"Heh heh... If I give you these, what do I get in return?" Orochimaru asked, his mind now calm.
"I've already mentioned: a substantial amount of funds, technology, equipment..."
"And, I've recently acquired two pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan. Surely, that piques your interest?"
"Given your position within Konohagakure, you should be well aware of the Sharingan's power and potential for development."
"After all, the Three Tomoe is merely the beginning..." Sōmi said with a meaningful tone.
"You...!" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
The power of the Sharingan was something he understood better than anyone, having witnessed firsthand the prowess of Shisui of the Body Flicker.
And through various overt and covert means, he had learned about the advancement to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Yet, what puzzled Orochimaru was how this Sunagakure ninja could possess so much knowledge about Konohagakure's secrets.
Not only about the Forbidden Techniques he secretly researched but also the mysteries of the prestigious Uchiha clan—he seemed to know them inside out.
In comparison, the importance of the summoning contract seemed less significant...
"You can write your name on the summoning contract, but you cannot summon Manda for battle; all other snakes are at your disposal."
"Moreover, when fighting against Konohagakure, you cannot use snake summons!" Orochimaru said with a sinister squint.
"Unexpectedly, you, who experiment on your own village's corpses, still have such trivial concerns?" Sōmi remarked indifferently.
"But if you ever defect from Konohagakure and become its enemy, do I still have to adhere to this agreement?" Sōmi asked, feigning seriousness.
"If I truly turn against Konohagakure, then no matter what means you use against its shinobi, I won't interfere!" Orochimaru said, showing a hint of displeasure.
"Alright! I agree!" Sōmi accepted without hesitation.
Orochimaru stared intently at Sōmi, who met his gaze fearlessly.
They stood in a tense standoff for a moment, while Scorpion, nearby, began to feel somewhat awkward—he was not fond of waiting on others.
Crackle!
The large purple lightning sphere outside Orochimaru's barrier shifted slightly, its arcs of electricity crackling violently. The pale purple light radiated in all directions, exuding an aura that seemed ready to explode.
Faced with this blatant threat and urgency, Orochimaru's mouth opened wide, stretching to an inhuman degree.
From his mouth, he spat out two scrolls—one about a foot tall, the other only half a foot.
Orochimaru placed the scrolls on the ground and spread his hands, as if inviting inspection.
Without hesitation, Sōmi manipulated a stream of golden sand to move outside Orochimaru's barrier.
"Scorpion!" Sōmi signaled to Scorpion.
Scorpion nodded subtly, then flicked his hands, sending nine shimmering Chakra threads from his front to the outside of the barrier.
As Scorpion's fingers danced, the Chakra threads twisted and intertwined outside the barrier.
Gradually, the threads formed an elliptical opening.
This opening adhered to the surface of the barrier, and seeing this, Orochimaru felt a chill of surprise.
He couldn't help but marvel at how talent seemed to have become so commonplace...
Konohagakure's Minato Namikaze, Shisui Uchiha...
Kumogakure's Perfect Jinchūriki (the AB brothers)...
And now, these two young shinobi from Sunagakure...
With his mastery in sealing techniques, Orochimaru immediately recognized the creation of a "controllable opening" using Chakra threads.
This method showcased Scorpion's advanced puppet manipulation skills and expertise in sealing techniques.
Encountering two Kage Level shinobi proficient in sealing arts, even Orochimaru had to put aside his usual schemes.
This was precisely why Sōmi had diligently sought to master sealing techniques from a young age.
For once battles reached the level of god-like powers, only sealing techniques remained unscathed by nerfs.
The other elemental jutsu would merely become superficial techniques.
Even someone as powerful as Kaguya could only lament in frustration before the Six Paths seal, becoming once again a bright moon illuminating the night sky.
Sōmi quickly unfurled the summoning scroll, which was densely inscribed with names, but he recognized only the last one.
Flipping to the end, Sōmi activated the Chakra at his fingertips, causing crimson beads of blood to seep from his five fingers.
Sōmi would never resort to the crude method of biting his finger to draw blood; in his view, such a method was purely for show.
Understanding the body's acupuncture points and controlling the intensity of Chakra made piercing the skin with Chakra a simple task.
Satisfied with leaving his name on the summoning scroll, Sōmi eagerly opened the other scroll.
Its cover was a dark gray, resembling the color of soil burying corpses.
Inside, the words "Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation" caught his eye.
After briefly reviewing the materials, hand seals, and precautions, and finding them consistent with his expectations, Sōmi nodded slightly to Scorpion.
Scorpion's face lit up with joy, his fists unconsciously clenched.
Sōmi retrieved three scrolls from his back, adding them to the original summoning scroll. He used golden sand to deliver the four scrolls to the outside of Orochimaru's barrier.
"Release!"
Sōmi clasped his hands together, forming a sword seal.
The barrier's surface suddenly bubbled with black liquid, which retracted into the Starfall Rod suspended in the air.
Crack! Crack...
Without the reinforcement of black runes, the barrier developed fine cracks, which quickly expanded into visible fissures.
Bang!
In an instant, the barrier surrounding Orochimaru vanished.
Orochimaru glanced at the dissipated purple lightning sphere and the duo of Sōmi and Scorpion walking side by side.
The two were engaged in a quiet conversation, holding the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation scroll.
"Heh! Who would've thought that besides me, someone else would be so interested in this Forbidden Technique."
"However, this technique delves into the taboo realm of the Shinigami's wrath..."
Orochimaru's chilling laughter echoed, whether as a warning or an attempt to regain his footing.
He extended his right hand, transforming it into a serpentine arm that swallowed the four scrolls into its belly.
"Aren't you going to check them?" Sōmi asked, patting Scorpion's shoulder before storing the scrolls.
Indeed, throughout the history of the ninja world, only Orochimaru dared to provoke the Shinigami's wrath and exploit its loopholes...
"Since we've established our cooperative relationship, there's naturally a level of trust required!" Orochimaru's raspy voice surprisingly conveyed a sense of trustworthiness.
Perhaps it was his unique charisma...
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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