Chapter 184: Orochimaru

"I didn't expect that even Orochimaru would have the leisure to come out and enjoy the moonlight~ Well... the moonlight is really nice tonight..."

At this moment, Toshirou couldn't help but greet, attempting to alleviate his own embarrassment.

He was so nervous that he didn't even know what to say~ It's not that he lacked courage, but the 'big shot' opposite him had a fearsome reputation. And being an Uchiha himself, who knows how far the other party's research has gone?

In this quiet night, if the other party wanted to do something to him, he'd be in deep trouble with no one to call for help.

"I'm not out for a stroll; I came specifically for you, Toshirou. It took quite some effort to find you!"

Hearing this, Toshirou became even more tense. What the heck! It wasn't a chance encounter, but he came specifically looking for him? Like a night owl visiting a house, it could only mean trouble.

Besides his physical body, what else could the other party be interested in? It's over! This time it might really be dangerous! It's partly his own fault; why did he choose such a secluded place for training? Now, if Orochimaru wants to do something, what can he do...

"I'm here mainly because I'm very interested in the two ninjutsus you've developed, Toshirou~"

Orochimaru was not surprised by the nervousness of this Uchiha clansman in front of him. Most ninjas showed the same nervous demeanor when they saw him. Orochimaru didn't think about playing mind games; instead, he was straightforward about his intentions. That's also why he specifically sought him out tonight.

While talking, he even stuck out his unusually long tongue, licking the corner of his mouth before retracting it with a 'slurp.' This was a habit of his whenever he encountered something of interest.

"Ninjutsu?"

Hearing this, Toshirou regained his composure, getting back his wit and calming down. As long as it's not about harming him, everything else is negotiable!

"Are you talking about Chidori and Flame Bullet, Orochimaru-senpai?"

Once the reason was mentioned, Toshirou had a pretty good idea. If it was about ninjutsu, it could only be these two. However...

After understanding the reason, he felt puzzled. Just like last time with Lightning Release: Shock Technique. As the person who developed the technique, the Third Hokage directly rewarded him with Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique through the clan, without even meeting him.

If the Third Hokage was interested in these two ninjutsus, he should have directly contacted the clan. Why would Orochimaru come to him instead? Although Orochimaru had a dream to learn all ninjutsu, it still didn't make sense.

Orochimaru must be associated with Danzo now. Given Danzo's hostility towards the Uchiha, it makes sense that he'd be keen on collecting information on them. If this is orchestrated by Danzo, it's plausible.

"Recently, the Uchiha have developed a new Lightning Release ninjutsu, which has proven quite effective against the Iwagakure on the battlefield~"

Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth again.

"Of course, I won't take your ninjutsu for free. I'll exchange it with another ninjutsu."

[Exchange? That's not unacceptable!] 

Observing Orochimaru's expression, Toshirou was almost certain that this issue was likely connected to Danzo. Otherwise, why would Orochimaru come looking for him? If it was the Hokage, he wouldn't usually request ninjutsu from clan members. Doing so could cause friction between the village and the clans. Besides, some individuals inspired by the Will of Fire might willingly offer their developed ninjutsu to the village, and the village would reward them generously.

However, for Toshirou, there's no need for all that. He trusted his clan more than the village. The clan's secret repository still had many things that he coveted. For these two ninjutsus, he exchanged them for several valuable items from the secret repository, which made him quite satisfied.

As for the village, he didn't believe they'd give him any substantial rewards.

"I wonder how much Orochimaru-senpai knows about these two ninjutsus and what ninjutsu you plan to exchange with me?"

Since Orochimaru came personally, it was hard to refuse. But if they were to exchange, he at least wanted to see what ninjutsu Orochimaru would offer. He didn't dare hope for techniques like Flying Thunder God or Impure World Reincarnation, but the Hokage's lineage did have many coveted techniques.

For instance, Summoning Technique: Rashomon, Spirit Transformation Technique, Sealing Techniques, Orochimaru's Substitution Jutsu, monstrous strength techniques, sensory techniques, and many others that appeared or didn't appear in the TV show. If he could exchange for some of these, he wouldn't resist. Orochimaru's request should be honored~

"Of course, before coming here, I saw these two ninjutsus in action myself. Here are some ninjutsus I prepared; see if anything interests you."

Orochimaru tossed a scroll to Toshirou, allowing him to pick two techniques from it. As for these two ninjutsus, Orochimaru had researched them before coming to see Toshirou and had personally witnessed their execution. He had to admit that these two techniques were quite impressive and had substantial practical value.

Especially that Lightning Release: Chidori, despite not aligning with stealth and concealment traits of ninjas, it was still an excellent, rare strong Lightning Release technique in Konoha.

The ones who demonstrated these two techniques were Uchiha clansmen on the battlefield, especially the Lightning Release: Chidori, which was learned by several clan ninjas with the lightning attribute to better counter Iwagakure's defensive techniques like Earth Release: Hardening.

This caught the attention of certain interested parties, leading to this meeting.