Chapter 20: Contract

The unexpected joy from Orochimaru discovering the white python overwhelmed him momentarily. His instincts, however, did not lead him to attack. Instead, his first thought was to step back.

Why attack a snake when I should be one of them? he mused. If he attacked this snake, how could he expect to forge a bond with them later?

Luckily, the flower-patterned python didn't seem hostile, but Orochimaru remained cautious. After all, sudden kindness from a snake wasn't something to be taken lightly. Glancing at the scroll the python had dropped, he quickly formulated a plan. While keeping a wary eye on the snake, he reached for the scroll.

Upon inspecting it, he found that the scroll itself wasn't particularly unique, save for what it recorded the origin of this snake.

"Was this snake raised by my parents?" Orochimaru thought aloud, his golden eyes narrowing. "Could it be that they implanted a spiritual mark in its subconscious, so it wouldn't attack me?"

His gaze returned to the massive snake. Orochimaru was well aware that each of the Sannin had their own signature summon creatures. Jiraiya had the toads of Mount Myoboku, Tsunade had her slugs from Shikkotsu Forest, and he, Orochimaru, would eventually summon the snakes of Ryūchi Cave.

But this snake in front of him? It wasn't speaking, unlike the high-level toads or the intelligent slug Tsunade summoned. Most snakes from Ryūchi Cave didn't have the gift of speech unless they were particularly special.

It can't speak? Orochimaru thought, pondering the situation. So how did the original Orochimaru control these snakes?

His mind worked through the possible explanations.

"Do I need to sign a summoning contract first?" Orochimaru muttered. "That makes sense… but how do I go about signing the contract? Do I need to visit Ryūchi Cave?"

Just as these thoughts were crossing his mind, the flower patterned python reacted. Bah! The python hissed and gestured toward the basement, seemingly asking him to follow.

"Do you want me to go down with you?" Orochimaru asked tentatively.

Bah! The python nodded or at least it seemed to.

Orochimaru hesitated for a moment, but quickly decided to follow. With my current strength, I should be able to handle anything unexpected. He walked down into the basement, fully aware of his surroundings.

The basement was small, and the lighting was poor. Realizing the darkness would hinder him, Orochimaru quickly returned upstairs to fetch a candle. Once lit, the soft glow of the flame illuminated the space, revealing two objects sitting before him.

One was an intricately detailed scroll, and the other was a long iron box.

---

Orochimaru sat cross-legged in his living room, the two items placed beside him. Behind him, the flower patterned python coiled quietly, its tongue flickering in and out as it watched him obediently. The creature's docile nature surprised Orochimaru. It seemed surprisingly loyal and calm in his presence, an unexpected contrast to the snake's usual aggressive reputation.

This snake is unusually well-behaved, Orochimaru thought, though he quickly pushed those thoughts aside. There were more pressing matters at hand.

He turned his attention to the two objects in front of him. Even with all his experiments and experiences, he couldn't help but marvel at what he had found.

So my father had a summoning contract with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave too? Orochimaru's mind raced. It seemed that this python had been summoned by his father to guard these two treasures.

Orochimaru recalled that in the basement, there had been a tunnel leading out of Konoha Village, allowing the python to leave to hunt for food. That explained how the creature had survived in hiding for so long. The python had been living beneath the house for a year, sustaining itself by catching prey from the outside.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Orochimaru said to himself, his voice filled with rare emotion. He calmed his excitement and examined the long iron box next to the scroll. The box wasn't locked but had a simple seal that required chakra to unlock. Orochimaru channeled a bit of chakra into the seal, and soon the box creaked open.

Inside the box was a shining silver sword, its blade gleaming in the dim candlelight.

Orochimaru's eyes widened, his pupils contracting. "It really is… Kusanagi!"

In his memories, this very sword had been used by him to kill both the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and his former master, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. While the Kusanagi Sword wasn't a divine artifact, it was incredibly sharp and could extend, shorten, and transform at will making it a formidable weapon.

Beside the sword lay a letter.

Orochimaru opened it slowly. Countless words appeared before his eyes, written in a familiar hand.

"Boy, if you're reading this, it means I'm no longer in this world..."

There was no doubt this was a letter left behind by Orochimaru's father.

The letter explained how his father had obtained the sword by chance. Before heading to the battlefield, he had a premonition that he might not survive. Fearing that the sword would fall into enemy hands, he hid it away in the basement, entrusting it to the care of the python.

The letter warned Orochimaru of the sword's immense value and power, advising him to only use it once he was strong enough. His father cautioned him never to display the Kusanagi in front of others until he was capable of wielding it effectively.

"So that's why Orochimaru in the original timeline always kept this sword inside his body," Orochimaru chuckled darkly. He remembered vividly how the original Orochimaru would summon the Kusanagi by having a snake regurgitate it from his mouth a sight that was as bizarre as it was unsettling.

Disgusting,Orochimaru thought with a grimace. The original Orochimaru must have altered his body through countless experiments, turning himself into something less humane.

That won't be me. Orochimaru decided firmly. He had no intention of becoming a grotesque snake-human hybrid. His experiments would be different.

Placing the Kusanagi Sword to the side, he picked up the scroll. As expected, it was a summoning contract. His father's name was written at the top, marking him as a summoner of Ryūchi Cave.

According to the instructions on the contract, Orochimaru would need to sign his name on the bottom and then leave a bloody handprint to finalize the agreement. It was a simple process, one that he had been familiar with from his knowledge of the original story.

Without hesitation, Orochimaru followed the instructions. He pricked his finger, signed his name, and placed a blood-stained handprint on the scroll.

As the blood seeped into the scroll, Orochimaru felt a sudden shift within his mind. Something foreign yet familiar embedded itself into his consciousness a connection to Ryūchi Cave and its serpentine inhabitants.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Master, please issue your command!"

Orochimaru blinked in surprise. The voice belonged to the flower patterned python coiled behind him.

So, after signing the contract, I can communicate with these snakes telepathically?

A wicked smile crept across Orochimaru's face.