Sasuke looked at the ecstatic Orochimaru, secretly becoming wary. This person had ill intentions.
Not wanting to beat around the bush with Orochimaru, he interrupted him: "Enough with the nonsense, give me power."
The reason he came to Orochimaru was that the latter possessed methods to rapidly increase his strength, such as the Cursed Seal on his neck. The feeling of his strength suddenly surging made him crave more.
Originally, he hadn't planned to defect. After all, Kakashi's strength was evident; he had heard that Kakashi could fight Itachi to a standstill, and since Kakashi also possessed the Sharingan, he was more than capable of teaching him.
There was also the Lightning Release Breathing Technique he learned from Senior Aoki Yoru. Although he hadn't mastered it yet, according to Senior's calculations, it could also cause his strength to surge instantly.
But after his fight with Itachi, he realized he was still too weak, unable to even touch Itachi's clothes.
Kakashi was strong, but he always said to take it slow, that his strength would surge once he compressed his Lightning Release Chakra nature to its limit. He even taught him several Ninjutsu extensions of Chidori developed by Senior Yoru.
But he couldn't wait any longer. Who knew how long it would take to compress his Lightning Release Chakra nature to its limit.
As for Kakashi's Sage Mode, he couldn't even explain it himself, let alone teach it, and Sasuke still hadn't grasped it.
Another point was that after witnessing the strength of Aoki Yoru's trio, he didn't understand why they were so strong, even though they were just commoners without bloodlines.
And he, who possessed the Uchiha Clan bloodline, had his strength improve as slowly as a turtle.
So he decided to come to Orochimaru. Even though he knew Orochimaru's intentions were impure, as long as he could gain the strength to avenge himself against that man, what did it matter if he sold his soul to a demon?
Seeing the Uchiha Clan bloodline he yearned for right before his eyes, Orochimaru laughed heartily, and even the pain in his soul lessened considerably.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, I will give you the power to defeat Itachi."
"Training isn't urgent. You should rest first. We'll start tomorrow."
"Kabuto, take Sasuke down to rest."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto, standing beside him, breathed a sigh of relief. Sasuke was indeed useful, immediately making Lord Orochimaru relax. He then walked towards Sasuke, "Come with me."
Sasuke ignored him, standing still and staring directly at Orochimaru.
"Is there anything else? Or do you have any requests? Don't be shy, tell me, and I will satisfy them all," Orochimaru asked, looking at the motionless Sasuke with curiosity.
Sasuke took a deep breath, as if having made up his mind, and a determined expression appeared on his face. "Find me a woman. Not too old."
Aoki Yoru's theory, which he had casually fabricated out of mischief, was never meant for Sasuke to actually follow, but Sasuke had taken it to heart.
He still couldn't fathom the extent of Uchiha Itachi's strength, so before seeking revenge against him, he absolutely had to have a child. The Uchiha Clan couldn't end like this. Otherwise, how could he face his Uchiha clansmen in the afterlife? Could he tell them the Uchiha had no descendants?
First, he would find a woman to spend some time with and see if she was suitable to be the mother of his child. If she was, he would have a child as soon as she reached the right age, and then he could single-mindedly seek revenge on Itachi.
As for Orochimaru's threat, he didn't take it seriously; he was just a sneaky fellow.
Of course, he wasn't that reckless. He wouldn't let that woman get pregnant until he was certain Orochimaru was no longer a threat.
"Huh?"
Hearing Sasuke's request, Orochimaru paused, suspecting he had misheard. "Say that again."
Sasuke took a deep breath and said each word clearly: "I said, find me a woman, not too old. There's no need to bring out someone like Tayuya, who's a Crooked Melon and Split Date."
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha."
He hadn't expected Sasuke to make such a request. He thought Sasuke only had hatred in his heart! It was truly hilarious, and even the pain in his soul was greatly relieved.
Seeing Orochimaru laughing heartily, a vein throbbed on Sasuke's forehead, and he clenched his fists tightly, his anger rising.
Seeing Sasuke on the verge of exploding, Orochimaru stopped laughing and said in a hoarse voice: "It seems Sasuke has grown up. Very well, I agree to this request."
"Kabuto, go bring Karin over."
Kabuto, standing nearby, adjusted his glasses, which had been askew from Sasuke's surprise, and nodded silently before walking towards the passage.
Watching Kabuto leave, Orochimaru looked at Sasuke, his gaze fervent. "Karin is a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan. The Uzumaki Clan and your Uchiha Clan are both renowned great clans. If you have a child together, that child will simultaneously possess the talents of both your clans."
As he spoke, Orochimaru's eyes grew brighter and brighter. That child's talent might even surpass Sasuke's, becoming the next perfect body for reincarnation.
Why hadn't he thought of this before? He needed to find an opportunity for him to have many children. If one woman wasn't enough, he'd find several.
Then he would bring Guren to him. If Sasuke was satisfied, Guren could also bear children. If not, there were plenty of beautiful women in the Ninja World; he was sure to find one he liked.
"Uzumaki?" Sasuke thought of his teammate Uzumaki Naruto and the young girl Uzumaki Nao. Were they from the same clan?
However, upon seeing Orochimaru's eyes, he knew there was definitely ill intent again, and he firmly decided not to have children until he was sure he could deal with Orochimaru.
Soon after, Kabuto led a red-haired girl with glasses into the room.
"Karin, from now on, you will follow Sasuke. Remember, you must obey him," Orochimaru said with a fanatical look in his eyes. This idea was too perfect.
Hearing this, Karin paused, secretly glanced at Sasuke, and a blush appeared on her face. "He's a handsome guy!"
Then she nodded vigorously, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Ever since the Chunin Exams, she had been brought to this place by Orochimaru. She couldn't leave this cold basement, spending her days eating and sleeping, and occasionally having her blood drawn by him.
Instead of facing this gloomy Orochimaru all day, wouldn't it be better to follow this handsome young man in front of her? At least he was pleasing to the eye.
Sasuke looked at the woman in front of him and nodded. At least she looked agreeable.
"You two go and get acquainted. Get to know each other," Orochimaru waved his hand. "Kabuto, take them to their quarters."
"Let's go."
Kabuto turned and walked deeper into the passage, with Sasuke and Karin following silently.
Konoha Village.
"What? You didn't bring Sasuke back? Did you encounter a powerful enemy? How are the others?"
Tsunade's face showed a shocked expression upon hearing that Aoki Yoru hadn't brought Sasuke back.
Although she had said that they could abandon Sasuke if necessary, it was just a casual remark. She didn't believe anyone other than Orochimaru could stop Aoki Yoru.
"The others are fine, just superficial injuries. Choji is a bit more serious; he took two of their clan's secret medicines, which might cause deep-seated damage. If you have time, go check on him."
Aoki Yoru then gave Tsunade a complete report on the mission's progress.
Tsunade listened with a frown, finally sighing: "I didn't expect Orochimaru to have such a subordinate. If not for the drag of his Bloodline Illness, he would surely have entered the Kage-level domain!"
Aoki Yoru nodded at her words. Kimimaro's talent was undeniable.
"What a pity, the last bloodline of the Uchiha is gone. There are no more Uchiha in Konoha. That hateful old man."
Tsunade complained about the Sandaime, then stood up directly and walked towards the door. "Let's go, let's check on their condition."