Orochimaru took the cloth bag from Peter and carefully tied it around his waist.
Peter, ignoring Orochimaru's expression of speechlessness, smiled and asked,
"Brother, what's your name?"
"Boss, my name is Orochimaru."
"I'm Peter!" Peter stretched out his hand.
Orochimaru hadn't expected someone so mysterious to offer a handshake.
He was pleasantly surprised and quickly reached out, gripping Peter's hand tightly.
"Boss Peter, it's an honor to meet you!" he said with genuine excitement.
Orochimaru was thrilled. He had never imagined meeting someone like this—it felt like a great honor.
Once they let go, Peter rubbed his hands together and asked enthusiastically,
"Orochimaru, is there anything else you need?"
Orochimaru gave an awkward smile and shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't want to buy more—it was that he simply couldn't afford to.
He had spent his entire savings—over 70 million taels—and was now completely broke.
Though he longed for more of Peter's goods, reality held him back.
Peter noticed his expression and patted him on the shoulder with a knowing smile.
"Orochimaru, in your old worldview, strength was everything. But in my world, money is almighty. If you have the funds, I can get you anything you want."
Hearing this, Orochimaru felt a fire ignite within him.
A strong desire to earn money surged up—something he had never truly cared about before.
His eyes gleamed with a new sense of ambition.
When he defected from Konoha, he had taken research materials but not a single coin.
If only he had realized then that money was the key to his dreams...
He should have raided the Hokage's treasury. After all, the Fire Daimyo funded Konoha with billions of taels annually.
If he had been smart, he could have escaped with hundreds of millions.
Orochimaru clenched his fists. It's not too late to go back now.
He made a mental note to return and secure some wealth—and maybe even borrow from Jiraiya. That guy had completed countless S-rank missions. He had to be loaded.
"Money really is important," Orochimaru said seriously.
Peter grinned.
"Life can be summed up in two words: make money."
Orochimaru shook his head and corrected him,
"No—it's four words: eternal life and making money."
"Right, right! Eternal life and making money!" Peter echoed, humoring his wealthy customer.
"So you need to work hard to earn more—so you can spend more here—and achieve immortality sooner!" Peter added gleefully.
Inside, he was already daydreaming about a luxurious life of sleeping in and counting stacks of money until his hands cramped.
"I understand, Boss Peter! I'll work hard to make money!" Orochimaru declared, then bid farewell and left.
He was broke, and there was no point in lingering. It was better to head back, refine some pills, and begin his path to immortality.
And so Orochimaru walked out of the shop in high spirits—alchemy furnace in his hands, assault rifle strapped to his back, a Desert Eagle tied to his calf, two martial arts manuals under one arm, and a cloth pouch tied at his waist.
Peter stood at the doorway, watching him go and muttered,
"Is this what the Hokage world is supposed to look like now?"
Rain Country
A land where it rained all year round.
Somewhere deep within its borders, a gust of wind stirred as papers fluttered into the air, moving as if alive.
They gathered together, forming a human shape—finally revealing a blue-haired girl.
She stood silently, staring at the man in front of her.
"Pein, White Zetsu just reported that Orochimaru has defected from Konoha," she said calmly.
The man, who had been gazing over Rain Shinobi Village, slowly turned around.
He wore a black cloak with red clouds embroidered on it—striking and ominous.
But his most distinctive feature was his eyes: concentric circles of power.
The Rinnegan.
If Peter had been there, he would have recognized it instantly.
"Konan, the organization needs more manpower. Go and recruit Orochimaru," Pain ordered in a cold, commanding voice.
"Understood..." Konan replied. Her body dissolved into thousands of sheets of paper and flew off swiftly into the sky.
Moments later, a spatial vortex opened nearby, and a masked man in a yellow spiral-patterned mask stepped from the shadows.
He radiated a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the air around him.
"There's a bounty hunter named Kakuzu near the Land of Fire. He once tried to assassinate Senju Hashirama. His strength is average, but he's useful. Consider recruiting him to Akatsuki," the masked man said coolly.
Pain stared at the masked figure. After a long silence, he responded,
"I know... Madara."
"Good to know..." the masked man murmured. A swirling vortex opened in his right eye, and his body gradually faded into nothingness.
Even after he vanished, Pain remained rooted in place, staring into the direction he'd gone.
Eventually, he muttered,
"Is he really Uchiha Madara?"
He remembered the day that man appeared—claiming he could bring peace to the ninja world.
"Hmph... he better not be lying."
Border of the Fire Nation
A man covered in stitches, a mask over his face, and a rebel ninja forehead protector walked along a road, happily holding a severed head.
It was Kakuzu—the bounty hunter mentioned earlier.
He looked down at the head and nodded in satisfaction.
"Yup, it's him. Never thought such a weak guy would have a one-million tael bounty."
He chuckled.
"I made a million today. I need to make even more tomorrow!"
As he approached the Gold Exchange, he suddenly paused.
"Huh? When did this store show up?"
He stood there, puzzled. He was certain the area had been empty before.
The mysterious building gave off a strange, almost supernatural aura.
The plaque above the entrance read:
"All You Need is Money."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.
"Heh. Cocky bastard. Must be rich..."
Curious, Kakuzu pushed open the door and walked inside.