"Well? Did you see Itachi's brother, Sasuke? What was his potential like?"
The moment Allen returned to the Hidden Sound Village, Orochimaru inquired about Sasuke Uchiha's status with restless urgency. It wasn't hard to see from the naked, undisguised greed in his eyes that this man remained obsessed with the Sharingan, specifically, the Mangekyo Sharingan.
After all, back then, an Itachi in his mid-teens had defeated him with a single glance. That bone-deep sense of humiliation was not something easily forgotten.
"I saw him. He has already awakened his Sharingan; I believe he will meet your expectations," Allen replied straightforwardly.
He had little interest in the tangled grievances between Orochimaru and the Uchiha brothers, nor did he care to know if Orochimaru would have a better chance of seizing Sasuke's body now that he had mastered Nen.
There was only one thing Allen wanted to do right now: use the remaining time before the start of the Konoha Crush to have the red dragon complete the final modifications on his body, allowing him to use both Nen and Chakra simultaneously.
"Oh? Truly? Then I have even more to look forward to."
Orochimaru extended his long, slender tongue to lick his lips, while a bizarre Nen beast, shaped like an Ouroboros, emerged behind him.
Seeing this, Allen asked in surprise, "You've already developed your own Hatsu?"
"Hehe! Correct. Not only was it a success, but I am extremely satisfied with this ability. I have you to thank for this, Allen-kun. Had you not arrived, I might never have known such a marvelous power existed in this world. It has not only compensated for my final weakness but also granted me infinite possibilities. As a token of my gratitude, I have decided to present you with a gift shortly."
At the mention of this, Orochimaru became visibly excited, his golden pupils flashing with an inexplicable fanaticism.
"Would it be convenient to tell me what its ability is?" Allen probed, narrowing his eyes.
Without a second thought, Orochimaru shook his head. "Apologies, but that is a secret, a secret I will never tell a soul. However, regarding the gift, I can give you a small hint."
"Is that so? Well, that's a pity," Allen said, shrugging with a feigned look of disappointment.
However, Orochimaru's choice to keep his ability a secret was entirely within Allen's expectations. Unlike Ninjutsu, once a Hatsu is formed, it cannot be drastically altered. No matter how powerful an ability is, it inevitably carries corresponding flaws. Most importantly, such flaws are almost impossible to mend.
Still, judging by the Ouroboros shape, it likely related to "perfection" or "immortality." Since these two things had always been Orochimaru's ultimate life goals, his attitude only served to confirm this suspicion.
"Are you not even curious to hear about the gift I've prepared?"
Orochimaru clearly didn't want to dwell on his own ability and decisively changed the subject.
"Please, go ahead. I'm listening," Allen said, adopting an attentive posture.
"If I recall correctly, you have a grudge against the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, don't you?" Orochimaru asked with a cryptic smile.
Hearing this, Allen couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha! No! You recall incorrectly. It should be the other way around. After all, Onoki's son, granddaughter, and disciple all died at my hands. Why? Is there some interesting movement regarding the Stone Shinobi?"
"Fair point. According to the intelligence I've gathered recently, the Hidden Stone's Anbu has been in contact with a wandering monk named Roshi. If I'm not mistaken, he is the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, who has been out of the public eye for quite some time. If you have confidence in your strength, you could try to kill him, or extract the Tailed Beast from his body. Losing the Four-Tails would certainly be a painful blow to the Hidden Stone." Orochimaru suggested with a sinister expression.
"The Four-Tails Jinchuriki?"
The image of an old man in purple clothing immediately flashed through Allen's mind. He stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "But I know nothing about Sealing Jutsu. Even if I defeat the Jinchuriki, I probably won't be able to extract the Tailed Beast."
"No matter. I can help you. I can even help you seal the Tailed Beast into your own body to make you a Jinchuriki. I believe that with your prowess, once you obtain the infinite Chakra of a Tailed Beast, you will undoubtedly become the most powerful ninja in the world. Besides, with an extra Tailed Beast, the Konoha Crush plan will proceed much more smoothly."
As he spoke, Orochimaru's eyes shimmered with an ambiguous light. Given his personality, he shouldn't be this invested in such a matter. Allen found it a bit baffling why this man was encouraging him to become the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.
Was he trying to stir up a conflict between Allen and the Akatsuki? The timing didn't add up. Akatsuki wouldn't officially begin capturing Tailed Beasts for another three years; currently, they were just a mercenary organization accumulating funds by fighting wars.
However, considering that doing this would infuriate Onoki, and with the red dragon's help, Allen wouldn't die even if a Tailed Beast were extracted, nor would it negatively impact his body, he decided to agree.
"Very well! Since you're being so kind, I'll accept. When do we strike?"
"In one week. I've already pinpointed the wandering monk's location; I just need to make a few preparations."
Orochimaru was clearly prepared, giving a precise timeframe immediately. Capturing, extracting, and re-sealing a Tailed Beast was no easy task; even the Hidden Villages of the Five Great Nations required significant preparation time. Sealing Jutsus, in particular, were far more complex than most S-rank Ninjutsu.
The Sand Shinobi, for example, had such poor sealing techniques that the One-Tails Jinchuriki was constantly eroded by the beast's consciousness, making it impossible for him to sleep and causing frequent rampages. In contrast, the sealing techniques inherited from the Uzumaki clan were far superior; Naruto had barely been affected by the Nine-Tails his entire life.
After Orochimaru turned and left, Allen immediately spoke to the red dragon in necklace form. "Vaelastrasz. If I seal a Tailed Beast with massive Chakra into my body, are you confident you can control it?"
"Of course! I could even drain its energy directly!"
Vaelastrasz's voice was filled with intense confidence. Given her gluttonous nature, she was itching to taste what a Tailed Beast was like.
"In that case, there's nothing to worry about. But remember to leave a little when you're draining the energy, don't accidentally kill it," Allen reminded her with a smile.
"Hehe! A storage battery! I get it!" Vaelastrasz let out a chilling laugh.
Poor Four-Tails and its Jinchuriki, Roshi, had no idea they had been targeted by two extremely dangerous individuals, and that a tragic end awaited them soon. And the root of all this was that the Tsuchikage, Onoki, had provoked someone he shouldn't have provoked...
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