Please Stay, Sir

On a forest path, Orochimaru was returning to his research base, preparing to properly deal with those unfinished experiments.

The shinobi war was about to break out, and he did not want those studies to end without results.

"Please stay, sir."

Orochimaru paused and looked in the direction of the voice.

"Uchiha Makoto?"

Surprise appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. He recognized Uchiha Makoto.

Orochimaru had information on the Uchiha Clan's high-ranking members, especially Uchiha Makoto, an Uchiha who had gained considerable fame in recent years.

Not to mention that Uchiha Makoto had been present in the meeting room earlier, so Orochimaru was naturally no stranger to him.

In an instant, Orochimaru tensed his body, ready to use the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique to escape at any moment.

He suspected that the Uchiha had come looking for trouble.

After all, Orochimaru had only recently become a member of Root.

Given the current situation, it was very likely that Danzo had been too harsh on the Uchiha during the meeting, provoking them into sending someone to retaliate against him.

Especially since Orochimaru had only noticed his presence after he spoke. When facing such a powerful opponent, running was undoubtedly the best choice.

After all, this young man was absolutely the strongest member of the Uchiha Clan at present!

That much could be seen from the intelligence Root had gathered from the Land of Demons.

"What are you afraid of?"

Uchiha Makoto asked, making no unnecessary movements.

Orochimaru had plenty of tricks. It would be troublesome if he scared him off.

"Being in contact with someone as powerful as you puts me under a great deal of pressure."

Orochimaru smiled helplessly.

"Relax. I won't attack a comrade."

"Besides, I came to make a deal with you."

Since Orochimaru's tense appearance was rather unpleasant to look at under the Sharingan's observation, Uchiha Makoto went straight to the point.

Phew—

The moment those words left his mouth, Orochimaru immediately relaxed.

As long as he had not come to retaliate, it was fine.

"What is your purpose?"

Orochimaru asked cautiously.

Though he believed Uchiha Makoto's words, he did not believe that anything good would come from Uchiha Makoto seeking him out.

Had he specifically come to use him against Danzo, or... Konoha?

However, Uchiha Makoto's next words instantly silenced Orochimaru, filling his mind with question marks.

"I'm quite interested in the position of Hokage. Do you think I can become Hokage?"

"Huh? You want to become Hokage?"

Orochimaru wondered whether this Uchiha had spent every day glaring through his Sharingan until he had damaged his brain, to actually say—no, ask—such a thing.

The current Hokage was his teacher!

But he quickly calmed the turmoil in his heart, though the sinister aura around him grew even heavier.

It was not yet time to choose the Fourth Hokage!

"You mean that during this period, the Uchiha want to use my help to become the Fourth Hokage?"

Orochimaru spoke tactfully, though his words carried mockery.

The Third Shinobi World War was about to break out, yet the Uchiha were thinking about usurping power at a time like this?

No!

Even if the shinobi world were peaceful and stable, if any other clan in Konoha said such a thing, he might at least give it some thought!

The Uchiha?

Even the Inuzuka Clan's summoned beasts knew that the Uchiha Clan could never become Hokage.

Much less at a time when a shinobi war was about to erupt!

Orochimaru suddenly felt that Uchiha Makoto coming to pick a fight with him might actually have been a good thing.

"I wasn't talking about now. I meant after the Third Shinobi World War ends."

Uchiha Makoto corrected Orochimaru without changing expression.

"After the Third Shinobi World War? We can talk about it then! Who can know what the future holds?"

"Let's make a different deal."

Orochimaru sneered, but his hostility toward Uchiha Makoto instantly lessened considerably.

Since this Uchiha had corrected him, he clearly was not one of those brainless Uchiha.

Or rather, this was not his true purpose!

He would stabilize the other party for now. Once he figured out the situation, he could make further plans.

"That works. I do have another matter to discuss."

Uchiha Makoto nodded, and his tone immediately shifted.

At those words alone, Orochimaru merely gave a cold chuckle, thinking, Just as I thought.

"Hmph. What else could the Uchiha want from me? But Konoha cannot tolerate even the slightest internal strife. Isn't that right?"

Orochimaru quickly spoke with sarcasm.

The person before him was still too young. He had seen through the other party's true intentions at a glance.

Whether he genuinely wanted to usurp the Hokage position or intended to interfere with Danzo during the shinobi war, neither outcome would be good for Konoha!

Sigh, it was all Danzo's fault!

If he had not targeted the Uchiha so harshly, the Uchiha would never have done something so harmful to Konoha.

"Heh, it seems you misunderstand me. The deal I'm speaking of now has nothing to do with the Hokage. It concerns only you and me."

Uchiha Makoto flatly denied it.

Orochimaru raised a brow but said nothing more. He was not an idiot like Jiraiya!

"You are highly talented, especially on the path of science."

"That is precisely why I came to find you, hoping to make a deal with you."

Uchiha Makoto spoke frankly.

"Why?"

Orochimaru asked suspiciously.

Uchiha Makoto smiled faintly and dropped a bombshell.

"You are one of the few people in the shinobi world capable of replicating the Wood Release bloodline."

That single sentence plunged Orochimaru into silence.

He knew about Wood Release, and he had participated in Wood Release experiments, but that had been ten years ago.

And one of the few...

"Were there survivors from those experiments?"

Orochimaru narrowed his long, slender eyes. A sharp glint flashed within them as he asked in surprise.

"I guarantee it on the Uchiha Clan's honor. There are!"

Uchiha Makoto said solemnly.

Orochimaru fell silent inwardly. He knew that the Uchiha Clan valued its honor greatly, which meant there really had been survivors from those experiments!

"What do the Uchiha want!"

At that moment, Orochimaru's voice was hoarser and colder than usual.

Clearly, he was angered that certain people had concealed this from him.

At the same time, he felt that he had underestimated the Uchiha in the past. The Wood Release bloodline bearer had been hidden so thoroughly that even he had received no information, yet the Uchiha, whom Konoha's higher-ups guarded against at every turn, had managed to find them!

So just how many people in all of Konoha were theirs?

The Uchiha could not be underestimated!

And precisely because of that, the Uchiha had revealed even this for the sake of a so-called deal. What they sought must be even greater!

Just now, he had had no intention of making any deal. He had merely gone along with it for the sake of his own safety.

Now, however, he was tempted.

He wanted to know what kind of deal could make the Uchiha treat it with such gravity!

Uchiha Makoto smiled in satisfaction at his reaction. Then, after straightening his posture and carefully studying Orochimaru until Orochimaru felt uneasy, he finally said seriously.

"You!"