Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"I didn't know Wind Release: Rasenshuriken could cause soul fusion," Natsuro finally muttered, unable to hold back a sarcastic remark.

"Hehe, Natsuro-kun~ you wouldn't understand the miracles born from a desperate will to survive at the brink of death," Orochimaru replied with a sly grin.

"Then… do you understand the reason behind it?" Natsuro suddenly asked.

Orochimaru's laughter abruptly stopped, and Natsuro could tell he had hit a nerve.

As expected, it was a coincidence. Not even Orochimaru fully understood what had happened, which is likely why he referred to it as a miracle.

So, it seemed that Wind Release: Rasenshuriken had indeed inflicted severe damage on Orochimaru and Kabuto. Natsuro could believe Kabuto might have died from it, but Orochimaru... less likely.

But this suggested that the one teetering on the edge of life and death, triggering this fusion, had been Kabuto.

A reversal of fate? This situation was bizarre.

"There are countless mysteries in this world. No matter how much I've studied, anything that delves into the soul remains elusive," Orochimaru admitted, a fervent gleam lighting up his eyes.

"That's why I want to learn every jutsu in existence. If I could master them all, no secret would remain hidden from me!"

His serpent-like eyes locked onto Natsuro, and with a sinister smile, he licked his face with his unnaturally long tongue before continuing.

"However, the world is vast, and jutsu are infinite. What I've learned thus far is but a drop in the ocean. To achieve my goal, I must have more time—much more time."

"Natsuro-kun~ can you understand this?" he asked, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"It's not incomprehensible," Natsuro replied calmly. "But I don't approve of your methods."

In Natsuro's view, Orochimaru's ideals weren't inherently wrong. It was the path he chose to achieve them that made him irreconcilable with the rest of the world.

Orochimaru laughed once more, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. The walls of the room, adorned with what appeared to be countless serpentine murals, seemed to come alive as all the snakes' eyes turned toward Natsuro.

Even Natsuro, without any fear of snakes or a fear of tight spaces, found this unnerving. The sheer scale of it was too overwhelming.

"Natsuro-kun, one day you'll understand that all means are justified in the pursuit of truth," Orochimaru said darkly, his tone shifting as a chilling aura radiated from him.

"So, Natsuro-kun, did you come here today to kill me? Perhaps to hold me accountable for leaking your information to the Akatsuki?"

"At first, I considered it," Natsuro admitted openly. "But seeing how prepared you are, I've changed my mind. Even if I killed you here, you'd probably crawl out from some dark corner again."

Orochimaru smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

"Besides," Natsuro continued, "you likely learned I was searching for you through the snakes in Ryūchi Cave, right?"

The recent increase in Orochimaru's wariness had not gone unnoticed by Natsuro. Given the tightened vigilance in his activities and the inactivity of Root under Danzo, the only remaining explanation was the snakes connected to Orochimaru via the summoning contract.

"Natsuro-kun, before I answer that, I have a question of my own. How did you find me?" Orochimaru countered.

"The value of these two questions isn't equal," Natsuro retorted, rolling his eyes. "And even if you don't answer, I'm pretty sure of my guess."

"Hehe, fair enough."

Orochimaru chuckled and nodded. Then, with a gleam of excitement in his eyes, he leaned forward slightly, his lips curling into a smile.

"Then, Natsuro-kun, how about this: would evidence of Danzo's crimes be a fair trade for your answer?"

Natsuro froze, his gaze sharpening as he studied Orochimaru's expression. The snake-like ninja continued, his voice dripping with calculated malice.

"Natsuro-kun, your visit here must be to collect evidence against Danzo, right? After all, he exposed your intel to the Akatsuki, putting you in a perilous situation."

Natsuro remained silent. He wanted to deny it, but Orochimaru wasn't entirely wrong. The incident with Pain and those four Akatsuki members could have been disastrous if not for Natsuro's unexpected strength.

Truthfully, Natsuro believed that if he had fully understood the extent of his newfound power from the start, the outcome might have been different. He could've potentially eliminated one of the Paths of Pain before they realized the threat he posed.

Of course, that would have only allowed him to take down one Path. Afterward, Pain would never have stayed exposed for long.

At that time, Natsuro didn't have such lofty thoughts. In fact, his outlook on the situation with Pain was rather pessimistic.

Initially, his plan was simple: if Pain was outside watching the battle, he just needed to create a situation where those four Akatsuki members couldn't kill him. Pain would then lose interest in maintaining the barrier and step in personally, giving Natsuro the opportunity to use Flying Thunder God to escape.

