Naruto pointed at the scroll. "This person, when fighting me…"
"...used a technique called the Cursed Seal."
Orochimaru grinned. "That happens to be one of my proud inventions."
"But I was rather disappointed," Naruto replied, with no change in expression and a calm tone.
Orochimaru's smile stiffened.
"That cursed seal draws upon a strange kind of power," Naruto continued softly, "something different from chakra."
"But he merely used it to enhance his chakra. That felt like a waste to me."
"I was expecting something more from that power."
"Was it developed based on Tailed Beast Transformation?"
Orochimaru's expression softened slightly. "Ah, I see. So Naruto-kun is disappointed in that regard."
"You see... the Cursed Seal is, in some ways, a poor imitation."
"But the thing it imitates isn't what Naruto-kun thinks—the Tailed Beast Transformation."
Naruto pushed the scroll a bit closer to Orochimaru.
"You always make me feel like you're not a child at all," Orochimaru said, glancing at Kabuto.
Kabuto walked over and took the scroll.
Only then did Orochimaru continue, "Have you ever heard of Sage Mode, Naruto-kun?"
"Sage?" Naruto blinked. "Do you mean the Toad Sage kind, or the kind like the Sage of the Six Paths?"
"Of course, the one from Jiraiya," Orochimaru replied immediately. "But from your expression, it seems you've never seen Jiraiya's Sage Mode in action?"
Naruto nodded.
Orochimaru sighed with some emotion. "Speaking of Jiraiya's Sage Mode, it truly is something extraordinary."
"Remember I mentioned 'natural energy' before?"
"Sage Mode is a special state where one blends natural energy with their own chakra."
"The Cursed Seal is an imitation of that."
Naruto didn't say anything.
He silently reviewed everything Orochimaru had just said in his mind.
"If you're interested, Naruto-kun, I could plant a cursed seal on you too," Orochimaru offered, grinning wide. His sharp teeth glinted with a chilling light. "Though it carries some risk."
"But with your strength, it absolutely wouldn't be a problem."
Naruto calmly looked at him. "If I wanted to master that power, why would I not go learn Sage Mode directly from Jiraiya? Why would I use your poor imitation instead?"
He used Orochimaru's own words against him.
Orochimaru wasn't angry; he just gave a crooked smile. "You said earlier you've been in the Land of Whirlpools recently. I wonder how much you managed to gather about the technique Reaper Death Seal?"
"Can I take a look?"
Naruto formed a hand seal and summoned a scroll, pushing it over.
Kabuto stepped forward, unrolling the scrolls one by one to display them for Orochimaru.
At first, Orochimaru looked excited.
But the more he read, the more his brows furrowed.
By the fourth or fifth scroll, his expression turned impatient.
"Is this all you have, Naruto-kun?" he asked in a low tone.
Naruto's face remained calm, a stark contrast. "Karin and I transcribed all the stone tablets."
"This is everything."
Orochimaru sneered, mockingly. "Looks like those people already looted the Land of Whirlpools clean."
"Which countries were involved in the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools?" Naruto asked. "You're over fifty, right? You should know."
Orochimaru spoke casually, "Aside from Konoha and Sunagakure, most other nations were involved to varying degrees."
"Kirigakure and Kumogakure probably did the most."
"What, Naruto-kun, are you planning revenge for the Uzumaki Clan?"
Naruto shook his head. "When I meet members of the Uzumaki Clan in the future, I'll ask them what they want. If they wish for revenge, I'll let them handle it themselves."
That caught Orochimaru off guard.
What did he mean, "meet members of the Uzumaki Clan"?
That clan had been destroyed, leaving only remnants of bloodlines scattered across the great villages and small countries.
What power could such broken pieces possibly wield for revenge?
"I just want to know which villages might hold techniques related to the Reaper Death Seal," Naruto continued. "Then I'll go ask them to return what rightfully belongs to the Uzumaki."
"Nothing more."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, studying Naruto.
"I have another question," Naruto said. "About the Akatsuki. What would I need to give in order to get information about them from you?"
Orochimaru's pupils widened, his voice momentarily distorted. "Akatsuki?"
"How do you even know about that organization?"
"Why are you interested?"
Naruto waved a hand casually. "They approached me not long ago. We fought."
"I doubt they'll leave me alone."
Orochimaru squinted in amusement. "Who attacked you? To escape from them... Naruto-kun, you must be quite capable."
"Uchiha Itachi and someone with a shark face named Kisame Hoshigaki," Naruto said bluntly.
One of those names made Orochimaru's face change.
Uchiha Itachi.
The name he least wanted to hear in his life, the person he never wished to face again.
Under those eyes, he had no dignity.
"To escape from the two of them..." Orochimaru murmured in admiration. "And still have the Uzumaki…"
Naruto interrupted, "I didn't escape."
"They did."
"That shark-face even lost an arm."
He formed a hand seal and summoned another scroll, unrolling and releasing its seal.
With a puff of white smoke—
A fresh, blood-dripping blue left arm appeared on the scroll.
"Interested in this?" Naruto pushed it forward. "Jiraiya-sensei once told me this guy, Kisame, was known as the Tailed Beast without a tail."
Orochimaru looked up at Naruto.
His gaze burned with curiosity and desire.
"How did you break Itachi's illusion?" he asked, voice heated and eager. "His genjutsu is unrivaled."
Naruto nodded. "Itachi's illusions are indeed masterful."
"You never know when they'll activate, and they completely bypass your senses—utterly lifelike."
"But there's a simple way to break genjutsu."
Orochimaru instantly realized, "Naruto-kun, you're a jinchūriki."
"Will the Nine-Tails even help you?"
Naruto simply smiled, saying nothing.
There was no need to answer that question.
The answer had no value for Orochimaru, nor could it be used to trade for any useful information.
Orochimaru gazed at Naruto.
Indeed, jinchūriki had an innate advantage in breaking genjutsu.
That method was useless to him now.
"Kisame's arm is valuable material," Orochimaru said, suppressing his obsession with Itachi's eyes, and turning to more practical matters. "But that alone isn't enough to trade for information on Akatsuki."
Naruto asked softly, "What else do you want?"
"Your sword," Orochimaru said, half a sentence still in his throat.
Naruto cut him off. "If you want to experience death again, I don't mind doing it here."
Orochimaru chuckled and shifted gears. "No need to get upset, Naruto-kun. If the sword is so important to you…"
"Then how about those jutsu you cast using kotodama (word techniques)? Can I have some of those?"
Back in the Forest of Death, he hadn't been especially interested in Naruto's jutsu.
But things were different now.
With both hands crippled, he could no longer form hand seals—meaning he couldn't use ninjutsu.
Naruto glanced at Orochimaru's hands on his lap. "The value of a trade doesn't depend solely on the item itself."
"I'll give you two."
Orochimaru shook his head. "Two is too few."
"Orochimaru, you're not in a position to bargain," Naruto said lightly. "I don't urgently need the Akatsuki's information."
"But you're different."
Orochimaru grinned. "Taking advantage of a crisis, huh, Naruto-kun?"
"That's right," Naruto nodded with a sunny smile, no hint of shame. "Isn't that the nature of our relationship?"
"You should be grateful I'm only taking advantage of your crisis."
"And not taking this opportunity to kill you again."
(End of chapter)