Stepping out from the secret entrance to the Root base, Orochimaru cast a glance at Diarmuid and asked, "So, you're actually going to make a move on a Tailed Beast?"
"Why? Are you interested too?" Diarmuid asked with a grin.
"I can't say I'm not," Orochimaru replied after a moment's thought.
He was certainly interested in Tailed Beasts. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have run off to Kumogakure years ago to drive the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki to his death and saw off one of Gyuki's horns.
But was his interest truly significant? For Orochimaru, such things were merely extracurricular assignments, research conducted for fun to satisfy his own curiosity. He wasn't particularly obsessed with the Tailed Beasts themselves. Still, if Diarmuid wanted to get his hands on one, Orochimaru was more than happy to see how it played out.
After a slight pause, Orochimaru continued, "I just think your asking price was a bit low. Exchanging a Tailed Beast for only two forbidden jutsu... You don't actually think Danzo is an easy man to deal with, do you? Even if he gives you two techniques, they might be completely useless 'white elephants.'"
"Perhaps," Diarmuid nodded. But soon, he smirked. "Still, you have to give him a bit of a sweet taste first, right?"
"As long as you know what you're doing." Orochimaru didn't press the matter further; he had merely offered a reminder.
His concern wasn't without merit. If Danzo truly decided to be shameless, what if he handed over the Shadow Clone Jutsu as a forbidden technique? He could certainly justify it. After all, that jutsu is recorded in the Scroll of Seals.
And it is, by definition, a forbidden jutsu. The Second Hokage, Tobirama, developed the technique but categorized it as forbidden after realizing that improper use could cause a ninja to die from overexertion. However, in terms of sheer difficulty, it wasn't exactly high-tier. As time passed, the secret of the technique had been thoroughly unraveled; the Shadow Clone Jutsu was practically "common goods" in the Shinobi world now. Most ninja capable of refined chakra control, whether Jonin or Chunin, knew a variation of it.
Diarmuid... already knew it.
As for the advanced version, the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu... that was even less about difficulty and more about raw capacity. As long as you mastered the basic Shadow Clone and had a massive enough chakra pool, you could use it.
Diarmuid... knew that one too!
Considering Danzo likely wasn't that short-sighted, Diarmuid wasn't too worried about being cheated with such basic techniques. If Danzo actually tried a stunt like that, Diarmuid certainly wouldn't tolerate it. He might not kill the man immediately, but any future cooperation would be dead in the water.
He might even consider working with the Uchiha clan instead.
At that thought, Diarmuid frowned slightly. Wait, why haven't I? Did I fall into a mental trap? Is there a reason I can't cooperate with the Uchiha? Are they truly destined for extinction?
The idea sparked a bit of excitement. He turned to Orochimaru. "Say, what do you think of the Uchiha clan?"
As if reading Diarmuid's mind, Orochimaru's lips curled into a disdainful, cold sneer. "Cooperation?"
"Mhm. Don't they want to become Hokage too?" Diarmuid asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'd advise you to forget it," Orochimaru said bluntly.
"Why?" Diarmuid's brow furrowed. "Hardly anyone knows about the Kagami incident. It shouldn't be a problem."
"Setting aside Kagami... Diarmuid, while you're a man who can set aside his pride, calling that old fossil 'Danzo-sama' to his face, I'm genuinely worried that if you deal with the Uchiha, you'll end up killing them all in a fit of rage. Don't go looking for trouble," Orochimaru chuckled.
In front of Danzo, Diarmuid was perfectly respectful, giving the man plenty of face. Conversely, Danzo didn't put on airs either, addressing Diarmuid as "Excellency" and returning the respect. It showed that when Danzo needed to act like a civilized human being, he could.
But Orochimaru saw the Uchiha differently. He believed that if Diarmuid approached them with that same respectful attitude, they would most likely take a mile if given an inch.
That was the Uchiha clan. If you were strong, even stronger than them, they might respect you. Madara was the perfect example. He respected Hashirama so much that he even held the rest of the Senju clan in high regard by association. As for everyone else? They were just trash in his eyes.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, it was only after Might Guy unleashed that stunning final blow that Madara truly looked him in the eye and declared him the "strongest in Taijutsu." This perfectly illustrated the Uchiha temperament. If you went to them begging for a partnership, they'd likely scoff.
"My Uchiha clan is so powerful, is there anything we cannot do? Why would we partner with a bottom-feeder like you? Get out!"
That would probably be their polite response.
Even if Fugaku seemed decent in Diarmuid's memory... hearing Orochimaru's take made him realize a partnership with them was unnecessary. Beyond their attitude, there was another issue: if he became too close with them and they actually acted right because of his strength, wouldn't it feel like a betrayal later when he eventually wanted to harvest some Sharingan?
"Sigh, I suppose you're right." Diarmuid lamented with a hint of regret. "In this vast Konoha, is Danzo the only one I can truly get along with?"
Orochimaru: "???"
"Do I not count?" Orochimaru asked.