However, things didn't go according to plan. Natsuro's newly enhanced strength far exceeded his expectations. Instead of being unable to kill him, it turned out he had the potential to kill those four Akatsuki members.

Even so, he never truly believed he could take out one of them. Pain's presence loomed too large, and Natsuro, unfamiliar with the full extent of his newfound power, wasn't eager to engage Pain in direct combat.

It wasn't until he successfully used the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to control Kisame Hoshigaki that the idea of possibly killing Itachi crossed his mind. But in the end, the outcome demonstrated that figures of such caliber weren't easy to deal with, even when vulnerable.

Seeing Natsuro's silence, Orochimaru paused briefly before breaking into a smile.

"I see. As expected from someone who not only survived but also cost the Akatsuki two members during that operation. Perhaps you weren't in danger at all?"

"And if I was? What of it?" Natsuro countered.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement, his gaze fixed intently on Natsuro. This predatory focus sent a fresh wave of unease through Natsuro, making his skin crawl.

"Hehehe. So it's true. As expected of you, Natsuro-kun~. My interest in you grows stronger by the moment."

"Please spare me your interest; I can't handle it," Natsuro quipped. The idea that Orochimaru might have redirected his obsessive interest in Sasuke toward him made Natsuro shiver.

"Don't worry, Natsuro-kun~. I have no intention of coveting your body," Orochimaru said with a sly smile. "After all, even if I possessed your body, I wouldn't be able to wield your strength."

Orochimaru suddenly shifted gears. "There was once another shinobi, one without any special bloodline, who was also extraordinarily powerful. Perhaps not as strong as you, Natsuro-kun, but undeniably a genius. Yet... he perished."

"The Fourth Hokage?" Natsuroguessed hesitantly.

"Exactly. That's why, for a long time, I believed that kekkei genkai held the ultimate truth of power," Orochimaru admitted. "But you must have seen them too... Those eyes!"

His face contorted into an expression of fervent obsession.

"Such unparalleled power! That is a strength only a sage could wield, the Rinnegan! When I was in Amegakure, I let such a mighty force slip through my grasp!"

Natsuro nodded. Even he couldn't deny the overwhelming power of the Rinnegan. In the hands of Nagato, who couldn't fully wield its potential, it still demonstrated incredible might. In the hands of its true owner, Madara Uchiha, its power was unfathomable.

"But your existence has shown me a different possibility," Orochimaru continued, his voice dripping with intrigue. "I wonder, if you reach the pinnacle of power, would that mean someone without a kekkei genkai could stand at the summit as well? And if that's true, does that mean there's still a chance for me?"

Orochimaru's gaze locked onto Natsuro with fervent intensity.

"So, Natsuro-kun~ I truly look forward to seeing how far you'll go!"

Natsuro didn't respond to Orochimaru's remarks. He was taken aback by how highly Orochimaru regarded him. But if Natsuro's vague theory about his path turned out to be true, then perhaps...

While he wasn't sure if Orochimaru's power could ever rival the greatest, achieving immortality might indeed be within his reach.

"And what about Danzo's incriminating evidence?" Natsuro asked, eager to change the subject.

"It's all prepared." Orochimaru casually tossed a scroll toward Natsuro without even confirming whether Natsuro agreed to the exchange.

It seemed Orochimaru assumed Natsuro's request for evidence meant he had tacitly agreed to the deal. As for whether Natsuro might back out...

Heh, Orochimaru thought, that's more like something I would do. But these days, I don't seem to have the inclination for such games.

At this moment, Orochimaru also spoke up.

"This scroll records every instance of communication between us, including some items I demanded from Danzo in installments. However, knowing Danzo, he likely hasn't left behind anything too incriminating. Whether you can find something actionable within Konoha will depend on you, Natsuro-kun~."

Natsuro looked at the scroll in his hand, particularly at the details Orochimaru mentioned, and his eyes were filled with surprise. This was especially true when he saw parts of the Anbu and Root member rosters…

The Anbu roster was something only the Hokage was supposed to have access to. That Danzo could produce it wasn't entirely shocking, though. After all, Root had originally been an offshoot of Anbu, and as its leader, it wasn't surprising that Danzo had access to some of this information.

But the Root roster… That was a different matter. Even the Hokage might not have access to this list. Of course, the roster provided here likely represented only a portion of Root's members, and there might even be deliberate misinformation included. Danzo would never fully expose his own forces, after all.

Then there were the vast amounts of resources. Danzo had clearly been stockpiling for years, evidence of his deep and meticulous accumulation of power over time!

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Currently on Chapter 271 - Rivals, Through and Through