When Uchiha Feiyu stepped into the command tent, he saw Orochimaru buried in work, seriously processing mission scrolls stacked like a small mountain.
The front-line force of several thousand shinobi had been broken down into countless squads of four to a dozen people, assigned to all kinds of insertion and maneuver missions. The actual logistics and command work were far more complicated than those of a normal army.
Compared to Jiraiya and Tsunade—purely in terms of work attitude, ignoring personality—Orochimaru was by far the most diligent commander. No wonder that, despite his… unsettling image, he had always been considered the top candidate for the next Hokage.
Hearing Feiyu enter, Orochimaru looked up.
A pale face. Long black hair. Purple markings around his eyes. Vertical, snake-like pupils.
In an instant, he gave off the impression of some cold-blooded creature fixating on its prey.
Fortunately, shinobi were accustomed to strange sights. In an ordinary person's place, their legs might have given out by now.
"Lord Orochimaru, reporting as ordered."
Feiyu spoke in a relaxed, natural tone, clearly unfazed by that stare. Orochimaru gave the smallest of nods, his voice low and hoarse:
"Having a combatant like you on the front lines is very welcome, Feiyu-kun. What we lack most right now… are 'spear-point' types like you."
Feiyu's eyes twitched.
That doesn't sound good at all.
"Lord Orochimaru overestimates me. I'm just a young Chunin—at best I have a few little specialties…"
"No need to be modest," Orochimaru replied. "Sensei has already written to me. Even among elite Jōnin, Feiyu-kun would be considered outstanding. On this front, aside from myself, you may very well be the strongest."
That old man sold me out clean, Feiyu swore inwardly.
So this is: "Get paid like a Chunin, fight like a top-tier Jōnin," huh?
He had mentally prepared for this. His relationship with Konoha's leadership was hardly warm, yet his strength was undeniable. Now that he'd come to the front, of course they were going to squeeze him for everything he was worth.
They wouldn't send him on obviously suicidal A-rank gambles—too risky, he might just run—but as a crisis fixer and roaming executioner? That, he definitely wasn't escaping.
"Lord Orochimaru thinks too highly of me. I'm only fourteen. I still lack experience in many areas…"
"Experience doesn't bind a true prodigy," Orochimaru said. "You'll adapt to the battlefield soon enough."
"Uh… but me, a mere Chunin, constantly running missions above my pay grade—that doesn't look too good, does it?"
"If you'd like a promotion to Special Jōnin," Orochimaru replied lightly, "I can grant it on the spot. As field commander, I still have that much authority."
Feiyu stared at him, speechless.
Orochimaru continued, lips curling slightly:
"Don't worry. Sunagakure's overall strength is not overwhelming. The only one who can truly threaten you is the Fourth Kazekage."
"The Kazekage must remain in camp to command. It's unlikely he'll act personally. Your safety is… largely assured."
"Lord Orochimaru seems to understand me quite well," Feiyu said dryly.
"Sensei described your 'traits' in his letter," Orochimaru replied. "Cherishing your own life is not difficult to understand."
When he said "cherishing life," there was a faint seriousness in his expression.
If anyone was afraid of dying, it was Orochimaru, who chased immortality with obsessive fervor. In that regard, he was hardly less extreme than Feiyu.
"I've read your file," Orochimaru went on. "You've trained in the White Fang's kenjutsu. In that case, your role will be the same as Sakumo's once was: a spear-point. You'll harass and assassinate Sand's combat squads. That should suit you quite well, no?"
"Then I want a sensor-type ninja with me," Feiyu said. "Preferably someone with wide-area reconnaissance."
"No problem. I can assign a member of the Yamanaka clan to your team," Orochimaru replied readily. "They'll make up for your scouting blind spots, and their mental jutsu will help with interrogation and communications."
"In that case, I'm in your debt, Lord Orochimaru. By the way—there's a certain method of breeding venomous serpents in my possession. I wonder if you'd be interested?"
Feiyu pulled out a scroll—the method for cultivating the Silver-Scaled Viper he'd obtained from the Demonic Tome.
"A snake-breeding method?"
One corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled.
As the summoner contracted with Ryūchi Cave, he doubted any generic "venom-breeding method" could surpass what he already knew. But out of courtesy, he still accepted the scroll Feiyu offered.
He unrolled it, glanced over it—and froze for a heartbeat.
Then he began to read more intently.
Compared to the chakra-bred giant serpents he'd developed, this Silver-Scaled Viper followed an entirely different evolutionary path.
More poisonous. Faster. More agile. More lethal.
What truly spurred his curiosity was that these snakes, created through layers of toxin refinement and cannibalistic selection, did not rely on chakra interference at all. It was a completely separate system. Just a quick read was enough to spark several new lines of inspiration in his mind.
Of course, Feiyu hadn't come to hand out free gifts.
The scroll only contained one-third of the full method. Orochimaru reached the end and felt distinctly unsatisfied. He raised his eyes to Feiyu.
"Very well," he said. "This is indeed an excellent gift. What would Feiyu-kun like in exchange?"
"I want the contract with Ryūchi Cave."
Feiyu's expression showed a hint of real excitement.
Orochimaru frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I can arrange a contract between you and Ryūchi Cave. But your contract rank will not be the same as mine."
"Oh? And what does a lower contract rank mean? Restrictions? They won't… lock the contract on me or anything, right?"
"No," Orochimaru said. "As long as you can satisfy those serpents' desires, you can even summon them against me if you like. That's not the issue."
"However, a standard contract rank won't let you access Ryūchi Cave's contract scroll. In other words, aside from yourself, you won't be able to pass the Ryūchi Cave contract on to anyone else."
Feiyu nodded. That limitation meant nothing to him. He had no intention of spreading the contract around. Even for his own use, he mostly saw Ryūchi Cave as an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Once the deal was struck, Feiyu didn't hesitate—he handed over the remaining two-thirds of the Silver-Scaled Viper method.
He was confident Orochimaru wouldn't stoop to something as pathetic as backing out of the trade.
And indeed, Orochimaru didn't even re-check the scroll. He simply accepted it, then bit his thumb, forming a hand seal.
With a puff of smoke, a white snake appeared, coiling lazily. It opened its mouth wide—and spat out a massive scroll.
The Ryūchi Cave Summoning Contract.
Right there in the command tent, Uchiha Feiyu signed his name in blood and officially forged a contract with Ryūchi Cave.
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