Probe: *All-Killing Ash Bones: Ten Finger Nukite*

The Land of Water was a massive island surrounded by sea on all sides.

Kirigakure lay at the westernmost edge of the Land of Water.

Further west, across the strait, lay the continent where the Land of Fire was located, as well as the buffer zone between the two great nations—the Land of Eddies.

Beyond the cliffs of Kirigakure stretched the vast ocean.

Under the dim moonlight, cold mist churned beyond the cliffs, leaving everything blanketed in white.

Orochimaru and Kazama Kaguya had already been in contact for some time atop the cliffs, but the atmosphere had steadily grown more strained.

After Kazama Kaguya finished laying out all his demands, Orochimaru laughed in exasperation, letting out a snake-like hiss. "So you want me to be a nanny? You want me to look after these little brats from the Kaguya Clan?"

"Kazama Kaguya, how dare you?"

He narrowed his golden vertical pupils, his aura erupting as he began to exude dangerous killing intent.

He was Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Three Legendary Ninja, a mad scientist pursuing immortality. When had anyone ever dared arrange his affairs like this?

If not for his earlier probing confirming that this man truly possessed information regarding immortality, he would have fed him to Manda long ago.

Kazama Kaguya paid no heed to the false killing intent Orochimaru had unleashed.

Based on his understanding of Orochimaru, everything he could offer struck directly at the man's weak points. He could use Talk no Jutsu: Strike Weakness Technique to keep him firmly in his grasp.

Orochimaru would never pass up information on immortality.

The supplies accumulated by the Kaguya Clan were likewise something Orochimaru, who had built the Sound Village from scratch, could not give up.

Greed was a weakness. If he wanted to have both fish and bear's paw, then he would have to let himself be controlled.

However, he needed to remain vigilant. Orochimaru would definitely make a move to test him, and he had to display enough strength as leverage.

Otherwise, if he clearly fell short during the test and gave Orochimaru the impression that his side was nothing but a rabble, then given Orochimaru's nature, he would surely go all out afterward and swallow him whole.

With that in mind, every muscle in Kazama Kaguya's body tensed as he focused and remained on guard.

Although his body was on the verge of collapse, over the past two years since crossing into this world, Kazama Kaguya had learned most of the Taijutsu that accompanied the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku.

In terms of technique alone, he believed he could crush Taijutsu ninja of the same level.

As for strength, given his current appearance like a consumptive ghost, it was better left unmentioned.

The night wind swept over him as cold mist rolled in, and bone-piercing chill seeped into his emaciated body.

He was dancing on a knife's edge. He had to be tougher if he wanted to earn equal treatment from Orochimaru.

Through the cold mist, Kazama Kaguya stared directly into Orochimaru's eyes and corrected some of his earlier wording.

"Lord Orochimaru, please understand. In exchange for all the money and supplies accumulated by the Kaguya Clan, as well as priceless, exclusive information on immortality, I am not asking you to take care of them. I am asking you to train them."

Kazama Kaguya pointed at the six of them, his tone cold and cruel.

"Train them ruthlessly, in whatever manner you deem most suitable, most brutal, and least likely to kill them."

Gulp...

The six of them unconsciously took a step back.

From those words alone, they seemed to see a future overgrown with thorns.

Orochimaru sneered. "Kazama Kaguya, do you think you've got me figured out? If I kill you, the supplies on those little brats will be mine for the taking. As for the information on immortality, I can dig that out of your brain just the same."

Boom!

The instant he finished speaking, countless venomous snakes shot out from Orochimaru's sleeve.

Ninjutsu: Shadow Multi-Snake Hand.

Kazama Kaguya had long expected this.

He leaped high backward to evade them, extending all ten fingers and aiming them at the incoming venomous snakes like gun barrels.

All-Killing Ash Bones: Ten Finger Nukite.

Tiny gray bones burst from his ten fingertips and flew like bullets. Compared to the giant snakes opening their jaws and baring venomous fangs, they seemed utterly insignificant.

"Heh!" Orochimaru scoffed, preparing to seize the sickly wretch before him in one stroke.

Kazama Kaguya looked gaunt and skeletal, without the slightest bearing of a strong man.

The information on immortality and the Kaguya Clan's supplies were already his for the taking.

Yet what happened next made his eyes widen.

When the venomous snakes he had summoned came into contact with those tiny gray bones, there was no bloody spectacle. Instead, as the bones shattered, every snake that had been struck turned into lifeless fragments, like weathered stone, pattering down onto the ground.

