Chapter Thirty-Four: A Huge Gap
In the night, Ryūya and Kyōko walked quietly side by side, Ryūya in front, Kyōko half a step behind him.
"Ryūya-san, congratulations on successfully being promoted to chūnin!"
After a brief silence, Kyōko's voice sounded in the darkness.
"It's just chūnin. You'll definitely pass the next chūnin exam too, Kyōko."
Ryūya stopped, turned around, and looked at Kyōko with a bright smile on his face.
In her sparkling eyes, Ryūya saw the purest joy and heartfelt blessing.
"Mm! I'll work hard, Ryūya-san!"
Under the dim streetlight, being stared at so directly by Ryūya, Kyōko's cheeks flushed visibly red. She lowered her head and spoke softly.
Though her voice was quiet, it was filled with determination.
She didn't want to be left behind by Ryūya because of her weakness.
After saying that, it seemed as if she had exhausted all her courage. Blushing deeply, the girl lowered her head and ran off.
Watching Kyōko's slender figure disappear into the distance, Ryūya shook his head helplessly.
Everything about Kyōko was perfect—except that she was a little too shy.
Such a personality was rare in the ninja world.
After standing there for a few seconds, Ryūya turned and headed home.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, his breathing tightened and his entire body stiffened.
In the darkness, a cold and powerful presence had already locked onto him, making Ryūya afraid to move recklessly.
"Ryūya-kun, congratulations on becoming a chūnin."
Inside the room, a hoarse, low voice sounded.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Hearing the voice, Ryūya turned his head with difficulty. By the faint light coming through the window, he saw a tall, slender figure standing by the windowsill. His voice came out strained.
In Konoha, among the people Ryūya feared the most, Orochimaru and Danzō were absolutely at the top of the list.
One was a mentally deranged man obsessed with forbidden research and immortality; the other was a true monster who committed countless atrocities under the banner of "protecting Konoha." Both were utterly unscrupulous in pursuing their goals.
Ryūya had no desire to become a target of either of them and had always tried to avoid any involvement related to them.
Unfortunately, the trouble caused by his summoning beast had already drawn their attention.
"Hehe, Ryūya-kun… you seem to be afraid of me?"
With a casual motion, Orochimaru turned on the lights. His golden, snake-like eyes looked at Ryūya with interest as he spoke lightly.
"Not at all! I'm just not used to suddenly seeing Lord Orochimaru appear in my home. You are a hero of the village, and I have always held you in the highest respect!"
After the initial shock and fear, Ryūya forced himself to calm down and replied respectfully.
Compared to the openly ruthless Danzō, Orochimaru's way of doing things was actually easier to deal with.
"Ryūya-kun, since you respect me so much, why don't you come and become my student?"
Orochimaru extended his long tongue to lick his lips, strange light flashing in his pupils as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru. I already have a teacher."
Ryūya's body trembled slightly. He lowered his head and refused without hesitation.
Was this a joke?
What kind of ending could one possibly have as Orochimaru's student?
Either you became a test subject for cursed seal experiments, or a spare body for the Living Corpse Reincarnation.
Ryūya had no illusions about outsmarting a ninja as powerful and intelligent as Orochimaru.
Hearing Ryūya's reply, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, and the cold aura in the air grew even heavier.
Ryūya bent forward slightly, his hands tightening as he prepared to summon the green snake to resist.
Even against Orochimaru, Ryūya had no intention of surrendering without a fight.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, Orochimaru's figure flashed, and he appeared right in front of Ryūya.
Body Flicker Technique!
Startled, Ryūya raised his hand toward his mouth, ready to bite his finger and form the seals to summon the green snake.
Smack!
Boom!
However, the moment Ryūya lifted his right hand, it was seized by Orochimaru's left hand.
Immediately after, a sharp pain exploded in his abdomen as Orochimaru's right fist slammed heavily into him.
The intense pain robbed Ryūya of all ability to resist. Orochimaru's right hand shifted from a fist to an open palm and pressed against Ryūya's chest.
Black sealing patterns rapidly spread across Ryūya's abdomen, forming a Contract Seal in the blink of an eye.
In an instant, Ryūya felt his connection to both the green snake and Chamaru completely severed.
Seeing this, Ryūya stopped struggling altogether and abandoned resistance.
Orochimaru grabbed Ryūya by a vital point with one hand and lifted him slightly off the ground.
In just a few seconds, Ryūya had completely lost the ability to resist before the overwhelmingly powerful Orochimaru.
The enormous gap was enough to plunge one into despair.
Not long ago, Ryūya had been feeling smug over the strength of the green snake and his successful promotion to chūnin. Now, his heart sank straight to the bottom.
At this moment, faced with cruel reality, Ryūya clearly realized how weak he still was.
"Ryūya-kun, well? Do you feel like changing your mind now?"
Orochimaru's hoarse voice sounded again by his ear.
"Lord Orochimaru, I'm just an ordinary ninja. I don't deserve such favor from you!"
With his body held in Orochimaru's grasp, Ryūya endured the pain in his chest and abdomen and answered with difficulty.
Although Orochimaru's sudden attack had caught him completely off guard, it hadn't driven Ryūya into utter despair.
In Konoha, the Akimichi clan was no ordinary ninja family—it was a powerful clan second only to the Uchiha and Hyūga. Even someone as strong as Orochimaru wouldn't openly act against an Akimichi clan member within clan territory.
Taking such a risk for someone as insignificant as him simply wasn't worth it.
"Hehe… Ryūya-kun, I'm becoming more and more interested in you."
This time, Ryūya's refusal didn't anger Orochimaru. Instead, he suddenly laughed, his voice hoarse.
After saying that, Orochimaru released him.
Cough, cough—
Collapsing onto the floor, Ryūya coughed several times before looking up at Orochimaru.
"Ryūya-kun, let's make a deal."
Meeting Ryūya's gaze, Orochimaru said calmly.
"Lord Orochimaru, may I ask what kind of deal you have in mind?"
Hearing this, Ryūya's eyes flickered as he cautiously asked.
"It's very simple. I need you to provide me with a portion of that summoning beast's cellular tissue. In return, I'll provide your summoning beast with a suitable place to live," Orochimaru said flatly.
The green snake's cells!
Ryūya immediately understood—Orochimaru's interest had been drawn by the mutation that had occurred in the green snake.
"If Lord Orochimaru wants them, I will naturally offer them with both hands."
After several seconds of silence, Ryūya spoke.
Since resistance was impossible, it was better to agree decisively.
Hearing how readily Ryūya accepted, the corners of Orochimaru's mouth curved slightly. His golden slit pupils locked onto Ryūya as he said:
"Very good! Ryūya-kun, I knew I wasn't mistaken about you. You're quite impressive."