Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 90 at patreon.com/Emik01.
At first, when Uchiha Akira tried to bluff, Orochimaru didn't respond.
However, when he heard Uchiha Akira call out his name, Orochimaru realized that he had indeed been exposed!
So, he no longer felt the need to hide.
After revealing himself, Orochimaru's snake-like vertical pupils gazed at Uchiha Akira with curiosity.
"How did you discover me? Logically, you shouldn't have been able to sense my presence!" Orochimaru's voice was slightly raspy, yet it carried a strange allure.
"If I told you that I knew about you yesterday, would you believe me?" Uchiha Akira responded calmly, looking directly at Orochimaru.
"Did someone leak my information?" Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly. Discovering him yesterday? That could only mean someone had informed Uchiha Akira in advance!
But then, Orochimaru shook his head and said, "No, no one could have leaked any information. After all, no one knew I would be waiting for you here!"
Unbelievable. Orochimaru found the situation quite unbelievable. Based on sensing abilities, there was no way Uchiha Akira could have detected him!
So why had Uchiha Akira been waiting at Sunset Lake as if he knew Orochimaru would be there? It didn't make sense!
"Do you know why I'm here?" Orochimaru asked after a brief silence.
"To kill me!" Uchiha Akira replied straightforwardly.
"If you know I'm here to kill you, aren't you afraid? You even came to meet me alone?" Orochimaru grinned, becoming even more intrigued by Uchiha Akira.
"Although Guy-sensei's Eight Gates technique is quite powerful, he can only protect himself in front of you. He wouldn't be able to protect me."
"Since it's inevitable that we're no match for you, meeting you alone or with protection makes no difference, does it?" Uchiha Akira stated plainly.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Right now, you're the hunter, and I'm already in your grasp as the prey. Why don't we have a good talk?"
"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Orochimaru smiled, nodding in agreement.
Maybe it was because he wasn't in a hurry to kill his prey and wanted to toy with him for a bit. Or maybe he was genuinely curious about what Uchiha Akira wanted to discuss.
"First, how I discovered you—this is a special ability of mine, something like a prophecy, similar to the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku," Uchiha Akira explained.
"Prophecy!?"
Orochimaru had considered many possibilities, but he hadn't expected Uchiha Akira to claim it was prophecy!
However, Orochimaru was familiar with Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin like himself, and knew about the Great Toad Sage's ability to foresee the future.
Could this young Uchiha genius also possess such an ability?
It was hard to believe, but as the top scientist in the shinobi world, Orochimaru didn't outright dismiss it.
After all, as a scientist, no matter how strange or bizarre something might seem, his capacity to accept it was higher than most!
"A prophetic ability, huh? I see. But don't think that will make me spare you," Orochimaru said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, as he turned his gaze back to Uchiha Akira.
Right now, Uchiha Akira was like prey in his hands. If Orochimaru wanted to kill him, he could do so at any moment.
All Uchiha Akira sought was to survive.
Orochimaru was curious—what trump card did Uchiha Akira have that made him confident he could survive?
"Before we continue, could you clear up something for me?" Uchiha Akira asked, looking at Orochimaru.
"Don't forget our roles. I'm the hunter, and you're just the prey!" Orochimaru extended his long tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, clearly signaling to Uchiha Akira that he had no right to ask questions.
But Uchiha Akira wasn't deterred. He continued, "From what I know, even if you're eager for my body, you can't perform the Living Corpse Reincarnation for another two years, right? You don't have a reason to attack me now!"
During his previous life simulations, Uchiha Akira had evaded Orochimaru several times and knew the exact timing of his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique.
"Hehehe, hahaha…"
Hearing Uchiha Akira mention that he couldn't perform the Living Corpse Reincarnation for another two years, Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly. He then stared intently at Uchiha Akira and began to laugh.
His gaze was now akin to that of someone looking at a rare and precious treasure!
The timing of the next Living Corpse Reincarnation was a secret known only to Orochimaru!
Not many even knew about the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique itself.
Yet Uchiha Akira had pinpointed it immediately?
Now, Orochimaru was entirely convinced that Uchiha Akira possessed the power to foresee the future.