"You're Shinno?"
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the blurry figure in the rain, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Before Orochimaru defected from Konoha, he did indeed ask Danzo to post a bounty for Shinno in the black market, just to obtain his Body Revival Technique.
However, after Orochimaru successfully traded with Kanpū and obtained the 'modified version' of the Body Revival Technique, this black market's bounty was put to rest. He didn't expect that after so many years, Shinno would actually appear voluntarily in front of him.
Orochimaru carefully sensed Shinno's aura, but what shocked him was that he wasn't able to sense any aura belonging to Shinobi from Shinno.
'To be able to conceal his aura to the point where even I can't sense it, Shinno's proficiency in the Body Revival Technique is probably not inferior to mine!'
'This is a powerful enemy!'
Orochimaru narrowed his golden vertical pupils.
Now that he was reincarnated into Hiruko's body, his soul and the body still cannot blend together, so he was like a fragile porcelain, ready to crack at any moment. Once Shinno made a move…
Orochimaru wasn't afraid of death, because the clone he hid in Kirigakure has part of his soul. So even if this 'main body' died, the clone could use the Living Corpse Reanimation to resurrect him. The key is Uchiha Shin!
There is only one Uchiha Shin in the Shinobi World. If Shinno kills Uchiha Shin, what about Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan?
Relying on Sunagakure and Kirigakure alone wouldn't be enough to complete the plan!
'It seems like I'll have to take a gamble!'
"Now, tell me why you put a bounty on my head, Orochimaru!" Shinno stepped through the rain curtain, standing calmly in front of Orochimaru.
Shinno is about fifty-sixty years old, with hair that was half gray and half white, a kind face, and his physique… seemed somewhat sturdy, but apart from that, there was nothing remarkable about him.
Shin took a step back, vaguely feeling that this ordinary old man in front of him was not simple. At the same time, he secretly thought: 'If this old man and Orochimaru were to fight, maybe I could try to escape!'
Facing Shinno's question, Orochimaru suddenly laughed: "Hahahaha…"
This is called seizing the initiative!
Shinno was indeed bluffed by him, and he frowned in confusion.
Orochimaru suddenly stopped laughing and said coldly: "I did indeed put a bounty on your head in the black market, but I was also acting on someone else's behalf."
'On someone else's behalf…' Shinno asked in doubt: "Who is it!"
"Gekko Kanpū!" Orochimaru said solemnly. He was betting that Gekko Kanpū hadn't obtained the Body Revival Technique from Shinno through legitimate means!
"Gekko Kanpū?" Shinno was puzzled, as he really didn't know the owner of this name.
'Is Orochimaru lying?'
Shinno shook his head slowly. In his opinion, even though Orochimaru, as one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, had defected, he still had his dignity and bottom line as an expert. And it was unlikely for him to lie and deceive him.
Furthermore, Orochimaru is powerful, and even if Shinno used all his strength, he may not be able to defeat him. In such a situation, why should Orochimaru lower himself to lie to him?
As he pondered, Shinno vaguely remembered something, 'That name… feels somewhat familiar.'
Orochimaru didn't interrupt Shinno's thoughts and only waited quietly for the result.
Splish, splish, splish…
The heavy rain poured down, and Shinno stood in the rain, letting the water wash over his hair, eyebrows, and clothes. At the same time, scenes of the past events flashed through his mind like a canvas one after another.
Over a decade ago, when Shinno was acting in Konoha, a little brat from Gekko Clan seemingly out of nowhere, approached him and grandiosely claimed that he couldn't become a Shinobi, so his dream was to be a doctor and he wanted to apprentice under Shinno.
Back then, Shinno was naive enough to believe it and even taught him a lot of medical techniques!
'Isn't that little brat from Gekko Clan seemed to be called Gekko Kanpū?'
But looking back on it, Shinno felt that he had only shown kindness to Gekko Kanpū, so why does he ask Orochimaru to put a bounty on his head?
