Joining the Job

The man continued, "Looks like I was right! A Magnet Release Bloodline Limit, and a controllable Sage Body... What a surprise!"

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over Lin Chongshu's shoulder and landing on Karin, who was cowering behind him.

"The conflict between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass was your doing too, wasn't it? You caused so much trouble just to save this girl. She must be something special as well."

Karin froze. She looked up at Lin Chongshu's back, then lowered her eyes to the earring in her hand.

This enormous mess had all been caused by this person to save her? At that thought, her body unconsciously edged closer to Lin Chongshu.

Hearing the other man directly mention the words "Sage Body," Lin Chongshu actually relaxed.

In the world of Naruto, the number of living people who understood Sage Mode could be counted on one hand. And among those who knew about the Sage Body and might be lurking suspiciously around here, Lin Chongshu could think of only one person.

Judging by the timeline, it had been six years since Orochimaru defected from the Hidden Leaf Village. Kabuto Yakushi should be joining him within the next year or two.

He should still be a member of Akatsuki, partnered with Sasori of the Red Sand, using Akatsuki's protection and resources to operate near the Land of Rain. The Land of Rain bordered the Land of Grass.

At this time, Orochimaru was mainly occupied with two things: recruiting war orphans in preparation for establishing the Hidden Sound Village, while also researching Living Corpse Reincarnation.

Working backward from the anime's timeline, it should still be another two or three years before his first successful Living Corpse Reincarnation.

Orochimaru's original target this time was most likely Jugo.

Lin Chongshu removed Tsunade's Necklace from around his neck and tossed it to Karin behind him. Then, he controlled the sand grains, turning them into sharp cones aimed at Orochimaru.

"He's strong. I won't be getting away today, so you run first. You have a talent for medical ninjutsu. You must become the greatest medical ninja in the world in my place, then find a way to kill Rasa in the Land of Wind and avenge me."

Karin's hand trembled as she clenched the necklace tightly.

Karin was deeply moved, but Lin Chongshu had not said those words for her.

Based on Orochimaru's recruitment criteria for orphanages, there were three conditions one had to meet to avoid being treated as cannon fodder.

First, they had to be capable and able to help him get things done.

Second, they had to have dreams and be easy to entice with promises.

Third, they had to possess a spirit of sacrifice and be willing to die for him at critical moments.

With that one sentence, Lin Chongshu had fulfilled all three conditions.

Magnet Release, a Bloodline Limit, and a Sage Body—that was capability. Wanting to kill Rasa—that was a dream. Shielding Karin behind him, telling her to run first, and entrusting his own dream to her—that was a spirit of sacrifice.

Furthermore, Lin Chongshu's words had revealed an important detail: he was a medical ninja. And what Orochimaru needed most right now was a medical ninja.

In the original story, Orochimaru had secretly observed Kabuto Yakushi for so long precisely because his experiments required the assistance of a highly skilled medical ninja.

The persona Lin Chongshu had crafted for himself was a premium version of Kabuto Yakushi: he possessed a Bloodline Limit and a Sage Body, could stir up trouble between nations, and was also a medical ninja.

But Karin took it seriously.

She and her mother had drifted from place to place for years, treated like livestock by the Hidden Grass Village. No one had ever been willing to take even the slightest risk for them.

Now, this person had stirred up war between two villages to save her. He had even shoved what seemed to be an important necklace into her hands, told her to run first, and asked her to fulfill the dream he had left unfinished.

Her eyes reddened. Suddenly, she grabbed Lin Chongshu's arm, her voice quiet but urgent.

"I'm not leaving. I have the same ability as my mother. You can bite me later to recover..."

Lin Chongshu paused for a beat before understanding. Oh, right, there's that too...

Everything he had just said was meant for Orochimaru. Every line had been tailored specifically to Orochimaru's recruitment standards.

He opened his mouth, unsure how to respond. In the end, he said nothing.

Orochimaru merely gave a dark smile. "I'm not from the Hidden Grass Village. Why would I kill you?"

As he spoke, he took out a slip of paper from his pocket, held it between two fingers, and flicked it lightly. The paper spun through the air and landed by Lin Chongshu's feet.

An address was written on it.

"Not only will I not kill you, I can help you achieve your dreams. I can help you become the greatest medical ninja in the world and participate in the greatest research in this world."

"I can also help you fully awaken your constitution and complete your revenge. Even the Kazekage would not be your match!"

He slipped his hands back into his pockets and turned toward the alley's exit. "If you want it, come find me."

He did not explain much. He could tell that this brat named Lin Chongshu was smart, and smart people did not need much nonsense.

He was also patient when it came to a subordinate with Magnet Release and a Sage Body.

Orochimaru had indeed originally come here because he had heard news of Jugo.

His base in the Land of Rain was not far from this area. He had heard that a wild man capable of transforming into a monster had appeared at the border where the three nations met, so he had come to see whether the man was worth recruiting.

Instead of finding Jugo at the places where he often appeared, he found traces of battle. Soon afterward, the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass clashed over the water source incident.

He then learned that the squad that had participated in the encirclement of Jugo had consisted of ten people. Eight had been "killed" by the Land of Earth, while two had gone missing.

Among those missing was someone who had left behind a daughter in the village. He smelled a conspiracy.

So he disguised himself as a Hidden Grass Village chunin, infiltrated the village, and waited for the mastermind to reveal himself.

Lin Chongshu's Magnet Release allowed him to confirm the identity even more quickly.

The Hidden Sand Village had posted a C-rank bounty, while the underground bounty exchange offered an A-rank reward. Such contradictory pricing itself indicated that this brat possessed secrets far exceeding his apparent value, so Orochimaru had already been keeping an eye on him.

After seeing Magnet Release, a Bloodline Limit that was practically exclusive to the Kazekage, he immediately realized that this person was Lin Chongshu.

Orochimaru was very clever. Lin Chongshu had only managed to deceive him because he knew the relevant plot and could anticipate Orochimaru's current needs and methods.

Lin Chongshu put away the note, grabbed Karin, and ran out of the village by crossing over the earthen wall.

As he ran, he calculated inwardly: Orochimaru should still be watching him from the shadows. He had seemingly given him a choice, but in reality, this was only a test.

If he actively pledged himself to Orochimaru because of "ambition," then he would become a useful subordinate.

If he did not take the initiative to join, he would most likely be abducted anyway. If he could not be used, he could only become an experimental subject.

In fact, even if he joined Orochimaru and displayed his abilities, Orochimaru might still seize his body after his research into Living Corpse Reincarnation succeeded.

But Lin Chongshu had no other choice now.

He could not defeat Orochimaru. If Orochimaru wanted to wear him down here or forcibly take him away, he would be unable to resist either way.

Rather than being forcibly taken away, it was better to pretend that Orochimaru's promises had tempted him. At least that would buy him some time.

Beyond those considerations, Lin Chongshu also needed to participate in Orochimaru's research.

He needed a way, like the Cursed Seal, to independently control the absorption of natural energy. Given his current condition, if he consumed too much chakra, he still risked falling into madness like Jugo.

And now that he had lost the chance to obtain a legitimate identity in the Land of Grass, he also needed to use Orochimaru's dealings with Danzo to enter the Hidden Leaf Village legally.