"You!"
Hearing the cold words of the man ahead, and the tone and attitude that utterly disregarded him, Orochimaru's voice trembled with rage, completely stripped of his usual composure and inscrutability.
At this moment, Orochimaru's anger was plainly audible in his voice, along with the helplessness buried beneath it.
"Our cooperation ends here. If you do not wish to become the next Hyuga Shinsuke, then return to Konoha now. When the time is right, I will give you what you want."
The man opposite him seemed unconcerned by Orochimaru's fury and continued in a cold, commanding tone from on high.
"When will the time be right?"
In response to that cold command, Orochimaru seemed to calm down slightly. Much of his anger had visibly been suppressed, though his words carried deep suspicion.
"When the time comes, you will know."
That was all the man said after Orochimaru's question.
"When the time comes? And when exactly is that? Are you going back on your word, just like you did to Hyuga Shinsuke?"
Orochimaru snorted coldly. Most of the anger in his voice had faded, replaced by a sinister, affected tone Chiba found familiar.
It sounded as though Orochimaru was beginning to calm down.
"Are you testing my patience? If I intended to break my word, killing you here would be the best way. Do you think I cannot kill you?"
Yet Orochimaru's attempt to calm down was met with even colder words.
Those words made Chiba shudder from head to toe. It was not because the voice itself was especially cold, nor because it carried terrifying killing intent. Rather, it seemed capable of stirring the most primal fear in one's heart. Every word felt like a blow striking his heart, making anyone unprepared shiver for no apparent reason.
The strange power