Even more terrifyingly, fine gray lines rapidly spread along the snakes toward him. An aura of decay filled the air, as if the god of death had descended.

A chilling sense of death swept over him.

Orochimaru's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he severed the snakes at his shoulder.

The dense mass of venomous snakes fell to the ground, twisting as they crumbled into fragments. Amid the ashes, the vague outline of an arm could be seen.

Looking at Orochimaru again, one of his arms was gone, leaving him looking somewhat disheveled.

At that moment, he looked at Kazama Kaguya with astonishment, the lofty condescension in his eyes completely gone.

When an expert made a move, one could tell whether they had the real deal.

Setting everything else aside, the sheer value of that single move far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.

What Orochimaru did not know, however, was that the person before him was merely putting on a strong front.

He had only made a slight probe, while Kazama Kaguya had already unleashed his trump card.

The imbalance in their information had created a beautiful misunderstanding.

"Heh heh, Kazama-kun, your strength is quite impressive. You have earned my recognition."

Orochimaru regarded Kazama Kaguya as an equal, and even the way he addressed him quietly changed.

Then, as if deliberately displaying his strength, he gave a sinister smile and stretched his mouth wide. A new, completely uninjured Orochimaru crawled out.

The eerie sight, like a snake shedding its skin and defying the limits of humanity, made Kimimaro and the others' hair stand on end.

Only Kazama Kaguya remained expressionless. As though he had known all along, he praised, "Soft Body Modification, the Great Serpent Style Substitution Technique... Orochimaru-sama's achievements on the path to eternal life are truly astonishing."

"It seems Kazama-kun knows me quite well."

Orochimaru used Wind Release to dry the wet, sticky mucus on his body, his interest in Kazama Kaguya growing considerably.

Even within Konoha, there were only a handful of people who could accurately identify the abilities he had used.

Kazama Kaguya pinched his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap between them, and smiled. "Not that much, really. Just a teensy little bit."

"Heh heh, Kazama-kun is quite humorous."

Intimidated by the All-Killing Ash Bones' power to end all things, Orochimaru suppressed his greed and said seriously, "Since it is Kazama-kun's request, I will accept it. I will make sure to train these brats thoroughly. But when will you hand over the intelligence on eternal life?"

As he spoke, the flames of desire he had suppressed blazed fiercely in his eyes once more.

"Definitely not now."

Kazama Kaguya showed Orochimaru no courtesy as he exposed his past. "After all, Orochimaru-sama's reputation is truly not very good."

"Slander from the weak."

Orochimaru smiled disdainfully. "For a high-quality partner like Kazama-kun, I am entirely sincere."

"Oh? Entirely sincere?"

Kazama Kaguya's lips curled upward. "If Orochimaru-sama is so sincere, then how about we add a little something extra to the deal?"

"What do you want?" Orochimaru frowned.

At the moment, his mind was entirely occupied by intelligence on eternal life. He had little interest in anything else.

Kazama Kaguya naturally understood the importance of compromise. Seeing Orochimaru's displeasure, he did not rush to demand powerful forbidden techniques such as the Eight Inner Gates or Impure World Reincarnation. Instead, he merely said, "Root of Konoha. I need your secret channel of communication with Shimura Danzō."

"Danzō?"

Orochimaru paused, giving Kazama Kaguya a deep look. "That old man has always handled all kinds of dirty work, and he has never given up his obsession with the Hokage position. You want a way to contact him—are you planning to cause trouble in Konoha?"

"That's right."

Kazama Kaguya decisively admitted his intentions and presented his bargaining chip as well.

"In exchange, I can give you intelligence on the Akatsuki Organization—the most core kind."

Orochimaru's pupils suddenly contracted, his golden vertical slits nearly narrowing into a single line.

The reason he had come to Kirigakure was to investigate the Akatsuki Organization's secrets, yet he had not found any concrete leads. And this person before him even knew about that.

He licked his lips, revealing a bloodthirsty smile. "I can give you that, but I have one small request as well."

"Please, go ahead."

"I hope Kazama-kun makes a bigger scene. It would be even better if you could cripple Konoha. That old fool, the Third Hokage, shamelessly took the Hokage position again. It really pisses me off."

Kazama Kaguya instantly understood Orochimaru's pent-up resentment and nodded. "Understood. Then please wait and see, Orochimaru-sama. The intelligence I possess is far more than just this. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to cooperate in the future."