The bustle of Tanzaku Town stayed outside the abandoned estate. Ling followed Kabuto Yakushi into the courtyard, his calm gaze settling on the pale figure leaning against a veranda pillar-Orochimaru. His hands hung limply, and obvious pain marked his face, but his serpentine eyes glittered with excitement and greed as they locked onto Ling.
"Heh heh heh... Ling, you came after all." Orochimaru's hoarse laugh sounded like a snake flicking its tongue. "It seems you're still quite sincere about our 'cooperation.'"
"We each get what we need, Mr. Orochimaru," Ling replied evenly, glancing at his crippled hands. "It seems the Reaper Death Seal hasn't been pleasant."
A trace of venom flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, only to be replaced by an even fiercer yearning. "Then is the 'sincerity' you've brought this time enough to ease my suffering? Or has that 'ancient being' behind you developed new insights that go beyond the Scroll of Seals?" He deliberately emphasized "beyond the Scroll of Seals," plainly probing him.
Ling understood. As someone the Third Hokage had once considered his successor, Orochimaru had likely already studied every openly known forbidden technique and secret art in Konoha, including the contents of the Scroll of Seals, in exhaustive detail. Ordinary jutsu or knowledge would never move him.
As expected. Tobirama's voice rang in Ling's mind, carrying a hint of unsurprised understanding. Then we can only use the 'conjectures' and 'unfinished work' outside the Scroll of Seals-my own personal work as Tobirama Senju, never recorded there, and in some cases never fully verified. We'll lure him with the 'future' and the 'unknown.'
Following Tobirama's instructions, Ling spoke calmly. "For you, Mr. Orochimaru, the contents of the Scroll of Seals are probably old news. Naturally, what we offer is a line of thinking that goes further, along with... some