To Orochimaru, every evil act he committed was merely a means to an end, never the end itself.
Unlike ordinary people, he had no concept of good and evil, no moral compass or ethical boundaries...
Actions that others would see as unforgivable were, to him, no different than eating or drinking.
He didn't care about redemption or what anyone else thought.
The only thing he truly desired was knowledge! Science!
Even if it meant betraying everyone around him and studying the immortality kinjutsu,
It was all just to prolong his life—so he could keep uncovering the mysteries of ninjutsu and science, feeding his insatiable hunger for understanding.
Therefore, Shimoku, who fully understood this side of him,
Dared to make an unrestricted deal with Orochimaru.
After all, across the entire Ninja World,
Only he knew everything.
Only he knew where to find the things Orochimaru longed for.
In short, as long as he offered tempting enough incentives and backed them up with overwhelming strength,
The partnership between him and Orochimaru would stay rock-solid.
As for the suitable reincarnation vessels Orochimaru needed,
Besides the Sage Body, Shimoku knew of two other even better options.
First: White Zetsu's physical body.
Currently, inside Akatsuki's secret base, there were many White Zetsu bodies on standby. These White Zetsus were cultivated using a combination of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Hashirama's cells.
Truly another form of plant-like Sage Body!
Furthermore, White Zetsu could split freely and easily create clones, each clone being an independent individual.
Possessing one White Zetsu equated to owning countless reincarnation vessels.
One could say nothing suited Orochimaru better!
However, at this stage, Akatsuki remained extremely secretive. Obito, Black Zetsu, and others had never revealed this to Orochimaru.
If they had shared this earlier and offered a few White Zetsu bodies as exchange,
Later on, Orochimaru wouldn't have broken away from Akatsuki directly.
Second: Hidan, who possessed an incomplete Immortal God Body.
There was little need for explanation here. Even when chopped into pieces, Hidan still couldn't die.
Clearly showing how powerful the vitality within his "Immortal God Body" was. It could even be said to defy the very laws of life itself!
If Orochimaru took over Hidan's body, the flaws of his immortal rebirth technique would completely disappear—wouldn't that be perfect?
Moreover, compared to simple body possession,
Facing such a grotesque and rare Immortal God Body, Orochimaru would surely cherish it dearly, becoming ecstatic beyond control.
After all, an immortal body like this would serve as an endless supply of experimental material!
...
Thus, upon hearing that such uniquely suitable physical forms actually existed in the world,
Orochimaru indeed became interested.
He immediately pressed Shimoku with questions about their whereabouts,
So much so that he barely paid attention to Shimoku's Sage Body anymore.
After all, while the Sage Body was excellent, obtaining it was practically impossible!
Yet the "White Zetsu bodies" and "Immortal God Bodies" Shimoku mentioned seemed actually obtainable.
Orochimaru naturally paid more attention to tangible physical gains within reach.
...
Soon enough, Shimoku plainly stated that White Zetsu's physical body was inside the Akatsuki organization and promised to help Orochimaru obtain it.
As for Hidan, who possessed an incomplete Immortal God Body, news of his location within the Land of Hot Springs was obviously not immediately disclosed by Shimoku.
After all, cooperation must start one step at a time.
Revealing all the bargaining chips at once wouldn't maximize benefits.
First, let Lady Serpent drool over White Zetsu's physical body from the Akatsuki.
With Lady Serpent's assistance, stir things up within the Akatsuki.
By then, Lady Serpent would obtain White Zetsu's physical body, while he himself could recruit individuals like 'Piggy Bank.'
Wouldn't that serve both purposes at once?
Of course, if their subsequent cooperation remained pleasant,
Shimoku wouldn't mind taking Lady Serpent along to target Hidan as well.
Perhaps even eyeing the True Immortal Rebirth Technique—the Kāma mark of the Otsutsuki Clan.
Or even the fruit of the God Tree.
And so on...
None of these were impossible.
In short, the bargaining chips in his hands were absolutely plentiful.
He certainly wouldn't leave a certain 'Lady Serpent' hanging.
...
"Good! I accept this deal."
"What should I do? Shall we attack the Akatsuki together?"
Orochimaru enthusiastically agreed.
Without hesitation, he prepared to betray the Akatsuki.
What a joke!
To achieve his goals, Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate to sell even his own body!
Let alone a rogue ninja organization he'd only just joined?
There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in selling them out.
"Of course not. I don't like violent confrontations,"
Shimoku replied earnestly:
"We're civilized people after all! We must approach things politely!"
"Aren't you having a meeting later?"
"Be sure to tell me everything that happens in the meeting afterward."
Orochimaru smirked with narrowed eyes:
"That's simple enough."
"But surely there are more conditions than this?"
Shimoku: "Certainly more than one condition."
"There will probably be a guy wearing a tiger-patterned mask during the meeting, inciting everyone to attack Homuragakure, to attack me."
"I hope you'll oppose him more, prevent him from inciting others against me!"
"At least now isn't the time to go to war against the Akatsuki on all fronts."
"Eliminating them entirely right now would still be quite troublesome..."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows slightly, kindly reminding:
"Oh? Lord Shimoku seems unfamiliar with the Akatsuki! Those rogue ninjas inside aren't weak at all!"
"Completely wiping them out won't be easy."
"Not to mention, the Akatsuki leader possesses a pair of..."
Shimoku: "A pair of Rinnegans, right?"
Orochimaru inwardly shuddered and was momentarily speechless again.
What nerve! Does this kid already know about this too?
Could it be that he's already infiltrated the Akatsuki long ago?
Is one of the organization's members actually impersonated by him?
Shimoku smiled faintly: "Merely a pair of Rinnegan. Don't overestimate the Akatsuki. Their secrets have long been completely exposed to me."
"Remember—pick the right side!"
Orochimaru licked his lips, his serpent-like eyes narrowing further.
Certainly, the leader of Akatsuki who possessed the Rinnegan was indeed someone he feared.
But when it came to actual power and cunning... the leader of Akatsuki was probably no match at all for this little brat, Shimoku.
As for which side to choose, Orochimaru naturally understood it clearly.
Orochimaru: "Relax, I'll make sure to throw off the meeting."
Shimoku: "By the way, after the meeting ends, be sure to mention me."
"I also greatly admire the Akatsuki organization and would love to join. I hope to meet your leader and have an in-depth discussion."
"The time and location will be decided by him."
"How do I put it... I am currently Konoha's top rogue ninja, right?"
"He should show me some respect and agree to meet me."
"If he still refuses..."
"Then you can tell him I wouldn't mind personally going to the Rain Hidden Village to see him."
"I believe upon hearing that, he will definitely want to meet with me."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru was even more shocked beyond measure.
Of course, he didn't believe for a second that Shimoku's admiration for Akatsuki was genuine, or that he really wanted to join.
What surprised him was—how could this kid, without joining Akatsuki, already know the leader's location?
And be so confident about it!
This kid knew far too much!
"Alright, I'll pass along the message."
"Great, it's all up to you then. I'm heading back to the village first."
"After your meeting, I'll come find you again."
Shimoku waved his hand and quickly left the base.
After all, facing the terrifying young female form of Lady Serpent was just too scary!
If he stayed any longer, Shimoku was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep his cool anymore.
As for Orochimaru, after seeing Shimoku off,
He immediately tidied his appearance, sat cross-legged on the ground, and allowed the ring on his hand to activate a ninjutsu.
He converted his chakra into 'Thought Waves', which radiated outward; these were received by Pain thousands of miles away, who amplified the 'Thought Waves' and projected them as illusions in specific locations.
[Through the Projection Technique], they held a high-level online meeting across vast distances.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>