The Tenzo impersonated by Naruto spoke with a mocking tone, looking coldly at Orochimaru.
He had thought Konoha's fierce offensive would force this man to reveal some of his trump cards, at least let him see his parents' remains.
But the result disappointed him.
Facing the intimidating offensive of the Konoha's Shinobi Forces, this man showed no panic whatsoever.
On the contrary, his adept counter-strategies, as if mentally rehearsed countless times, skillfully trapped the entire Konoha's force.
The word 'trapped' was much more subtle than 'annihilated' or 'repelled'.
Because Orochimaru and Konoha were locked in a stalemate, the distant Akatsuki dared not act rashly.
After all, even someone as arrogant as Nagato, as powerful as Akatsuki, wouldn't dare foolishly try to take a share while both Orochimaru and Konoha were at full strength.
Both Sandaime and Orochimaru were shrewd.
With their intelligence, the moment Akatsuki showed itself, they would undoubtedly turn from enemies to allies and crush the highly valuable Akatsuki in one fell swoop.
In other words, Orochimaru's ingenious setup directly balanced the three major forces, preventing any one from making a rash move.
And his goal, naturally, was to maximize benefits, using this to pressure Danzo and extract information on the Kyubi's Jinchuriki and the Rinnegan.
For an experiment-obsessed madman, a scientific fanatic like Orochimaru, nothing captivated him more than these perfect test subjects.
"I wouldn't dare? Hah, I even dared to enter Konoha's forbidden areas. Is there anywhere in this world I wouldn't dare to go?"
Hearing Tenzo's words, Orochimaru immediately laughed out loud, a look of pride on his face.
Who was he?
Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, a Shinobi with peerless escape and survival abilities.
If there were places even he didn't dare to go, then probably no one in this world would dare.
"Mount Myoboku. Do you dare go there?"
However, the next sentence from the Tenzo impersonated by Naruto caused Orochimaru's pupils to contract instantly.
Indeed, he seemed to have overlooked a few places.
In his youth, Orochimaru, seeking eternal life, visited Ryuchi Cave, one of the three Great Sage Regions.
Although his talent was exceptional, for that place, talent wasn't the sole measure of a disciple.
Their requirements for disciples were either extreme fate or extreme innate talent.
Just like Jiraiya, dull-witted but possessing heaven-defying luck, who stumbled into Mount Myoboku and became a Toad Sage.
Or like Naruto, who is the Ashura Reincarnation + Kyubi's Jinchuriki, his talent peerless, earning praise even from the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave.
Apart from that, Orochimaru, merely a mortal body, possessing neither heaven-defying luck nor talent, naturally had no connection to Ryuchi Cave.
Since then, Orochimaru developed a sense of detachment towards the so-called three Great Sage Regions.
Especially towards Mount Myoboku, where his former friend Jiraiya resided.
Orochimaru was almost certain that if he dared go there, the disgusting toads of Mount Myoboku would instantly notify Jiraiya.
The duel between two of the Sannin would inevitably commence ahead of schedule.
"So, do you dare?"
Seemingly sensing Orochimaru's internal conflict, Naruto turned up the pressure, a trace of faint mockery in his gaze as he spoke indifferently.
"Don't try to provoke me. Danzo surely knows I'm not an impulsive person."
Orochimaru silently watched the Tenzo impersonated by Naruto, his face expressionless, making it completely impossible to tell what he was thinking.
This was part of what made Orochimaru terrifying.
Despite possessing immense power and a frightening number of techniques, he remained cautious, not revealing any openings.
No wonder such an existence, with just a mortal body, could shine so brightly in the later wars filled with god-like beings.
The only thing he needed to consider now was whether it was worth it.
"I want two more pieces of intelligence. If the Root's side agrees, I'm willing, on top of our cooperation, to eliminate two more of the Sandaime's die-hard loyalists."
A moment later, Orochimaru's gaze was like a cold dagger, pointed directly at the eyes of the Tenzo impersonated by Naruto, his tone utterly emotionless.
"What intelligence do you want?"
"First, whether Tsunade and Jiraiya are still in contact, and if she has any unique means of communication with the Shikkotsu Forest."
"Second, have Jiraiya and the Kyubi's Jinchuriki, Naruto, already acknowledged each other!"
Orochimaru's words caused Naruto's eyes to tremble and his heart to surge.
'These two pieces of intelligence hit the mark perfectly!'
'As expected of Orochimaru.'
First, asking about Tsunade to determine if the enemy he'd face is just one Sage + one Sage region.
Then, inquiring about the relationship between Jiraiya and Naruto to determine if that already powerful Toad Sage also had an equally powerful Biju as support.
One could say, if the answers to these two questions were affirmative, then given Orochimaru's cautious nature, he would absolutely not launch a surprise attack.
Naruto now had two choices.
One was to relay false intelligence, making Orochimaru suffer a hidden loss, forcing this cunning old fox to reveal his trump cards sooner, potentially allowing Naruto to see his parents' remains earlier.
But the side effect was potentially provoking Orochimaru's retaliation… mildly, raising his suspicion, complicating future actions, and severely, causing an outright break, turning Orochimaru from a superficially compliant ally into a cold, venomous enemy.
Judged emotionally, it might be worth it.
Judged by benefit, the risk was extremely high.
The current Naruto was no longer the impulsive youth who acted recklessly based on hot-blooded passion, disregarding the bigger picture.
Having learned to analyze, he almost immediately dismissed this possibility from his mind.
In that case, only one path remained.
"No need to consult Danzo-sama regarding these two pieces of intelligence. I can tell you now."
"But on one condition."
The Tenzo impersonated by Naruto, his dull eyes coldly fixed on Orochimaru, already showed the makings of a formidable leader.
This was the change that darkening had brought to Naruto.
A transformation over just a few months had made this youth cold and ruthless to the core.
This change might have been terrifying to the former Naruto.
But now, he immensely enjoyed this feeling.
He enjoyed this feeling of seemingly holding his own destiny in his hands, free from any restraints!