"Tch…"
In a dark underground chamber, long, twisting hallways stretched in all directions. The eerie architecture only added to the chilling atmosphere.
Obito stood at the entrance, gripping a scroll in his hand, his face hidden behind a mask but filled with irritation.
A pale figure emerged from the room, those cold, unfeeling eyes glinting with interest. "Did you find it?"
Obito narrowed his eyes at the outstretched hand, his expression darkening. He flipped the scroll back into his cloak and spoke in an icy tone.
"Orochimaru, just focus on your part of the deal. Don't forget our agreement."
He was warning Orochimaru not to step beyond the terms of their deal.
Yes, the pale, snake-like figure was none other than Orochimaru.
But if he heard the warning in Obito's voice, he certainly didn't show it. He kept that usual, relaxed expression.
"You don't have many people to rely on right now. So watch your attitude… 'Uchiha Madara.'"
As he spoke that name, amusement flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
He was one of the few in Akatsuki who never believed Obito was really Madara.
Back then, not many people even knew about Obito, but most were fooled by his act.
Even Itachi believed he was Madara at the time.
But Orochimaru was different—he never believed it.
Obito, of course, could hear the hidden meaning in Orochimaru's words. He let out a cold snort and handed over the scroll. "Hurry up and revive the Fourth Hokage. The Nine-Tails' power is too strong. If you want to study the Ten-Tails, this is your only chance."
"Don't rush." Orochimaru showed no sense of urgency. He took the scroll and examined it carefully. "Besides the Ten-Tails, have you forgotten that there's something else you need to hand over to me?"
Obito's expression darkened. "Once you revive the Fourth Hokage, I'll give you the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
"Don't take me for a fool, Madara." Orochimaru chuckled, his voice carrying its usual raspy tone. "Once you get the Nine-Tails, I won't be able to stop you from leaving. So, why not give me what you owe me right now?"
Seeing Obito's face darken—even through his mask—Orochimaru remained calm and smiled. "Of course, you could just give me one eye as collateral."
Obito clenched his fist. "This isn't what we agreed on!"
Their original deal was that he would hand over the Mangekyō after the Fourth Hokage was revived. To ensure Orochimaru's cooperation, Obito had even given him a White Zetsu body—
—to serve as a vessel for the Reanimation Jutsu, essentially as a deposit.
As if he had just heard something amusing, Orochimaru leaned against the doorframe, looking at the scroll in his hands with a smirk. "True, I do like to follow the rules. I usually don't break agreements… as long as the other party doesn't break them first."
His gaze suddenly turned cold. "Madara… no, Uchiha Obito. Are you really going to give me your eyes? Or are you expecting me to go and take Kakashi's instead?"
Obito's fists clenched tightly. "How do you know that?"
Konoha knew because of Kakashi and Itachi. Naruto, Sasuke, and that damn Nine-Tails could figure it out too. But how did Orochimaru know? His intel network should have been completely misled by White Zetsu. The only information he should have been able to access was useless scraps…
"Don't underestimate me." Orochimaru scoffed. "White Zetsu's transformation ability is impressive, but you handed me one as a vessel. Did you really think I wouldn't study it?"
Orochimaru's expression turned icy. "So, do you want to explain why you had White Zetsu take control of my intelligence network?"
If Obito couldn't give a good answer, Orochimaru would refuse to revive Minato. After all, he was the only person in the world who could perform the improved Reanimation Jutsu. Even if Obito had gotten his hands on the original version from Konoha's sealed scrolls, it wouldn't matter.
That outdated version was nowhere near as good as his modified technique.
Looking at Orochimaru's smug confidence, Obito clenched his fists even tighter, his face grim.
That bastard had probably known for a long time that his network was being manipulated. He just kept quiet so he could use it as leverage at the perfect moment…
Damn you, Orochimaru! If I didn't still need you, I would've had Nagato retrieve your ring a long time ago…
But what now?
Changing the plan at this stage was impossible. They had no backup plan, and Naruto and Sasuke were already too strong. Any sudden changes would only get them countered.
Obito took a deep breath, his face darkening completely. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is out of the question."
Even in the original plan, he never intended to hand it over.
Orochimaru knew that as well. He looked at Obito with amusement. "Then, what are you going to offer in exchange? Just so we're clear, I want it right now."
Obito closed his eyes, thinking deeply. White Zetsu's…
That guy must have already done his research. There was no way he'd give away the Mangekyou, and Orochimaru had no shortage of regular Sharingan. In that case…
Obito opened his eyes and looked at Orochimaru.
"Power. The power of the Sage of Six Paths."
Orochimaru paused, stopping the motion of flipping his scroll. His expression showed clear interest.
"Go on."
Seeing this, Obito spoke slowly.
"The blood of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. The Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths. And… a jutsu that can bring the dead back to life."
"I mean real resurrection, not Edo Tensei." Obito cut off Orochimaru before he could speak. "Naruto and Sasuke inherited the Sage's power. Their blood contains his strength. As for the Rinnegan, you already know about that. The jutsu is called Rinne Tensei. I can get you all of these in a short time."
"Of course, I only have one Rinnegan for now. You'll get the other one after the job is done."
Like hell he would. Obito swore to himself—if he didn't kill Orochimaru when this was over, he'd take Kakashi's last name.
"Heh~" Orochimaru licked his lips with growing excitement, his smile turning more twisted. "So, this time, you really won't back out?"
Yeah, right. Orochimaru would bet his own gender on it—Obito was definitely going to go back on his word afterward.
But that didn't matter. One Rinnegan was enough. Not to mention, he'd also be getting a resurrection jutsu and some prime research material. These three things were far more interesting than just a single Mangekyou Sharingan.
"It's a deal." Obito extended his right hand and handed over another scroll. "This contains their blood. I'll bring you the Rinnegan and Rinne Tensei before morning."
"Agreed." Orochimaru took the second scroll, smiling pleasantly. "Then, once I have the Rinnegan and the jutsu, I'll start preparing for Edo Tensei right away."
Obito clenched his fist tightly.
He wanted to kill Orochimaru right then and there.
But he couldn't.
So instead, he gritted his teeth and forced out his words.
"You'll get them before tonight!"
"Pleasure doing business!" Orochimaru stretched out his hand, looking every bit the professional.
Obito: Hold it in. You have to hold it in. For Rin's sake!
Grinding his teeth, Obito reached out and shook Orochimaru's hand.
If people couldn't see Obito's face under the mask, they might have actually thought this was a friendly deal.
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