That little jab had already chipped away a good part of Orochimaru's imposing demeanor. Aoi grinned broadly — after all, who in this world knew Orochimaru better than he did?
"Orochimaru... I know exactly what you desire." Aoi smiled and drew two scrolls from the mouth of the white serpent: Living Corpse Reincarnation (Revised), and Impure World Reincarnation (Revised)...
The moment his eyes fell upon those scrolls, Orochimaru's eyes widened sharply, and he hissed, "How... how do you possess these?"
As far as Orochimaru knew, aside from himself, the only place that held records of Impure World Reincarnation was the Leaf Village.
As for Living Corpse Reincarnation, it was a technique he had invented entirely on his own!
"Could it be Kabuto..."
Orochimaru's gaze turned icy. If Aoi had remained silent, his naturally suspicious nature would have led him to kill Kabuto instantly just to be safe.
"Do not misunderstand. These have nothing to do with Yakushi Kabuto. They were created by a true genius of ninjutsu... someone who shares your exact ideals and path."
Aoi smiled to himself, though inwardly he scoffed: There is no such person sharing your ideals. The truth is, you yourself are the one who gave these to me...
"Created?"
Orochimaru sneered dismissively. "If taking techniques that already exist and copying them counts as 'creation', then inventing ninjutsu is far too easy a thing."
"Words are useless. Read them yourself, and you will understand." Aoi tossed both scrolls directly over to him.
Orochimaru opened them with a look of disdain, but his expression shifted the very moment he began reading.
First came disbelief, then intense focus, and finally, total fascination and absorption.
It took a full half hour before Orochimaru finally let out a long breath and looked up. His pale yellow, serpentine eyes burned with excitement. "Whose work is this?"
Aoi simply shook his head. "I cannot say."
Even if he told him, Orochimaru would never believe it. And if he wouldn't believe it, there was no point in speaking...
"True. With a character like that, he certainly wouldn't reveal himself so casually." Orochimaru nodded repeatedly, as if he understood perfectly.
"So?" Aoi grinned. How could you possibly dislike seeing improvements made to your own techniques, written by another version of yourself?
The way Orochimaru now held the scrolls, cherishing them as if they were priceless treasures, said it all. It is rare in life to meet a true kindred spirit!
From childhood to now — whether in Konoha, in the Akatsuki, or here in his own hideout — Orochimaru had never had a real friend.
His former friends in Konoha saw him as a monster. The members of Akatsuki had no interest in immortality, spending all their time dreaming of destroying the world.
Even those who followed him, like Kabuto... they didn't truly care about eternal life.
They were simply poor souls who had fallen under his spell, reduced to nothing more than puppets.
But the author of these scrolls...
As Orochimaru read through the text, every line and word radiated the same obsessions and passion for research that lived within himself.
It was as if he were looking into a mirror and seeing another himself.
Even in terms of practical value, these revised versions pushed the art of immortality forward by an entirely new line of reasoning.
These scrolls... were invaluable.
Realizing this, Orochimaru suddenly closed them and spoke in a cold voice. "What do you want in exchange for them?"
It was always so easy talking to intelligent people. You only needed to say a few words, and they would immediately understand exactly what you were after.
"I want the First Hokage's cells."
Aoi extended his hand. A tiny sapling sprouted instantly, growing at a visible speed, swaying its branches and leaves.
"Wood Release?!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined that Aoi could use Wood Release! As far as he knew...
"Save your guesses." Aoi shook his head helplessly. "I am not an experiment like Yamato. I simply need more of Hashirama's cells."
When the First Hokage died, his vitality and life force had been exhausted.
Although he had left Aoi the very essence of his Wood Release, condensed into a seed...
Without a sufficient supply of his actual living cells, Aoi still could not unleash the true power of Wood Release that had once belonged to the God of Shinobi.
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