Dancing with the Snake

Several days later, Nawaki excitedly found Tianyi, who was practicing weaving a scarf with chakra.

"Tianyi! Teacher Orochimaru said he's going to give me special training!

It'll target my weaknesses in Earth Release and taijutsu!" Nawaki's face was full of excitement. Orochimaru's guidance meant something extraordinary to him.

At those words, the steady chakra threads in Tianyi's hands trembled slightly.

But they quickly calmed again. His heart stirred. The opportunity had come!

"Oh? Lord Orochimaru's personal special training?" Tianyi showed just the right amount of interest.

"That sounds great. Nawaki, can I come watch with you?

I'll just observe and learn. I also want to see Lord Orochimaru's teaching methods."

Without a second thought, Nawaki readily agreed. "Of course! Let's go!"

The two arrived at a relatively secluded training ground near the camp, where the terrain rose and fell slightly.

Orochimaru was already waiting there, his loose black hair drifting gently in the breeze.

His golden vertical pupils swept over them the moment they appeared, lingering on Tianyi for an instant.

Yet he showed little surprise, as though he had expected it all along.

The training began, and Orochimaru's teaching style was direct and efficient.

He pinpointed Nawaki's sluggish transitions in the nature transformation of his Earth attribute.

He also identified the flaws that appeared when Nawaki combined taijutsu power generation with Earth Release hardening.

Then he gave extremely specific improvement plans and training requirements.

Throughout the process, Orochimaru made no effort to avoid letting Tianyi remain present.

He even glanced at him from time to time, as though observing his reactions.

When Nawaki began carrying out the required high-intensity repetitions.

Orochimaru cast Tianyi an almost imperceptible glance toward the dense woods at the edge of the training ground.

Tianyi understood at once. He nodded encouragingly at Nawaki, who was gritting his teeth and persevering.

Then he turned and silently left the training ground, walking toward the shadowy forest.

The light beneath the trees was dim, and the air was damp, with only birdsong and the sound of wind.

Tianyi stopped in a small clearing and waited quietly.

Before long, faint footsteps, nearly indistinguishable from the rustling of fallen leaves, approached from afar.

Orochimaru's figure emerged from the shadows of the trees like a ghost.

He slowly walked over without concealing his presence. A cold, sticky killing intent, almost tangible.

As he approached, it slowly pressed down on Tianyi like a rising tide!

Even the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the insects fell silent.

It was the pressure of a top-tier powerhouse, accumulated through countless killings.

Tianyi narrowed his eyes, yet his body remained straight as chakra flowed naturally within him.

He centered his mind and held fast to himself. He had come from an age of information explosion and had seen historical footage of humanity's cruelest wars.

He had also personally endured life-and-death battles in the Land of Rain. His will had long since been tempered into something unyielding.

More importantly, he knew this was mostly a test from Orochimaru.

Let him be strong; the clear breeze still brushes the mountain ridge. No matter how the killing intent battered him.

Tianyi merely stood there quietly, returning Orochimaru's gaze with calm eyes.

A moment later, the killing intent receded like the tide.

A flash of genuine surprise passed through Orochimaru's golden eyes.

It was immediately replaced by an intrigued smile, his lips curving into a cold arc.

"Heh heh..." He chuckled softly.

"No wonder I once considered taking you as my disciple.

Hyuga Tianyi, your caliber exceeds even my expectations..."

He glanced toward the distant training ground, where Nawaki's shouts could be faintly heard.

Then he looked back at Tianyi, his tone returning to its usual calm indifference.

"Tell me. What incomprehensible difficulties did you encounter while cultivating the Cell Activation Technique?"

He naturally assumed that Tianyi had gone to such trouble to come here with Nawaki because he wanted guidance on the contents of that scroll.

At that, Tianyi shook his head. "Lord Orochimaru, you misunderstand.

I have already gained an initial grasp of the Cell Activation Technique you bestowed upon me."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Though that scroll was only the introductory section, it involved fine chakra manipulation at the cellular level and intervention in energy metabolism.

It was anything but simple. To grasp it so quickly—either Tianyi's talent was astounding, or... he already had a related foundation or unique understanding.

"Then what is your purpose?" Orochimaru's voice gained another hint of amusement.

Tianyi took a deep breath and looked directly into Orochimaru's inhuman snake eyes, speaking in a low voice.

"I came to make a deal with you."

Silence.

Then Orochimaru froze for a moment before chuckling.

His laughter grew louder and louder.

"Heh heh heh... Hahahaha! Interesting! How very interesting!"

The laughter echoed through the silent forest, filled with an indescribable pressure.

Tianyi felt his legs nearly go weak from that laughter, while cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He was facing one of the Legendary Sannin, especially Orochimaru, the "Cold Lord" famed for his ruthlessness and experiments.

The pressure far exceeded what he had felt facing Elder De Xuan of the Main House.

If not for the future research needed to develop Electromagnetic Force and similar projects.

He had no choice but to rely on Orochimaru's unparalleled knowledge of ninjutsu science.

Even if beaten to death, he would never have wanted to seek this man out on his own.

Orochimaru's laughter gradually subsided, and he licked his lips.

His golden vertical pupils locked tightly onto Tianyi, as though trying to see through him inside and out.

"A deal? Very well. I'll give you a chance to state your case, Tianyi-kun."

His tone became gentle, yet even more dangerous.

"If your terms, or this so-called bargaining chip of yours, fail to move me...

Then even if you are Tsunade's newly accepted disciple, I will let you experience firsthand.

Why I, the Cold Lord Orochimaru, can make enemies tremble at the mere mention of my name."

Tianyi forcibly suppressed the trembling in his heart and made himself calm down.

There was no turning back once the arrow left the bow. He tried to keep his voice steady.

"Lord Orochimaru, I believe we can become valuable partners to one another."

After saying that, he reached into his robes, took out a special scroll, and lightly tossed it toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru caught it casually, one brow lifting slightly as he untied the cord and slowly unrolled it.

At the beginning of the scroll was a title: Sperm-Free Egg-Cell Cloning.

Orochimaru's gaze instantly froze!

The look in his eyes as he stared at Tianyi began to change.