"Wait, Chizan-kun..."
Orochimaru quickly raised his hand to stop him, then began pacing in place, his mind spinning at full speed.
After a while, he walked up to Gekko Chizan and asked very seriously:
"You went to Kumogakure?"
"Yeah... what about it?"
"When did you go?"
"A long time ago, back during the war in the Land of Hot Springs."
Orochimaru fell silent.
The look in his eyes as he stared at Gekko Chizan was full of shock—this was ages ago.
This kid actually snuck into Kumogakure and pulled off something this big in the middle of a war?
Suddenly, Orochimaru recalled a piece of intel he had read before and impatiently asked:
"Chizan-kun, don't tell me the massive debt the Fourth Raikage owes in his own country is also your doing?"
"If the battle report wasn't mistaken, you clashed with him back then, and you were injured, right?"
"Tsunade even made a special report about your condition."
"Hehehehe... knowing your temper, there's no way you'd let such a big loss slide without payback."
At these words, Gekko Chizan chuckled.
Since he had already brought Orochimaru to Island Turtle, he had planned to reveal some things anyway. After all, from the moment Orochimaru set foot here, he had decided to drag him onto his war chariot to use against Uchiha Madara.
After all, Orochimaru was the number one scientist in the ninja world. Biology, mechanics, genetics—no matter the field, he was a master. He would be an enormous asset.
"Yeah, that bastard hurt me so badly. You think I'd let him off easy?"
"I borrowed a ton of money in the Land of Lightning under his name. Not much, just a few hundred million ryō."
"Heh, let him stress over it every day and work hard to pay it all back."
"As for Island Turtle—well, that's my war trophy. They fought like mad at the frontlines, and I messed with their rear. Fair enough, right?"
Gekko Chizan looked down at Island Turtle beneath his feet, exuding a clear aura of "I'm not someone you want to mess with," which made Orochimaru suddenly burst into loud laughter.
The laughter was full of delight, with a trace of mockery.
"Kumogakure prides itself on its strength, yet they suffered such a huge loss at your hands."
"I bet they'll never figure out who set them up this badly, not even till their dying breath."
"But, Chizan-kun, well done. This Island Turtle is beyond price."
"If experiments can be conducted here, this is indeed a rare opportunity."
The research maniac was in full swing.
Seeing the gleam in Orochimaru's eyes, Gekko Chizan could easily imagine that his teacher already regarded this place as his private laboratory.
If only there were equipment here, Orochimaru would probably have started experiments on the spot.
"Sure, as long as you like it, sensei."
"But sensei, let's talk about something else."
"You've seen the state of the village yourself. What do you plan to do?"
Gekko Chizan asked directly. After all, Orochimaru now had very few choices left.
Upon hearing the question, Orochimaru's smile disappeared, replaced by his usual calm expression.
"My research is no longer tolerated. I will leave the village. I was hesitant before."
"Chizan-kun, in the end, you bear some responsibility for this."
What the hell?
His responsibility?
Gekko Chizan pointed at himself, looking utterly dumbfounded at Orochimaru.
The latter chuckled again.
"Yes, because of you. The old me was alone, carefree. No... I should say, I didn't want to form any more bonds."
"But your appearance—your talent, your Kekkei Genkai, even your personal charm..."
Those words made Gekko Chizan feel a little embarrassed.
He had personal charm? What charm? The charm of surviving by any means?
"Because of you, I hesitated. But seeing you support my work, I've actually let go now."
"Even though the village gave me a lot, for the sake of my goals, so what if I leave?"
"But I suppose you won't leave with me, will you, Chizan-kun?"
"After all, both Hayate-kun and Pakura are still in the village."
Orochimaru looked at his beloved student and laughed happily.
Then he turned toward Island Turtle, eyes full of seriousness. He had already decided to establish his research base here.
If money was lacking, he would find ways to get it. His work could never stop.
"Sensei, it's always nice to have a big tree for shade. I may have some strength, but in the eyes of the village leadership, I'm just a moderately strong jōnin."
"So the village's restrictions on me aren't as harsh as on you."
"And with my usual style... hehe, the village definitely won't target me. They'll probably even value me more."
He wasn't wrong at all.
No one was perfect. Gekko Chizan loved money, women, and was cautious—these were exactly the traits the higher-ups found easiest to control.
That was why they kept the lightest watch on him.
Besides, the Gekko clan wasn't a big clan. For a small clan, relying on the village was the best path.
"Hehehe, that's because they don't know your true strength."
"This place is hundreds of miles from the Land of Fire, right? Flying Thunder God can reach it in an instant, can't it?"
"Chizan-kun, your power is far scarier than you let on."
Gekko Chizan didn't explain—he only smiled faintly.
"Hehehe, true enough. If everything goes smoothly, I'll pick my escape route soon."
"At that time, this place will become one of my research bases. For that, I'll need your help, Chizan-kun."
Orochimaru didn't know the Flying Thunder God, so landing on Island Turtle would become a problem.
He could only rely on Gekko Chizan to come up with a solution.
"Hmm... if sensei is going to leave the village, I suggest you head to the Land of Waterfalls. I'll have Island Turtle head for the North Sea, avoiding Kumogakure's waters as much as possible."
"Then you can come and go from Island Turtle freely."
"Sensei, I know what you want to pursue, and I won't stop you. But if it comes to human experiments, maybe keep it to a minimum. Well... I won't see it anyway, so as long as it's not too excessive."
"Sensei, hold out your right arm."
Though he didn't understand what Gekko Chizan wanted, Orochimaru still extended his right arm.
When he rolled up his sleeve, circles of markings appeared—it was the Ryūchi Cave contract pattern, though far simpler than Gekko Chizan's.
Gekko Chizan then bit his finger and pressed his hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke appeared, and a figure materialized before them.
She wore a long green dress, her graceful figure unmistakable—one of the Three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave, Tagorihime.
"Chizan, you summoned me?"
"Hmm? This chakra..."
Tagorihime had just greeted Gekko Chizan when she sensed another presence. It carried the scent of Ryūchi Cave, though faintly.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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