Subduing Orochimaru

Feng Yao brought Orochimaru to another open space.

After releasing him, Orochimaru immediately maintained a safe distance from Feng Yao.

Feng Yao laughed, "What's wrong, Orochimaru? Do you really need to be so cautious? Or are you afraid of dying here?"

Feng Yao's eyes had returned to their deep blue pupils, but this only made Orochimaru more wary; he had long since learned that the other man could manifest his ocular powers even without activating the Mangekyo.

Orochimaru replied immediately, "Yao-kun, you underestimate yourself. Being cautious when dealing with you is never excessive. However, you are wrong about one thing: I am not afraid of death. Even if I die, I still have the chance to be resurrected."

The source of Orochimaru's confidence was naturally the Cursed Seal. It could be said that his research into the seals had reached a profound level; in the original history, he could be resurrected even after being sealed by the legendary Sword of Totsuka.

"Is that so? Even after I kill those disciples of yours who possess the Heaven and Earth Cursed Seal, you'll still be able to resurrect, right?" Feng Yao waved his hand and sat down on the ground without any hesitation.

Orochimaru was so terrified that he broke into a cold sweat; at this moment, his mind was completely blank.

Why does he know about this? Even if he knows about the Cursed Seal, I have never told anyone about the resurrection aspect. Could it be that Feng Yao can foresee the past and the future?

Thinking of this, Orochimaru felt as if his body had been hollowed out, with everything about him exposed to the open air.

Feng Yao, of course, could not have guessed that Orochimaru was overthinking things; he simply wanted Orochimaru to know that he had the power to kill him.

Seeing the look on Orochimaru's face, Feng Yao was very satisfied.

He spoke again, this time addressing Orochimaru's ideals and pursuits.

"Orochimaru, I know you are a man of insatiable curiosity. Everything you do is to explore the truth of the world, but that takes time. That is why you created the Living Corpse Reincarnation, a forbidden technique that allows you to transfer your spirit into others' bodies for eternal life. You also want to explore the secrets of my body—that is why you wanted to seize it, isn't it?"

Feng Yao pierced through Orochimaru's thoughts with a single sentence, scaring him so badly that his liver and gallbladder felt like they were splitting. He roared in his heart, So that's it! No wonder he knows all my calculations and schemes. He actually possesses a ninjutsu that can foresee the past and the future.

Orochimaru had already lost the battle of mental fortitude. He felt that Feng Yao understood everything about him, and that those eyes seemed to have already seen his future.

For the first time, he spoke in a trembling voice, "Yao-kun, everything you said is correct. You captured me but didn't kill me—what exactly is your goal?"

At this moment, he wanted to know what Feng Yao intended to do, as his own survival hung entirely on the other man's whim.

"It's simple, Orochimaru. Become my right-hand man! I will lead you to explore the origin of the world and master the mysteries of the ninja world. Together, we will create the ultimate life form."

Feng Yao's words were filled with soaring ambition, and even Orochimaru couldn't help but be infected. He lowered his head and pondered.

Since the man before me can foresee the past and future, he must have already known whether I would follow him or not. If that is the case, then perhaps by following him, I can truly succeed in fulfilling my ideals.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru breathed heavily in excitement. He had always explored the path of science alone, like a pioneer of a revolution, but now he had a guide—someone to lead him!

As he looked at Feng Yao, the greed and trickery in his eyes were replaced by genuine respect.

"You must have already known whether I would agree or not, right?"

Huh? How would I know if you'd agree? If I knew, I wouldn't have to ask, Feng Yao wondered to himself.

"I am willing to be your right-hand man, Yao-kun. I want to see how far we can go together. Please forgive me for my previous actions." Having said this, he bowed deeply.

Seeing this, Feng Yao laughed heartily and helped Orochimaru up.

"Get up, Orochimaru. You will be glad for the choice you made today. Take this."

He took out a ring engraved with the character for "Earth" and placed it on Orochimaru's hand, symbolizing his position as the second-in-command of the Immortal organization.

Afterward, the first thing Feng Yao did was take Orochimaru to see the spoils of war he had seized from Konoha—a small mountain of scrolls containing forbidden techniques.

