Silver Tongue

"Does Mr. Orochimaru know why that mysterious person wanted to frame you?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu spoke in a mysterious tone.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, and it was a long while before he shook his head; he was also unclear as to why this person would frame him.

The man had clearly had the opportunity to kill him.

Hōzuki Mangetsu explained, "Uchiha Shisui is an elite of the Uchiha Clan and a Jonin of Konoha. Once something happened to him, it would inevitably draw the attention of both the Uchiha and Konoha, so he needed someone to shoulder the blame. Unfortunately, Mr. Orochimaru, you were the one who took the fall."

That made sense!

Orochimaru's eyes brightened, and he nodded slowly.

He had harbored similar suspicions himself.

But the question remained: who exactly had taken Shisui's eyes?

Hōzuki Mangetsu lowered his voice, "If such a person truly exists, they certainly aren't an outsider. After subduing Uchiha Shisui, they could have easily departed without going to the unnecessary trouble of framing Mr. Orochimaru. Therefore, I suspect it was someone from within Konoha."

What?

Orochimaru was successfully led down a crooked path.

Someone from Konoha?

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and a figure gradually emerged in his mind.

Danzo!

Orochimaru knew very well that Danzo had always coveted the power of the Uchiha and the Senju, and the two had even collaborated in secret.

Both sides held leverage over the other, which was the reason for Danzo's ambiguous attitude toward Orochimaru all this time.

Stealing Shisui's eyes and framing him—it certainly sounded like Danzo's style.

That bastard!

Orochimaru's eyes were practically spitting fire.

Naturally, he couldn't tell the Hōzuki Mangetsu before him about his little secrets with Danzo, so he could only keep this matter buried in his heart.

Speaking of which, he had long coveted the bodies of the Uchiha Clan's elites, and after witnessing Shisui's ocular power this time, he was even more eager to obtain the Mangekyo of the Uchiha Clan.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru suddenly licked the corner of his mouth and said, "I heard you are going to Konoha?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

Since Orochimaru was in league with Suikazan Fuguki, it was only logical that he would know about his mission.

That bastard Suikazan must be trying to use a borrowed knife to kill again.

No wonder the Fourth Mizukage had issued such an inexplicable order; it was likely that the bastard Suikazan Fuguki had been fanning the flames on the side.

"Come to think of it, this matter is all thanks to you!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled and said, "Five Kirigakure ninjas died, and the Mizukage wants me to go to Konoha to negotiate. In truth, these people died at the hands of Mr. Orochimaru, didn't they?"

Orochimaru let out a cold hum, remaining silent.

In the ninja world, power was king.

He felt absolutely no pity for the weak.

"I cannot easily believe you on this matter; I must conduct an investigation."

Orochimaru said coldly.

Hōzuki Mangetsu shrugged; he had done his work cleanly and efficiently, and it was impossible for Orochimaru to find any flaws.

"I am going to Konoha with you!"

Orochimaru suddenly declared.

What?

Hōzuki Mangetsu was stunned for a moment, looking at Orochimaru in confusion.

As one of the Sannin, it would be effortless for Orochimaru to sneak into Konoha.

Why would he want to go with him?

If Orochimaru were to do something reckless, Kirigakure would be the one to suffer the consequences.

"Mr. Orochimaru!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu said with a wry smile, "This time, Kirigakure is not going there to start a war. If you come along..."

"Rest assured, I will not take any actions that would be detrimental to your Kirigakure. This time, I merely wish to infiltrate and investigate a few things."

Orochimaru said nonchalantly.

Although he had his own secret channels for entering and exiting Konoha, using them would certainly alert Root.

Therefore, Hōzuki Mangetsu's diplomatic mission to Konoha was the perfect opportunity.

But...

Hōzuki Mangetsu hesitated for a moment and said, "Konoha possesses a sophisticated barrier ninjutsu team. Even if you go with me, you likely won't be able to evade their detection. If you are exposed..."

Orochimaru suddenly let out a delicate giggle, tearing off the mask on his face to reveal the appearance of a round-faced woman, his body also shifting into a curvaceous form.

"Tell me, in this current state, would the people of Konoha still be able to recognize me?"

What the hell!

Hōzuki Mangetsu couldn't help but break out in goosebumps all over his body.

He had nearly forgotten about Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation.

Back when he fought the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had once revealed this woman's face.

In other words, this was already his second reincarnation.

Hōzuki Mangetsu finally understood why Orochimaru was able to dispel the genjutsu of Uchiha Shisui; it was because he had changed his vessel.

Kotoamatsukami was an S-rank genjutsu; once caught in it, one would become a puppet of the caster. Even if the caster died, the altered thoughts would still persist.

Logically speaking, it was impossible for an ordinary person to break free, but Orochimaru was able to bypass this result by changing his host body.

As expected of the greatest boss of the early stages, his vitality was truly tenacious.

"Mr. Orochimaru, no, Miss, is this your Living Corpse Reincarnation?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu was somewhat at a loss, not knowing what to do.

The body was a woman's, but the spirit was a man's—only Orochimaru could pull off such a thing. His research into ninjutsu had long since transcended the boundaries of gender.

For some reason, he couldn't help but feel a bit strange.

"Kid!"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and sneered, "If you don't want to become my vessel, then stop with that sarcastic tone."

As he spoke, he licked his chin and added, "To be honest, I am still very interested in the body of the Hozuki Clan."

Hōzuki Mangetsu couldn't help but shiver, his skin crawling with goosebumps.

He found it hard to imagine what it would feel like to be possessed by Orochimaru.

"Snake Clan Contract!"

This guy still hadn't forgotten to reach out his hand.

It seemed he was still obsessed with this.

Bastard!

A cold glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes, but he forced himself to endure it.

This time was different from before; he truly needed to go to Konoha, and the best channel was to accompany Hōzuki Mangetsu.

In any case, he had already completed his reincarnation and wasn't afraid of being recognized by the people of Konoha.

At the same time, Orochimaru had a deep understanding of this Hozuki Clan kid, knowing he was the type who wouldn't get out of bed unless there was profit to be made.

However, the Snake Clan Contract was tied to the senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave, and Orochimaru certainly wouldn't hand it over easily.

But if he didn't give this kid something, he definitely wouldn't be easily swayed.

"Kid!"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and said, "How about I help you modify your body to recreate the Oil Transformation Technique of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu?"

He smiled and continued, "The Second Mizukage was the most powerful ninja in Kirigakure. Not only that, he was renowned throughout the entire ninja world. The War-Crazed Tyrant's name echoed across the lands. I have long admired him, and I specifically went to Kirigakure to obtain some of the Second's cells to cultivate."