The Ten-Tails Pseudo-Jinchuriki Plan

"Lord Orochimaru, do not trust him."

Kabuto stood before Orochimaru, crouching low with chakra scalpels manifesting in his hands, adopting a stance ready for combat at any moment.

Orochimaru patted Kabuto to signal him to stand down, then grinned, stepped past him, and extended a hand toward Qiuyang:

"Heh, rather than a trade, I am actually more curious about what you have been doing these past few years?"

For instance, whether Qiuyang had successfully fused with the Hashirama Cells, and whether the Cursed Seal he had left within those cells had been successfully imprinted.

Even Sasuke, whom he had personally groomed, still did not know that Qiuyang's true body had actually disengaged from the battle, leading Orochimaru to suspect whether the influence of the Cursed Seal was at play.

Furthermore, it seemed the gap between Uchiha Sharingan and Sharingan was still quite significant.

Qiuyang, unaware that Orochimaru had tampered with the cells, merely pursed his lips and smiled. He suddenly recalled that the last two times he had come to find Orochimaru, he had specifically chosen times when the man was at low health, fearing a sneak attack.

But now, he had no such concerns. Having fused with the Hashirama Cells, his chakra levels were no longer in the same league as they once were.

Not only could he use the various Wood Clone ninjutsu of the First Hokage, but he could also freely utilize the Mangekyo abilities of his original eyes and the Susanoo Gundam.

Otherwise, he would not have made such a high-profile, face-slapping entrance into Orochimaru's secret base.

If he could further evolve into an Eternal Mangekyo...

Qiuyang touched the eyes in his sockets, then grasped the hand extended by Snake Auntie, chuckling lightly:

"Orochimaru, I have actually always had a question."

Snake Auntie: "What question? If it is something I know, I will certainly tell you, Qiuyang-kun."

"What are these ugly, thick hemp ropes tied around your waist for?"

Qiuyang asked a question that left Snake Auntie speechless.

Snake Auntie's eye twitched imperceptibly. She could hardly say they were used as decorations, so she chose to change the subject:

"I wonder what kind of trade you wish to discuss, Qiuyang-kun, by coming to see me this time?"

How boring, she wouldn't even answer that.

Qiuyang muttered to himself, then took the lead, walking into the corridor and telling the two behind him to talk as they walked.

Orochimaru looked back at the training ground: "Are you that confident? Are you not afraid that Sasuke will defeat your clone?"

Although, at this moment, the Sasuke on the field was still being suppressed by Qiuyang's clone.

"Heh... I'm not bragging, but Sasuke's current strength is no match for my Wood Clone."

What? That was a Wood Clone, not a Shadow Clone?

Orochimaru and Kabuto both wore expressions of shock, then followed silently behind Qiuyang.

Snake Auntie felt extremely fortunate that she had suppressed the urge to attack and capture Qiuyang; otherwise, the situation would likely have been difficult to resolve.

"Heh heh, so that means, Qiuyang-kun, you have already fused with the Hashirama Cells I gave you."

Hearing this, Qiuyang looked back at Snake Auntie with an inscrutable expression, bluffing Orochimaru into thinking that Qiuyang had seen through everything.

Including the fact that he had been able to use some Wood Clone ninjutsu over the past few years by relying on this modified White Zetsu body.

However, Qiuyang merely smiled, as if reminiscing about the past:

"Mm, the fusion did take some time, but fortunately, it was successful in the end. You did not lie to me."

Thinking back to that accidental half-month of fusion time, it was truly... painful yet beautiful.

As time passed, he slowly remembered the soft lap he had rested his head on while unconscious, the silky hair that had brushed against his cheeks, and the scent he had caught when holding her in the middle of the night...

But where was that bright, beautiful girl who had once accompanied him so closely now?

Would he and she ever meet again in this lifetime?

Qiuyang felt as if something was missing from his heart. He no longer had the mood to play games with Orochimaru and got straight to the point:

"Orochimaru, I believe you must have collected quite a few things like Tailed Beasts over these many years!"

