Silver Tongue

Gu Man Yue knew Orochimaru quite well.

More than conquering the Shinobi World, Orochimaru loved conducting research. He was absolutely the greatest scientific genius in the Naruto World.

A cold glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He gave a faint, enigmatic smile. "You're being so cooperative. I'm almost embarrassed."

Though he said that, he didn't let his guard down in the slightest. After all, his opponent was a genius of the Hozuki Clan. Even as one of the Sannin, dealing with Mangetsu would take some effort.

Gu Man Yue thought for a moment, then reached out, took a scroll, and tossed it at Orochimaru's feet.

"This scroll contains our Hozuki Clan's Water Transformation Secret Technique. You can take it."

Orochimaru didn't reach for it. His two cold eyes stayed fixed on him. Only after a long while did he extend his tongue and pick up the scroll.

After confirming it wasn't a trap, he opened it with relief and took a look.

It was indeed the Hozuki Clan's secret Hydrification Technique.

Orochimaru could tell at a glance whether it was genuine.

He put away the scroll and smiled with satisfaction. "A wise man knows when to yield, Hozuki Mangetsu. You really are a clever one."

He had tracked Mangetsu for the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique. Now that he had obtained it, there was no need to keep hunting Mangetsu.

As for the Ninja Blades Mangetsu carried, Orochimaru, who owned one of the Three Sacred Treasures—the Kusanagi Sword—didn't care for them.

Putting away the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru slowly turned and left.

I'm saved!

Gu Man Yue dropped to the ground and couldn't help wiping the cold sweat from his face. As expected of one of the Naruto World's early major villains, his strength was truly monstrous.

There was probably no one in Kirigakure who could stand against him. Even Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and Three-Tails jinchūriki, was no match for Orochimaru.

At this point, Yagura was still under the control of Obito, who had taken the name Tobi. Kirigakure had been torn apart by him, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had long since become little more than a name.

Many bloodline clans were about to be wiped out by the village, including the Hozuki Clan, the Kaguya Clan, and the Yuki Clan. They would destroy their own fighting strength.

But now that Gu Yue Feng had crossed over into this world, he would surely change things and prevent such a tragedy.

"Mr. Orochimaru, please wait!"

Gu Man Yue suddenly ran after him.

What?

Orochimaru gave a cold laugh. "Don't want to accept it?"

"No, no!"

Gu Man Yue hurriedly shook his head.

In the Naruto World, Orochimaru was one of the few powerful figures capable of influencing the course of events. He himself was also on the level of a Super Kage, and his strength couldn't be overlooked.

If Gu Man Yue wanted to make something of himself, Orochimaru would be an excellent ally.

"Mr. Orochimaru, I'd like to work with you."

Work together?

Orochimaru laughed heartily.

"I don't think you have anything valuable to offer."

Smart people didn't make losing deals, and Orochimaru was no exception.

He had been interested in Hozuki Mangetsu for his Hydrification Technique. Now that he had it, Mangetsu was no longer of any use to him.

"Is that so?"

Gu Man Yue smiled too. "I think we still have plenty we could work together on. The Sharingan, for example. Immortality. The secrets of the Senju Clan. Or Akatsuki..."

Orochimaru quickly drew the Kusanagi Sword and cut Gu Man Yue in half with a single slash.

Splash!

Mangetsu's body instantly turned into a puddle of water.

Another Water Clone!

Orochimaru snorted, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The Exploding Water Colliding Wave from earlier had left the area drenched, making it much easier for Mangetsu to use Water Release Ninjutsu.

Mangetsu's figure rose from the surface of the water again.

"What do you know?"

Orochimaru fixed his cold gaze on Mangetsu.

A smile touched Gu Man Yue's lips. As a transmigrator, he knew the plot like the back of his hand. Apart from the Sage of Six Paths, he understood the Naruto plot better than anyone else in the world.

"I'm a jonin of Kirigakure and an heir of the Hozuki Clan. Naturally, I have access to information others can't get."

The Hozuki Clan!

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Though he didn't think much of Mangetsu, he didn't dare underestimate the Hozuki Clan.

The Hozuki Clan had once been Kirigakure's strongest clan. It had even produced the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, a peerless powerhouse.

"Very well!"

Orochimaru slowly sheathed the Kusanagi Sword. "What do you want?"

Realizing he couldn't deal with Hozuki Mangetsu effectively, he chose another approach. Besides, Mangetsu had mentioned things that interested him.

"It's simple!"

Gu Man Yue said, "I need power."

In the original story, Hozuki Mangetsu was only a Quasi-Shadow-level ninja. The Second Mizukage's bloodline limit, the Oil Transformation Technique, hadn't been passed down, and surviving in the turbulent Kirigakure would be difficult enough. Getting through the events of the Fourth Shinobi World War would be even harder.

So he had to get stronger.

In the Naruto World, there were two kinds of powerful people. One kind had innate advantages, like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. The other kind achieved greatness through hard work, like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Namikaze Minato.

The truth was, no matter how hard ordinary people worked, they could never reach the heights of those with innate advantages. No matter how hard Haruno Sakura tried, for example, she would never be a match for Sasuke or Naruto.

But Gu Man Yue knew there was another possibility: Orochimaru's experiments.

Orochimaru was absolutely one of the Naruto plot's biggest loopholes. He had always strived to help ordinary losers become handsome, wealthy winners.

Using his own methods, he transformed people without innate advantages into handsome, wealthy winners.

Gu Man Yue knew that working with Orochimaru was the only way to gain power.

"Power?"

Orochimaru suddenly laughed heartily. "It seems you and I are kindred spirits. That's right. Only power can let you survive in this world."

His smile suddenly faded. "Gaining power comes at a price. Hozuki Mangetsu, what price are you willing to pay?"

If Hozuki Mangetsu had nothing substantial to offer, Orochimaru wouldn't bother wasting his breath.

"With your status, getting a Sharingan wouldn't be difficult. But you haven't transplanted one. What you want is the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan, isn't it?"

Gu Man Yue said calmly.

According to the plot, early on, Orochimaru had coveted the bodies of the Uchiha brothers, wanting to take them as vessels for his soul. But he failed every time. First he was defeated by Itachi's Tsukuyomi; then, three years later, Sasuke destroyed his body; and finally, Itachi, resurrected through Impure World Reincarnation, sealed him away.

Orochimaru's luck had been truly miserable. From this, it was clear he didn't understand the secret of the Sharingan.

Orochimaru's expression shifted between dark and light. He had read the records of the First and knew that the Uchiha Clan's most powerful ocular jutsu was the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Mangekyō Sharingan could not only control Tailed Beasts but also wield the immensely powerful Susanoo. With this technique, Uchiha Madara had once stood as an equal to the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama. But for some reason, no one in Konoha's Uchiha Clan had awakened it to this day.