"So? Are you satisfied with my gift?"
Sasame remained as casual as ever, picking up his teacup and gulping it down in one go.
After all, he was just a Wood Clone—no reason to be nervous.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
He was confident that no one had noticed him sneaking in to kidnap Yamato last night. At most, Danzō Shimura would only realize Yamato was missing after the fact.
But how had Sasame known he'd succeeded?
What if Orochimaru hadn't found Yamato last night? Wouldn't that have made this entire trip pointless?
Yet Sasame's absolute certainty suggested he already knew the outcome.
Orochimaru concluded that Sasame must belong to a mysterious organization with formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities.
"I am indeed satisfied," he replied coldly. "If not for you, I would still be in the dark about Danzō's deception."
For a scientist like him, Yamato was invaluable.
With this breakthrough, his research could finally progress.
He had nearly given up on Wood Release—but now, abandoning it was out of the question.
In fact, he was even considering putting his Living Corpse Reincarnation experiments on hold.
"No need to thank me," Sasame said, his smile as warm as sunlight. "It seems our deal can proceed as planned."
"How much Hashirama's cells do you want?" Orochimaru asked after a brief pause. "They're a limited resource. If you demand too much, even I will have difficulty obtaining them."
Sasame raised an eyebrow.
Did he really think I didn't know?
Not only had Orochimaru robbed Hashirama's grave—he'd done the same to Tobirama and others.
"Enough for nine transplants," Sasame said, tapping the table. "Besides that, I also want your research data."
Orochimaru nodded expressionlessly.
He wasn't surprised.
If Sasame wanted Hashirama's cells, it was obviously for transplantation.
And in the current shinobi world, he was the foremost expert on the subject.
"I want the data on perfect Hashirama cell transplantation," Sasame added. "Not your current flawed method."
Orochimaru's experiments had produced countless failures—Yamato was the only survivor.
The mortality rate was terrifyingly high.
As for Danzō, he had only transplanted cells into his arm—completely different from Yamato's full-body integration.
Orochimaru's wariness deepened.
This mysterious man knew far too much about the Wood Release experiments.
How?
"Fine," Orochimaru agreed.
After all, the data was in his hands. He could alter it however he pleased.
If he wanted to deceive Sasame, it would be easy—unless the man had access to a medical ninja of exceptional skill.
Someone like… Tsunade.
But that was impossible.
There was only one Tsunade in the entire shinobi world.
And she would never associate with someone like Sasame.
"Now, will you tell me the other secret?" Orochimaru licked his lips, eager.
If Yamato was considered a minor secret, he could hardly wait to hear the major one.
"Normally, I'd wait until after receiving the cells," Sasame said calmly. "But I'm not worried about you backing out."
Orochimaru's expression stiffened slightly.
Such unshakable confidence was unexpected—but then again, it fit Sasame's enigmatic persona.
"How would you assess Hashirama Senju's strength?" Sasame asked.
"Extremely powerful," Orochimaru replied, though puzzled by the question.
He had studied Konoha's historical records, which contained detailed accounts of Hashirama's might.
Every passage emphasized his overwhelming power.
Orochimaru believed Hashirama far surpassed the Five Kage—otherwise, he could never have ended the Warring States Era or subdued the Tailed Beasts.
He had seen the Nine-Tails firsthand.
Without special methods, defeating—let alone capturing—it was nearly impossible.
"And what about his rival, Madara Uchiha?" Sasame pressed.
"He must have been formidable as well," Orochimaru mused.
Though records of Madara were scarcer, everyone knew of his legendary battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End.
Their clash had split the earth, carving out an entire valley.
Even if Madara was weaker, the gap couldn't have been large.
"What was the source of Madara's strength?" Sasame asked.
"The Sharingan," Orochimaru answered, growing more confused.
What did this have to do with the so-called "secret"?
"How strong do you think Fugaku Uchiha is?"
"Decent," Orochimaru said dismissively. "The three-tomoe Sharingan is impressive, but he's only slightly above average jonin level."
"Don't you find that strange?" Sasame countered. "Both possess the Sharingan—so why was Madara so much stronger?"
Orochimaru froze.
He was right.
In terms of power, Madara could have taken on ten Fugakus at once.
Why?
Then he recalled the Nine-Tails—reportedly controlled by the Sharingan.
Could a three-tomoe Sharingan truly dominate a Tailed Beast?
"Are you saying… there's a form of Sharingan beyond the three-tomoe?"
Orochimaru was brilliant—he pieced it together instantly.
"Correct," Sasame nodded. "Beyond the three-tomoe lies the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Mangekyō… Sharingan?" Orochimaru repeated, savoring the words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō knew of its existence—thanks to Tobirama's records.
But it wasn't until Shisui Uchiha revealed his that they understood its terrifying potential.
Danzō had immediately ambushed Shisui, stealing his Mangekyō.
"How powerful is it?" Orochimaru asked.
The name alone wasn't enough to gauge its strength.
"Want to find out?" Sasame smirked.
"Someone in the Uchiha clan has already awakened it?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, already plotting to seize the eyes.
Seeing his overconfident expression, Sasame couldn't help but laugh.
Clearly, Orochimaru assumed the Mangekyō's power had limits.
"Yes. His name is Shisui Uchiha."
"Him?" Orochimaru's surprise was genuine.
Shisui had distinguished himself in the Third Shinobi World War—Orochimaru knew of him.
But he hadn't expected him to awaken the Mangekyō.
"A word of advice: prepare an escape plan. Otherwise, you might regret it."
Sasame's warning irritated Orochimaru.
Since earning the title of Sannin, few shinobi could challenge him.
Yet Sasame implied he stood no chance against Shisui—and might even die.
He refused to believe it.
Sasame said nothing more.
With Orochimaru's survival skills, death was unlikely.
And if Shisui realized his attacker was Orochimaru, he wouldn't go for the kill.
As for himself? Sasame wasn't worried.
The Mangekyō's abilities were absurd. If Shisui used Kotoamatsukami, Orochimaru would have no defense.
"Then we'll meet again," Sasame said, dispelling his Wood Clone with a smile. "I expect the Hashirama cells to be ready by then."
As Orochimaru watched him vanish, he immediately ordered his subordinates to track Shisui's whereabouts.
The next day, he confronted Shisui—and their battle began.
Meanwhile…
While attending class at the Ninja Academy, Sasame suddenly received a notification from the Wheel of Fate:
[Due to your actions, Orochimaru's fate has changed. You have earned 58 Fate Points.]
[Due to your actions, Shisui Uchiha's fate has changed. You have earned 19 Fate Points.]