As a token of my appreciation, I hope you'll like it, Naruto

At Naruto Uzumaki's words, Orochimaru suddenly felt a bad premonition.

Before he could react, a crimson Mangekyō Sharingan appeared before his eyes.

"Kotoamatsukami!"

At Naruto Uzumaki's murmur, Orochimaru's expression went blank.

A long moment passed.

Then he came back to himself.

"Naruto-kun, I never imagined you possessed such power."

Orochimaru gazed at the Mangekyō Sharingan in Naruto Uzumaki's eye, his own eyes filled with fascination.

This was the power he had dreamed of obtaining.

Naruto Uzumaki studied his expression and nodded to himself.

Orochimaru was still fascinated, but there was no greed left in his eyes.

Kotoamatsukami...

It should have turned Orochimaru into his puppet.

Still,

to be safe,

he gave Orochimaru an order.

"Kill yourself."

The moment those words left Naruto Uzumaki's mouth, Orochimaru pulled out a kunai without hesitation and drove it toward his own neck.

An instant later,

Naruto Uzumaki stopped him, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Orochimaru, that unpredictable threat, was finally under his control.

As a Return Gift, I Hope You Like It, Naruto-kun

After confirming that Kotoamatsukami had taken hold of Orochimaru, Naruto Uzumaki brought him to a secret cave.

It was Root's base.

After Shimura Danzō died, Naruto had moved all the experimental equipment, documents, and materials here and expanded the place.

It had changed beyond recognition.

This was the perfect place for Orochimaru to work from now on.

"Quite an undertaking. As expected of the man who rules Konoha from behind the scenes, Naruto-kun."

Orochimaru looked over the Experimental Base, excitement spreading across his face.

Even when he had worked with Shimura Danzō in Konoha, their Experimental Base had been nowhere near as impressive.

The laboratories he had used while wandering from place to place over the years were even less worth mentioning.

Compared with this place,

those had been