Kukunochi

The assistants led Uchiha Shingen to a room with a plaque that read "Sound Village Chamber) on the door, then opened the door for him and stood on either side.

Uchiha Shingen went inside, and before the others could come in or close the door, he slammed it shut with a bang.

"Lord Shingen, why are you so angry?"

Inside the office, Orochimaru sat in a chair, smiling broadly.

Calling it an office isn't just a euphemism; this is indeed where he processes documents.

To run an organization, this batch of documents is indispensable.

The Sound Village is an important source of Orochimaru's cash flow and a crucial platform for intelligence gathering. While he certainly needs to conduct research, he is also concerned about the governance of the Sound Village.

"Orochimaru, you still have some reservations about not becoming Hokage, don't you?" Uchiha Shingen walked up to him, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

"Indeed, to say there is absolutely nothing would not be the truth." Orochimaru and Uchiha Shingen were separated by a table, and as always, Orochimaru's true emotions were well hidden in his yellow-orange snake eyes.

Orochimaru's eyes always held a wealth of emotions.

Whether it's true or false, that's for his opponents to judge.

"Will the Sound Village participate in the Joint Chunin Exams?"

"Of course I'll participate. I have many excellent children here too."

"Then give me the list."

Orochimaru pushed the scroll over from the table.

The scroll wasn't thick; Uchiha Shingen opened it and could read it at a glance.

"Only three people?"

"Ninjas aren't judged by numbers; these three are exceptionally skilled."

Excellent materials for making Impure World Reincarnation, right?

Uchiha Shingen carefully put away the scroll, his face expressionless.

"Lord Shingen, you seem quite familiar with these three children? Why don't you take a closer look?"

"Not familiar with him, but I have no interest in dead people." Uchiha Shingen looked at him. "Did you know that someone broke into the Hokage's tomb a while ago?"

He felt it was better to speak openly about some things.

The list, in addition to listing the candidates' names, also includes their task performance and photos.

The three people on the list of the Sound Village are exactly the same as those in the original timeline.

These three were Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation offerings.

Given the lackluster performance of Leaf Village's ANBU in recent years, even through the association's channels, Uchiha Shingen couldn't predict whether the Joint Chunin Exams would go awry. However, as a transmigrator, he had his own methods for making that judgment.

At least he could tell Orochimaru and who the Minotaur were.

You can tell just by looking at who came from their village. He had been in contact with Orochimaru for quite some time, all for the sake of the Cursed Seal technology, and had long since discovered that Sound Village didn't even have a ninja ranking system.

It is estimated that only experimental samples will be rated.

What's the point of an organization that doesn't even have a ninja ranking system participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams?

Therefore, with the arrival of the Impure World Reincarnation offering, there's a 90% chance Orochimaru will cause trouble, at most in a different way.

If the young Ai Ying were to arrive, there would be a 100% chance that Kuang Ying would cause trouble, just like before.

Whether Ai Ying will come or not is unknown, but these three sacrifices are confirmed.

However, Uchiha Shingen also had some doubts.

Three...

In the original timeline, the three sacrifices corresponded to the big idiot, the rich dog, and the overworked dog, respectively.

Those who work overtime are doing just fine now, so who's the other one?

Impure World Impure World Reincarnation? That's unlikely. He's alive and well; how could he Impure World Reincarnation?

Regarding the Impure World Reincarnation Ninjutsu, he was never able to determine whether it truly summoned a soul or simply copied Chakra during his first playthrough until his death. However, judging from the Fourth Shinobi World War in the original timeline, it was most likely a soul.

Hagoromo Otsutsuki also pulled a group of people out of the Pure Land to provide assistance.

Therefore, whether the Pure Land exists in this world itself or was created by Hagoromo Otsutsuki later, it does indeed exist. It's just that we don't know whether what's inside is soul or Chakra.

However, Uchiha Shingen didn't really care whether Orochimaru would use the Impure World Reincarnation technique on him. Even if it was Chakra copy, the copy, with its first-time memories, would know how to break free from the control of the Impure World Reincarnation.

Those who Tenten Impure World Reincarnation others should naturally guard against others Impure World Reincarnation them; this is called prevention.

What Uchiha Shingen cared about were that big idiot and that rich dog. He could accept the Impure World Reincarnation of the Fourth Shinobi World War from the original timeline, and he missed those two, but the kind of reanimated version like the Chunin Ninja Exams the original timeline...

Zero tolerance.

He reached up and touched the Cursed Seal on his neck, wondering if he should activate his Rinnegan right now and give Orochimaru a good whack.

Genjutsu might not be so solid, but the Human Path feels more solid.

"The Hokage's Tomb, is the target the First Hokage's cells?" Orochimaru, a seasoned cunning schemer, displayed flawless composure. "I didn't expect that besides myself, there would be someone capable of undertaking this research. I really want to meet him."

Seeing that the other party did not say anything that would lead to an admission of guilt, such as "Were the cells of the First and Second stolen?", Uchiha Shingen continued to probe.

"You won't see it, but I'll find out who it is and kill him. Even if the Sage of Six Paths comes, I'll kill him too."

This isn't bragging. Although the old man Hagoromo Otsutsuki has some good stuff, he no longer has a physical body, which means he no longer possesses the powerful strength he had in life.

No one can live forever.

If it is to last forever, it can only become rotten wood.

"Your killing intent is quite strong, Shingen- kun." Orochimaru a little surprised. "Your attitude towards that person doesn't seem like that of a junior towards a senior."

