NoviceAuthor
patreon
[NTU] [ARC-16] Chapter : 200
🕑 Added 2024-11-02 17:24:41 +0000 UTCToshiro felt Orochimaru's gaze fix on him, sharp and unyielding, like the hungry stare of a serpent. The eyes before him radiated a blend of greed and unrestrained ambition.
"Well, well, if it isn't Orochimaru-senpai. It’s certainly been a while," Toshiro remarked, suppressing a twitch at the corners of his mouth as he watched Orochimaru lick his lips with that characteristic, unsettling hunger.
"Already sizing me up, I see. Seems you're in need of a body swap, aren’t you?"
With that unmistakable glint in Orochimaru’s eyes, Toshiro knew exactly what was on his mind—the lust for a new body. Still, he thought with a smirk, If that’s the game you want to play, well, I’ve got a 40-meter blade of my own just waiting.
"Quite the sharp assistant you have here," Toshiro remarked, diverting his attention from Orochimaru’s intense gaze to the young figure beside him.
Orochimaru nodded, a sly smile curling at the corner of his lips. "This is my assistant, Kabuto."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses with a practiced motion and gave Toshiro a steady, appraising look before bowing slightly. "It's an honor to meet you, Toshiro-sama. I look forward to working with you."
Toshiro observed him with mild interest. Though Kabuto seemed just a teenager, maybe sixteen or seventeen, the glint in his eyes was anything but innocent. Beneath his youthful appearance was a sharpness and control that belied his age—a quality that was not lost on Toshiro.
"It appears Orochimaru-senpai you've chosen your apprentice wisely," he noted, recognizing the hidden complexity in Kabuto's gaze, a far cry from the naïveté one might expect from someone so young.
There was a sinister, almost imperceptible darkness that lingered in Kabuto's demeanor.
“Heh! Kabuto is indeed an excellent assistant,” Orochimaru remarked, glancing at him with satisfaction. “With his help, I was able to complete that jutsu successfully!”
Orochimaru tilted his head, casting a sidelong look at Kabuto, clearly pleased with his decision to bring him over from Danzo’s control. Kabuto's talent had not disappointed.
“Speaking of which, tracking you, Toshiro-kun, was no simple task. You’re quite elusive—already at the border of the Land of Earth. Without the organization’s resources, finding you would have been almost impossible,” he said, letting the word “organization” slip with casual intent. Orochimaru’s gaze sharpened as he focused intently on Toshiro, clearly watching for any hint of reaction.
“Oh, nothing much. I’ve just been a bit restless and decided to venture out for a change of scenery,” Toshiro replied casually, downplaying his motives. “Actually, the idea came from a friend of yours, Orochimaru-senpai.”
With a light chuckle, Toshiro smoothly shifted the topic. Outwardly, his expression remained calm, but internally, he couldn’t help but wonder: Did Orochimaru really enlist the Akatsuki’s help in tracking me? Or was it just a lucky coincidence? If it were the former, he’d need to be on guard.
“Is that so…” Orochimaru replied, narrowing his eyes, analyzing Toshiro’s expression—or lack thereof—and contemplating what it could mean.
He mused inwardly, If Toshiro knows of the Rinnegan, he likely has knowledge of the Akatsuki too… but how much does he really understand about the organization’s true nature? And…
“I wonder… what brings you here this time, Orochimaru-senpai? Surely, it must be something significant." Toshiro asked, though he had a good idea of the answer.
Orochimaru’s gaze steadied. “Well… naturally, I had another proposition in mind—one concerning the Rinnegan.”
Since his defection from Konoha, Orochimaru had found a base of operations, securing Kabuto as his assistant along the way. Kabuto’s expertise in medical ninjutsu and his skill in gathering intelligence had proven invaluable.
