Naruto: The Clanless Prince

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru discussed the tense state of the ninja world. Sora stood to the side, quietly listening.

After a moment of thought, Orochimaru asked, "Sensei, are you planning to send me to the Land of Rivers to deal with the Sunagakure shinobi?"

Sora's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the battlefield. He had no desire to leave Konoha right now. The thought of being away during a crucial moment, such as the Cloud shinobi's attack on Uzumaki Kushina, made him uneasy. Even with his abilities, he doubted he could return in time if such an event occurred.

Thankfully, Sarutobi Hiruzen's reply put his concerns to rest.

"For now, we don't need to worry about Sunagakure. The shinobi stationed along the River Country border are sufficient to handle them. In the coming days, Orochimaru, you'll work with me to develop strategies to address Konoha's current challenges. We need to ensure the village is ready for what's to come."

Orochimaru was a master tactician. His contributions during the Second Ninja World War had been invaluable, leading Konoha's forces to victory in numerous difficult battles. Now, as tensions grew, his expertise would be critical for Konoha's survival.

Orochimaru nodded. "Understood."

Sora let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least for now, Orochimaru wouldn't be leaving Konoha.

After the discussion, Orochimaru and Sora left the Hokage Building.

As they walked, Orochimaru turned to Sora with an unexpected question. "Sora, you heard what I discussed with the Hokage. If the four major ninja villages were to attack Konoha simultaneously, how would you propose we break the stalemate?"

The question caught Sora off guard. He hesitated, unsure how to respond. His knowledge of the Third Ninja World War was vague, and he didn't have a clear understanding of its details.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Sora finally spoke. "The reason the four major villages would unite against Konoha boils down to profit. In any ninja war, the driving force is always the pursuit of resources and power. If profit can bring Iwagakure and Kumogakure together, then profit can also be used to turn them against each other."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with approval at the answer. "And how would you suggest we leverage profits to divide them?"

Sora shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sensei, but I don't know. I don't have enough information about the kind of incentives that could sway Iwagakure and Kumogakure."

He continued, his tone thoughtful. "What I do know is that their alliance likely stems from a shared goal—to exploit the Land of Fire's rich resources. Unless we can offer them something of greater value or exploit their internal differences, it will be challenging to drive a wedge between them."

Orochimaru smiled faintly, seemingly satisfied with Sora's reasoning. Though Sora didn't have all the answers, his ability to think critically and identify the core issues showed promise.

Orochimaru observed Sora's thoughtful response. "You can't just tell the people of Iwagakure or Kumogakure, 'Let's work together and seize resources from the other villages.' It's unrealistic. They've already decided to cooperate in plundering Konoha. Why would they abandon their current partners to side with you instead?"

Sora nodded silently. In his view, the key was understanding the exact terms of cooperation between Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Only then could Konoha identify a way to exploit their alliance and offer one of them something even more enticing.

Orochimaru didn't seem bothered by Sora's earlier admission of "I don't know." It was a difficult question to answer, after all.

Turning his attention back to Sora, Orochimaru said, "I'll be busy in the coming days and won't be at the base as often. I'm giving you a day off today. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Ryūchi Cave to form a summoning contract. After that, we'll create your next training regimen. You'll train on your own most of the time, though I'll continue to take on suitable missions for you. Soon enough, you should be ready to carry out missions independently."

Hearing that he had a day off, Chiba's face lit up with an unintentional smile.

Orochimaru, noticing his expression, chuckled. "Go on, then."

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei! See you tomorrow!" Sora waved and took off eagerly.

At Uzumaki Mito's mansion, Sora felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. It had been over a month since he last saw Uzumaki Kushina.

He knocked on the door, and soon after, he heard quick, energetic footsteps approaching. The door flew open, and a blur of red darted toward him.

Before he could react, Uzumaki Kushina leapt into his arms.

Sora hugged her tightly, rubbing the back of her head affectionately. "It's been a while, Kushina."

Kushina pulled back, pouting, and gave him a playful punch to the chest. "What took you so long? I thought you'd forgotten about me!"

Sora winced slightly, realizing her strength had grown significantly. He touched his nose awkwardly. "Forget about you? That's impossible. No one could ever forget you! Orochimaru-sensei's training has been intense, so I barely had time to breathe, let alone visit. I just completed a mission recently, and he gave me a day off."

Kushina folded her arms, giving him a sceptical look. "Hmm, fine. I'll forgive you this time. But how did you know I'd be here?"

Sora tilted his head. "What do you mean? I came looking for you."

Kushina grinned. "Grandma Mito told me you were coming! She can sense everything that happens around here with her chakra!"

Sora immediately realized what she meant: Kagura's Mind Eye, one of the unique sensory abilities of the Uzumaki Clan.

Taking his hand, Kushina pulled him toward the mansion. "Come on, Grandma Mito misses you too. Let's go say hi!"

Sora sighed quietly as she dragged him along. He had hoped to spend some one-on-one time with Kushina, but it seemed inevitable that he would meet Uzumaki Mito.

Inside the mansion, Chiba greeted the elder Uzumaki respectfully.

"Mito-sama," he said, bowing deeply.

Uzumaki Mito studied him with kind yet discerning eyes. Compared to the first time they met, her appearance had grown frailer, more reflective of her advanced age.

"You've grown, Sora," she said, her voice gentle yet tinged with melancholy.

Sora straightened up. "In front of you, Mito-sama, I am still just a child."

Mito's expression softened, but she let out a small sigh. "There's no need to be so guarded around me, Sora."

Lowering his head slightly, Sora frowned but kept his tone formal. "You are an elder, Mito-sama. It is only natural for me to show respect."

The subtext was clear: his respect came from obligation, not trust.

Mito shook her head with a trace of sadness. As a former Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, she had an innate ability to sense good and evil through the chakra around her, as well as subtle emotional cues.

When she first met Sora, his manners had been impeccable, but she could still sense his defensiveness and distance. Now, even as he stood before her again, that same guardedness remained.

"You don't have to put up such walls, Sora," she said gently, though she knew her words would likely have little effect.

Sora remained composed, but he avoided her gaze, signalling that he had no intention of dropping his defences.

Mito sighed again. Her expression was tinged with helplessness.

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