"Alright, I admit I misjudged you before. Menma-kun, pardon my rudeness. What did you want to discuss? Or rather, what deal do you wish to strike with me? You may speak now."
Orochimaru exhaled softly, retracting his Kusanagi Sword while looking at Menma in the distance. He spoke in his customary raspy tone.
The ninja world was just this simple: the weak are prey to the strong, and the winner takes all.
If Menma didn't possess power that could rival or threaten Orochimaru, it would have been absolutely impossible for Orochimaru to sit down and talk like this.
Menma knew this well.
To be honest, Menma had intended to stop for a while now. Orochimaru didn't want to be besieged by the Hidden Leaf Village, and did Menma want to be discovered early by the Leaf ninja?
That would be courting death. Moreover, when he erupted with the fourth tail just now, Menma could already feel a scorching sensation transmitting from the skin all over his body.
This was the corrosion of the Nine-Tails' chakra on his body.
It was something the current Menma couldn't reverse.
This was a process every Jinchūriki had to go through: slowly adapting their body to the Tailed Beast's chakra until they reached a level of perfect fusion.
"Heh, I knew Orochimaru-san was a reasonable person."
Menma smiled gently. Looking at Orochimaru, who had completely retracted his killing intent and returned to his usual eerie demeanor, Menma lied through his teeth without blinking.
"Heh heh. Speak, Menma-kun. What is your intention? To expose my identity, and even go so far as to use the Nine-Tails' chakra... what do you want from me?"
Orochimaru's narrow snake eyes stared tightly at Menma as he spoke in a low voice.
"No, no, no. Orochimaru-san misunderstands. It's not that I want to take something from you, but rather that we should make a mutually beneficial deal, Orochimaru-san."
Menma smiled slightly, speaking with certainty.
"Ho ho? Then I'm all ears."
Orochimaru spoke somewhat nonchalantly. He acknowledged Menma's power only because of the Nine-Tails' existence.
But Menma was only twelve. Orochimaru didn't think a Menma of this age could bring him anything of value. Furthermore, regarding the things Orochimaru pursued, what could a mere brat know?
"My intention is simple. I plan to leave this village in the near future and defect to you, Orochimaru-san. Of course, not to become your subordinate, but hoping to cooperate with you. When the time comes, I hope you can provide me with a temporary hideout. Additionally, I hope to receive support from your specialized research materials and content, such as cells and certain secret techniques. These are my requirements."
"Is that so? Interesting, Menma-kun. Leaving this village... haha! If that teacher of mine knew this, he might go insane. However, Menma-kun, as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, how do you plan to leave the village? Oh, do you need my help? I would be quite willing."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, speaking with a bizarre smile.
"Heh, Orochimaru-san doesn't need to worry about that. I have my own ways to leave the village. Besides, Orochimaru-san, you didn't come back this time just to reminisce about the past, did you? So, it all depends on whether you are willing to take in a rogue ninja like me when the time comes."
Menma naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to directly expose the plan between Orochimaru and the Sand Village here. That would make it difficult to explain his source of intelligence and would easily arouse unnecessary suspicion from Orochimaru.
In the end, he was here only to reach a preliminary agreement with Orochimaru. As for what followed... could words spoken between two people with absolutely no mutual trust be taken seriously?
Everything would depend on adapting to the situation and resolving issues through mutual maneuvering.
Here, he only needed to use some reasonable deductions to achieve the same effect.
Hearing Menma's words, Orochimaru's gaze clearly tightened. The dangerous glint that faintly surfaced was retracted by Orochimaru himself after just a second.
"It seems Menma-kun has truly made many preparations over these twelve years. I certainly have no problem with these conditions. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Why should I provide these conditions to you, Menma-kun? I don't see the 'mutually beneficial' part of this deal at all right now."
Orochimaru said indifferently.
"Don't be hasty, Orochimaru-san. I believe my conditions will definitely move you. The first condition is myself—the most orthodox bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, plus the Nine-Tails inside me. Is Orochimaru-san not interested in the slightest? I believe this would be helpful for some of your research, wouldn't it?"
Menma pointed at himself and said meaningfully.
"You certainly have guts, using yourself as a condition."
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then looked at Menma with an intrigued expression.
Orochimaru wasn't surprised that Menma knew about his research; at most, he assumed Menma had obtained the information from the Leaf. As for the means, seeing Menma's current strength, Orochimaru didn't think it was impossible.
Of course, Orochimaru would never know, even if it killed him, that all of this came from the perks of being a "transmigrator."
"Heh, I've always thought I had plenty of guts. And as long as it's to leave this evil village, I'm willing to trade anything. Isn't Orochimaru-san the same?"
Menma chuckled, his words carrying a double meaning.
"Very well. I accept this condition. Or rather, even if this were the only condition, I would accept your proposed deal. However, you seem to have more prepared? Menma-kun."
"Naturally. To be precise, this second condition is what I carefully prepared for you, Orochimaru-san. It is... the relationship between the Sharingan and the Rinnegan. I think you would be very interested in this, Orochimaru-san. Otherwise, you wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles back to the village just to play a ninja game with Sasuke-kun."
Menma leaned forward slightly, speaking each word clearly.
This time, Orochimaru was truly shocked by Menma again. His suddenly changing expression was the best proof.
"What?!"
Orochimaru looked at Menma with a sharp gaze. The shock and skepticism flowing in his snake eyes were so clear, so intense.
"Menma-kun, do you know what you are saying?"
"Of course I know what I'm saying, Orochimaru-san. You don't need to doubt me. Indeed, in your view, how could a mere twelve-year-old brat know anything? But don't forget... inside my body, there is a creature that has lived for thousands of years. Besides, that partner of yours isn't exactly a simple character either, is he? Orochimaru-san."
Menma smiled faintly.