Chapter Thirteen: The Possibility of Cooperation

The tranquil forest was alive with the chaotic echoes of battle. Two figures darted incessantly from place to place, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Trees everywhere bore the marks of kunai strikes, and the acrid scent of scorched wood from fire-style jutsu hung heavily in the air.

Perhaps wary that too much noise would draw the attention of the Uchiha patrols, Orochimaru refrained from using any large-scale ninjutsu. Uchiha Li, on the other hand, fought with far fewer reservations. Amidst their close-quarters taijutsu exchanges, he unleashed fire-style techniques whenever the chance arose, never holding back.

With the dynamic vision of the Sharingan on his side, Uchiha Li kept pace. Despite Orochimaru’s status as a seasoned Kage-level ninja, the combination of these factors meant he could not quickly gain the upper hand. Moreover, Uchiha Li was growing, gradually adapting to his own strength with each passing moment.

After another furious clash, both combatants retreated to opposite sides, pausing in silent accord. In Orochimaru’s cold gaze, a flicker of confusion and gravity appeared as he glanced toward the edge of the woods, his brow creasing slightly. He hadn’t expected Uchiha Li to be so troublesome—after so long, he still hadn’t managed to prevail.

Through his keen senses, Orochimaru detected a group of people rapidly approaching from outside the forest—most likely Uchiha reinforcements.

“Li, it seems everyone has underestimated you,” Orochimaru said with a cold snort, abandoning any thought of continuing the fight. It was impossible for someone with only a three-tomoe Sharingan to push him this far—Uchiha Li was hiding far more than he let on.

“You flatter me, sensei. I’m just an ordinary Uchiha,” Uchiha Li replied calmly, betraying no emotion at the praise. His crimson Sharingan remained fixed intently on Orochimaru, offering not a single opportunity for a sneak attack. He had long since grown familiar with the deceptions and traps between shinobi, especially during the Third Great War. Now, facing one of the legendary Sannin, he knew one could never be too cautious.

As for the Mangekyo Sharingan, he had no intention of revealing it unless forced to the utmost extremity.

Orochimaru, seeing Uchiha Li’s unwavering vigilance, narrowed his eyes. After a moment of silence, a hint of disappointment flashed within them. He realized he no longer had any chance—Uchiha Li was even more cautious and difficult to deal with than he’d imagined. To persist would only waste time.

With that, Orochimaru turned away, showing no hint of reluctance as he prepared to leave.

“Wait, Orochimaru-sensei.” Uchiha Li called out, “You must be planning to leave the village soon, aren’t you?”

Orochimaru paused mid-step, then turned back expressionlessly.

Uchiha Li tilted his head and suggested, “After all, we were once teacher and student. Aren’t you going to leave me anything? I’m still hoping for your guidance, you know…”

To work with Orochimaru was to bargain with a tiger, but after much consideration, Uchiha Li had decided it was worth the risk. Orochimaru was a true genius—the so-called ‘scientist of the shinobi world’—with unparalleled research abilities. Whether it was the Reanimation Jutsu, the Cursed Seal of Heaven, or his various genetic experiments, all of these piqued Uchiha Li’s interest.

Most of all, the First Hokage’s cell transplantation technique was of vital importance to his Mangekyo Sharingan. Uchiha Li had no blood relatives, which meant evolving his Mangekyo into the Eternal Mangekyo would be almost impossible. Although his “Terra” power was formidable, he could not be certain it would allow him to bypass that limitation. If it didn’t, and his ocular power became depleted, he risked blindness—a fate he could never accept.

Thus, though there were dangers in cooperating with Orochimaru, the potential benefits were tempting. Orochimaru was about to leave the village; if Uchiha Li missed this chance, it might be years before they met again. He couldn’t wait that long—better to lay his cards on the table now.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Orochimaru’s cold face twisted into a rare smile at Uchiha Li’s words. The smile was ghastly, void of emotion, as if smiling was foreign to him. Still, he smiled, having realized that Uchiha Li was not only remarkable, but singular.

Despite their lack of true familiarity, Uchiha Li had guessed his intentions straight away. More astonishingly, he knew Orochimaru was about to leave the village. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, his teacher, only harbored suspicions about his human experiments and had found no concrete evidence. Yet Uchiha Li spoke with such certainty—why?

Orochimaru didn’t know, nor did he care to probe further. At this point, his only concern was his own interests.

And working with Uchiha Li could serve those interests well.

With that in mind, Orochimaru became solemn. “Li, would you be interested in coming with me?”

Uchiha Li shrugged. “Sorry, Orochimaru-sensei. The village is a bond I cannot sever.”

“How interesting. For someone like you, the village is a bond?” Orochimaru sneered, clearly skeptical. Yet he did not argue the point. Instead, he suddenly coughed, and spat out a scroll, which landed damp and glistening in his hand.

He tossed the scroll to Uchiha Li. In his raspy voice, Orochimaru drawled, “I’ll be waiting for your contact. Don’t disappoint me.”

With that, his figure flickered and vanished into the forest.

Uchiha Li waited a while, making sure Orochimaru had truly gone, then deactivated his Sharingan and looked at the scroll on the ground. Though not overly fastidious, he was still reluctant to touch it, given how wet it was. After a moment’s thought, he tore off a piece of his sleeve to wipe the scroll clean before picking it up and opening it.

“The summoning contract for Ryuchi Cave…”

Uchiha Li’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He did not immediately sign the contract, but instead put it away. The three great sanctuaries had always given him pause.

Foremost among them was the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, an ancient being whose power to foresee the future was legendary. From scattered hints, it seemed the sage had played a part in many of the shinobi world’s key events.

For instance, during the conflict between Kaguya Otsutsuki and her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, the Great Toad Sage had given Hagoromo a ‘Sage Talisman’—an artifact capable of resurrecting the dead. Clearly, the sage had foreseen Hamura’s death and offered the talisman as a precaution. In the end, the prophecy came true, and Hamura was revived.

Now, the Great Toad Sage had issued another prophecy, sending Jiraiya in search of the so-called ‘Child of Destiny’. If everything proceeded as foretold, Naruto would become that child and ultimately save the world. These fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies were proof enough that the Great Toad Sage was no ordinary creature.

As for the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave and the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, while less renowned, their reputation as equals to Mount Myoboku meant they were not to be underestimated.

Given all this, Uchiha Li decided it would be best to grow stronger before dealing with the three great sanctuaries.

Without waiting for the clan patrols to arrive, Uchiha Li slipped into the forest, his figure vanishing among the trees. Orochimaru’s defection was inevitable—he had no wish for anyone to discover he’d had recent dealings with his former teacher.