Inside the room, every living being was attacking, and the scene became utterly chaotic.
In the end, it was the controlled Pakura who stopped the situation from escalating further: "Everyone, cease your actions."
With that single sentence, Guren, Kimimaro, and Karin immediately stopped. Sasuke, seeing Guren cease her attack, also stopped his.
Naruko, who couldn't defeat anyone, dispersed her Nine-Tails Chakra. It wasn't because she was cowardly; rather, she was making a mental note.
Naruto only kept mental notes on Kakashi and Jiraiya. Naruko was different; she remembered everyone, even her main body's grudges.
The recent incident where Guren almost crystallized her left Naruko resentful. This matter couldn't be left unresolved.
"Is this your way of hospitality?" Naruko asked Pakura.
"How could it be? I merely wished to see if Naruto-kun possessed the qualifications to trade with me," Pakura replied a few seconds later.
Naruto gave her a contemptuous look.
That excuse clearly wasn't thought through. You initiated the trade, and then you question my qualifications?
"Boom." Naruko turned into smoke.
A short while later, another clone emerged from a teleportation portal. It was Naruko again.
Originally, clones were assigned randomly, taking shifts fairly, but Naruko had a grudge to settle, so... she cut in line.
The other clones dared not voice their anger or resentment.
They truly didn't dare to provoke her. The main body and Iron Pillar's experiences were still vivid in their minds. Don't provoke anyone, but especially don't provoke Naruko. Even trying to rely on strength in numbers with the 'law doesn't punish the masses' logic didn't work last time; forty-two of them were still cut down.
"So this is your sincerity, then?" Naruko asked.
Orochimaru was such a pain. During negotiations, he played dirty tricks, and if they couldn't agree, he'd resort to force. If she hadn't also been trying to trick him, this business deal would have been a dead loss.
"I am very sincere, but I haven't seen Naruto-kun's sincerity," Orochimaru replied brazenly through Pakura.
"How could that be? My sincerity is quite ample."
"Is that so? Then why doesn't Naruto-kun specify whether the trade occurs when I send Sasuke to learn Sage Mode or after he's learned Sage Mode? You know, Sage Mode isn't something one learns overnight."
Orochimaru didn't have the conditions to learn Sage Mode, but he knew how many years it took Jiraiya to learn it.
Naruko, who had just emerged from the teleportation portal again, said, "These are all details that can be discussed after you agree to the conditions."
"I also think we can discuss it later, after all, Naruto-kun is here every day, aren't you?"
In this transaction, Naruto was the active party; he didn't need to consider anything, just state his conditions. Orochimaru was the passive party; he had a lot to consider, such as how to ensure Naruto wouldn't breach the contract after the trade.
Orochimaru, even with the blood-soaked brain of his previous body, could guess that Naruto would breach the contract.
One stabs him in the heart, the other smashes his head; such a relationship, where their brains were practically beaten into dog brains, would be unnatural if it didn't involve a breach of contract.
"Since we've decided to discuss it later, why doesn't Naruto-kun state the latter two conditions, so I can have a baseline?" Pakura said unhurriedly.
"No rush for that. Wait until you agree to the first one."
Naruto was indeed not in a hurry. Negotiations, after all, could be slowly discussed, one condition at a time; some even took years.
He wouldn't even be in a hurry if Orochimaru's reincarnation failed. At worst, he would find another way for Sasuke to learn Sage Mode later. His main reason for negotiating with Orochimaru was that the earlier one learned Sage Mode, the more beneficial it was, at least for physical strengthening effects.
Naruto wasn't worried about Sasuke being reincarnated. In the original story, Orochimaru was defeated, and now, with Sasuke, who had been strengthened since childhood and possessed Ido, he could definitely kill Orochimaru.
Moreover, in the Ido space, Naruto had personally demonstrated how to kill the space owner in such a special space. Although it was a flawed demonstration, to say Sasuke learned nothing would be an insult to the Uchiha name. Besides, Naruto could also bring a group of people to forcibly take Sasuke before Orochimaru's reincarnation.
As for what backup plans Orochimaru had, that would only be known during a confrontation.
"Alright, we're done talking now. She attacked me just now; make her apologize to me," Naruko said, pointing at Guren by the door, who looked as if she had given up caring about anything.
Guren had fallen into despair and abandoned hope. In their brief exchange earlier, she realized that both Sasuke and Kimimaro were far stronger than she had been at their age.
This meant their potential was far greater than hers, and Orochimaru's choice of reincarnation subject wasn't based on ultimate strength, but on potential.
"Guren," Orochimaru conveyed, his tone firm.
For the sake of the trade, he could even apologize himself, let alone make his subordinates apologize. Orochimaru was not one to dote on his subordinates.
Guren first gnashed her teeth, then adopted a resigned expression. "I'm sorry."
Humming the tune of 'Girei,' the music that accompanied Pain's appearances, Naruko spoke words that thousands of Naruto clones wouldn't believe: "I forgive you."
She hummed this song because Naruko recalled Pain's discourse on hatred.
Hatred begets greater hatred, leading to a chain of resentment, a chain that fills this world with animosity.
Naruko felt her Senior Brother was right.