With Toshiro’s subtle hint, it hadn’t taken long for him to uncover information about the Akatsuki and confirm the existence of the Rinnegan within their ranks. Following the clue Toshiro had left, Orochimaru tracked him down, and the moment he saw the rippling eyes, a single thought blazed through his mind—to seize Nagato’s body for himself, even if his mastery over the immortality technique was incomplete. He could scarcely contain his excitement.
Though Orochimaru’s initial attempt had failed, he managed to join the organization, where he quietly observed and gathered information on the Rinnegan. Now, having perfected the Immorttality technique, he could no longer restrain his curiosity. He sought out Toshiro, eager to learn whether his 'friend' held further valuable information.
After all, it was Toshiro who’d tipped him off in the first place. And being a Uchiha, he was bound to have unique insights into dojutsu like the Rinnegan.
“A trade, then?” Toshiro’s lips curled into a grin.
A trade was precisely what he wanted. Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin and a master of forbidden jutsu, held many coveted secrets. For Toshiro, sharing information he already possessed was a profit with zero cost. How could he possibly lose?
"I do have some information on the Rinnegan,” Toshiro began, “but the price...”
Orochimaru’s hunger for forbidden powers was legendary; with the lure of the Rinnegan before him, it was obvious he’d be willing to pay handsomely. Toshiro knew this and had no intention of settling for a meager trade.
“Heh...” Orochimaru chuckled, but there was a glint in his eyes as Toshiro began listing the ninjutsu and secrets he desired.
“Your appetite isn’t small, Toshiro-kun!” Orochimaru’s voice was edged with amusement. “I must say, I never expected an Uchiha to be so interested in the First Hokage’s powers. Quite surprising.”
Licking his lips, Orochimaru’s face darkened slightly, feeling a twinge of irritation. The look in Toshiro’s eyes reminded him of the gamblers’ greedy stares whenever Tsunade walked into a casino—a look that made him decidedly uncomfortable.
Toshiro could tell Orochimaru was on edge, his expression darkening as Toshiro listed a series of highly coveted techniques Hiraishin, Immortality technique, and the cells of the First Hokage among them.
"Does he think I'm some gullible treasure trove?" Orochimaru thought, his frustration simmering.
“It appears, Orochimaru-senpai, that you might not fully grasp the potential of the Rinnegan,” Toshiro quickly interjected, noting Orochimaru’s growing irritation.
The negotiation tactics were part of the game, after all; the Rinnegan’s abilities were unmatched in the ninja world, and he had no intention of settling for a modest trade. In the entire ninja world, Toshiro was the only one currently willing to disclose information on the Rinnegan to Orochimaru.
Toshiro sensed that he had Orochimaru's interest firmly hooked.
“I’m sure, Orochimaru-senpai, you’ve realized just how formidable the Rinnegan truly is. What we’ve seen from it so far barely scratches the surface of its potential,” he continued smoothly. “Its original wielder was known as the Sage of Six Paths. Ever wonder why he was given that title?”
With Orochimaru’s gaze locked on him, Shiro elaborated, “The ‘Six Paths’ aren’t just symbolic; they represent six unique realms—the Deva Path, the Human Path, the Naraka Path… each unlocking entirely different abilities, each unpredictable.”
He paused, watching Orochimaru’s calculating expression as he drove the point home. “Together, these paths grant powers so profound that they can even restore life to the dead.”
Toshiro wasn’t about to reveal the full secrets of the Rinnegan just yet. He merely outlined its potential, keeping Orochimaru’s curiosity piqued and his appetite whetted.
“It seems… you hold secrets even I’m unaware of,” Orochimaru said, eyes gleaming with undisguised greed and intense curiosity, almost as if it might spill over. He had suspected Toshiro knew something of the Rinnegan’s mysteries but hadn’t expected him to know in so much detail. This stirred something deep within him—did Toshiro have sources he was unaware of?
“Haha, the benefits of a long-established clan,” Toshiro replied, deflecting with ease. He made it seem as if such knowledge was simply an inheritance of his unique lineage.
