"The material of your kunai has been analyzed. It's not particularly difficult to acquire," Orochimaru said softly after a brief moment of silence.
As he spoke, one of his subordinates entered, carrying a tray.
On it were five standard-style kunai.
Itachi paused briefly, picked one up, examined it, tossed it into the air, and caught it again.
"Hmm, this style feels more comfortable in my hand," he remarked.
He wasn't a fan of Minato's uniquely curved kunai—it felt unnecessarily flashy to him.
...
"Whatever makes you happy," Orochimaru said with a faint smile, watching Itachi replace the Minato-style kunai in his ninja tool pouch with the standard ones Orochimaru had prepared.
"How much longer will Kakashi need?" Itachi asked softly, changing the subject instead of responding to Orochimaru.
"At least a month, maybe as long as a year. It depends on the circumstances," Orochimaru replied without hesitation.
He had already calculated these things thoroughly. Even if Itachi hadn't asked, Orochimaru would have brought it up eventually.
...
"That long, huh…" Itachi clicked his tongue lightly at the answer.
"Do you know the exact location where Minato sealed the Dragon Vein? When there's time, we should go check it out," he said after a moment of thought.
Itachi's plan was to wait for Kakashi to finish before dragging him along. However, Kakashi seemed to be taking his sweet time, so Itachi decided not to wait.
"The Dragon Vein? Are you referring to the ruins of Roran? I don't know the precise location," Orochimaru replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.
It was clear to him now that Itachi had already mastered the legendary Flying Raijin Jutsu.
...
Although he had long suspected it, Orochimaru was still taken aback when his suspicions were confirmed.
"Yeah, I heard the Dragon Vein's power is immense. I want to see it for myself," Itachi responded softly.
The Dragon Vein was said to house a vast amount of energy. Since he was now casually wielding massive techniques, Itachi figured it was time to secure an energy reservoir. Otherwise, his Susano'o Flying Raijin Slash would remain a mere concept.
"The Dragon Vein is essentially a massive underground flow of energy. To put it simply, it's an infinite source of chakra lying dormant," Orochimaru explained casually, giving Itachi a brief lesson.
"Infinite chakra…" Itachi murmured to himself after listening to Orochimaru's explanation.
...
In ancient times, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, fearing the Ten-Tails' immense chakra would bring calamity to the world, extracted its chakra and divided it into nine tailed beasts, weakening its power. He then sealed the powerless Ten-Tails' husk (the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) along with Kaguya on the moon.
If even the Ten-Tails was considered merely a source of immense chakra, the Dragon Vein, which claimed to be infinite, seemed a bit exaggerated…
"Yeah," Orochimaru confirmed, hearing Itachi's quiet pondering.
"How many people do you still have under your command? Send someone to locate it. Let's find some time to take a look at this so-called infinite chakra source," Itachi said, already tempering his expectations about the Dragon Vein after Orochimaru's explanation.
Initially, Itachi had thought about sealing the Dragon Vein within himself. But after Orochimaru's clarification, he realized that extracting it would be an oversimplification at best. At most, it could be utilized to some extent.
In a more mystical sense, the Dragon Vein represented the energy of the earth itself—something that could only be borrowed, not fully possessed.
Even if it could be extracted, there was the risk of it dissipating. And even if it didn't dissipate, it would still be a one-time resource.
...
After all, if the Dragon Vein were truly as formidable as claimed, Hagoromo would have acted on it long ago. At the very least, he would have sealed it, just as Minato had. The idea that it played a central role in the Lost Tower incident seemed contradictory.
To Itachi, anything not acknowledged by the Sage of Six Paths wasn't worth much.
If the Dragon Vein had any real value, it would be its rumored ability to transcend time and space. Perhaps even the Sage of Six Paths hadn't realized it held this potential.
This might very well be its sole use.
...
"Alright, Itachi. If you're interested, I'll have someone investigate and make the necessary preparations," Orochimaru concluded.
Orochimaru naturally had no objections when it came to Itachi.
Itachi's occasional strange and peculiar ideas intrigued him and seemed rather amusing.
He was genuinely interested because of Itachi's suggestions.
Learning things from books always felt shallow; having the chance to witness and experience them firsthand was much more satisfying.
"Alright, no rush, take your time," Orochimaru said calmly.
To Orochimaru's words, Itachi appeared indifferent, almost like someone who had lost interest after their initial enthusiasm.
After all, once something loses its value, the intrigue diminishes significantly.
"I visited Konoha last time and saw a technique that I found pretty interesting," Itachi said, breaking the silence.
The room fell quiet again.
After a brief pause, Itachi spoke softly.
"What technique? Itachi, you seem to have quite the conflict with Konoha, sneaking in time and time again..." Orochimaru teased with a smirk.
"Edo Tensei. But I couldn't quite understand it," Itachi replied, picking up his teacup and sipping slowly. His eyes remained fixed on the tea leaves in the cup while stealing glances at Orochimaru's expression.
"Edo Tensei, huh? Itachi, are you planning to rob Konoha blind?" Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback.
The Flying Thunder God technique was recorded in the Scroll of Seals, but Edo Tensei, an incomplete technique, was hidden away on a small, obscure scroll in a concealed location.
That Itachi managed to discover Edo Tensei left Orochimaru genuinely surprised.
After all, he had gone through considerable effort to acquire it back then.
"Oh? Orochimaru, you know about this jutsu too?" Itachi feigned surprise.
In truth, Itachi had never seen Edo Tensei in Konoha. Knowing Orochimaru's extensive research on the technique, he wouldn't waste time investigating it himself.
He brought it up solely to steer the conversation toward Orochimaru's thoughts.
"Heh, I've studied it for a while. What you saw in Konoha was the incomplete version," Orochimaru said with a faint smile.
But then his brows furrowed slightly.
"Itachi, are you interested in this technique because you want to revive someone you hold dear? If so, you might be disappointed. While it can be considered a resurrection technique in some sense, its primary purpose is for combat.
"If you're longing for loved ones, this technique would only disturb their peace," Orochimaru added, looking directly into Itachi's eyes.
"An incomplete version, huh? My interest lies in the methodology and inspiration behind the technique, not in resurrecting anyone," Itachi replied.
He had no intention of being so straightforward with Orochimaru initially.
However, if he had directly asked about Orochimaru's progress on Edo Tensei, it might have caused the latter to feel irritated or uneasy.
For something so secretive, Orochimaru would likely suspect Itachi of spying on him if he knew too much.
"Fair enough. It is indeed a remarkable technique. I've already completed it, but I haven't conducted any practical experiments yet. Once I've perfected it, I'll share it with you. For now, Itachi, focus more on improving your own strength. This technique isn't worth dedicating too much time to," Orochimaru said with a look of approval.
Whether in terms of its methodology or inspiration, the technique was undeniably extraordinary.
Orochimaru genuinely admired Itachi's perspective.
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