[NTU] [ARC-11] Chapter : 145 (Patreon)

When Orochimaru finally returned to his senses from his inexplicable madness, Toshiro spoke slowly:

"Two ninjutsu: impure world reincarnation and the recently developed cursed seal jutsu."

Toshiro didn’t hide his intentions. He wasn’t sure how to use the Cursed Seal Jutsu. The power and their capabilities, when used in conjunction, amazed him and made Toshiro request this ninjutsu. He even exposed his Trump card for it.

He wasn’t worried about Orochimaru informing the Sandaime about his request. Even if that happened, he was not afraid.

"Edo-tensei?" Orochimaru was visibly stunned. He knew Toshiro was interested in ninjutsu secrets and had traded with him before, gaining high-quality corpses and ninjas for experiments. But he didn’t expect Toshiro to request this specific ninjutsu.

"Kukuku, Could it be that… Toshiro-kun… is also interested in eternal life?" Orochimaru asked, licking his tongue with a faint tone. "This is really… surprising!"

A significant reason for Orochimaru’s defection was his shift in focus to immortality. However, he knew his sensei and peers wouldn't support this goal.

"Similar to you, Orochimaru-senpai, the Uchiha are marked as evil from birth and do not possess the will of fire. Should we not pursue powerful power and eternal life? Or should we chase the ever elusive dream of becoming Hokage?" Toshiro replied.

"Hokage?" Orochimaru was somewhat touched by Toshiro's mention of this. He had once dreamed of becoming Hokage, but Sarutobi-sensei hadn’t chosen him, which left him resentful, like a child who realized he wasn’t his parents' favorite and thus did rebellious things.

"While I’m glad there is someone with the same goal as mine, I will not give you the cursed seal ninjutsu!" Orochimaru said. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to part with it, but if Toshiro knew all the secrets, it would give him too much power.

As for Edo-tensei jutsu, although it was also a forbidden technique, Orochimaru wasn’t too concerned about it.

"I knew it wouldn’t be that simple," Toshiro said, not surprised by Orochimaru’s refusal. If Orochimaru had handed the ninjutsu over easily, Toshiro would have suspected a trap. But he wasn’t unprepared.

"If the ninjutsu in the scroll is insufficient to exchange for the cursed seal, you developed with such effort, perhaps… Orochimaru-senpai… have you heard of the name ‘Rinnegan’?"

Toshiro threw out his bait and waited patiently for Orochimaru’s reaction.

“‘Rinnegan’... you mean... the legendary doujutsu possessed by the Sage of Six Paths!? Such things... shouldn’t they all be fabricated myths and legends? How could they really exist?”

Even Orochimaru seemed momentarily dazed by the mention of such a mythical and legendary doujutsu. But he quickly composed himself, staring at Toshiro intently, demanding a reasonable explanation. Since Toshiro mentioned it, there had to be more to it.

“The legendary ‘Rinnegan’ does indeed exist. Myths and legends may distort the truth, but their origins are often grounded in reality. I don’t know, Orochimaru-senpai, do you think clues to the Rinnegan Eye are valuable enough to trade for your cursed seal?”

Seeing that Orochimaru had taken the bait, Toshiro smiled. He had no interest in fighting the snake-like man, who undoubtedly had numerous backup plans.

“Of course, if it’s just some clues, it’s a bit perfunctory… But as far as I know, your cursed seal is still a half-finished product. In this case, neither of us will lose out.”

“It seems you know more than I expected. You even know about the incomplete state of my ninjutsu,” Orochimaru mused, exhaling softly. He briefly wondered if there was a spy in his midst, but dismissed the thought. Could Sarutobi-sensei or Danzo be involved? If so, things were indeed interesting.

“But... none of this matters!” Orochimaru continued. “However, if you want me to hand over these two ninjutsu to you, Toshiro-kun, we still need a proper discussion!”

Knowing that the ‘Rinnegan’ existed, Orochimaru was confident he could find it himself. Why should he hand over his hard-earned ninjutsu, even to someone with the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan? He also wanted to test if this power was as formidable as the legends claimed.

“What a headache,” Toshiro muttered, seeing that Orochimaru still intended to fight. He had no interest in battling a seemingly invincible opponent.

“Hmm~ It seems that ANBU’s pursuers are coming!” Toshiro's excellent perception detected a group of ninjas with unique chakra auras approaching. “This dead chakra seems to be from Root. It appears that Orochimaru-senpai took something he shouldn’t have when he left!”

As Orochimaru prepared to strike, Toshiro sensed the undisguised murderous intent of the approaching ninjas. It was clear that Orochimaru and Danzo had had a falling out over something significant.

“It doesn’t matter. Although these people are troublesome, they’re just that—troublesome!” Orochimaru dismissed the threat, looking at Toshiro with great interest, eager to battle him.

“Forget it. I still admire your talent, Orochimaru-senpai,” Toshiro said. “Although I’d like to test my skills against you, your current state and the annoying rats behind you are troublesome. Let’s save it for another time when we have a proper chance.”

“How about this—give me the two ninjutsus now, and consider it a favor owed to you? You know the value of a favor among people like us.”

Watching Orochimaru open his mouth to an unnaturally wide angle, Toshiro endured the sight as Orochimaru retrieved two black scrolls. Taking the mucus-covered scrolls, Toshiro addressed Orochimaru:

“As far as I know, the ‘demigod’ Hanzo who gave you the title of Sannin is dead, and his death was caused by the owner of the ‘Rinnegan’. It seems that the owner of the ‘Rinnegan’ is still in the Hidden Rain Village!”

With the two ninjutsus in hand, Toshiro didn’t waste any time and shared the information he had. He knew why Orochimaru agreed to this deal—it was clear that Orochimaru coveted the Uchiha bloodline. Toshiro was confident Orochimaru would call in this favor soon, likely after being defeated by Nagato, at which point Toshiro would acquire the complete method of immortality in exchange for his help.

Whether this would spell doom for Nagato didn't concern him. Toshiro was more than willing to provide every detail about Nagato if Orochimaru could pay the price. Watching Orochimaru defeat Nagato and seize Madara’s ‘Rinnegan’ would certainly make things interesting.

“Hanzo of the Salamander is dead?” Orochimaru mused. He had a vivid memory of their past encounter, knowing that if Hanzo hadn’t acknowledged his identity as the Sandaime Hokage's disciple, he, Jiraiya, and Tsunade might not have survived. “I didn’t expect someone as powerful as Hanzo to die so quietly. There hasn’t even been a whisper about it… surprising!”

“There’s nothing surprising about it. The opponent has the legendary ‘Rinnegan’, and Hanzo was getting old,” Toshiro replied. Time spares no one, and even a ‘demigod’ like Hanzo was not immune to its effects.

“Old?” Orochimaru pondered. Hanzo was indeed older than Sarutobi-sensei, so his demise wasn’t shocking upon reflection. Orochimaru thought of his sensei’s age spots, which only solidified his resolve. Once he perfected his ninjutsu, aging wouldn’t be an issue for him.

“Well… those acquaintances of Orochimaru-senpai are coming soon, so I won’t disturb you further,” Toshiro said. Having received what he came for, Toshiro saw no reason to linger. In a blaze of flames, he vanished from the spot.

“Uchiha Toshiro..kukuku, Things are getting more and more interesting!” Orochimaru muttered, laughing softly, as he watched Toshiro disappear. He then turned his attention to the approaching Root ninjas, a cruel, bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.