Orochimaru's Loyalty

"What will the Shinobi World face?"

Orochimaru frowned.

What did this brat know?

Why did he sound so pessimistic?

"Many things, so many that one can't possibly deal with them all."

Uchiha Kei pointed a finger towards the sky outside the window.

"Lord Orochimaru, what do you think the world outside the sky is like?"

Orochimaru subconsciously turned his head and looked at the sky.

"Perhaps a river of stars?"

Orochimaru thought for a moment and replied.

Uchiha Kei looked at him in surprise.

To say such a thing in an era where technology had essentially stagnated...

No wonder Orochimaru was considered a freak.

Sometimes, having a sense that transcended the times wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"Something like that. In that river of stars, Lord Orochimaru, do you think there are worlds like the Shinobi World?"

"Worlds like ours?"

Orochimaru was confused.

This question was far beyond his understanding.

"Worlds with beings like ninjas, but far more powerful than us."

Uchiha Kei sighed.

Takamagahara, where the Otsutsuki Clan resided.

Their combat power was far greater than the Shinobi World's.

They weren't even on the same level.

Orochimaru frowned and pondered.

Although he hadn't spent much time with this brat.

He didn't think this brat would be someone who spoke carelessly.

If that was the case...

"I understand what you mean."

Orochimaru's expression also became serious.

This was different from a Shinobi World war. Even the fiercest wars would at most result in more deaths.

But the intentions of those from beyond the heavens might not be so simple.

Uchiha Kei wasn't surprised by Orochimaru's intelligence.

If Orochimaru were a fool, would he still be the legendary Serpent Sannin?

"I will help Itachi integrate Konoha. It has nothing to do with our friendship; it's just that Konoha needs a Hokage who dares to advance."

"Third Hokage..."

Uchiha Kei didn't finish his sentence, merely smiling and shaking his head.

Mentioning Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru also smiled.

A smile filled with deep mockery.

"Lord Orochimaru..."

"Just call me Orochimaru."

Orochimaru waved his hand. "Since you're joining, there's no need to be so formal."

"Besides, I feel a very strong sense of threat from you."

Orochimaru stared intently at Uchiha Kei.

Ever since Uchiha Kei entered the room, his heart had been on edge.

He felt a fatal threat from this brat.

If this brat wanted to, he could truly die!

Uchiha Kei smiled, his eyes closing slightly.

When he opened them again, the pupils in his eyes had transformed into swirling patterns.

What kind of eyes were these?

Mysterious, powerful, with a deadly allure.

A pair of eyes, as if they contained the entire world!

"Rin... Rinnegan!"

Orochimaru retreated several steps in shock.

How could he possibly possess the Rinnegan!

How was it even possible?

"Correct answer."

Uchiha Kei replied with a smile.

This was also his first time using the Rinnegan in the Shinobi World.

It felt slightly different from when he used it during his Space-Time Mission.

It was still incredibly powerful.

Yet, it lacked that sense of having everything under his absolute control.

Still, not bad.

"How do you possess the Rinnegan?"

Orochimaru remained dazed for a long time, unable to collect his thoughts.

A child who looked to be eight or nine years old...

Possessing the Rinnegan...

No matter how he looked at it, the whole thing was inconceivable!

Even if Uchiha Kei had shown him the Mangekyo Sharingan, he wouldn't have been this terrified.

"The ultimate evolution of the Sharingan is the Rinnegan; what is there to be so surprised about?"

Uchiha Kei did not want to dwell on this question.

To be honest, a sliver of greed had now sprouted in Orochimaru's heart.

What a perfect body.

If only he could possess it...

But it was only a sliver.

Orochimaru was not confident enough to challenge the legendary Rinnegan.

That wouldn't be confidence; that would be suicide.

"Are you willing to join us?"

Uchiha Kei did not want to say more and extended his hand once again.

Orochimaru smiled and likewise extended his hand.

One youthful, one pale.

The two hands clasped together.

Shisui paced back and forth outside the wooden hut, feeling uneasy.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Kei's strength.

It was just that Orochimaru was far too troublesome to deal with.

Only he knew exactly how much effort had been spent just to capture Orochimaru.

Even he had nearly failed to make it back alive.

Although Kei possessed the Mangekyo, still...

"Creak."

The wooden door opened in response.

Shisui hurriedly looked toward the hut.

When he saw who walked out, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Kei."

Shisui walked up to Uchiha Kei, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He saw the person behind Uchiha Kei.

Orochimaru!

"Swish!"

A shuriken instantly appeared in his hand, and his Mangekyo Sharingan manifested in his eyes in a flash.

"Relax, Shisui."

Uchiha Kei smiled and pressed down on Shisui's hand.

"Now, Orochimaru is also one of us."

Shisui glanced at Orochimaru in surprise, then a smile appeared on his face.

This was Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, a figure of great renown during the Third Great Ninja War.

Although Orochimaru had a terrible reputation...

"Orochimaru cannot show his face in Konoha right now. Shisui, what do you think of the Twilight Ninja Village?"

Shisui thought for a moment. "That village annihilated by the Yang Organization?"

Through Itachi, he had a basic understanding of Uchiha Kei's mission.

He knew a little about the Twilight Ninja Village and the Yang Organization.

"Yes, that's the one."

Uchiha Kei stood on tiptoe and patted Shisui's shoulder.

"That place will be our most solid backing."

Shisui was a little confused.

"We're going to... establish a force outside the village?"

Was this a betrayal of the village?

For a moment, Shisui seemed to want to say something but stopped.

Although the village was very hostile towards their Uchiha Clan, still...

Konoha was their home after all.

"Something like that."

Uchiha Kei turned his head to look at Orochimaru behind him.

"But this isn't a betrayal of the village."

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket, right, Brother Shisui?"

Shisui's brows furrowed.

Then they relaxed.

Kei often did things that were hard to understand.

But Itachi said Kei was a trustworthy person.

There must be a reason for him to do this.

"Brother Shisui, send Orochimaru to the Twilight Ninja Village."

Orochimaru chuckled.

"Uchiha Shisui, I look forward to working with you in the future."

Shisui shrugged.

Leave the thinking to Kei and Itachi; he wasn't good at that.

Watching the two figures walk away, Uchiha Kei stretched lazily.

The most crucial step in the plan had been taken.

It seemed to have gone smoothly.

Next, they just needed to proceed according to the plan.

"We've basically done everything we can for now."

"Now, we just wait for the plot to unfold..."

Uchiha Kei looked at the dense forest.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating his face.

A youthful face, a slender body, and...

A confident smile on his lips.