"Oh? A meeting gift? What is it?"
Orochimaru did not immediately accept the storage scroll that Uchiha Ren offered. Instead, he looked at Ren with curiosity.
Before today, the two of them had never met.
And prior to the Third Great Ninja War, Orochimaru had barely even noticed Uchiha Ren's existence.
If Ren hadn't suddenly risen to prominence on the Kirigakure Frontline, Orochimaru probably would never have taken an interest in him at all.
Yet judging by Ren's current attitude, it seemed as though he had long intended to befriend him—he had even brought this so-called "meeting gift" with him.
That inevitably made Orochimaru curious about Ren's intentions.
After thinking for a moment, Ren spoke.
"Orochimaru-sama… given the current situation, you should already understand that you have no chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage, correct?"
Orochimaru frowned slightly at those words, though his expression did not change much.
Did Orochimaru want to become Hokage?
Yes—and no.
Compared to becoming Hokage, what Orochimaru truly desired was to explore the endless depths of knowledge and truth.
However, the position of Hokage would grant him access to many secrets and resources that would otherwise remain out of reach.
To Orochimaru, becoming Hokage was like pursuing immortality—it was merely a stepping stone toward his true dream.
Of course, he could clearly see the current political situation.
He also knew that his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had completely given up on supporting him.
Orochimaru had never been particularly interested in political power. But having something that should have belonged to him taken away without even asking his opinion…
That still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Ren looked at him meaningfully before continuing.
"In my opinion, Orochimaru-sama, this may actually be a good thing for you."
Orochimaru grinned slightly. His hoarse voice carried a strange, magnetic tone.
"Ren-kun… it seems you understand me quite well."
"Perhaps," Ren said with a smile.
"I believe Orochimaru-sama is a pure scientist."
"Someone like you shouldn't be dragged into political power struggles. Nor should your time be wasted on the battlefield."
"Your true stage should be places like laboratories and libraries—where knowledge can be explored."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
Until now, it had only been a vague impression.
But at this moment, he could confirm something.
Uchiha Ren truly understood him.
Ren continued speaking.
"Orochimaru-sama, I know that due to research materials and funding, you currently maintain close ties with Shimura Danzō."
"But Danzō is a man with absolutely no bottom line. If you keep working with him, you'll waste a great deal of your research time in the future."
"That would be no different from drinking poison to quench thirst."
Orochimaru stared at Ren deeply.
"It seems you understand not only me… but also Elder Danzō quite well."
He paused slightly before continuing.
"However, aside from him, I don't seem to have any other options."
"No," Ren said calmly, pushing the storage scroll forward again.
"A new option is right in front of you."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes but still did not take the scroll.
"What exactly can you offer me, Ren-kun?"
Ren smiled.
"First—research funding far beyond what Danzō can provide."
"An almost unlimited research budget."
"Second—all of Konoha's resources and research materials will be open to you without restriction."
"Including everything currently controlled by Danzō."
Orochimaru's pupils shrank slightly.
These two conditions Ren proposed were astonishingly generous.
Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, probably wouldn't dare promise something like this.
Orochimaru slowly shook his head.
"Ren-kun… making promises that big only makes them less believable."
Ren chuckled and nudged the storage scroll forward again.
"What if I told you that this represents the sincerity of both myself and Minato?"
Orochimaru was momentarily startled.
But soon he shook his head again.
He might not know Uchiha Ren well, but he understood Namikaze Minato, Jiraiya's student, to some extent.
"With Minato-kun's personality," Orochimaru said slowly, "I doubt he would accept something like human experimentation. There's no need to joke with me."
Ren shook his head.
"That might have been true in the past."
"But after learning certain truths—and understanding the enemies we will face in the future—Minato is no longer that rigid."
"As long as the test subjects are not our comrades…"
"People such as death-row prisoners in Konoha's prisons, roaming bandits who burn and kill across the land, or enemy spies…"
"Those are all acceptable to Minato."
"He has already agreed that once he becomes Hokage, he will establish the Konoha Research Institute."
"And Orochimaru-sama…"
"He wants you to serve as its director."
"In that institute, all your research will be supported by the full resources of Konoha."
"And the only requirement is that your research results be shared with the village."
Orochimaru's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his heartbeat quickening slightly.
If he truly had access to the entire resources of Konohagakure, then whether he became Hokage or not would hardly matter.
On the contrary, he would be free from tedious administrative duties and could devote himself entirely to research.
Orochimaru slowly exhaled.
"Now I'm curious," he said.
"What exactly are these truths and enemies you mentioned, Ren-kun?"
Ren shook his head.
"That's a long story."
"And now isn't the time."
"Perhaps when the Konoha Research Institute is officially established… I'll tell you everything without reservation."
Orochimaru pondered for a moment before suddenly smiling.
He finally picked up the storage scroll.
"Then perhaps you can tell me what's inside this scroll?"
Seeing this, Ren smiled as well.
"Oh, nothing special."
"Just the corpses of kekkei genkai shinobi and secret technique users from Kirigakure—members of the Kaguya Clan, the Yuki Clan, the Hōzuki Clan, and a few others."
"Minato should also have the corpses of some special shinobi from Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
"But you'll have to wait until he returns before receiving those."
"And in the future, if you need them…"
"Things like the Sharingan or Byakugan can also be supplied."
The smile on Orochimaru's face widened.
Ren and Minato's gift had struck directly at his greatest weakness.
If he had known what was inside the scroll earlier, he probably wouldn't have wasted so much time negotiating.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru stuffed the storage scroll into his mouth.
"Ren-kun," he said with a satisfied smile, "I can feel your sincerity."
"If you ever need anything, just say the word."
Ren chuckled.
"I'll repeat what I said earlier."
"Orochimaru-sama's time shouldn't be wasted on unnecessary matters."
"All you need to do is keep a little distance from Shimura Danzō…"
"And while taking breaks from your research…"
"Just sit back and watch the show."
"I promise you—within one year…"
"Everything currently in Danzō's possession will be handed over to you without reservation."
Orochimaru licked his lips slightly and smiled.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
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