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Smack!
Catching the scroll backhanded, Orochimaru wasn't worried in the slightest that Menma had tampered with it. Hearing Menma's words, a fiery passion ignited in his serpentine eyes.
On par with the Rinnegan!?
Orochimaru thought he had already estimated the Byakugan's potential as high as possible, but to think it could actually reach that mythical tier?
He didn't doubt Menma's claim for a second. Even though Menma had used speculative, uncertain, and highly subjective language, Orochimaru just felt that everything the boy said was real and valid.
He couldn't wait to open the scroll.
The moment he read the opening paragraph...
A brilliant light erupted in Orochimaru's pupils. His hands trembled slightly, seemingly unable to control themselves.
It was a glaring display of pure excitement.
To crave the origin of all power. To seek the truth of the world.
Orochimaru's greed in this regard was endless. Why did he pursue immortality? While part of it was lamenting the fragility of life and a refusal to die easily, the bigger reason was likely that a limited human lifespan simply wasn't enough time to dissect and study this world.
There was simply too much he wanted to explore.
So much that a mere century of life was woefully insufficient.
The Living Corpse Reincarnation jutsu was created precisely to bridge that gap. But the limitations of the technique were still severe. Orochimaru knew full well that he was still a long way from true immortality. After all, even the legendary Sage of Six Paths had ultimately succumbed to the limits of time!
If he wanted to transcend all of it, he had to reach a higher plane of existence.
The slow, faintly outlined, and still very blurry path Menma had pointed out was exactly the future Orochimaru lusted after.
No matter how difficult. No matter how blurry.
It was a hundred times better than seeing no path forward at all.
"So that's how it is. Heh... interesting. Very interesting. It seems I'll need a lot more Hyuga bloodline samples for my research!!"
A look of extreme greed flashed through Orochimaru's snake-like eyes.
The Sharingan's limitations were ultimately too strict. More importantly, he lacked the materials. He did have some eyes—he had fleeced quite a few from Danzo—but there were only two or three living Uchiha left. And only two were absolutely confirmed; the other one was still a giant question mark.
But the Byakugan was different.
As what could currently be called the largest ninja clan in the world, the Hyuga main and branch families combined numbered in the thousands. There were plenty of materials for Orochimaru to harvest.
Bloodline purity? Byakugan purity?
Not a problem. If one wasn't enough, he'd use ten, a hundred, a thousand!
Furthermore, in terms of rejection rates, the Byakugan was much milder than the Sharingan. Orochimaru had already confirmed this in his earlier years of research.
Therefore, while the Sharingan remained his absolute top priority, the Byakugan's importance had skyrocketed. Once he made a substantial breakthrough in this area, which visual jutsu he ultimately chose...
Or whether he would greedily try to have his cake and eat it too by possessing both... that would be up to Orochimaru's own discretion.
"Then it's up to you to make your choice, Orochimaru-san. Now, are you ready to tell me the location of the Three-Tails and that other guy?"
Menma waited a moment before speaking up.
"Heh, forgive my lack of composure, Menma-kun. The Three-Tails' location is one hundred percent confirmed. It's in the northwest region of the Land of Water. When the time comes, I'll dispatch my most capable subordinate, Guren, and another little one to assist you. The old rules apply: the Three-Tails is yours, but you must provide me with a portion of its chakra. As for the other target, we can currently only confirm he's operating around the Land of Rivers. We need further tracking to pinpoint his exact location. I can also have Kabuto assist you there."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed. He elegantly rolled up the scroll and, in his usual grotesque fashion, swallowed it whole before smiling faintly.
"The Three-Tails' chakra is not a problem. As for the backup, there's no need. I can handle the capture myself. However, I definitely will need Kabuto-san's help pinpointing the specific location of the other target. Once his exact position is confirmed, I'll make the move personally," Menma replied with a smile.
No help needed. He would handle it himself.
Hearing Menma's words, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly. But a second later, he broke into a smile and replied, "Mm, since you put it that way, Menma-kun, let's consider it settled. Well then, I won't disturb you any longer."
With that, Orochimaru stood up. Just as he turned to leave...
"Oh, right. Do you mind if I ask? Why are you looking for that guy, Menma-kun? There doesn't seem to be anything on him worth your anticipation. Even his secret jutsu has incredibly high limitations."
Orochimaru asked lightly, acting as if it were a completely accidental thought.
"Hm? Oh, it just involves some experiments regarding our Uzumaki bloodline. Are you interested in that too, Orochimaru-san? I suppose I could tell you about it."
Menma was momentarily taken aback. After a very subtle one or two-second pause, he broke into a smile and spoke slowly and softly.
A gentle and smooth tone.
A calm and composed expression.
It was a stark contrast to the intimidating aura he had unleashed earlier. Right now, Menma looked completely harmless, radiating a comforting sense of peace.
But in that exact moment.
Orochimaru felt a bone-piercing chill wash over his entire body. Alarm bells blared furiously in his mind. Meeting Menma's gaze, he instantly felt an aura that could only be described as 'death.'
It forced the Sannin's pupils to constrict.
"No, it was just a passing curiosity. Pay it no mind, Menma-kun. Well then, excuse me. I look forward to our next meeting."
It felt as brief as a single second. Yet as long as eternity.
In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru mirrored the smile, perfectly acting as if it had truly just been a casual question. After lightly dropping those words, he gave a slight bow.
Hum! Stepping into a shadowed corner, his figure seamlessly melted into the darkness, rapidly dissipating away.
Menma watched the direction Orochimaru had left with a mild expression. Expanding his sensory net, he clearly verified that Orochimaru's chakra signature had moved far away, completely exiting his range.
Only then did Menma let out an uncontrollable, soft scoff, a trace of deep thought surfacing between his brows.
'It seems I need to pick up the pace as well!!!'
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