Orochimaru has always been very confident in his abilities; after all, he is one of the legendary Sannin and a disciple of the Third Hokage. Even combined, the other two Sannins only partially surpass him.
His suggestion to negotiate with Aoba was not out of fear but rather from his reservations about the capabilities of the Rinnegan.
The reputation of the Rinnegan is indeed intimidating—it was the eye possessed by the legendary Sage of the Six Paths! Based on the information Orochimaru currently possesses, the Rinnegan has the abilities of attraction, repulsion, and chakra absorption. Whether it has other capabilities, he does not yet know.
Just these three abilities are enough to astound him.
However, this does not mean he doesn't believe he could engage in a fight to the death with Aoba if it really came down to it.
Of course, who would choose such a method unless necessary?
But no matter how many times he has proposed negotiations with Aoba, there has been no effect.
Not only does this young Uchiha refuse to negotiate, but he also continues to overstep, becoming increasingly arrogant and oppressive.
Orochimaru's patience has reached its limit.
"Uchiha brat!"
"I advise you not to be so overbearing!"
"It's better for both of us to end this now!"
"If you push me to madness, it will benefit no one!"
"Don't you just want to inherit Danzo's Root?"
"I can pretend I haven't seen anything today!"
"I might even stand with you in the future!"
"We are not enemies!"
Orochimaru's words flowed one after another, clearly expressing that he no longer wanted to continue this unwarranted consumption. Any further delay is meaningless, worsening both parties' conditions. And there is still a chaotic world outside waiting for him.
These days, Orochimaru feels particularly at risk.
He senses that the Third Hokage's trust in him is waning, likely having discovered the human experiments he has been conducting in secret.
However, these issues had yet to come to light, and the Third Hokage still had some expectations of him.
Because of Danzo.
Because of Konoha's governance.
Because of the impending end of the Third Great Ninja War.
Recent events in Konoha have created turmoil that affects the position of the Third Hokage.
It seems...
Orochimaru feels the whirlpool in Konoha has become more complex.
Originally, he wanted to pursue his interests in this chaos. Still, realizing that the person with the Rinnegan was involved, he now only thinks about distancing himself from this storm.
It's time to leave!
Orochimaru had long considered leaving Konoha but had not acted on it.
When conducting human experiments, he had thought about leaving the village and establishing his ninja village in another part of the Land of Fire if the Third Hokage ever discovered his actions.
He is not a power-hungry person, but he did aspire to become the Fourth Hokage.
Only as Hokage could he conduct his experiments without constraints.
However, now...
Hokage's position is not something he can easily claim.
Minato, who has distinguished himself in the Third Great Ninja War, is more likely to become the Fourth Hokage.
This isn't just his opinion; it's what nearly everyone in Konoha thinks.
Public sentiment!
This makes it unrealistic for others to compete for the position of Hokage.
Orochimaru has thus abandoned the idea of vying for the title of Hokage.
Originally, he just wanted to gain his benefits from the struggle for the position of Hokage. But now he realizes that internal strife within Konoha is brewing, and even the Uchiha youth with the Rinnegan has emerged at this time.
It is a troubled season!
At that moment, he silently lamented the current situation in his heart, no longer wanting to stay in Konoha. There was no need to continue wading through this murky water.
But now, his physical body is trapped in this barrier formed by the Uchiha youth, making it impossible to leave. His attempts to negotiate with this Uchiha are met with indifference.
Damn.
It's utterly infuriating.
After speaking, those narrow, cold, snake-like eyes stared fixedly at Aoba. If it weren't for being bound within this barrier and unable to leave, he would certainly have taught this person a harsh lesson.
But he still has reservations!
Things must be handled smoothly!
"Orochimaru, do you still not see the situation clearly?"
Aoba's mouth corners subtly rose behind his mask, displaying a cold and humorless smile. However, such an expression is invisible to Orochimaru, who can only see the sarcastic gaze of the Rinnegan.
"You have no bargaining chips!"
Aoba's right hand, aimed directly at Orochimaru, locks everything in front of him within its range. The barrier has been reduced, confining them tightly in a very small area, not allowing Orochimaru any chance to escape being Aoba's target.
Buzz!
In an instant, waves of formidable chakra concentrated in Aoba's right hand, again making the entire space feel oppressive and also causing Orochimaru's snake-like eyes to flicker with shock.
What now?
Orochimaru's mind burst with a big question mark, now always feeling anxious whenever he sees Aoba raise his right hand, sensing that something is amiss.
"Bansho Ten'in(Universal Pull)!"
Once again, Aoba's palm emitted a powerful attraction force, directly permeating Orochimaru's body.
Aoba used the same technique once more.
Indeed, Aoba isn't showcasing what ninja techniques the Rinnegan can perform before Orochimaru; he merely wants to demonstrate what true power and talent are through the Rinnegan.
Aoba has no intention of letting Orochimaru go.
Once Orochimaru fell into his barrier, there was absolutely no chance of him leaving alive.
However...
Aoba intended to implant a seed in Orochimaru's memory.
He wasn't sure if Orochimaru might have the chance to be resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation Technique in the future, nor did he know if Orochimaru had other clones or contingencies outside that might allow him to revive under specific conditions.
But he had a feeling that Orochimaru would not easily die like this; thus, he wanted Orochimaru to understand just how terrifying the Rinnegan could be.
This was Aoba's minor objective.
Kill not only the body but also the spirit.