Guren's eyes suddenly glazed over, as if Kimimaro's words had stirred something buried deep in her memories.
"My head... it hurts!"
Flashes of forgotten memories flickered through her mind.
Orochimaru's expression darkened. "Kimimaro... it seems you retained more of your memories than I expected."
"Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro replied coolly, "should I keep guessing?"
Orochimaru smirked, amused. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"The woman Guren killed left behind a child—Yukimaru. If I'm correct, he's currently under Kabuto's supervision."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Supervision sounds so cold. We're raising him."
Kimimaro's tone sharpened. "You kill his mother and then raise her child? Without a purpose? Even the dullest ninja would question that."
Orochimaru chuckled lowly. "Then tell me—why am I raising Yukimaru?"
He had already regained his usual calm, but the glint in his eyes revealed growing interest. Orochimaru was ruthless, manipulative, yet uniquely charismatic. He pursued forbidden knowledge above all, often ignoring moral boundaries, but he was also patient—willing to invest in tools and people over the long term.
Sasuke was the clearest example: even knowing Sasuke rejected him, Orochimaru still trained him diligently. The same applied to Kabuto, whose duplicity Orochimaru always suspected. He simply believed the long-term gains outweighed the risks.
That's why, when Kimimaro mentioned having a "deal," Orochimaru allowed the conversation to continue. If there was a potential benefit, he would listen.
Kimimaro spoke slowly. "I can't say what Yukimaru's purpose is exactly. But I can guess this much—you're grooming him for something significant. Something that requires strong emotional stimuli. You'll allow Guren and Yukimaru to bond, form a surrogate family, and once that connection is strong... you'll destroy it to push Yukimaru to the edge. To awaken some latent ability."
Kimimaro chose not to mention the Three-Tails. He never knew about it in his original life, and it was better not to speak too precisely—it would only make Orochimaru suspicious. Leaving the explanation vague made it more believable.
Guren's lips trembled. "Lord Orochimaru... is what he said true?"
She had always known she was just a tool, a pawn. But she never imagined even her emotions—her humanity—might be weaponized.
"Heh... Guren," Orochimaru replied with a thin smile, "do such things bother you so much? As I thought... your heart is still too soft. That's why I confined you before—to temper your will."
Kimimaro privately scoffed. Classic manipulator. A master of emotional control.
But there was no need to push further. He redirected the conversation.
"Guren, we can talk more later. For now, we have a wager to fulfill. Lord Orochimaru's patience won't last forever."
Guren was still shaking with anger and confusion. Her emotions reached a breaking point.
"It's all your fault!" she shouted. "You stirred all this up—now face me!"
She weaved hand signs, snarling, "Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Blade!"
Kimimaro met her challenge without flinching.
"So you're going all out from the start? Good. Then I'll demonstrate exactly why this deal is worth your attention."
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Massive trees erupted from the ground, instantly enveloping the battlefield. Guren lost sight of her opponent.
"W-What? That's impossible!" she gasped.
Her shock was shared.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed, his serpentine pupils gleaming with excitement. Kabuto stared, stunned. Even Suigetsu, watching from the side, was dumbfounded.
"Kimimaro never had Wood Release before," he muttered. "I only saw him use Earth Release at most... What the hell is going on?"
Orochimaru, however, was quick to draw conclusions. His grin widened.
"Kimimaro, this is a truly delightful surprise. I assume this is the power you intend to barter? I wonder what you'll ask in return. I suspect it won't come cheap."
As the dust settled, Guren stood frozen. Before her appeared Kimimaro again, his body now coated in a skeletal white armor—an advanced form of Shikotsumyaku, the Kaguya clan's deadly kekkei genkai.
Compared to the unexpected Wood Release, this display was less shocking, but Orochimaru still nodded appreciatively.
"He's grown stronger... surviving near-death really did change him."
The battle ended swiftly. Guren lost.
Her Crystal Release relied on versatility and hard counters, but the overwhelming nature of Kimimaro's Wood Release, combined with her emotional turmoil, left her no chance.
Kimimaro said nothing more. He let her sit in stunned silence.
Then he turned to Orochimaru.
"You saw that, didn't you?"
Orochimaru licked his lips slowly, his voice filled with fascination.
"Oh yes. I saw everything. I experimented on dozens with Hashirama's cells—almost all failed. Only one ever survived. And yet... you now wield Wood Release while still possessing the Shikotsumyaku."
He stepped closer, smiling thinly.
"Tell me, Kimimaro—how did you manage to combine two Kekkei Genkai?"
"That's the deal," Kimimaro said with a faint smile. "I can leave you a vial of my blood. With your level of expertise, Lord Orochimaru, I doubt it would take you long to start producing results."
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed, amusement flickering behind them. "Hehe… And you're not afraid I'll just capture you instead? Studying you directly would yield far more data."
"You and I both know that wouldn't benefit either of us," Kimimaro replied calmly. "How many resources would you have to burn just to capture me—someone with Wood Release—when you can't even act openly now, Lord Orochimaru? A peaceful transaction serves us both. This way, you can begin your research immediately."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "You're becoming more interesting by the day, Kimimaro. Very well. What is it that you want?"
Kimimaro's expression didn't change. "During the Uchiha clan's extermination, many died. You should have managed to obtain some of their eyes. I want a Sharingan—just one."
Orochimaru blinked once, then laughed. "You want to transplant a Sharingan?" He tilted his head, intrigued. "Now that's a surprise. What kind of secret technique are you working on? Share it with me, and I'll give you an extra eye."
So he does still have some, Kimimaro thought. He had only been half sure, given that Orochimaru's possession of Sharingan post-Uchiha massacre was something rarely mentioned—aside from his later involvement with Shin Uchiha. But considering the manga confirmed he had experimented on Uchiha remains and even tricked Danzō into giving him access to eyes, it wasn't a stretch.
"You seem to have more than a few," Kimimaro said casually.
In truth, Orochimaru had collected several Sharingan from the remains of the Uchiha massacre and Danzō's vaults. However, after countless failed transplants—even into his own body—he had grown less fixated on them. The Sharingan's compatibility requirements made it difficult to utilize without being an Uchiha or having Hashirama cells, something Orochimaru only perfected much later through experiments like Shin Uchiha.
"I won't accept that deal," Kimimaro continued. "Some secret techniques can only be activated by unique chakra or bloodline factors. The one I've acquired… emerged from the brink of life and death, through ancient genetic awakening. It's exclusive to me."
He was becoming more fluent in weaving lies to hide his true origins. If repeated often enough, even others might start to believe them.
Orochimaru licked his lips in thought. "Mmm… That may be. But a single vial of blood for a genuine Sharingan? That's a steep imbalance. The Sharingan is far more than mere Uchiha DNA."
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.