Orochimaru Wants a Free Ride

"Haha, just kidding. Let's put it another way: how about a partnership? Feel better now?" Obito said with a smirk.

"It has been a long time since I've disliked someone this much. I'm starting to regret coming here," Orochimaru said.

"No more jokes, let's get down to business. Have you heard of the Evil God Cult?" Obito asked seriously.

"The Evil God Cult... hmm, I've heard a little. In the Land of Hot Water, there are some fools who worship an evil god and offer sacrifices to it. Don't tell me the immortality you're talking about involves worshipping that thing," Orochimaru said.

"I met someone in the Land of Hot Water, a God Messenger of the Evil God Cult. Her power isn't particularly strong—just a bit above an average jonin. But she has a remarkable ability. I crushed her kidneys and cut off her head, yet she recovered completely a moment later. Isn't that miraculous?"

Obito said, blending the truth with lies about Hidan.

"Crushed her kidneys? She didn't die even after being decapitated..." Orochimaru rested his chin on one hand, tapping his fingers against it as he began to recall the information he had gathered.

The strongest recovery ability known was that of the First Hokage, but even he couldn't instantly regenerate kidneys... If this brat wasn't lying, the power of this God Messenger was indeed worth researching.

"Is that God Messenger in your hands?" Orochimaru asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Guess?" Obito replied.

Orochimaru was infuriated by Obito's words... If it weren't for the possibility that he might not be able to win, he would have loved to drag this brat into his lab for a thorough study!

"What exactly do you want? If you're just looking to kill time, Obito-kun, you've found the wrong person," Orochimaru said with a hostile tone.

"Partner with me. I can provide you with funding and test subjects; in return, you provide me with your research results. I think we'll have a very pleasant cooperation."

Obito was very interested in Orochimaru's research capabilities, especially in the field of life sciences... If utilized well, biopharmaceuticals would be a great asset to him in the future.

Furthermore, the way the Evil God had backstabbed him at the end still made Obito somewhat uneasy. If Orochimaru could find a solution, that would be for the best; if not, there was no real loss.

However, Orochimaru was by no means a good subordinate or partner. In the original story, he defected from Konoha to join Akatsuki, only to leave the organization later—he was not a man content to live under others.

If he couldn't win Orochimaru's loyalty in the end, he would simply have to send Orochimaru to study the Death God instead...

Orochimaru fell silent, weighing the pros and cons.

"Orochimaru, how do you define immortality?" Obito set down his teacup and asked solemnly.

"Immortality: life that does not fade with the passage of time. Undying and indestructible!" Orochimaru said.

"I consider that the lowest form of immortality. Living corpses or merely lingering on in agony cannot be called true immortality," Obito said.

"Oh? Then what do you consider immortality?" Orochimaru countered.

"Immortality is an elevation of the life hierarchy, a change in the quality of life, while not dying is merely a byproduct. It is a transcendence of the concept of 'human.' It is the existence of a god! Do you know the origin of ninjas?" Obito asked.

"Legend says the Sage of Six Paths invented ninjutsu and passed down the method of refining chakra," Orochimaru said hoarsely.

"Right and wrong. The Sage of Six Paths did play a huge role in the birth of ninjas, but he was not the source of chakra."

"As a gesture of my sincerity in inviting you, I will tell you a heaven-shaking secret! The amount of chakra in the ninja world is constant. All chakra belongs to one person, and that person is the Progenitor of Chakra, named Otsutsuki Kaguya! And the Sage of Six Paths was Kaguya's son!"

"All chakra belongs to one person?" Orochimaru was shocked by Obito's words. All this time, ninjas had treated chakra as something they cultivated themselves—and now you're saying it all belongs to someone else? If it all belonged to one person, how powerful must that person be?

"Hard to believe, isn't it? Orochimaru, I found it hard to believe at first too, but this is a secret passed down through the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha are the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, and the Sharingan originates from this!"

"So that's it. No wonder the power of the Sharingan is so formidable..." Orochimaru muttered to himself.

"Moreover, Kaguya is not dead; she was sealed by the Sage of Six Paths and his brother. A Kaguya who hasn't faded even after a thousand years—that is true immortality! And I believe there are many more existences like Kaguya!" Obito dropped a bombshell.

Orochimaru didn't know why, but while his reason told him what this brat said couldn't be true, his intuition told him it was!

"Interesting. Is Kaguya the 'god' you speak of?" Orochimaru asked, licking his lips with his long, thin tongue in excitement.

Obito watched Orochimaru's long tongue flicking back and forth... it was truly disgusting...

"Yes, and the Evil God is also such an existence, Orochimaru. I know you are an ambitious man, but forgive me for saying this: your ambition is too small!" Obito continued.

"Have you ever thought about how many people are in this world? And how many are ninjas?"

"Have you ever thought about how big this world is? And how big all the nations combined are?"

"Have you ever thought about what you would see if you flew straight up from our ground, past the atmosphere? I'll tell you: you would see countless planets!"

"Have you ever thought about what is on the moon? I'll tell you: the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' brother, Otsutsuki Hamura, live there! And the moon itself was created specifically to seal Kaguya!"

"Your eyes only see the world of ninjas, while I look at the entire planet! Even the entire universe!"

"I will not hand over my research so easily, Uchiha Obito. You really are a madman. The story was well-told, but I'm afraid I must decline!" Orochimaru said.

What Obito said was very valuable, at least to Orochimaru, but to think he could get his research results just by telling a few stories? That was underestimating Orochimaru too much!

Obito's expression darkened. Damn Orochimaru, he's trying to get a free ride, but he seems to have picked the wrong target!

"Orochimaru, it seems you aren't prepared to cooperate properly. Very well, a twisted melon isn't sweet. How about we make a bet?" Obito said.

"I'm not Tsunade! I have no interest in gambling," Orochimaru said.

"The stake is that God Messenger," Obito said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

"Fine. What are the terms?" Orochimaru asked, his expression turning serious.

"I also want to witness the power of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru! If I defeat you or you concede, I win. The time limit is 10 minutes," Obito said.

"Obito-kun is quite confident, aren't you? 10 minutes! I accept this wager!"

Outside Konoha, at the training ground.

Obito and Orochimaru stood facing each other, about 30 meters apart.

"Let me see the power of the Sharingan, Uchiha Obito!" Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth excitedly.

"Heh, Orochimaru, you know nothing of true power. How can a frog at the bottom of a well know the vastness of the sky!"