Orochimaru was thoroughly stunned by Diarmuid's blatant shamelessness.
Giving up on the topic of Tsunade, he remembered the scroll Diarmuid had casually tossed on the table. He snatched up the Forbidden Technique scroll, muttering, "I'll see for myself exactly what kind of Forbidden Technique could possibly make me 'ecstatic'..."
Diarmuid continued flipping through the notebook, replying, "You'll thank me once you've read it."
Orochimaru didn't offer a rebuttal. He unfurled the scroll, and two large words met his eyes: Shapeshifting Technique.
"The Shapeshifting Technique?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. A sophisticated name.
He began scanning the contents. Within a few breaths, his eyes started to gleam. His tongue flicked out like a serpent's, licking his lips repeatedly.
"Intriguing... truly intriguing!"
"The creator of this jutsu was a genius. I, Orochimaru, am willing to call them an inspirer."
"I really do owe you a proper thanks, Diarmuid. I've noticed that ever since I met you, many things have proceeded far more smoothly!"
Orochimaru marveled, his eyes practically glued to the scroll. Deep down, he felt a genuine sense of wonder. Diarmuid was truly his lucky star.
Before meeting Diarmuid, his Wood Release research had been stalled. Regarding immortality, he had been obsessed with the physical vessel, unable to make progress. He hadn't been able to crack the Sage Mode he was so interested in, and he hadn't even considered the Sharingan.
But after meeting Diarmuid, his Wood Release research had advanced by leaps and bounds, now just waiting for the "seed" in Diarmuid's body to sprout. He had found a new path toward immortality: moving away from the vessel and focusing on the soul. His Sage Mode research was finally on the right track, and he had discovered the mysteries of the Sharingan, becoming utterly captivated. He had even laid hands on the legendary eyes of the Sage, the Rinnegan.
And now, his Living Corpse Reincarnation, which had been stuck for so long, had reached a turning point!
In truth, Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation was already in its final stages of completion. However, a major hurdle remained that he found difficult to clear. Combined with the recent chaos he'd been causing alongside Diarmuid, he hadn't been able to truly perfect it. He lacked a clear direction, until now.
Diarmuid had produced the Shapeshifting Technique. The essence of this jutsu directly inspired Orochimaru to overcome the final barrier of the Living Corpse Reincarnation.
The two techniques shared many similar principles. Shortly after obtaining the Shapeshifting Technique, Diarmuid had realized this. The more he studied it, the more he felt it was the perfect catalyst for Orochimaru's unfinished reincarnation jutsu. He had been waiting for Orochimaru to return to give him this "surprise."
Diarmuid even suspected that in the original timeline, Orochimaru might have gained inspiration for his Living Corpse Reincarnation from this very jutsu. After all, Orochimaru hadn't perfected his reincarnation when he defected from Konoha. He had joined the Akatsuki later, only defecting again after Itachi arrived. During his time with the Akatsuki, it was highly probable he encountered the Shapeshifting Technique, sparking his genius mind to finalize his path to immortality.
Of course, that was just speculation. But for now, the Shapeshifting Technique was undeniably useful to Orochimaru.
Closing the scroll, Orochimaru calmed himself, though his eyes still shone. He looked at Diarmuid. "I must admit, you were right. I am deeply grateful, Diarmuid. Without the inspiration from this jutsu, it might have taken me another two or three years to truly perfect the Living Corpse Reincarnation. But now? I can have it finished in a month or two... Do you realize what that means?"
"What does it mean?" Diarmuid asked with a smile.
"It means the arrival of immortality. I shall become a new immortal, reaching the same realm as you, even if our paths differ," Orochimaru said excitedly. He didn't wait for a response before continuing, "At that point, I will have all the time I need to seek the truths of this world, develop more jutsu, and perhaps even master every single ninjutsu in existence..."
Orochimaru paused, looking at Diarmuid with a heavy gaze. "By then... we shall be Gods."
"Alright, alright, enough with the 'God' talk. As long as it helps your reincarnation, that's what matters. I knew it was perfect for you the moment I saw it," Diarmuid said, patting Orochimaru's shoulder.
"Yes. Thank you again." Orochimaru thanked him once more before adding, "I'm going to put the research on the Rinnegan and Sharingan on hold for now, or perhaps let Sasori tinker with them briefly. For the next two or three months, do not let anyone disturb me. That includes you; unless it's something only I can handle, don't call for me. I'm going to conquer the final hurdle of the Living Corpse Reincarnation..."