'Paying kindness with enmity?'
'Wait!'
'Gekko Kanpū?'
Shinno suddenly remembered some important information. In the Third Shinobi World War, which swept across most of the Shinobi World, there was a Shinobi from Konoha named Gekko Kanpū, who relied on his Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai and Konoha-Style Kenjutsu. In battlefield, he has fiercely made a few splashes. Although he wasn't renowned in the Shinobi World, he had surpassed ninety percent of the Shinobi!
'Are these two Gekko Kanpū the same person?'
'Then what Gekko Kanpū told me that he could not become a Shinobi was all false?!'
'This guy is full of…'
'Wait!'
Shinno's eyes suddenly widened: 'Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai?'
'Gekko Kanpū is Kekkei Genkai Shinobi?!'
'Invisibility…'
'Could it be that my Body Revival Technique's scroll was stolen by Gekko Kanpū back then?!'
Shinno was shocked and angry, then he realized: 'No wonder that Gekko Kanpū asked Orochimaru to put a bounty on my head in the black market. He must be afraid that I would find out the truth and retaliate against him, so he took the initiative to strike first.'
'He truly lives up to being a Shinobi nurtured by Konoha, always so cunning!'
Shinno's face twisted gradually, becoming distorted: 'Gekko Kanpū, a mere brat dared to toy with me… Unforgivable!!!'
At this moment, the Chakra inside Shinno's body completely went berserk, flooding through the Eight-Gates inside his body one by one: 'Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View…
Shinno's body was surrounded by eerie green steam, and a majestic momentum surged out of him, turning into invisible ripples sweeping in all directions. The rain in the air was lifted by the ripples, forming numerous circular water rings.
Orochimaru watched Shinno suddenly go into a rage and smiled: 'It seems like I made the right bet!'
'In this way, I've gained another ally.'
Orochimaru spoke with a sinister tone: "Do you know, when I defected from Konoha back then, it was also thanks to Gekko Kanpū's 'help'."
The furious Shinno slowly calmed down, the green steam on his body instantly dissipating, and the rain around him returned to normal, continuously falling like a curtain of beads.
"I won't let Gekko Kanpū go, absolutely!" Shinno took a deep breath and turned to leave.
"Shinno, we have a common enemy, perhaps we can cooperate." Orochimaru said.
"I'm used to being alone." Shinno replied without looking back.
"I won't force you to do anything, but…" Orochimaru said softly, "Please listen to my Konoha Crush Plan."
'Konoha Crush Plan?'
Shinno's steps stopped. If it were only a matter of dealing with Gekko Kanpū, Shinno is confident that he could handle it alone without needing to cooperate with Orochimaru. But Konoha Crush Plan… just hearing the name of the plan sparked his imagination!
Shinno turned around suddenly, his eyes bright and piercing!
It must be known that Shinno's true identity is the leader of Sky Ninja, and Sky Shinobi Village was destroyed by Konoha several decades ago!
Over these years, Shinno has been obsessed with seeking revenge!
"It seems that you are also a person with a story." Orochimaru said cheerfully when he saw Shinno's reaction.
"Tell me your plan!" Shinno demanded.
Orochimaru turned his head and signaled Shin to take the Iwagakure's Shinobi aside, and then continued: "You should have heard that Konoha and the other Shinobi Villages jointly held the Chunin Exams, which will be held every three years. I…"
Shinno listened quietly. And when he heard that Orochimaru had already enlisted the aid of Sunagakure and Kirigakure, Shinno trembled!
With these two Great Shinobi Villages, plus Orochimaru and Shinno, as well as Otogakure's Shinobi and Sky Ninja behind the two, with a little bit of manipulation, even Konoha might crumble, right?
'What a brilliant plan!'
"Happy cooperation!" Shinno took a deep breath to control his tumultuous emotions, and slowly stretched out his hand.
In the rain curtain, the two hands clasped tightly, never to be separated for a long time.