Chapter 177: Orochimaru's Gradually Expanding Influence
"Teacher Orochimaru, if our chances of winning will be greater this way, then I agree."
Uchiha Gen took two steps forward, conveniently hiding half of his face from Danzo's line of sight, and said with a sincere expression.
On the hidden side of his face, he imperceptibly winked at Orochimaru.
If this were before, he might not have been confident in his ability to protect himself in the hands of a powerhouse like the Third Raikage.
But now, he felt there shouldn't be any issues.
Actually, his self-preservation ability was already quite good, and now with the addition of Karin's ability, although his combat stats and mechanics hadn't improved much in actual battle, he had gained a super-strong stamina bar and an incredibly powerful self-healing ability, making him akin to a broken boss character.
Unless someone had the ability to take him down in a near one-hit kill within a short time, Uchiha Gen could keep dragging out the fight until his Chakra reserves were exhausted, even if he couldn't win.
Although the Third Raikage was strong, it was almost impossible for him to one-shot Uchiha Gen without a clear elemental or capability advantage.
As for Danzo——he wouldn't come at him openly, so that wouldn't be a problem.
"Since you are confident, then let's do it that way. Danzo, you can go organize and hand over the intelligence to me. After I finish reviewing the intelligence I requested, Mitarai Shishō will inform you of the other intelligence requirements I have."
"I understand."
Danzo glanced at the master and disciple, knowing they had things to discuss. A stiff arc appeared on the corner of his cold face, and he picked up a Root subordinate who had fainted on the ground from snake venom with one hand, then stood up and walked out of the tent.
His goal had already been achieved.
Orochimaru looked at his disciple, who was now only half a head shorter than himself, and spoke in a calm voice: "I know you wouldn't easily do things you aren't confident about, but you don't need to worry about some things. With me here, our weight is ultimately different from what it was when Danzo started."
Danzo is Danzo, not the Second Hokage.
As for defining someone politically, Danzo doesn't have the qualifications to define us.
We are not just some random individuals. Given our current weight, as long as we don't commit fundamental errors, even the Third Hokage would have concerns and wouldn't easily suppress us; at most, he would just give us a slight reprimand.
And when the war ends, the situation will be different. Given our current scale of development, as long as we don't directly threaten his position as Hokage, given Sarutobi-sensei's personality, he won't act rashly; he will only suppress us while simultaneously placating us.
So you can rest assured."
Orochimaru's tone carried a sense of calmness and confidence that was reassuring.
Starting from last year's battle that earned them the name of the Sannin, it was precisely the starting point for Orochimaru's life truly entering its peak; it was his most high-spirited time.
And the various influences brought by Uchiha Gen gave this peerless, brilliant, and perfect Ninja countless reasons for confidence.
In just a short year and a half, Orochimaru's faction expanded extremely quickly.
Even though they were careful to prioritize quality over quantity during this process, it was still incomparable to the beginning.
War is the fastest way to accumulate merit and influence. Since the outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War until now, in terms of military merit, only Hatake Sakumo could surpass Orochimaru.
In terms of status, in everyone's eyes, Orochimaru was much stronger than Hatake Sakumo; he was a legitimate disciple of the Third Hokage and one of the top candidates in the line of succession for Hokage.
In terms of influence, although his background was ordinary and his foundation lacking, he had limitless potential, making him perfect for those Ninja clans to place their bets and invest in. Furthermore, he had Uchiha Gen, a disciple who had already risen to the top ranks of the Shinobi World, and the support of the Uchiha clan behind Uchiha Gen.
Besides this, there were a large number of civilian Ninjas who had nowhere else to advance who were willing to defect to Orochimaru, as well as Ninjas like Mitarai Shishō, who were conquered by Orochimaru's intelligence, strength, and personal charm during the war.
In the time that had passed, it wasn't just Uchiha Gen who had become stronger, but also Orochimaru.
And the connection and bond between the two seemed to be deepening step by step.
At the very least, if it were a year and a half ago, when the master and disciple had just met, Orochimaru might have been concerned for his safety, but he definitely wouldn't have been like he was now, linking the two together to a certain extent, becoming an existence where they flourished together and suffered together.
"I do have some confidence; at least regarding my own safety, I am confident in protecting myself. By the way, Teacher Orochimaru, regarding the Six Paths Ninja Tools, I have some intelligence here that I can share."
After Uchiha Gen offered a word of reassurance, he changed the subject.
The master and disciple were extremely familiar with each other's personalities; often, a single sentence was enough to put the other at ease.
"Six Paths Ninja Tools? Right, the Sage of Six Paths is a legend from a thousand years ago, and the Uchiha are a Ninja clan with a thousand-year heritage that also once had deep connections with the Land of Lightning. It stands to reason that you would know some intelligence about these things."
Orochimaru's face showed understanding, and then he asked curiously: "Then tell me quickly, what intelligence do you know?"
Hearing that Orochimaru had already proactively found a reason for his source of intelligence, Uchiha Gen didn't dwell on anything else and began to recount: "The Six Paths Ninja Tools mostly possess extremely powerful Sealing Techniques, but they all have certain rules. Only by satisfying these rules can one seal an enemy."
"The Amber Purifying Pot should be the most powerful among them, while the Crimson Gourd requires cooperation with the Seven Star Sword and the Golden Canopy Rope to achieve the same effect. In some records, they all unanimously put forward the same point: when dealing with enemies holding these Six Paths Ninja Tools, you cannot speak, and it is best not to even have any actions that convey information."
"No actions that convey information? So, the rules of these Six Paths Ninja Tools are not based on the will of the wielder; their judgment is broad yet strict."
Orochimaru cupped his chin with one hand and paced in the tent with his other hand behind his back, thinking carefully.
"No wonder even a Ninja like the Second Hokage, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God, fell for it. I fear that this time, they will use these things on me."
He did not know space-time Ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God, but his level of tenacity and difficulty to kill were not below those Ninjas who did know space-time Ninjutsu.
Sealing Technique was the best method to target him, and it was almost the only method.
In the original timeline, the Totsuka Blade left behind by Itachi Uchiha also had a powerful sealing effect, which was what truly took down Orochimaru; otherwise, the Sasuke at that time really might have been possessed by Orochimaru again.
"The Bashosen does not have a sealing effect, but its power is very strong; it can release powerful Ninjutsu of five attributes, but there are few records of it being used continuously; its consumption of Chakra must be extremely huge."