"Lord Orochimaru, don't trust him."
Kabuto stepped in front of Orochimaru and crouched, forming Chakra Scalpels in both hands as he assumed a battle-ready stance.
Orochimaru patted Kabuto to show him there was no need to get worked up. Then he grinned and leaned around him, holding out a hand to Qiuyang.
"Heh, compared to making a deal, I'm actually more curious about what you've been doing these past few years."
For instance, had Qiuyang fused with the Hashirama Cells? Had the Cursed Seal Orochimaru had left in the cells been successfully implanted?
Even Sasuke, whom Orochimaru had personally been mediating with, still didn't know that Qiuyang's real body had already withdrawn from the fight. Orochimaru couldn't help wondering whether the power of the Cursed Seal was involved.
And it seemed there was quite a difference between Uchiha Sharingan and Sharingan.
Qiuyang still had no idea Orochimaru had tampered with the cells. He simply smiled, then suddenly remembered that the last two times he'd come to see Orochimaru, he'd deliberately picked moments when Orochimaru was badly wounded, just in case he tried something.
But now he had nothing to worry about. After fusing with the Hashirama Cells, his chakra reserves were on a completely different level from before.
Not only could he use all sorts of Wood Release techniques from the First, he could also freely use his original eyes' Mangekyo abilities and his Susanoo Gundam.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a flashy entrance at Orochimaru's secret base, making a spectacle of slapping him in the face.
If he could evolve further into an Eternal Mangekyo...
Qiuyang touched the eyes in his sockets, then took Snake Auntie's outstretched hand and chuckled.
"Orochimaru, there's something I've always wondered about."
Snake Auntie said, "What is it? If I know the answer, I'll be sure to tell you, Qiuyang."
"Those ugly, coarse ropes you wear around your waists—what are they for?"
Qiuyang asked a question that left Snake Auntie speechless.
Snake Auntie's expression twitched almost imperceptibly. She couldn't exactly say they were just for decoration, so she chose to change the subject.
"What deal did you come to discuss with me this time, Qiuyang?"
How boring. She wouldn't even answer that.
Qiuyang grumbled to himself, then switched their roles, walking toward the passage first and telling the other two to talk as they went.
Orochimaru glanced back at the training ground. "You're that confident? You're not worried Sasuke will defeat your clone?"
Sasuke was still being beaten down by Qiuyang's clone.
"Heh... I'm not bragging, but Sasuke's nowhere near a match for my Wood Clone."
What? That was a Wood Clone, not a Shadow Clone?
Orochimaru and Kabuto both looked shocked, then silently followed behind Qiuyang.
Snake Auntie was very glad she'd managed to restrain herself from trying to capture Qiuyang. Otherwise, things might have been difficult to resolve now.
"Heh heh. So, Qiuyang, you've already fused with the Hashirama Cells I gave you."
At that, Qiuyang looked back at Snake Auntie with an inscrutable expression, making Orochimaru think he'd seen right through everything.
Including the fact that, over the past few years, Orochimaru had been able to use some Wood Release techniques thanks to this improved White Zetsu body.
But Qiuyang simply smiled and spoke as though reminiscing about the past.
"Mm, the fusion did take some time, but fortunately, it worked in the end. You didn't deceive me."
Thinking back to those fifteen days of accidental fusion, it had been... painful and wonderful.
As time went on, he gradually remembered the soft thigh he'd rested his head on while unconscious, the silky hair that had brushed his cheek, and the scent of her body when she'd held him at night...
But where was that bright girl who had once stayed by his side?
Would the two of them ever meet again in this life?
Qiuyang felt as if something were missing from his heart. He no longer felt like pretending to negotiate with Orochimaru, so he got straight to the point.
"Orochimaru, I'm sure you've collected quite a few Tailed Beast parts over the years."
Orochimaru was taken aback, then smiled slyly. His voice grew even raspier.
"Heh heh... Have you heard of the Akatsuki? They're collecting Tailed Beasts. I don't think I'm strong enough to compete with them.
"If you want me to help you steal the Tailed Beasts they've collected, I'm afraid I can't. But... I can give you information."
He'd suffered badly at Pain and Itachi's hands. He wasn't about to go looking for trouble again.
He also didn't think Qiuyang was strong enough to stand against those freaks in the Akatsuki.
"I know about the Akatsuki, but I'm not trying to collect Tailed Beasts... I want you to give me the parts of the Tailed Beasts you've collected."
In the original story, it seemed Snake Auntie had obtained a layer of the Eight-Tails' horn, later cultivated a single horn, and also used some parts of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to create Mecha-Naruto.
But Qiuyang refused to believe a scientist like Snake Auntie hadn't studied the other Tailed Beasts.
Considering she'd even dared to infiltrate Kumogakure, she probably had parts from at least four or five Tailed Beasts by now.
He had an extremely bold plan: use nine small Eight Trigrams Seals to seal nine Tailed Beast parts, then use one large Eight Trigrams Seal to seal a part of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Then he'd use the Uzumaki Clan's specialized sealing pattern to guide the nine Tailed Beast Chakras into the part of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, fusing them into Ten-Tails Chakra.
When Qiuyang first came up with the plan, he'd been amazed by his own genius.
If it really worked, wouldn't he become a pseudo-Ten-Tails Jinchuriki? He wondered if the chakra's influence might even evolve him directly into a Rinnegan user.
Ever since their first meeting, Orochimaru had been astonished by Qiuyang time and time again.
So when he heard that Qiuyang knew he had some Tailed Beast parts, Orochimaru merely pressed his lips together.
He didn't speak first, waiting to see what Qiuyang would offer him.
Seeing that greedy, waiting-to-name-his-price expression made Qiuyang both annoyed and amused.
He really wanted to tell Snake Auntie:
You're going to be killed by Sasuke before long. What are you keeping all this stuff for, to have babies? Maybe I'll be grateful for what you give me now and save you with the Evil-Sealing Method when the time comes.
But Qiuyang still didn't dare say anything that could seriously affect the future course of events.
He could only negotiate like a businessman and offer Snake Auntie something she wanted.
For example, the information he'd revealed at the start...
"I can give you a definite answer to your question. The souls sealed by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal can indeed be released from the Shinigami by summoning it with the Shinigami Mask..."
How could this guy know about that?
Orochimaru was completely unsettled, his slit pupils filled with confusion.
He hadn't even told his closest subordinate, Kabuto, about his theory. Could Qiuyang predict the future, or... could he really see through it?
"Heh heh. I've noticed that your eyes can see through everything even better than Itachi's, Qiuyang."
They'd laid their offers on the table, so both of them understood how valuable their respective terms were.
Although this reincarnated White Zetsu body gave Orochimaru some feeling in his arm and let him move it a little, recovering the soul of his complete arm from the Shinigami was what he wanted most.
At a turn in the passage, Orochimaru moved ahead of Qiuyang and took the lead. He also instructed Kabuto, who had come with them.
"Come with me, Qiuyang. Kabuto, stay here."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto instinctively believed Qiuyang could never be a match for Lord Orochimaru.
After all, the Third Hokage and the Kazekage had both died at Orochimaru's hands. Was this Qiuyang really stronger than two Kage?
He'd never believe it.
"So, Orochimaru, you still haven't told me how many Tailed Beast parts you have right now."
"Heh heh... I'm sure you'll be satisfied. I just have one more condition..."
Now that Orochimaru knew there was hope for his arm, he excitedly stuck out his long tongue and waggled it. After licking his lips for a while, he finally answered.
"You have to leave me some samples. Once I have some free time, I want to keep studying these chakra monsters!"
That was all? Qiuyang readily agreed.
Before you continue