"What exactly do you know?"
Orochimaru was visibly stirred by Kyoshin's words.
First there was the concept involving Uchiha bodies and Madara Uchiha's cells.
More importantly, the level of control he had over Orochimaru's information was terrifyingly high.
Before this, Orochimaru hadn't paid too much attention to Kintsuchi.
He had only ordered Kabuto Yakushi to gather information on him, but the results had been minimal.
Hovering in the air, Kyoshin deliberately kept a certain distance from Orochimaru.
"I understand how you're feeling right now, but please believe when I say I an no harm."
"If you're interested, co find in Iwagakure. Though of course… there's no need to bring any 'gifts' that might frighten people."
'Hehehe~'
'No need to go through that much trouble.'
Orochimaru's expression didn't change much, but a sense of danger rose within Kyoshin.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From every direction, enormous pythons as thick as buckets suddenly extended outward. Using rocks and trees as support points, they surged toward Kyoshin like a tidal wave.
Kyoshin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Because he had stayed too low-profile over the years and lacked any particularly famous accomplishnts, his reputation throughout the ninja world remained fairly ordinary.
Even his impact on the original storyline wasn't all that significant.
As a result, Orochimaru had misjudged Kyoshin's strength. In the end, after being completely crushed in terms of intelligence and tempted by what he heard, he still decided to make a move.
The three tomoe in Kyoshin's eyes spun rapidly before gradually rging into a simple circular pattern.
The Mangekyo Sharingan appeared.
Vast chakra surged under Kyoshin's control. Molded through the Mangekyo's ocular power, it ford a visible white skeletal structure around his body.
Susanoo, initial form.
The giant snakes opened their bloody jaws wide, their sharp fangs sinking into the Susanoo, yet they failed to shake it in the slightest.
One second before Kyoshin was struck, Orochimaru had already drawn the Kusanagi Sword, waiting for an opening to launch a surprise attack.
But in the very next instant... Orochimaru's body suddenly froze.
Dense holes erupted throughout his body as blood poured out.
"What?!" Orochimaru frowned tightly, gritting his teeth as he glanced at the wounds, shock flashing through his eyes.
He recognized these injuries instantly.
They were clearly caused by summoned snakes attacking him.
Orochimaru's body began softening and collapsing. His mouth slowly stretched open to a grotesque degree as a pair of hands erged from inside, shedding the "shell" completely.
After using the Great Snake Replacent Technique to avoid the damage, Orochimaru looked at Kyoshin with a new layer of caution in his eyes.
Those eyes again.
He absolutely had to obtain them.
But now…
His presence had already been locked onto by a certain disappointing disciple.
If Konoha's experts arrived, leaving wouldn't be so easy.
He hadn't expected this guy to be this troubleso despite being the sa age as Sasuke.
"I'll pay you a visit." Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and sinister, though slightly weakened.
That was because he had already spent chakra earlier playing around with Team Seven, and he had used the Great Snake Replacent Technique twice in a short period.
After being humbled one after another by Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Kyoshin, Orochimaru's craving for the Uchiha bloodline had reached its peak.
At this mont, he had two plans in mind.
First: Uchiha Sasuke.
Raise him, then take over his body.
Second: Uchiha Kyoshin.
Strange abilities, and chakra that didn't lose to his own at all.
The only option was to cooperate and see whether Kyoshin's proposed thod could work.
Clone bodies…
Madara Uchiha's cells?
That really did sound like a good choice.
But now that the play had already begun, it had to continue.
Orochimaru usually only trusted conclusions produced in his laboratory. He didn't have much ti left. If he could first obtain Sasuke's body, then finding Kyoshin afterward would naturally be even better.
'Only children make choices~'
Orochimaru's body transford into countless tiny white snakes that vanished into the surroundings almost instantly.
Kyoshin deactivated his Susanoo and Mangekyo before raising a hand to put his mask back on, then turned to look behind him.
Kankuro subconsciously took a step backward. Cold sweat covered his body as he trembled while asking Gaara, "We really don't need to run? If he suddenly decides to kill us…"
They had seen everything just now.
Among the three genin from Konoha's Team Seven, Sasuke and Naruto had both shown impressive strength. Only the girl looked like dead weight.
And that strange Grass ninja's strength was even more unfathomable.
If they fought Orochimaru, Gaara's group would definitely get crushed.
Yet above their heads floated an even fiercer monster who had casually forced Orochimaru to retreat.
'Is this really still the Chunin Exams?'
Temari looked at Kyoshin warily. She completely agreed with Kankuro, but unfortunately, Gaara was the one leading the team.
At this mont, Gaara was actually in an excellent mood.
After Shukaku's voice disappeared from his ears, he realized he could finally control his temper a little.
For example, right now, he hadn't told his brother and sister to shut up.
Gaara looked directly at Kyoshin and asked, "Should I call you Uchiha Kyoshin, or Kintsuchi?"
Kankuro imdiately sensed a faint trace of killing intent.
After hiding his identity for so many years, hearing a stranger suddenly call out his real na had triggered an instinctive reaction from Kyoshin.
"O-of course…" Kankuro stamred, "Of course it's Kintsuchi. Unless we don't want to live anymore."
He looked up at Kyoshin.
"Believe , we didn't see anything."
'Believe you?'
'I really can't.'
The three tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated beneath the mask as genjutsu activated.
Kankuro and Temari's expressions blanked for a mont, the recent "mories of reality" in their minds being altered.
Kyoshin knew that later on these people would all more or less redeem themselves, but for now, he was only willing to show sincerity to those worth recruiting.
"This is for the sake of the scroll." Kyoshin slowly descended from the sky as chakra light glimred at his fingertips.
Gaara could clearly sense the sealing power contained within it.
Kyoshin reinforced Shukaku's seal slightly, causing Gaara to ask blankly, "Why are you helping ?"
"You'll understand soon enough. Three or four years at most." Kyoshin's voice was calm and gentle, not seeming difficult to get along with at all.
"Although Iwagakure and Sunagakure have had conflicts before, we've also cooperated."
"Yet as fellow villages stuck in unfortunate geographic positions, we shouldn't be turning a blind eye to each other."
Gaara was the future Kazekage. Helping him now was equivalent to securing a more friendly and relaxed future relationship between Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Besides, since Sunagakure had allied with Konoha, they would eventually find a way to properly control Shukaku, even if Konoha would undoubtedly squeeze them for benefits in the process...
As for Kyoshin, strengthening Gaara's seal was rely a casual task.
It wouldn't affect Gaara losing control during the upcoming Chunin Exams, nor would it interfere with Iwagakure's plans, while also earning goodwill.
Why not?
"Th-thank you." Gaara sounded sowhat awkward. "Kintsuchi, believe , I won't reveal your information."
Perhaps because he wasn't used to interacting with people this way, Gaara actually looked a little shy, his dark-ringed eyes drifting uncertainly.
'Hahaha~'
'What an adorable little raccoon.'
Kyoshin patted him on the shoulder, "The future relationship between our two sides will depend on you. Goodbye."
Then Kyoshin flew toward the central tower.
———
[Inside Gaara's Seal Space]
A tanuki crushed beneath overwhelming chakra pressure could barely breathe.
"..."
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