Chapter 69: The Amaterasu Black Flames
"To establish friendly cooperation, besides mutual interests, trust is also indispensable," Orochimarulicked the corner of his mouth. "Don't you agree, Mr. Mysterious Person?"
On the outskirts of the Sound Village, Orochimaru, dressed in a kimono, appeared quite gentlemanly in his speech, but his cold, serpentine pupils and disgusting mannerisms still betrayed his true nature.
Orochimaru remained that cold, chilling figure, the sight or mention of whom made one's skin crawl.
"I don't think that's necessary." Standing opposite Orochimaru, Naruto shook his head. "As long as there are sufficient interests, one or even multiple cooperative ventures can be formed, and such cooperation is the safest and most efficient."
Naruto remained unmoved, and he would not be intimidated by Orochimaru's Aura. This all stemmed from Naruto's confidence in his own strength; even when facing a long-renowned Senior, Naruto did not lose out in the slightest when it came to projecting presence.
"That may be true..."
Orochimaru suddenly launched an attack. The Hidden Shadow Snake Hands were unleashed instantly, and dozens of venomous snakes lunged at Naruto from various tricky angles. The fangs in the snakes' mouths glinted with a cold light; being bitten even once could potentially lead to Naruto's demise.
"If your strength isn't enough, a skulking person like you doesn't deserve to talk about cooperation with me. Hand over your Sharingan for me to keep!"
Watching Orochimaru's attack and listening to his bluster, Naruto made no unnecessary movements. The Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye sockets spun rapidly, and a cluster of pitch-black flames burst forth.
The Amaterasu Black Flames were like wicked fire from Hell. After leaving Naruto's left eye, they formed a sweeping force in the blink of an eye, swallowing all the venomous snakes before rushing toward Orochimaru with unabated momentum.
"What an enviable Bloodline!"
Orochimaru licked his lips. Although he still had the habit of being talkative during battle, his hands were not slow at all. A massive torrent of water erupted from Orochimaru's mouth, heading straight for the Amaterasu Black Flames.
Seeing this, Naruto shook his head slightly. Orochimaru was still living in the past; apart from his scientific research level, the rest of him was failing to keep up with the times.
Water Release did indeed counter Fire Release, but the Amaterasu Black Flames were not ordinary Fire Release, nor could they be described by the properties of Fire Release.
Amaterasu was a Dōjutsu inherent to the Mangekyo Sharingan, a product of the combination of ocular power and Chakra. In addition to its inextinguishable nature, its hallmark was that it burned everything like bone-eating gangrene.
Even if Orochimaru's Water Release were more powerful, it could not extinguish the Amaterasu Black Flames; on the contrary, it would become fuel for the Amaterasu Black Flames, making the range and intensity of the fire even greater.
"What?!"
Orochimaru naturally sensed the anomaly. His Water Release was swallowed by the black flames in an instant, and the black flames were actually raging even more intensely with the help of the Water Release. Even the water vapor produced when the Water Release burned became an accelerant for the black flames!
It was the first time Orochimaru had seen this kind of black flame. Apart from shocking Orochimaru, his covetousness for the Sharingan, sparked by Uchiha Itachi, was elevated to a new level at this moment.
"Is this the Dōjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan? It really is powerful!"
Orochimaru stood where he was without dodging. Watching the Amaterasu Black Flames surge toward him, he calmly opened his arms and was engulfed by the black flames, which left Naruto, who was dealing with Orochimaru for the first time, stunned.
"Is this guy not afraid of death?"
Naruto mused to himself. Just as he was about to disperse the Amaterasu Black Flames, he suddenly discovered an anomaly: Orochimaru's vital signs were stable, and although they were slightly weaker than before, it was undoubtedly Orochimaru.
"This pitch-black flame is indeed a troublesome move, but no matter how strong it is, it belongs to fire. Its essence cannot change!"
Orochimaru's voice sounded from Naruto's side. Just as Naruto was about to act, Orochimarusuddenly chuckled, "Alright, the testing is over. I think we can officially begin our cooperation!"
As soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, the previously raging Amaterasu Black Flames seemed to have met their nemesis. Although they did not stop burning, their momentum grew smaller and smaller, and finally, they were absorbed into the shell of Orochimaru, who was wrapped in the Amaterasu Black Flames.
"Curious?" Orochimaru walked in front of Naruto, soaking wet, looking like a newborn crawling out of the womb. "This is a type of Substitution Jutsu I developed. Although it looks unsightly, it is very useful."
"Moreover, the shell I shed can still be recycled. For example, it is very useful as a container for performing the Fire Sealing Method!"
After speaking, Orochimaru walked to the vicinity of the shell that had been burned into charcoal as if no one else was there, crouched down on the spot, took out a sealing scroll, performed a few hand Seals, and sealed the shell inside.
"The reason I told you this is because I am very curious about this Dōjutsu of yours and this special black flame." After finishing all this, Orochimarustood up. "Then, in exchange, I will tell you the information I just got. Shouldn't 'Tian' also tell me something?"
"Mangekyo Sharingan Dōjutsu — Amaterasu!"
Naruto was concise and to the point. He did not want to reveal too much of his own information, but it was just the name of a jutsu; it didn't matter if he revealed it.
However, through this probing, Naruto discovered that although Orochimaru's combat power was not as good as his own, his means of saving his life and his knowledge of Ninjutsu were definitely far superior to his own. In a life-or-death battle, Naruto could defeat him but could not guarantee that he could kill him.
Even using the consumption-heavy "Ten no Tokotachi" wouldn't work!
Such a troublesome character made Naruto raise his guard to the maximum. Dealing with a snake-like person like Orochimaru required being careful, careful, and even more careful; otherwise, one wouldn't even know when they had been backstabbed.
After all, if you don't kill a snake, it will cause trouble later. Now, the alone and helpless Narutodid not want to take this risk. Besides, Naruto still needed Orochimaru, and now was not the time to fall out.
Orochimaru secretly noted what Naruto said. After nodding, he walked in front, leading Naruto to his research base located under the Sound Village.
"I won't ask boring questions." After entering the research base, Orochimaru picked up a test tube and shook it in front of his eyes. "I heard that 'Tian' is interested in the precious Hashirama cells. So... what do you intend to use to complete this transaction?!"
Naruto looked at the pale green liquid in Orochimaru's hand, a flash of brilliance passing through his eyes. "Isn't a Three-Tomoe Sharinganprecious enough?"
"Hehe, the Sharingan is indeed very precious, especially now that there are only a few Uchihaleft. This Three-Tomoe Sharingan is indeed one less for every one consumed."
Orochimaru's expression was playful as he looked up and stared directly into Naruto's eyes. "But what has the same value as Hashirama cells is not the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but the Mangekyo Sharingan in your eyes!" Orochimaru's signature lip-licking action reappeared, and the expression on his face became even more playful. "For the sake of fairness, 'Tian' should trade with the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"I do have a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan here."
Naruto opened with a trump card. The playfulness on Orochimaru's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of fanaticism. He could no longer maintain his composure from just a moment ago and became somewhat impatient.
But the next sentence from Naruto poured a bucket of cold water on Orochimaru, while also causing Orochimaru's ambition to instantly swell. The madness revealed in his eyes made even Narutofeel a chill.
"It's just that this pair of Mangekyo Sharingan is used to make the pawn Uchiha Sasuke awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Although these eyes cannot be given to you, I allow you to participate in my plan."
"In exchange, you give me Hashirama cells, and I give you a chance to become a chess player. Whether the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan belongs to you or me will depend on our respective abilities!"