"That was the founder of Hidden Leaf Village. The Uchiha Clan is also part of Leaf Village. As a descendant, is there anything wrong with my attitude?"

He stared at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru calmly met his gaze.

"Lord Shingen, are you doubting me?"

"Aren't you worthy of suspicion?"

"Now that you mention it," Orochimaru thought for a moment, then nodded, "I am indeed quite suspicious."

So, it was you?

"How could that be? Here's what we'll do: if I tampered with the Hokage's Tomb, then..." Orochimaru's expression was quite serious at this moment, "That all my experimental data after leaving Leaf Village will be wrong."

Uchiha Shingen was startled.

That oath is incredibly cruel.

Orochimaru values his experimental data above all else, without exception.

Moreover, after dealing with him for so many years, Uchiha Shingen discovered that he actually valued oaths very much and was most resistant to anyone asking him to swear an oath. He would kill anyone who forced him to swear an oath.

Of course, this doesn't change the fact that he also doesn't believe in other people's oaths; he's probably the kind of person who thinks, "When I swear, I'm telling the truth; whether you swear or not, it's all bullshit."

"So ruthless? You really didn't do it?"

"What would I do with those cells?" Orochimaru said. "I have principles too. I've determined that that approach is not feasible, and I can't afford to waste resources on it."

What he said sounded so true that Uchiha Shingen really couldn't confirm it.

If possible, he also wouldn't want to lose Orochimaru as an important research contractor.

However, when faced with two evils, choose the lesser one.

"Orochimaru, the situation is serious. I hope you understand."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's smile vanished. "How so?"

"While I personally believe you, you know we are ninjas," Uchiha Shingen said. "I have a lie detector device; I'll need your cooperation."

Calling the Human Path a lie detector wouldn't be entirely false.

Uchiha Shingen hadn't used it before; he wanted to try it out.

"What if I refuse?" Orochimaru asked.

As an intelligence expert, he could verify the truth of anything that was merely a rumor to others long ago.

The Uchiha Clan in front of me has indeed obtained the Rinnegan.

Despite lacking sufficient material, Orochimaru still made many bold deductions regarding the Rinnegan.

He judged the rumor that Uchiha Shingen copied the Rinnegan to be half true and half false.

The copy is fake; obtaining the Rinnegan is real.

The Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan is a crucial channel for unlocking the secrets of the Rinnegan.

Therefore, he already had a bold idea.

Even if it offends the Uchiha Clan, it's all worth it if it can unlock the secrets of the Rinnegan.

[Actually, this can be considered an opportunity...]

The thought popped into Orochimaru's mind.

He has now completed several crucial procedures and is very confident in his ability to survive.

"Even if you refuse, I will force you to do it." Uchiha Shingen coldly. He already distrusted Orochimaru, who had a "criminal record," and seeing the three sacrifices only doubled his distrust.

"Since you put it that way, then fine," Orochimaru said.

Perhaps the reversal was too rapid, because Uchiha Shingen, who was already preparing to make his move, stopped activating the Cursed Seal and looked at him with some confusion.

"Using force to coerce the other party is a very standard ninja tactic, but neither of us wants to end our cooperation so hastily." Orochimaru stood up. "I know a good place. Want to come with me?"

"What are you going to do?"

"If we fight here, our cooperation will have to end, and we'll become enemies. Let's find another place. If you can defeat me, then you can call the shots."

Chapter Forty-Four: Ninigi-no-Mikoto

The "good place" that Orochimaru referred to was actually a low-lying area far from Sound Village.

By the way, Uchiha Shingen really thinks Orochimaru has a talent for the civil engineering industry.

The underground part of Sound Village is far more impressive than the above-ground part.

The two of them came here alone, without anyone else with them.

They each stood in a separate spot, facing each other directly.

"So, how exactly do we defeat them?" Uchiha Shingen asked.

"Of course, we do our best. As ninjas, isn't it only natural that we know when it's not acceptable?" Orochimaru laughed.

"Okay." Uchiha Shingen nodded.

His eyes instantly transformed into scarlet Sharingan.

"Sharingan, huh? What a pity. I'd love to see your new eyes." From beneath Orochimaru's robes, a dense swarm of snakes emerged.

They quickly spread out, like ink staining paper, and moved towards Uchiha Shingen.

"Orochimaru, your opening was so insincere..."

Uchiha Shingen shook his head, his hands already forming a hand seal.

The tiny sparks of fire he spewed from his mouth expanded rapidly upon contact with the air, forming a fan-shaped trail of flame.

The wind howled fiercely, and the fire raged, turning water into smoke.

The lush vegetation and the rapidly crawling snakes became the perfect fuel; tongues of fire, over ten feet long, licked and burned wherever they touched, and fiery dragons rose from the earth, dancing in the wind, quickly merging into a sea of fire.

Although he said Orochimaru wasn't sincere, Uchiha Shingen's Sharingan fixed on the other side.

Now that his eye power has greatly increased, even without incorporating Matatabi's Chakra to upgrade his Sharingan to the Rinnegan, he can still clearly see Orochimaru's location through this sea of fire.

The rolling waves of fire, undiminished in their momentum, continued to engulf the land ahead, rushing towards Orochimaru at a speed even faster than the swarm of snakes.

As the flames approached, Orochimaru unleashed a Water Formation Wall.

Although the Land of Rice Fields is cold, it is not dry, so using Water Release is not difficult.

The waterline transformed into surging waves upon hitting the ground, rising with a force no less powerful than the flames.