"You?" Diarmuid glanced at him. "In my eyes, you're already not a man of Konoha. But speaking of which, why won't you just become the Fourth Hokage? Not only does Danzo support you, but I want to support you now too!"
"You want to support my bid for Hokage just so I can hand you the Scroll of Seals, the Uchiha clan, and all of Konoha's treasures, don't you?" Orochimaru deadpanned.
"Exactly! What's wrong with that? It's a perfect synergy. You become Hokage, and I never have to be an enemy of Konoha again. We progress together!" Diarmuid said with shameless bravado.
Orochimaru looked at the thick-skinned man with a helpless sigh. "Don't mention it again. I have absolutely no interest."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid replied casually, shrugging. "Well, can't be helped then."
He didn't try to pressure Orochimaru at all. A smile played on Orochimaru's lips; this was what he liked about Diarmuid. The man never forced others to do what they didn't want to do. Unlike Danzo, who kept chirping in his ear about becoming Hokage even after being told "no" a thousand times!
Orochimaru didn't bother asking what Diarmuid was planning to do next; he simply led him toward his own home. Diarmuid followed without question.
"Last time, you said you were interested in Senjutsu? Ryuchi Cave?" Orochimaru asked suddenly.
"What? Are you going to hook me up with the Ryuchi Cave Summoning Scroll?" Diarmuid asked with a smile.
"If you want it, you can have it," Orochimaru said naturally.
"I'll think about it," Diarmuid replied. Then, before Orochimaru could speak, he added, "I've already made some contact with Mount Myoboku... I heard the Three Great Sage Regions are quite particular. If I sign the Ryuchi Cave scroll, I assume Mount Myoboku will be off-limits?"
Orochimaru thought for a moment. "There is such a saying. While there are no hard restrictions on how many contracts you can sign, you could have many different types of summons, the Three Great Sage Regions generally don't entangle with one another. There is a sense of rivalry... or rather, competition."
"Then forget it. The contract itself is whatever, but I worry that without a 'serpentine' aura, those guys won't teach me Senjutsu. I'd end up wasting too much effort. I'd rather cooperate with Mount Myoboku."
The summoning itself didn't matter; he just wanted to learn Sage Mode. Rumor had it Tobirama signed a contract with the Great Sea, but he never used a summon in his life. Did anyone dare call him a weakling?
"Seeking help from others is never as good as relying on oneself," Orochimaru said suddenly.
Diarmuid gave him a strange look. "What do you mean by that?"
"Ahem... I actually know a bit about Senjutsu myself," Orochimaru said, testing the waters.
Diarmuid bluntness was immediate, "I haven't read many books, so don't try to trick me."
"It's true. Years ago, near Ryuchi Cave, I discovered a unique clan. They seemed to be affected by natural energy; their physical constitutions are extraordinary, allowing them to naturally absorb the power of nature," Orochimaru explained.
Jugo?
That was the first name that came to Diarmuid's mind. But wait, that's not right! Jugo and the Cursed Seal should have happened after Orochimaru met Kimimaro Kaguya. Kimimaro was only fifteen when he died; when Orochimaru found him, he was at least five or six. That meant it was still years before Orochimaru was supposed to meet Kimimaro.
Diarmuid frowned. Great, another paradox. Before leaving the village, Orochimaru had already given Anko the Cursed Seal of Heaven... At that time, he hadn't found Kimimaro yet, and theoretically shouldn't have found Jugo. Yet, the Cursed Seal existed.
Clearly, the timeline of this world has many paradoxes. I can't rely on my memory completely!
Based on Orochimaru's words, it seemed he had already discovered the special clan related to Jugo, the ones capable of natural Sage transformation, shortly after finding Ryuchi Cave. Perhaps the research into the Cursed Seal started right then, and Jugo's eventual appearance merely allowed Orochimaru to refine the power further.
Diarmuid didn't bother pressing for details; it didn't really matter. He asked directly, "So, what's your point?"
"My point is, your physical constitution is already unique. And so-called Senjutsu is just the application of natural energy itself. Instead of begging toads or snakes to teach you, why don't we research it ourselves? I recently developed a technique called the Cursed Seal. If you don't mind, I could teach you. By the way... is your neck clean?"
Orochimaru was talking absolute nonsense with a straight face!
"I'm warning you, don't you dare bite my neck!" Diarmuid looked at Orochimaru warily.
That Cursed Seal...
Hiss... Man, what a dilemma.
Diarmuid was actually quite tempted by the proposal, but the thought of the Cursed Seal was just... weird. He wasn't afraid of Orochimaru using it to control him; he felt his Dark-Dark Fruit could easily overwrite or completely absorb the seal from his body.
It was just... it felt strange.
Seeing Orochimaru lick his lips with that long tongue, looking like he genuinely wanted to take a bite, Diarmuid suddenly remembered a joke from his past life.
They say dealing with Orochimaru is simple: just smear some crap on your neck before the fight, and you're done.