Inside Orochimaru's base, the atmosphere was somewhat grave.
"What a rare guest. You still have time to visit me at a moment like this?" The corners of Orochimaru's lips curled up slightly as he looked at the visitor with an ambiguous smile, teasing him.
At the same time, he offered the highest courtesy he could, displaying his respect for his guest.
However, Uchiha Yato showed little reaction to Orochimaru's teasing. His face remained as cold as ever as he simply said, "Over this period, your experiments should have advanced by another ten percent, right?"
His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.
It was as though he knew Orochimaru's experimental progress like the back of his hand, and any answer Orochimaru gave was already within his expectations.
"I don't want to hear that you've still been standing in place until now, or that you haven't done anything at all."
Uchiha Yato's voice rose slightly, revealing a trace of dissatisfaction.
At that point, Uchiha Yato suddenly changed his tone, becoming stern. "Or perhaps you did something you shouldn't have?!"
His gaze burned as he stared fixedly at Orochimaru, as though he intended to see through his outward appearance and into his true thoughts.
Faced with Uchiha Yato's questioning, Orochimaru's expression barely changed. He still wore that ambiguous smile as he slowly said, "I haven't done anything. But Yato-kun, isn't it a little improper for you to use my name to make someone else take the blame?"
There was a trace of mockery in Orochimaru's words, as if he were suggesting that Uchiha Yato was the one with a problem.
Yet his expression remained calm throughout, making it impossible to discern what he was truly thinking.
But the aura leaking from his eyes had nowhere to hide before Uchiha Yato.