Trading with Orochimaru!

Looking at the four corpses on the ground, Izumi looked a little uneasy.

Uchiha Itachi and Roy, on the other hand, looked completely calm.

"They're probably shinobi from Kirigakure, but why would they show up here now?"

Roy looked puzzled.

Kirigakure hadn't been causing trouble all over the place at this point in time.

"They're probably here to investigate Konoha's current situation."

"The relationship between our two villages isn't exactly good."

Itachi spoke slowly.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Itachi had gone to the battlefield.

The horrors he'd witnessed and the hatred left behind back then couldn't have faded in just a few short years.

"Investigating... Obito?"

Roy murmured quietly.

Kirigakure was still under Obito's control.

Karatachi Yagura had already been controlled by Obito, and Kirigakure was shrouded in the Blood Mist.

Whatever Kirigakure was doing now, it was probably connected to Obito...

"Have you made contact yet?"

A smile appeared at the corner of Roy's mouth.

"Roy, what are we going to do now..."

"First, we'll deal with the four of them, and then..."

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Before Roy could finish speaking, he flung the Shuriken in his hand.

Itachi leaped up at once and followed with a volley of Shurikenjutsu.

A web of Shuriken immediately enveloped the area around them.

A shinobi appeared in their line of sight.

His body was riddled with Shuriken.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

But all the Shuriken fell to the ground.

"Lord Orochimaru, why are you here?"

Roy narrowed his eyes, wary as he looked at Orochimaru before him.

Itachi also gripped his Kunai tightly, his Sharingan beginning to spin.

The man before them was dangerous.

"Uchiha Roy, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Izumi."

"I didn't expect Uchiha Fugaku to let you come out, but I'm not here to cause you trouble."

"Let's make a deal. Give me the four corpses on the ground."

Orochimaru licked his snake-like tongue and spoke with a sinister expression.

"A deal has to come with a price, doesn't it?"

"Lord Orochimaru, what can you offer us?"

Roy asked outright.

At his words, Itachi and Izumi froze.

Even Orochimaru was momentarily caught off guard.

This kid didn't play by the rules!

Itachi clearly knew what kind of person Orochimaru was.

Izumi, meanwhile, was simply stunned.

Orochimaru had thought that not attacking the three of them was already a deal in itself.

Roy's sudden question left him at a loss for words.

"Itachi, take Izumi somewhere else to relax."

"She's a little nervous."

Roy looked toward Itachi and spoke softly.

"Understood, Roy."

"Izumi, come on."

Itachi led Izumi away, and the two quickly vanished from sight.

"Roy, what is it you want to talk to me about?"

"Or perhaps I have something you need?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and looked at Roy with amusement.

"I want Hashirama Cells."

Roy stated his demand without hesitation.

"Hashirama Cells?"

"Where did you hear about those..."

"I don't have any on hand at the moment. My previous research..."

"What do you want them for?"

Before Orochimaru could finish, a flame rose from Roy's finger.

"If you're not sincere, forget it."

"This cooperation is just a matter of showing good faith."

"Lord Orochimaru, I think that in your future plans, having the Uchiha's help..."

Roy raised his head, a hint of wickedness in his eyes.

"Kid, do you know what you're saying?"

"You're just an Uchiha Chunin..."

Orochimaru had been about to argue, but when he looked at Roy's confident expression, he found himself unable to continue.

"How many do you need?"

Orochimaru thought it over carefully before speaking.

"At least three samples!"

Roy raised his hand and stated his demand.

"Three?"

"Fine."

"I hope you remember what you said today. You're just a Chunin, so you'd better..."

Orochimaru left the sentence unfinished and narrowed his eyes at Roy.

He tried to spot some weakness in him.

"Lord Orochimaru is clever. You see some things more clearly than I do."

"Besides, your goal is impossible to achieve without the Uchiha's help."

"As for whether I have what it takes to change the Uchiha, I don't think I need to tell you that myself."

Roy held out his hand, still completely composed.

Orochimaru's attitude toward Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't simply one of hatred or resentment, as it might have seemed.

Orochimaru deeply respected his teacher.

That was precisely why Orochimaru had decided to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.

He didn't want his teacher's lifelong title as Hokage to end up in disgrace.

"Here."

"Those higher-ups are in for trouble this time."

"They really couldn't have picked a worse time."

After speaking, Orochimaru summoned four giant snakes, which carried off the corpses.

He also handed Roy a box, then turned to leave.

"Lord Orochimaru, I don't know how to use this. You do it for me."

Roy said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Huh?"

"You little..."

Orochimaru was dumbfounded.

What was the point of asking for this if he didn't know how to use it?

And he wanted Orochimaru to implant Hashirama Cells in him?

Wasn't he worried Orochimaru might leave something behind inside him?

"You just need to cut your skin and let the Hashirama Cells come into contact with it. They'll fuse on their own."

"Whether you can withstand the Hashirama Cells depends on your own strength."

"I'm leaving."

After speaking, Orochimaru was swallowed by a giant snake that emerged from the ground, then disappeared from sight.

Roy looked at the box in his hand, still calm, and put it directly into his Portable Space.

Orochimaru surely had a way to improve the odds of successful fusion, but since he hadn't mentioned it, Roy didn't press him.

"Roy."

A few minutes later, Itachi returned to Roy's side with Izumi.

"Let's go. We'll keep moving."

"Our first destination is the Land of Grass."

With Itachi back, Roy made his preparations and got ready to head for their destination.

"Roy, just now..."

"Do you want to know?"

"If you nod, I'll tell you."

Roy smiled at Itachi.

To be honest, he really wanted to know what Itachi's expression would be if he learned the truth.

"No. I just wanted to ask because I was getting a little hungry."

Itachi smoothly changed the subject.

That lie... was absolutely flawless.

"Come on, let's get something to eat first."

"That stream over there looks nice."

Roy disappeared from the spot as soon as he finished speaking.

Watching Roy leave, Itachi paused for a moment, then followed after him.