She couldn't be drawn into the chain; she had to actively sever it. But how to sever it was the question.
Sizing up the surprised Guren, Naruko had an idea.
Guren was very beautiful, and her figure was good. How about... inviting her to dinner?
Having made up her mind, Naruko turned and stepped into the teleportation portal. When she returned, she was carrying some barbecue skewers – leftovers from the main body's lack of appetite.
"Have some," Naruko offered the barbecue to Guren. Fearing Guren might think it was poisoned, she even ate a few skewers herself.
"Take it," Orochimaru conveyed. "Naruto-kun seems to be a magnanimous person."
Sasuke rolled his eyes furiously at this.
Magnanimous his ass! Last time, because those two sword slashes almost hit him during the fight with Ido, he kicked me back at Raiga. If he were magnanimous, I'd pluck my eyeballs out right now and give them to you.
Watching Guren eat cautiously, Naruko, fearing she wouldn't have enough, even brought out grilled meat.
Nothing a barbecue can't solve. If that doesn't work, I still have grilled meat. One day, you'll get fat from eating.
This isn't revenge; this is fairness. You crystallized me, I'll 'orange-ify' you. How fair is that?
After a flicker in her eyes, Naruko spoke to Pakura, "Orochimaru, let's not talk about the other two conditions for now. There's an additional condition; do you want to hear it?"
"Naruto-kun is becoming somewhat pushy."
"How could that be? It'll be very easy for you."
"Oh? I'm listening."
"Let her stay here and eat with me from now on," Naruko said, looking at Guren.
Orochimaru, you planted a 'Sweet Potato No. 1' in Konoha; then I'll plant a 'Sweet Potato No. 2' in your base.
"Oh, it seems Naruto-kun has learned a lot from Jiraiya this past year," Orochimaru teased.
Naruko "..."
Aunt Snake, are you misunderstanding something?
What kind of image does Jiraiya have in your mind? Can he receive blame even from a thousand miles away?
"If that's the case, then Guren, you may stay. And while you're at it, train with Sasuke for a while," Orochimaru truly didn't care about Guren; she was merely a pawn.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Though unwilling, Guren never defied Orochimaru's commands.
Upon receiving the news, Naruko turned into smoke.
Karin felt something was off; she could sense that person's Chakra color was happier.
So happy it was almost bursting into laughter.
Naruko's 'forgiveness package' resulted in Sakura's expression being unbearable for Naruto to look at three days later during Sasuke's routine check-up.
On a certain small island in the Land of Waves, everyone from Team 7 except the slacker Kakashi was present.
Sasuke, lying on the grass, ignored Sakura's expression and said, "Please."
Tears welled in Sakura's eyes, her lips pursed into a wavy line.
You heartless man, not only do you smell of her, but also of another woman! You said you went out to study; what exactly did you learn?
Despite the pain in her heart, Sakura still turned away, wiped her tears, and began to heal Sasuke. After all, he was the man she had chosen.
Naruto wore an expression of disappointment, as if wanting to pound iron into steel.
You pink-haired childhood friend, what are you afraid of from a 'destined encounter' type? This hair color doesn't have a 'defeated heroine' trait, okay?
However, to his utter surprise, just after thinking this, Naruto encountered a 'destined encounter' type that very afternoon.
In the afternoon, he and Jiraiya were passing through a small town again. First, he delivered local delicacies to Hinata, then he bought groceries for himself for dinner.
He had been eating the same space-stored food for over ten years; even pigs would get tired of it. The Nine-Tails had even started to demand variety.
Jiraiya was not present; he had gone to buy things he needed.
"Hello, excuse me, are you a Konoha ninja?" A tall woman pointed at the forehead protector tucked into Naruto's waistband and asked.
The tall woman also had a girl with her. Both had one common feature: large chests.
"Yes." Naruto couldn't refuse this; his forehead protector exposed him.
"Excuse me, I haven't yet asked your name," the tall woman was very polite.
Naruto tucked his forehead protector into his grocery bag and announced his name, "Kudo Shinichi."
When out and about, he never used his real name.
"Since you're a Konoha ninja, then does Shinichi-kun know Jiraiya?"
"No," Naruto lied without a blush or a racing heart.
Because he knew these two people; they were...
"Disobedient Disciple!"
A loud shout interrupted Naruto, followed by a white-haired figure rushing over and kicking out.
"Thud." Naruto blocked the attack with his arms crossed over his chest.
A twelve-year-old Naruto would have been sent flying by one kick from Jiraiya, without even time to react. But a fourteen-year-old Naruto, already a big boy, had enough strength to block a few moves.
His grocery bag flew, though.
Jiraiya smoothly caught the empty grocery bag in mid-air, landing in a cool pose. "It's been many years since we parted ways at the Land of Nadeshiko. I didn't expect to see you again."
The tall woman sighed, "Your personality hasn't changed at all."
"Hahaha, this is how I'll be for this life. By the way, who is this..."
"The daughter of the person you made that bet with, Shizuka Fujinami."
"Uh..." Jiraiya looked at the displeased Naruto who was approaching, and suddenly felt like running away.
This seemed like it was going to screw over his disciple...
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