Chapter 103: Orochimaru
Black Zetsu was secretly relieved when Naruto decided to leave without taking any action against the Gedo Statue. He had been worried that Naruto might use his Rinnegan to summon the statue, which would have complicated matters. However, it seemed that Naruto wasn't interested in destroying the statue at the moment.
This incident made Black Zetsu trust Naruto even more. He was beginning to believe that Naruto genuinely wanted to help him achieve his plan. However, Naruto's true purpose was to seek Kurama's insight into the Gedo Statue's current state and to develop a strategy for a future counterattack.
As they left the Gedo Statue behind, Naruto announced their next destination: finding Orochimaru. He hoped that White Zetsu could quickly locate Kakuzu and other potential recruits. Naruto emphasized that their goal was to capture the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchūriki without revealing their true intentions. To do so, they would operate under the guise of the Akatsuki, a terrorist organization.
Naruto's confident demeanor and strategic planning impressed Black Zetsu. He realized that cooperating with Naruto might not be a bad idea. As they left the Iron Country, Black Zetsu followed Naruto, eager to see what the future held.
Their journey took them to the Land of Tan, where Orochimaru had established his own ninja village, Otogakure. After all these years, Orochimaru was likely the true ruler of the Land of Tan.
I'm not certain about the specific groundwork he's laid in Tian Zhiguo.
However, Orochimaru's proactive investigation into Akatsuki's intelligence and activities didn't escape Nagato and Konan's notice. Despite Akatsuki not yet being fully established, it was already taking form. With Hoshigaki Kisame recruited by Obito himself and numerous outsiders waiting for conversion, the organization was gaining momentum. Moreover, Orochimaru's activities in Tanokuni had recently drawn attention.
Otoyuki Village wasn't merely a village; it comprised several strongholds, each serving as Orochimaru's experimental base. Rather than aiming to build a ninja village, Orochimaru used ninjas with promising aptitudes as subjects for his experiments.
It's possible he hasn't perfected the technique yet, one that could grant him a form of immortality through body exchange. To this end, Orochimaru gathered unwilling or wandering defecting ninjas from across the ninja world to serve as test subjects.
As Naruto and Black Zetsu approached one of Orochimaru's strongholds in Otogakure Village, they found themselves confronted by Orochimaru in a forest outside the stronghold.
"Orochimaru," Naruto addressed the figure before him. He recognized Orochimaru by his distinct features: long black hair, elongated golden pupils, and purple eye shadow extending to his nose, giving him a sinister and cunning appearance. Adorning his ears were bluish jade-shaped earrings.
With his arms folded and a wicked smirk on his lips, Orochimaru spoke in his characteristic hoarse voice: "I've known of your presence since you entered this country. A member of the Akatsuki organization, aren't you? It just so happens that I've been conducting some intriguing experiments lately. Why not stay a while and become one of my subjects? Ha ha ha ha."
Naruto paid little heed to Orochimaru's offer, instead turning to Black Zetsu with a question: "Are you going?"
Black Zetsu cast a fleeting glance at Naruto before nonchalantly turning away, positioning himself beside a nearby tree, adopting the demeanor of a spectator.
It was evident that he had no intentions of intervening further.
Orochimaru, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but let out a more arrogant laugh. Naruto, unperturbed, shrugged and spoke, "Well, didn't expect you to stick around. Orochimaru, I've come to recruit you for Akatsuki. Will you surrender, or do we have to make it interesting? I give you my word."
Perhaps due to the sincerity in Naruto's tone, Orochimaru instinctively questioned, "What guarantee do I have?"
"As long as you dare to surrender unconditionally, I dare to accept it unconditionally," Naruto responded confidently.
Orochimaru's shoulders slumped, his irritation evident. He asked, "Are you here to toy with me?"
Once again, Naruto nonchalantly shrugged, adopting an innocent tone, "Nah, not at all. I'm serious."
Orochimaru snorted coldly, "So you want me to join you without any conditions? It's too naive."
"Then state your conditions," Naruto offered, his tone still pleasant. "I won't promise every detail, but I'll count it as a loss if you mention it."
This response fueled Orochimaru's frustration, leaving him with no agreeable retort.
Naruto chuckled, clearly intentional in his provocation. The exchange had started with a jab from Orochimaru, and Naruto was ready to retaliate.
Watching Naruto's antics, Black Zetsu couldn't help but internally express his exasperation. Fortunately, being entirely black, his speechlessness was concealed.
Unable to contain himself, Orochimaru sneered, "Seems like you're here just to provoke me."
"Even if you're perceptive, my usual approach is to keep it simple if possible. Since you won't easily agree, let's skip the words and get to the fight," Naruto declared with a shameless grin.
Orochimaru, unable to hold back, responded with a sneer, "Just what I've been waiting for."
As the confrontation seemed imminent, Naruto interjected, "Oh, by the way, if you lose, join us. But what if I win?"
Orochimaru appeared momentarily dumbfounded, while Black Zetsu, on the sidelines, facepalmed, unable to bear the unfolding absurdity. After all, wasn't it the same outcome, regardless of who won or lost?
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