Trade Failed?

Orochimaru's disappointment was unmistakable, tinged with a faint, barely perceptible mockery.

In the script he had envisioned, if the one who arrived had been Minato, how wonderful would that have been?

If that radiant "sun" had abandoned the lives of his own villagers just to hunt down a heinous traitor like him...

That tremendous reversal of light and darkness, even if no one else ever knew, would have been the sweetest aftertaste in Orochimaru's heart, something he could savor for a long time.

He had wanted to see the man reveal his hypocritical side...

Unfortunately, it had only been a fantasy.

For some reason, Orochimaru felt a trace of irritation. His cold gaze assessed the mysterious figure before him.

Anyone who could find him here and now was no ordinary person. They had to be one of Konoha's core decision-makers...

A cold smile tugged at Orochimaru's lips. Even Minato Namikaze could not avoid having such parasites among the upper ranks.

"Who are you?" Orochimaru's voice carried scrutiny.

"Just a ninja who enjoys collecting strange things." Minamoto Takuya's tone remained casual, as though he were chatting with an old friend. "People jokingly call me the 'Collector.' I rather like the name myself."

"Collector?" Orochimaru repeated under his breath, swiftly searching through the titles of every renowned powerhouse in the Shinobi World. He found nothing.

"Never heard of you."

The other man's chakra was like an undercurrent beneath a calm sea. Though it lacked Minato Namikaze's overwhelming pressure, it still clearly conveyed a powerful signal to Orochimaru.

This man possessed fangs sharp enough to pose a tremendous threat to him!

Someone like this... could not possibly be an unknown nobody in the Shinobi World!

"Now you have heard of me. It is not too late." Minamoto Takuya's voice was flat, without the