"And my administrative talent...?" Diarmuid asked, somewhat helpless.
"Once I complete this jutsu, I will definitely find a suitable candidate for you. If it comes down to it, I'll even handle the administration myself," Orochimaru promised seriously. Once he was immortal, spending a little time on Diarmuid's chores was a small price to pay.
Seeing Orochimaru's resolve, Diarmuid didn't push further. "Fine. Go do your thing. I'll be doing the same; my progress with Sage Transformation and Natural Energy is nearing completion. Perhaps by the time you've finished your reincarnation, I'll have mastered Sage Mode as well."
Diarmuid had largely settled the affairs of the Hidden Rain and the Land of Rain. He had no immediate plans for the Yorozuya to make a big move, so there was no need for the country to coordinate anything major. Maintaining the status quo was enough.
Diarmuid was also ready for a period of secluded training. He had nothing pressing to do except wait for the "Eye of the Moon Plan" group to find him. In the meantime, he would focus on Sage Mode. He felt close to the end, and a period of seclusion was exactly what he needed.
…
Kannabi Bridge, the "former residence" of Uchiha Madara.
Obito walked without making a sound. He entered a cave dwelling and looked toward a dark, shadowy figure. "What's the situation? Any new discoveries?"
The black figure turned around. "I've just made a discovery, actually..."
It was Black Zetsu.
"Oh? Good news or bad news?" Obito asked. Black Zetsu had been investigating the Yorozuya and Diarmuid for some time; it seemed there was finally progress.
"You could call it news that is neither good nor bad," Black Zetsu chuckled.
"Let's hear it," Obito said softly.
"We still don't know Diarmuid's ultimate goal. For now, we judge him to be a man seeking power. However, we found an interesting piece of intelligence regarding his right-hand man, Orochimaru..." Black Zetsu began.
"Orochimaru?" Obito raised an eyebrow. "What intelligence?"
"Before defecting from Konoha to join Diarmuid, Orochimaru suddenly became interested in the Sharingan of your Uchiha Clan. Before leaving, he indeed struck at the clan, seizing several eyes before fleeing," Zetsu reported.
"And?" Obito asked, confused.
"When someone like him suddenly develops an interest in something, it's significant intelligence. The timing is too coincidental. I suspect the person truly interested in the Sharingan, or the one who guided Orochimaru's interest, is actually Diarmuid. Perhaps he has designs on the power of Dōjutsu. There's evidence for this, considering he seized the Rinnegan," Black Zetsu explained.
Obito nodded. The analysis was logical. "So?"
"Possessing the Sharingan is one thing; being able to use its jutsu is another. Though they have the eyes, they cannot truly utilize them yet, can they? As it happens, we possess the keys to the Sharingan. Perhaps this can serve as the bridge for our contact with them," Black Zetsu sneered.
"The keys..." Obito murmured, then realized the implication. "You mean... the Sharingan's secret jutsu?"
"Exactly. But not just that, detailed records on the Sharingan as well."
Diarmuid currently lacked the specific jutsu associated with the Sharingan, such as Izanagi or Izanami. These weren't things you simply understood by having the eyes; they were Hiden (Secret Techniques) of the Uchiha Clan.
Madara knew them, so Obito knew them. No one else could even dream of learning them; the Uchiha would never allow it.
However, that old fox Danzo had seemingly tricked Kagami into giving him Izanagi years ago. Or perhaps Tobirama had acquired it through some special means, and Danzo had found his records. Regardless, Danzo could use Izanagi, and he'd even used it to ambush Shisui and steal a Kotoamatsukami.
Likely, Danzo only began truly mastering the Uchiha's techniques after the clan's massacre, when he looted a vast amount of war trophies, including knowledge on the Sharingan. Diarmuid currently had no such knowledge. Even though he knew powerful techniques existed, he didn't know how to use them.
Black Zetsu judged that since Diarmuid and the Yorozuya were interested in the Sharingan, they should use this as a "knocking stone," a gift to build a "friendly" relationship.
As an Uchiha, Obito's lack of opposition to this was surprising yet logical. He rubbed his chin. "If so, he will realize that one can never have too many Sharingan. In that case... I might even be able to join forces with him to wipe out the Uchiha Clan?"
"Precisely!" Black Zetsu nodded with satisfaction.
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