Chapter 48: The Truth
"You… You can suppress me in my own mindscape?!"
"You have merely overestimated yourself, Orochimaru. You thought I couldn't do such a simple thing as suppressing you? My chakra is much more potent than you can imagine." Just before breaking apart this mindscape, Araki restrained his chakra.
"This place is actually convenient to talk. I don't need to be worried about that Black Zetsu spying on us here. So, Orochimaru, why don't you start talking now? About Zetsu, I mean." A condescending smirk appeared on Araki's face as he casually sat on the ground of the mindscape while staring at the ugly snake looking Orochimaru.
"What makes you think I will talk here?" Orochimaru asks with a cautious look in his eyes.
"You should know as well as I do what will happen if I break your mindscape right now. You wouldn't even have the strength to truss up a chicken after that point."
"Wouldn't that be better for you? You can easily kill me." Orochimaru says while moving that White Snake body of his own and coming closer to Araki.
"You are going to be convenient to be around. Though, instead of 6 years, you only have 5 years now. It's a good thing you chose to attack me, because if you had chosen Kushina, and even if she had not been in any danger due to Kyuubi's presence, I would have cut apart your legs and feed it to you before doing the same with your hands and the rest of your body!" Araki had spoken these words while releasing his full killing intent.
Orochimaru mentally praised himself for choosing Araki. Well, it was natural for him to choose Araki. He was the inheritor of Senju Hashirama's legendary Mokuton. Moreover, inside Kushina's mindscape was sealed Kyuubi. He was well aware that he couldn't take on that existence even if he was twice more powerful. Senju Araki was the better alternative out of the two.
"Now… Make yourself useful, Orochimaru. Or are you really testing my patience? I find it incredibly hard to control my rage on the fact that you have experimented with Uncle Hishin and other Uzumaki Clan Member's bodies." Araki said with a deathly calm face.
And sure enough, Orochimaru started talking.
At this time, even Orochimaru didn't dare to speak any lies. He was aware that this would simply reduce his life even more.
Araki continued to stare at him with an emotionless gaze. However, that wasn't his real mental state. In reality, he was startled when he heard from Orochimaru that he received Senju Hashirama's cells from that thing named Black Zetsu.
And, if Black Zetsu had Senju Hashirama's cells, that meant Uchiha Madara possessed them. He thought in his head 'How did Uchiha Madara acquire grandpa's cells? Was it during their final battle? Or did someone dug up his corpse after his death?'
His eyes emitted a sharp light before he questioned Orochimaru, "Did you never ask that thing about how he obtained my grandfather's cells?"
Orochimaru shrugged in response, he did ask this, but that thing didn't answer him. However, he did have his own conjectures over what could have happened, "It's possible that Black Zetsu was present during the final battle of Senju Hashirama. He may have gathered the blood and cells during that fight, or maybe he got them at some other time when Senju Hashirama lived. Or… he dug up the Senju Hashirama's body from the Senju Ancestral Grounds after he died. With his stealth, it isn't imposs-"
Just as he said that he felt a tremendous pressure over his body. Araki was really incensed when he heard that last possibility.
To think that Black Zetsu had dug up his grandfather's body. He unconsciously clenched his fists tightly.
However, this wasn't all that Araki understood from his conversation with Orochimaru. It seems that Orochimaru was still unaware that Uchiha Madara still lived.
Unlike how Uchiha Madara had asked Araki to meet him, he hadn't done the same with Orochimaru. This meant that he only met Araki because he had inherited Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he remembered one startling fact.
'Uchiha Madara couldn't use Wood Release while he lived. No records state that. And when I met Uchiha Madara, he could create a Wood Clone. Did… did that bastard injected grandpa's cells into himself to acquire the Wood Release?!'
He was so angered that he unconsciously released so much chakra that Wood started to create in his surroundings. Orochimaru felt as if the control over his own mindscape was slipping. Some cracks were creating in his mindscape, and he was helpless while staring at Senju Araki.
He knew that this boy was totally enraged and thought that maybe he shouldn't have stated the last possibility. At least he wouldn't be overly injured if he hadn't said that. Unfortunately, there was no medicine of regret.
Yet, somehow he didn't know what happened, but Araki had calmed down. He turned to face Orochimaru and said, "Hand over my grandfather's cells in your hands. If you refuse, I don't mind breaking that insignificant promise from before."
Those cold eyes and that strange killing intent seem to be overpowering his own… Orochimaru had no doubt in his mind that Senju Araki would kill him if he went against that order.
Although he wanted to experiment more on those cells, he was well aware that he would simply be courting death. His life was more precious than his research.
With this thought in his head, he readily agreed to Araki's demand.
However, after agreeing with Araki's demand, he said, "When should I hand over Senju Hashirama's cells to you. I mean, Black Zetsu knows precisely how many cells I have. Wouldn't I grab his suspicion if I hand them to you?"
This was an intelligent question. As expected of Orochimaru…
Araki thought for some moments before saying, "Send a clone with my grandfather's cells. I don't believe that Black Zetsu can create clones and keep an eye on both of us. And even if he knows, let's see if he tries anything…" At the end of his statement, Araki coldly sneered while daring the Black Zetsu to try anything. Unlike 4 years ago, Araki felt that he was ready to handle Black Zetsu.
With that, the two left the mindscape soon enough. Since Orochimaru's technique failed, he vomited a mouthful of blood.
After having vomited a mouthful of blood, Orochimaru then stared at Senju Araki before speaking, "I never expected your chakra to be so powerful… I shall return again…"
Kushina was about to move her hand to kill this damn snake, but Araki turned to her and silently shook his head.
He understood why the snake Sannin had said those words. He was making a performance in front of someone. And that someone could only be Black Zetsu.
A seal on his right hand started glowing. At that moment, his vision started to expand. The radius of his vision around his body continued to increase.
Araki felt as if he was receiving all the information of the three-dimensional space around his body. The radius wasn't too large. It was merely a little more than 30 meters in range.
Even though he had just used this technique, Araki felt a head-splitting pain. The reason why he experienced such pain was that there was no way to filter the information that he didn't need to see. Like the fluttering of leaves, the movement of small ants, and every single useless information.
This was the seal invented by the Uzumaki Clan Members in the Senju Clan Manor. Its name was, All-Seeing Seal! Although it was invented by the Uzumaki Clan Members, even they couldn't use it because of the mindblowing headache. Kushina could only use this seal but see a range of a little more than 2 meters of the radius. Araki seemed to be the only one who could use it effectively with 30 meters as his range.
However, he was relieved when he felt that this head-splitting pain wasn't useless. It was worth it! He found that thing…! That Black Zetsu!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone