Hashirama Cells, Acquired

Orochimaru had gone to Tsunade to get his arms treated, but in the end, Tsunade came to her senses and got the better of him. He wound up fighting Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Naruto all at once.

And as if that weren't enough, his unintentional efforts had helped Tsunade overcome her fear of blood. He'd lost on every count.

Orochimaru was thoroughly miserable. The Uchiha brat's prediction had actually come true: he was destined to fail.

And fail he had—then he'd been beaten so badly he'd fled in disarray!

--

The place where Orochimaru and Qiuyang had first met still bore faint traces of the terrain Jirobo had altered with Earth Release.

When they fled there, another problem arose: a rhythmic, muffled thumping suddenly sounded up ahead.

Thump... thump... thump...

It sounded as if something was hopping toward them.

Kabuto drew a kunai and stood in front of Orochimaru, cautiously watching the direction the sound came from.

It was coming.

"Ribbit."

They heard it before they saw it.

A gigantic toad leaped over their heads, its enormous body blocking out the sunlight.

The toad landed right where Orochimaru and Kabuto had been standing.

Kabuto was startled. He turned and tackled Orochimaru out of the way.

Less than a second after they dodged, Gamakichi landed squarely where they had just been.

The gust of wind from its landing blew the two men, still sprawled on the ground, two or three meters away.

Kabuto broke into a cold sweat.

If they hadn't dodged in time, they would have been injured.

And that thing was...a giant toad summon?

Kabuto looked up into the sunlight and made out a tall, handsome figure standing atop the toad's head.

"Damn it, is that one of the Sannin, Jiraiya? How did he track us down?"

He was on the verge of despair. Their chakra had nearly run dry fighting Tsunade and Jiraiya, and now they'd been caught up with again.

If Jiraiya had already recovered from the drug, then he and Lord Orochimaru...might not make it out alive this time.

He absolutely couldn't let anything happen to Lord Orochimaru.

At that moment, Kabuto made up his mind to let the person behind him escape first.

"Lord Orochimaru, go on ahead. I'll hold Jiraiya off."

"Don't worry, Kabuto."

Orochimaru had initially thought Jiraiya was the one pursuing them, but his slit pupils were different from an ordinary person's.

Even with the sunlight in his eyes, he could clearly see who was striking a pose with his arms crossed atop the toad.

Hm. In such a hurry to become my vessel?

Orochimaru licked his lips and pushed Kabuto aside.

"That isn't Jiraiya. It's the person you're so interested in."

Not Jiraiya?

Kabuto was confused. Who else could summon a toad?

Lord Orochimaru had said it was someone he was interested in. Who could it be...? Then he suddenly understood, his eyes narrowing.

"Uchiha...Qiuyang."

Qiuyang decided he'd stood up there long enough. He leaned down and patted Gamakichi's head. Understanding, the toad lowered its head to let him climb down.

Before ending the summoning, Gamakichi didn't forget to ask Qiuyang to bring Caterpillar to Mount Myoboku next time.

"..."

Qiuyang's mouth twitched when he heard that. He regretted deciding to show off with Gamakichi after seeing how huge the toad had grown.

And now, at a moment this serious, Gamakichi wanted to make small talk?

"Ahem. Orochimaru, you've kept me waiting long enough. Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Qiuyang, you never cease to amaze me... You always manage to appear when I'm at my weakest. And...how exactly did you see through the future?"

He was referring to the fact that he would fail.

From his interactions with Tsunade over the past few days, it was clear she had never even heard of Qiuyang.

Yet the outcome had been exactly as Qiuyang had predicted: he'd failed.

Even after offering Tsunade such tempting terms, he'd still failed.

So how had Qiuyang known what would happen? It wasn't as if he'd traveled into the future and seen it for himself...right?

That was just how Snake Auntie, the scientist, was. The more something baffled him, the more curious he became.

Qiuyang didn't indulge him. He simply held out his hand.

"Cut the chatter. I asked whether you brought what I wanted. Understand?"

Before Orochimaru could speak, Kabuto forcibly cut into the conversation.

"Are you Uchiha Qiu Yang? Even if Lord Orochimaru values you, I won't allow you to speak to him in that tone."

As Orochimaru's devoted admirer, Kabuto had been annoyed from the moment Qiuyang spoke to him so condescendingly.

When Qiuyang only doubled down, Kabuto couldn't hold back any longer.

After delivering the cold retort, he raised his hand. A Chakra Blade formed over it, and he charged at Qiuyang.

Orochimaru opened his mouth to stop him, but then changed his mind and closed it, choosing to watch.

Heh heh... He could use Kabuto to test just how strong Uchiha Qiuyang would be as his next vessel!

Kabuto had already reached Qiuyang. He thrust his palm toward Qiuyang's throat.

If Qiuyang didn't defend himself, Kabuto was certain he could slice through every vein in his neck, leaving him alive but paralyzed.

Then Lord Orochimaru would turn his attention back to him!

How could Qiuyang not know how dangerous Kabuto's Chakra Blade was?

He swiftly drew his short sword and held it in front of his neck, just managing to block Kabuto's palm.

Clang!

The blade struck Kabuto's palm with an unbelievable metallic ring.

Kabuto's fighting spirit only grew. As he swung both hands, he taunted Qiuyang.

"Hmph. You sure you don't want to activate your Sharingan? I'll make you regret it."

Qiuyang fought while retreating. Seeing Snake Auntie make no effort to stop them, he grew angry too.

He came all this way to discuss business with him, and every time, Orochimaru refused to cooperate. What was that about?

Well, if the master refused to cooperate, this monk knew a little kung fu.

Qiuyang blocked Kabuto's upward slash with his Chakra Blade, then leaped into the air and formed Hand Seals with one hand.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."

Kabuto hadn't yet learned Sage Mode at Ryūchi Cave and become Sage Kabuto. For now, he was just a close-combat fighter.

Unable to dodge the flames surging toward him, a fireball half the size of a basketball court, he could only coat both hands in chakra and brace himself against the attack.

But once he'd blocked the Fire Release, Qiuyang was nowhere to be seen.

As Kabuto looked around in confusion, a quiet voice suddenly came from his left.

"Kabuto, since you want to see what the Sharingan can do, I'll show you."

Qiuyang pressed one hand against Kabuto's arm. The tomoe in his right eye spun rapidly, trapping Kabuto under his control.

Then, using his eyes to search, he took a glass vial containing Hashirama Cells from Kabuto's robes.

"I knew Lord Orochimaru would keep something this important on Kabuto."

Qiuyang could clearly see the cells inside the vial radiating terrifying energy. They had to be Hashirama Cells.

For once, he couldn't hide his excitement.

But Snake Auntie, the scientist, was even more thrilled than Qiuyang. His slit pupils fixed on Qiuyang's Yin-Yang Bagua-shaped eye as intently as a young man gazing at a peerless beauty.

"So this is...the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

What a powerful vessel! A perfect ten.