Orochimaru was stunned at these words, then gave an insidious smile, his voice becoming even raspier:

"Heh heh... I wonder if you have heard of the Akatsuki, Qiuyang-kun? They are the ones collecting Tailed Beasts. I do not consider myself to have the strength to compete with them. If you want me to help you snatch Tailed Beasts from that organization, I am afraid I cannot, but... I can provide you with intelligence."

He had suffered a great loss at the hands of Pain and Itachi, and he would not go looking for trouble again.

He also did not believe that Qiuyang currently had the strength to contend with those freaks in the Akatsuki.

"I know the Akatsuki, but I am not looking to collect Tailed Beasts... I want you to give me the parts of the Tailed Beasts you have collected."

In the original plot, it was mentioned that Snake Auntie had obtained the stratum corneum of the Eight-Tails, later cultivating a bull horn, and had also used parts of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to create Mecha-Naruto.

But Qiuyang did not believe for a second that the scientist Snake Auntie would not have researched other Tailed Beasts.

Judging by the fact that she dared to infiltrate Kumogakure, he estimated that Snake Auntie currently held parts of at least four or five Tailed Beasts.

He had a very bold plan: to seal the nine Tailed Beast parts using nine small Eight Trigrams Sealing, and then add one large Eight Trigrams Sealing to seal the part of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Then, using the specific cursed sealing pattern of the Uzumaki clan, he would channel the nine Tailed Beast chakras into the part of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, thereby fusing them into Ten-Tails chakra.

When Qiuyang first conceived of this plan, he was practically floored by his own brilliance.

If it actually succeeded, wouldn't he become a pseudo-Ten-Tails jinchuriki? He wondered if, under the influence of that chakra, he might even evolve the Rinnegan.

Ever since his first encounter with Qiuyang, the boy had brought Orochimaru far too many shocks.

As a result, upon hearing that Qiuyang actually knew he possessed parts of the Tailed Beasts, Orochimaru merely pursed his lips.

He did not speak first, choosing instead to wait and see what terms Qiuyang would offer.

Seeing this "waiting for the highest bidder" act, Qiuyang found it both infuriating and amusing.

He really wanted to tell Snake Auntie:

You, you're going to be butchered by Sasuke in a while, are you keeping these things to breed? Perhaps if I'm grateful for your contribution now, I'll save you using the Evil-Sealing Method.

However, Qiuyang dared not utter these words that would severely impact the future trajectory of the plot just yet.

He could only talk business and offer some terms that Snake Auntie would like.

For instance, the information he had teased from the very beginning...

"I can give you a definitive answer to your question: the soul bodies trapped within the Dead Demon Consuming Seal can indeed be released by summoning the Shinigami using the Shinigami Mask..."

How could this guy know about this??

Orochimaru completely lost his composure, his vertical pupils filled with immense doubt.

He hadn't even told Kabuto, his closest subordinate, about this speculation. Was Qiuyang capable of divination, or... could he truly see through the future?

"Hehehe, I find that these eyes of yours can see through everything even better than Itachi, Qiuyang-kun."

Now that the conversation had reached this point, both sides understood exactly how much weight their respective bargaining chips carried.

Although this reincarnated White Zetsu body allowed his arms to have some sensation and mobility, retrieving the complete soul of his arms from the Shinigami was what Orochimaru desired most urgently.

Reaching a corner, Orochimaru walked past Qiuyang to take the lead, while instructing Kabuto:

"Qiuyang-kun, come with me. Kabuto, you stay here."

Kabuto: "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Subconsciously, Kabuto believed that Qiuyang could never be a match for Lord Orochimaru.

One had to remember that the Third Hokage and the Kazekage had both died at Orochimaru's hands; could this Qiuyang really be more powerful than two Kage?

He wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.

"So, Orochimaru, you still haven't told me exactly how many Tailed Beast parts you currently have in your possession."

"Hehehe... it will certainly satisfy you, but I have one more condition..."

Now that Orochimaru knew his hands could be saved, he began to excitedly wag his long tongue, licking his lips for a moment before replying:

"You must leave me some samples. Once I have some free time later, I still intend to continue researching these chakra monsters!"

Was that all? Qiuyang agreed readily.