Standing outside the crater, Menma's face beneath his mask was full of confusion.
He had only intended to mess with Orochimaru, but the Snake Sannin, drawing from his own twisted logic, had somehow concluded that Shura was from the future.
This made Menma realize that Orochimaru hadn't yet used the Living Corpse Reincarnation.
From what Menma vaguely recalled, Orochimaru had used the technique at least five times. And by the time of the Chunin Exams, he had already switched bodies twice.
That woman's body had been particularly compatible with Orochimaru's soul, allowing him to wield his full strength… so much so that even after Hiruzen sealed his arms, Orochimaru had been reluctant to abandon it.
'I might have been a bit too hasty.' After organizing his thoughts, Menma decided to run with Orochimaru's assumption and let this snake dig his own grave.
"Oh? Then tell me… why haven't I killed you yet?" Menma's tone was laced with amusement.
Orochimaru, believing he had unraveled the other's secret, narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold smirk curling his lips.
He slowly straightened up, though the pain in his chest made his breathing ragged. With a soft, snake-like hiss, he spoke, "You know about my Living Corpse Reincarnation… which means you must also know about my contract with Ryuchi Cave and my Cursed Seal. You're aware that ordinary means won't kill me so easily!"
"Hmm, go on." Menma continued pacing leisurely.
"Cough cough..." Orochimaru coughed weakly, feeling his life force draining rapidly from his injuries.
"You're familiar with my abilities… no, my research. That means one of my projects must hold something you need… or perhaps, in the future, one of them bore fruit!" The more Orochimaru thought about his experiments, the more his eyes burned with fanaticism. Somewhere in his studies lay the key to eternal life.
"Tch…" A soft click of the tongue came from beneath Menma's mask.
"You guessed some right… and some wrong." Menma finally stopped walking, looking down at Orochimaru in the crater: "But for you to deduce this much is impressive."
"Then… let's cooperate!" Orochimaru's tongue flicked out, licking the blood from his lips, his voice dripping with manic excitement.
"I know your ambitions must be vast. But with just this level of strength, convincing me to work under you… would be difficult." Orochimaru regained his usual confidence, tossing his hair back with a smirk.
Cooperation, huh?" Menma tilted his head slightly, feigning contemplation.
"A man like you, capable of crossing time itself… what danger could possibly frighten you?" Orochimaru let out a low, mocking laugh.
Whether this time-traveler sought to alter history or dominate the Ninja World, Orochimaru didn't care. What he wanted was the knowledge of the future… with it, his research could leap forward exponentially.
"Whatever you wish to obtain from me, whatever you want me to study… I can provide it. Of course, the condition is equivalent exchange." Orochimaru knew his greatest bargaining chip was his expertise in Forbidden Techniques. In his mind, he held the upper hand in this negotiation.
However, little did he know, this was exactly what Menma wanted.
Since he couldn't force Orochimaru's loyalty, then cooperation was the next best way to exploit him.
But he couldn't let Orochimaru think he was in control.
"Heh. You think you have the upper hand in this deal?" Menma's mocking tone slithered into Orochimaru's ears: "While Living Corpse Reincarnation may keep you young, but your strength will stagnate forever. In some areas… you'll even grow weaker."
Hearing the other party's description of the shortcomings of the Living Corpse Reincarnation, Orochimaru's pupils suddenly contracted and his expression became serious.
While he hadn't used the Living Corpse Reincarnation, Orochimaru knew the technique had weaknesses. He has already identified at least two of them.
One is that the target's body must be highly compatible with his own soul, and the other is that after performing the technique, he may not be able to use it again for several years.
But then...
"Is it related to the soul?" Orochimaru guessed the most serious flaw of this technique just based on Shura's description.
"You are very smart, Orochimaru." Menma didn't deny it.
What did it matter if he told him? Would Orochimaru refuse to use the Living Corpse Reincarnation just because of this??
Given Orochimaru's current injuries, combined with his body being in his forties, he'll start declining in a few more years. If he doesn't find a younger body to replace it, he'll only grow older and weaker.
For Orochimaru, who seeks eternal life, watching his own body age is the greatest torment!
"Then you must know a solution, don't you?" Orochimaru blurted out but immediately paused, because he realized that he had already fallen into a disadvantaged position in this negotiation.
He felt like he had been 'tricked' by the other party for the third time, but this time, Orochimaru wasn't as angry. Instead, he laughed.
"You took the Hashirama cells, but you might not be able to develop Wood Release on your own. Why not let me research it for you?" Orochimaru proposed a cooperation model: "Just like how I worked with Danzo."
When mentioning 'Danzo', Orochimaru deliberately emphasized the name.
"Not enough." Menma replied softly.
Orochimaru frowned slightly: "Then what do you want? Or rather, what price do I have to pay?"
The other party possessed 'future intelligence', especially regarding his own research, which made Orochimaru itch with curiosity.
But since he wasn't strong enough to overpower his opponent, he could only try to obtain this 'future intelligence' through negotiation.
And the value of the items to be traded was entirely determined by the other party.
This feeling of being at a disadvantage was something Orochimaru disliked intensely.
But Shura delivered the most frustrating line possible.
"Right now, you hold no value to me."
Whether it was cloning technology, genetic modification, Sharingan transplantation, cell implantation, or other scientific advancements, the current Orochimaru hadn't fully mastered any of them.
For example, the likes of Uchiha Shin and those clones were likely only developed after Orochimaru defected from the Akatsuki and established Otogakure in the Land of Rice Field.
the most crucial thing Hashirama's cells have already been taken by Menma.
Orochimaru froze in place, his pupils trembling slightly as he remembered how Shura had robbed him of the Hashirama's cells before.
"Tsk tsk… It seems I really shouldn't have given you the Hashirama cells so easily back then..." Orochimaru's eyes turned gloomy, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret
Now, Orochimaru was completely at a disadvantage in this negotiation.
"What… happened here…?" Just as Menma and Orochimaru were 'amicably discussing' their 'cooperation', Yukimi cautiously stepped inside, shivering as she saw the massive crater in the ground.
"Yukimi!" Kakashi and Kinoe, who had been following behind her, also arrived at the Iburi Clan's underground cavern.
When they saw the masked man and Orochimaru standing in the crater, Kakashi tensed up immediately, pulling out a kunai.
"Orochimaru!" Kinoe also recognized Orochimaru and protected Yukimi.
As for Danzo's assigned mission, he had already cast it aside.
"Tsk tsk… Kakashi… and… Kinoe!" Orochimaru climbed out of the crater, his gaze lingering on Kinoe with increasing satisfaction.
This is his work!
Unfortunately, Danzo had snatched it away!