Orochimaru's eyes lit up at the sight. He had only ever stolen glimpses of these forbidden techniques in the past and had never mastered them all; furthermore, Konoha had surely added many new ninjutsu in recent years.

Part of the reason Orochimaru had attacked Konoha was for these very scrolls, and he hadn't expected Feng Yao to have already prepared them.

He became even more convinced that Feng Yao possessed a ninjutsu capable of foreseeing the future, and he felt fortunate for his choice.

"Yao-kun, these ninjutsu are truly magnificent! I think it will take me a long time to master them completely."

Looking at the excited Orochimaru, Feng Yao smiled slightly and said, "You have plenty of time. I hope these techniques can be used to improve the organization's combat capabilities. Can you do it within two years?"

"Rest assured, Yao-kun. There are many secret techniques here that can enhance our strength. In less than two years, you will have a powerful army."

Hearing Feng Yao's request, Orochimaru gave his guarantee without hesitation.

Hearing Orochimaru's promise, Feng Yao nodded in satisfaction. They couldn't stay in the Kamui Dimension forever, so Feng Yao brought Orochimaru back to the Sound Village.

Upon entering the familiar underground base, they saw Kimimaro guarding the door to Orochimaru's laboratory, looking somewhat lost.

He must have been using this method to mourn Orochimaru.

However, when he turned his head, his eyes suddenly lit up—the man with long hair and golden pupils had appeared once again.

"Lord Orochimaru, have you returned from there?" Kimimaro was overjoyed, but upon seeing Feng Yao, he immediately became alert, even rushing to Orochimaru's side to separate the two.

He did not want to experience that feeling of loss again.

"Lord Orochimaru, with me here this time, I won't give him the chance to use that space-time ninjutsu."

As he spoke, he activated his Cursed Seal.

Looking at Kimimaro, who was shielding him, Orochimaru patted his head with affection.

"It's alright, Kimimaro. From now on, I am a subordinate of Yao-kun. You must treat him with the same respect you show me. Do you understand?"

Feeling the tone, which was vastly different from Orochimaru's usual demeanor, Kimimaro felt suspicious; for a moment, he even wondered if the man was an impostor using a Transformation Technique.

"I have seen my future in Yao-kun. I want you to respect him just as you respect me."

Seeing the doubt in Kimimaro's eyes, Orochimaru's soft, feminine voice sounded once more.

Kimimaro looked at Feng Yao with a hint of disbelief; although he did not understand why Orochimaru had undergone such a drastic change, he would carry out anything Orochimaru commanded.

Kimimaro knelt on one knee to pledge his loyalty to Feng Yao.

"Lord Feng Yao, please forgive my previous rudeness toward you. Thank you for returning Lord Orochimaru to me."

Watching Kimimaro, who was so blindly obedient to Orochimaru, Feng Yao sighed inwardly. He truly admired such a loyal subordinate, but the man's illness remained a persistent problem. In this lifetime, because there had been no siege on the Kazekage, the condition had not yet deteriorated to such a critical state, but he feared Kimimaro did not have long to live.

After helping Kimimaro to his feet, he followed Orochimaru into his laboratory, where Feng Yao retrieved all the ninjutsu scrolls and forbidden books from the Kamui Dimension and handed them over to Orochimaru.

This even included Shisui's eyes and that severed arm belonging to Danzo.

Orochimaru was moved beyond measure at the sight, especially by Shisui's eyes, having personally experienced the terror of that genjutsu.

Orochimaru was also slightly touched by the trust Feng Yao placed in him; one had to realize that if Orochimaru were to implant the eyes and use Kotoamatsukami on Feng Yao, the situation would turn disastrous.

Yet, the other party had shown absolutely no precaution against him. Did you foresee from the future that I would not betray you? Yao-kun, you truly are a terrifying and mysterious man!

In truth, Feng Yao had merely placed a Flying Thunder God seal on the eyeballs; with that safeguard in place, he could naturally hand them over to Orochimaru with peace of mind.

Of course, these were things Orochimaru would only discover much later.