Orochimaru stared at the scroll, its densely packed words reflected in his golden snake eyes.
His fingers lightly traced the edge of the scroll. His tongue slowly swept over his lips, and his voice was low and hoarse.
"Tianyi, aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word, handing me your bargaining chip just like this?"
Tianyi looked at him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Lord Orochimaru, this scroll is a gift. There are no conditions, and I won't ask you to withdraw from the race for Hokage."
Orochimaru's brow twitched.
Tianyi continued, "But I must remind you, Lord Orochimaru. Tempting as the Hokage position may be, the crushing administrative workload-all those endless meetings, documents, disputes, and competing factions to balance-will directly delay your research."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.
A faint smile curved Tianyi's lips. "What you want is knowledge, truth, and a way to transcend human limits.
The Hokage's seat will only hold you back from all of that!"
With that, Tianyi turned and walked toward the Leaf Village without looking back.
His steps were unhurried. Moonlight stretched his shadow far behind him, casting a hazy outline over the fallen leaves.
Orochimaru stood where he was, watching the figure recede into the distance as he sank into thought.
His fingers tightened around the scroll, his knuckles paling slightly.
Hyuga Tianyi's move had struck him right where it mattered. The theoretical knowledge in this scroll was solid enough for him to clone a body that belonged entirely to him.
No rejection, no side effects, a perfect fit for his soul. This was what he had spent years secretly testing on enemy ninja, yet this young man had so casually pulled ahead of him and handed him everything in full.
And just as Tianyi had said, taking the