Since Orochimaru had agreed to return to Konoha, Akira Uchiha decided not to use Kotoamatsukami on him—after all, the ten-year cooldown period was far too long. But trust Orochimaru? Not a chance! Akira would have to be out of his mind to trust someone like him. Even if Orochimaru were "redeemed" as in the original story, Akira still wouldn't trust him.
For someone like Might Guy, mutual trust is the foundation of their relationship. But with someone like Orochimaru, it's all about mutual benefit. As long as Akira remains useful to Orochimaru, and vice versa, there's no reason for betrayal. Of course, if Orochimaru developed a personal interest in Akira's abilities or body, that would be a different story.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, wasn't thinking along those lines. Seeing Orochimaru agree to return to Konoha brought a genuine smile to his face. Even if Orochimaru was coerced into it, his return to Konoha could only be seen as a positive outcome.
"Oh, one more thing," Akira added. "You used to experiment on villagers and even ninja with forbidden jutsu while you were in Konoha. We can attribute that to the Third Hokage's sins coming to light. So, it's best if you don't show your true identity when you return. It could cause some complications. This shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
"I understand," Orochimaru replied, not minding the idea of using his past actions to smear the Third Hokage's reputation. He nodded and then ran his hands over his face.
Orochimaru's appearance began to change, shifting into that of a young man around seventeen or eighteen years old, although his distinctive golden, slit-pupiled eyes remained the same.
"Orochimaru, what… what is this?" Jiraiya asked, stunned by the transformation. It was clear to him that this wasn't just a simple transformation jutsu.
"Living Corpse Reincarnation… so this isn't even his real body," Akira thought as he watched the transformation. He silently nodded to himself, understanding that Orochimaru's current appearance might be closer to his true form.
"There's something else I'd like to ask you," Akira continued.
"Oh? What is it?" Orochimaru replied, intrigued. What could someone like Akira possibly need from him?
"I'm interested in learning Sage Mode, so I'd like to sign the contract scroll for Ryūchi Cave," Akira said.
Of the three great sacred places, Akira wasn't sure if Shikkotsu Forest could teach Sage Mode, but he knew that both Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku could. Between the two, Akira preferred Ryūchi Cave.
Why? It comes down to the natural order of things. Frogs eat insects, which means the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest are naturally weaker against the frogs of Mount Myōboku. But snakes eat frogs, so it stands to reason that the frogs from Mount Myōboku would be weaker against the snakes of Ryūchi Cave.
Given the choice, Akira naturally wanted to be at the top of the food chain. As for the fact that snakes are more aggressive while the frogs of Mount Myōboku are more mild and easier to get along with, Akira preferred a summoning technique that packed a punch.
Of course, Akira wouldn't admit that a major reason he didn't want to sign with Mount Myōboku was because he didn't want to eat bugs during his training there, while at Ryūchi Cave, he could eat meat.
"If you're interested, you can sign the summoning contract with Mount Myōboku," Jiraiya offered after some thought.
Jiraiya had always hoped that only his direct disciples would sign the contract with Mount Myōboku, like the Fourth Hokage or Naruto Uzumaki. Even Nagato and the others hadn't been given the contract.
But Jiraiya didn't consider Akira an outsider. Although they hadn't known each other long, and Jiraiya hadn't initially thought much of the Uchiha, his feelings had completely changed in just a month.
First, Akira's guidance of Naruto showed Jiraiya his generosity and character. Second, Akira's success in bringing Orochimaru back to Konoha fulfilled a long-held wish of Jiraiya's. Lastly, Akira's trust in telling Jiraiya about Itachi's infiltration of the Akatsuki moved him deeply.
So, seeing that Akira wanted to learn Sage Mode, Jiraiya decided to let him sign the contract with Mount Myōboku.
"Thank you," Akira said sincerely, but his attention remained on Orochimaru, making it clear that he preferred Ryūchi Cave over Mount Myōboku.
Jiraiya's face darkened. What was going on? Was Mount Myōboku inferior to Ryūchi Cave? He had offered Akira the chance to sign the contract, but Akira seemed unimpressed. Weren't the three sacred places supposed to be equals?
Or was it that people always desired what they couldn't have?
Orochimaru noticed Jiraiya's darkened expression and couldn't help but smile slightly. Even though he was being forced to return to Konoha, seeing Jiraiya frustrated made it more bearable. In fact, Orochimaru found Akira even more agreeable now. Whatever else could be said, Akira had excellent taste.
"Very well, Akira, no problem," Orochimaru finally said after some thought. He then opened his mouth and slowly drew out a large, slimy scroll.
As he unrolled the sticky scroll, he indicated that Akira could sign his name. Akira's eye twitched at the sight of the slimy scroll—did it have to be so disgusting?
But as he watched, Akira couldn't help but think that Orochimaru's mouth was like a magic pocket—he could pull anything out of it and put anything in. Did Orochimaru have some kind of extra-dimensional mouth?
Suppressing his revulsion, Akira signed his name on the contract scroll.
Then, it was time to practice the summoning technique.
It wasn't particularly difficult. Though his innate talent wasn't exceptional, Akira's overall strength was at a Kage-level. Using his Sharingan to copy Orochimaru's hand seals and chakra flow, Akira quickly mastered the summoning technique.
For someone who didn't consider himself particularly talented, having a three-tomoe Sharingan that allowed him to copy most jutsu just by seeing them was a huge advantage for Akira.
"Alright, let me give it a try!" Akira said after grasping the basics of the summoning technique. He formed the necessary seals and then slammed his hands on the ground.
Black, ink-like symbols spread across the ground, and with a puff of smoke, a gigantic snake appeared.
Perhaps because the summoning technique had been directly copied from Orochimaru, the summoned snake turned out to be an old acquaintance—Manda!
"So, this is the power of the Uchiha, the power of the Sharingan… truly remarkable!" Orochimaru marveled as he watched Akira master the summoning technique with just a glance.
"Manda, why have you summoned me? And where are the thousand sacrifices you promised me last time? Be careful, or I'll eat you…" Manda growled as he glared at Orochimaru, clearly displeased.
It seemed Manda assumed that Orochimaru had summoned him again.
"Orochimaru, this isn't a battle. I just wanted to introduce you to someone. Akira here has signed the contract with Ryūchi Cave, and he's the one who summoned you," Orochimaru explained.
Manda turned to look at Akira, his snake eyes narrowing.
"So, do you demand a thousand sacrifices every time you're summoned?" Akira asked, turning his gaze on Manda as his chakra began to surge.
Compared to Manda's massive form, Akira was tiny. But the sheer presence and aura Akira projected made him seem like a terrifying demon, and Manda began to tremble.
Previously, during Orochimaru and Sasori's attack, Akira had opened the sixth gate and relentlessly pummeled Manda. His strength and speed had left Manda roaring in frustration, unable to land a hit.
When Orochimaru eventually retreated, Manda had felt relieved and had quickly fled back to Ryūchi Cave after uttering a few threats. This time, seeing Akira again and realizing that he had become a contract holder with Ryūchi Cave, Manda swallowed nervously and replied in a much more subdued tone, "Since you're now a contract holder of Ryūchi Cave, we're allies. I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise," Akira replied, his intense aura finally calming.
Watching this exchange, Orochimaru almost felt like crying. What was going on with Manda? With Akira, it was all politeness and submission, but with Orochimaru, it was all aggression and threats?
Shaking his head, Orochimaru could only assume that Akira's brutal pummeling had left Manda with a lasting psychological scar. After all, such a fierce taijutsu battle wasn't something Orochimaru excelled at.
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 184 at patreon.com/Emik01.