly find another possibility."

"Okay, I agree."

Minato nodded without the slightest hesitation.

Orochimaru was slightly taken aback by the straightforward attitude.

He opened his mouth, and for some reason, suddenly felt like he had been tricked.

But he couldn't figure out what the problem was, since he was the one who took the initiative to invite the other party to team up.

"Then, I look forward to your guidance in the days to come, Minato-kun."

"..."

This guy's words are so ambiguous...