"So, what's your answer?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a clear smile, his expression sinister yet sincere. He looked at Shisui as if he were a sacrifice willingly walking into a serpent's mouth.
Deception? Coercion?
Such low-level tactics weren't necessary.
He only had to lay the facts before Shisui, and Shisui would make his own choice.
And that choice had been inevitable from the start, made entirely of his own free will.
Rather than make someone submit to another person's will, it was better to make them submit to their own.
He wanted to protect the village and his clan. When he couldn't have both, he would waver, unable to choose a side.
But if there really were a way to achieve both, this man would pursue it with greater determination than most.
Genie had used one word to describe Shisui: "do-gooder."
It sounded quite fitting.
Orochimaru licked his lips. He'd always disliked people like that, especially those among them who were powerful.
They cared nothing for personal gain. Though they had immense value to exploit, it was difficult to get them to cooperate.
And fulfilling their vision for the group was far too difficult and tedious to be worth the effort.
Genie had given him a new idea.
Idealists would go all out for anything that benefited the group, even if they gained nothing in return.
So why not tie his own interests to the group's, either by hiding them or dressing them up as something else? That way, he wouldn't have to pay as much.
Orochimaru couldn't help but marvel. What a ruthless businessman, what a filthy parasite!
Still, it worked remarkably well.
A casual "for the village" or "for the clan" was enough to make a powerful Mangekyō Sharingan wielder devote himself wholeheartedly.
How terrifying!
Before, when his interests clashed with the village's, he might have left at any moment to start over and make a new life elsewhere. Who knew how much time that would have wasted?
The more clearly Orochimaru considered this, the more he hated Danzo.
A parasite—Konoha had no room for a second one!
Under Orochimaru's "sincere" words, the last trace of bitterness in Shisui's heart finally disappeared.
With his emotions no longer clouding his judgment, Shisui thought it over calmly, then shook his head at Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, I'm no match for the Eight-Tails. Even against the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, I couldn't hold her off for long, even if I fought to the death."
He wasn't making excuses. He'd experienced Yugito's strength after her Tailed Beast Transformation and had made a clear assessment of the battle.
At fourteen, his body hadn't finished developing. On top of that, his Mangekyō Sharingan specialized in genjutsu, placing too much strain on his body.
After a moment's thought, Shisui added, "If we could capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, my ocular technique might be useful."
Shisui explained the effects of his Mangekyō technique, Kotoamatsukami. As he spoke, he watched Orochimaru's expression. His smile hadn't changed; he still looked sinister. Shisui felt slightly relieved.
Kotoamatsukami could "permanently and completely alter a person's thoughts and will." It sounded like a power from legend, and no one could help being wary of it. Shisui interpreted Orochimaru's reaction as a sign of trust, and it moved him deeply.
"Capturing the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive would be far too difficult."
Orochimaru rejected the idea without hesitation.
As if! It took more than a decade for the technique to recover after a single use. That kind of strain wasn't part of his plan.
Fearing Shisui might take matters into his own hands, Orochimaru added, "Your ocular technique comes at too great a cost. Don't try using it lightly in battle, especially against a Jinchuriki. Their Chakra is mixed with Tailed Beast Chakra, so there's a high chance your technique will fail."
That had been Shisui's concern from the start, which was why he'd suggested capturing the Jinchuriki alive.
But now that idea had been rejected, and he couldn't hold his own against the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. At a loss, Shisui looked to Orochimaru, hoping he had another plan.
Shisui didn't want his clan to suffer heavy losses unless there was no other choice.
"I've already taken into account the gap between your strength and the Two-Tails Jinchuriki's."
Orochimaru took a tube of pale green serum from a scroll and handed it to Shisui.
This was Yamato-brand Genetic Serum. Though it was called a genetic serum, "cell serum" would have been more accurate. It was essentially Cell Fusion Fluid, capable of replicating and multiplying cells on a cellular level to enhance the host's physical abilities.
Its effects were decent, but it was quite expensive. Including failed batches, each tube cost an average of ten million ryo.
For comparison, an elite jonin from Konoha had a bounty of only a little over thirty million ryo on the black market.
This one tube was worth a third of a jonin's life.
Still, Orochimaru had never been stingy with money when it came to people who could be useful to him.
Orochimaru smiled. "Drink it. It'll strengthen your body."
Shisui pulled the stopper from the tube and drank it without a second thought. He couldn't think of any reason Orochimaru would harm him.
Then Shisui fell straight to the ground. His body convulsed and spasmed as he clutched his throat, muffling a groan.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Judging by that reaction, he's getting more out of it than I did."
Though he no longer felt much resentment, Orochimaru still couldn't help commenting at the sight.
So even when it came to taking drugs, bloodline differences mattered.
Brushing aside his stray thoughts, Orochimaru turned his attention back to the battle plans.
At present, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion. All they needed was the right opportunity.
The following day, at dusk.
The fortress's defensive barrier had been completed just over a day ago, but Orochimaru and the Konoha Shinobi Army had now abandoned it entirely. Newly arrived reinforcements were stationed inside.
The two Hokage Advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, exchanged a glance, then looked in the direction Orochimaru and the others had disappeared.
"Orochimaru is far too reckless."
Utatane Koharu recalled how he'd handed the fortress over to them as casually as if he were throwing away trash. Her brows furrowed again.
Even setting her personal feelings aside, she didn't approve of Orochimaru's methods.
They'd already established a successful foothold. It would be safer to proceed gradually and drive Kumogakure out of the Land of Fire. Hoping to win with a single strike, whether they succeeded or failed, would result in heavy losses. If they failed, the battle could collapse, and they might even lose the foothold they'd worked so hard to secure.
It was clearly the worst course of action.
But Orochimaru acted unilaterally. She'd already humbled herself to persuade him, yet he'd simply ignored her. The squad leaders under his command acted as if they'd been drugged, obeying Orochimaru without question.
Mitokado Homura didn't respond to her complaint. He watched the sinking sun and lit a cigarette.
Utatane Koharu frowned and demanded, "Are you saying you support Orochimaru's plan?"
"No, I didn't say that."
Mitokado Homura exhaled a stream of smoke and replied slowly, "It's just that, with our plan, could we rebuild a foothold along the border in a single night?"
Utatane Koharu was at a loss for words.
"Orochimaru managed it. That proves he's better than us."
Mitokado Homura tossed away his cigarette butt and added, "Of course, if he fails, I won't let him off lightly. I'll take command away from him together with Hiruzen."
With that, Mitokado Homura turned his gaze toward the forest, gradually swallowed by darkness.
There was something he hadn't said: Konoha couldn't afford a prolonged war.
Root was holding off Iwagakure, while Jiraiya was stationed at the Land of Wind's border. But they'd abandoned the defensive line facing the Land of Water.
Kirigakure was in the midst of turmoil, but there was no telling when it might be settled.
Konoha simply couldn't afford to drag this out.
Before you continue