Dialogue

Yan shrugged. "I told you long ago, I know far more about that organization than you do."

After hearing this, Orochimaru adjusted his clothes and slowly walked up to Yan. His snake-like eyes fixed on him as he spoke.

"Then how about you tell me about the Rinnegan?"

"Of course!" Yan picked up a sheet of paper from the laboratory table and began folding it absentmindedly. "But what will you offer in exchange?"

"You didn't come to find me just because you wanted me to return to Konoha, did you?" Orochimaru smiled faintly as he looked at Kabuto and the others, who had remained standing where they were.

"Of course not!" Yan nodded without denying it. "I came here for another reason: I want you to train those five children."

"You should already know about the Ninjutsu Research Institute. Once they've finished learning, I'll place them there."

"Then why not go to Senju Tobirama?" Orochimaru looked the children up and down. "You're the future Hokage. He surely wouldn't mind helping you cultivate talent, would he?"

Yan did not answer, focusing entirely on the origami animal in his hands that was nearly complete.

After waiting for a while, Orochimaru continued.

"And those civilian ninjutsu aren't particularly difficult to research. Why did you come specifically to me?"

"Orochimaru." Yan smiled faintly. "You really are well-informed."

"But that isn't my true purpose. Civilian ninjutsu are nothing troublesome—I could develop them myself."

As he spoke, Yan slowly walked over to Orochimaru with the folded paper in hand.

"Your dream is to learn every ninjutsu in the world, and to achieve that goal, you need a long lifespan."

"I established the Ninjutsu Research Institute because I want to study every bloodline limit and secret technique in the world, unravel the laws of all things, and use them to truly ascend to godhood."

"There isn't really much conflict between us!"

"..."

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes stared unblinkingly at Yan. He could not help licking his lips with his tongue as he said, "Uchiha Yan, your ambition is far greater than mine."

He then nodded and continued.

"I can help you train those children, but what do I get in return?"

"Is the secret of the Rinnegan enough?" Yan replied.

Orochimaru's lips curved into a smile as he shook his head. "It would have been enough before, but now... it isn't!"

"Orochimaru, greedy people generally don't end well!" Yan spread open his hand, revealing a lifelike origami animal in his palm.

It was a tiger, majestic and imposing. Every fold was perfectly placed, vividly displaying the tiger's fierce form.

Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the paper tiger for a moment before he looked up at Yan and said in a low voice, "But if one isn't greedy, one gets nothing."

Yan smiled softly and placed the paper tiger on a nearby table, then reached out and made a grabbing motion.

A white snake hidden in a corner of the laboratory suddenly flew into the air and shot rapidly toward Yan's palm.

Yan seized the white snake by the neck and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Immortality is something I can't achieve. No one in this world can."

"But if you want longevity, I can give you that right now."

Before his words had even faded, Yan's palm moved slightly.

The white snake caught in his hand suddenly began to tremble violently. Its body twisted and struggled, yet it could not break free from Yan's grasp.

Gradually, the vitality within the white snake seemed to be slowly drawn away by an invisible hand.

Its once-lustrous scales began to lose their shine, turning dull and dim. The light in its eyes gradually faded as well, as though the flame of life were being extinguished bit by bit. Its body went limp and powerless.

In the end, Yan casually tossed it onto the ground like a rope that had lost its soul.

Meanwhile, a milky-white, translucent sphere appeared in Yan's left hand.

Orochimaru's gaze was instantly drawn to the sphere, and a trace of shock flashed through his eyes.

He could clearly sense that the white snake's lost vitality had actually taken tangible form in Yan's palm.

How was this even done?

Before Orochimaru could ask, Yan pressed the extracted vitality into the paper tiger on the table.

Immediately afterward, the paper tiger seemed to be infused with a miraculous power. The previously motionless origami began to tremble faintly, its folds seeming to come alive as every line radiated a mysterious glow.

Gradually, the paper tiger seemed to gain life.

It raised its head slightly, and a lively gleam flickered in its paper-folded eyes.

Its body shook gently, as though adapting to the life it had newly gained.

Then it walked to Yan's side and gently nudged his palm with its head, appearing exceptionally affectionate.

Orochimaru stared at the scene in shock. His snake-like eyes widened uncontrollably, filled with astonishment and disbelief.

His mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

His gaze locked tightly onto the paper tiger that had been given life. His body unconsciously leaned forward, as though he wanted to observe this incredible miracle from closer up.

After a moment, Orochimaru came back to his senses. For the first time, a fervent obsession appeared in his eyes as he asked impatiently.

"Tell me, how did you do it?"

"This is incredible! Not only can you strip away life force, you can even grant life to inanimate objects. This simply defies all reason!"

"I'll help with these five children. I can even give up on the secret of the Rinnegan."

"But you have to tell me exactly how you did it."

"..."

Yan was driven back several steps by Orochimaru's fervor. At the same time, he tossed the little tiger in his hand over and said, "Orochimaru, you've spent too long lurking in the shadows. Your horizons have grown narrow."

"I'm not the first person to possess a technique that grants life to inanimate objects!"

Orochimaru hurriedly caught the tiger and regarded it as though it were a priceless treasure. But upon hearing Yan's words, he raised his head in surprise, his face full of confusion.

"There are other ninjutsu like this in the Ninja World?"

"Of course... There are quite a few ninjutsu in the Ninja World capable of transferring life force, but as for granting life to inorganic matter, I only know of two!"

Yan found a stool and sat down. He leaned back against it, and only continued after settling into a comfortable position.

"One is the Yin-Yang Release I possess."

Yin-Yang Release! Orochimaru repeated the name in his mind.

The name sounded very much like a Kekkei Genkai, one that fused Yin and Yang attributes.

Yin Release governed imagination and spiritual energy, capable of creating form. Yang Release governed vitality and physical energy, capable of granting life.

So that's how it is!

Orochimaru could not help but burst into wild laughter.

Just from hearing its name, he had already guessed more than half of this Kekkei Genkai's abilities.

Then Yan raised a second finger and continued.

"The second has some connection to you: Ryūchi Cave's Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation. This technique can accomplish what I just did on a massive scale."

"Though it cannot last permanently, it is already more than sufficient for combat!"