167 Undercurrents Beneath the Calm

With the injection of chakra, the previously harmless little white蛇—which had been solely focused on its own tail—expanded instantly, transforming into a primordial behemoth.

The specially reinforced ceiling, the supporting stone pillars, the heavy foundations... The white serpent opened its menacing jaws and, amidst a flurry of hisses, devoured everything in front of it.

Orochimaru watched in astonishment, realizing that he had somehow lost control of his own chakra, acting like a novice as it drained out of him and into the white serpent.

In the blink of an eye, the Ouroboros wreaked utter havoc on the underground laboratory, destroying its structural integrity from within.

Almost completely drained of his chakra, the little creature reverted to its original form, slipped away with a slither, and burrowed straight back into Orochimaru's body.

Rumble, rumble...

Orochimaru’s eyelids twitched as he watched tons of earth and rock come crashing down upon him, resembling an overturned sky.

He just knew the Genie’s words were utter nonsense. A minor issue? What a load of crap!

...

Pulling himself out of the debris, Orochimaru wore a dark expression. Though he hadn’t sustained any injuries, he certainly looked disheveled and covered in dust.

"Tsk, tsk..."

It was rare to see Orochimaru make such a low-level mistake, and the Genie barely suppressed a smile as he said, "To unleash such massive destructive power on your very first attempt with the Ouroboros is undeniably impressive. It’s just that... well, your control leaves a bit to be desired."

Seeing the Genie behaving so callously and making sarcastic remarks, Orochimaru’s face darkened with veins of irritation. However, as he sensed the Ouroboros resting within his body, his brow furrowed deeply.

Even when he had first learned to control chakra and perform ninjutsu, he had never made such a colossal mistake. This white serpent, born from a chakra soul-entity, was indeed rather difficult to master.

Far from being discouraged, Orochimaru felt a surge of intense interest.

Much like the Sharingan to an Uchiha, it was akin to a child wielding a giant cleaver—things only became difficult when one attempted to wield something that exceeded their limits.

The Genie was right; the status and tier of this Ouroboros were currently a fraction higher than his own physical body. Orochimaru now understood this fact profoundly.

He had been a bit too rash this time.

Orochimaru looked at the ruins before him, his eyebrow twitching slightly.

So be it. The location of this laboratory had already been exposed to Danzo anyway; it was time to relocate to a new place.

...

Two days passed in a flash, and another round of negotiations took place between the Kumogakure delegation and Konoha.

As Orochimaru had anticipated, the Kumo shinobi had burned their bridges, casting aside caution and even their lives; one could say they were fiercely determined.

Their words grew increasingly arrogant, their bluster more audacious by the day. In order to spare their village from paying reparations, they were fully resolved to sabotage these peace talks entirely.

Konoha simply laid their cards on the table, refusing to engage in any further verbal sparring. They tossed Neji’s situation and Orochimaru’s stance right into the delegates' faces, explicitly declaring that these talks had failed, and that the next round of negotiations would require Orochimaru to personally lead an emissary mission to Kumogakure.

The Kumo delegation was struck dumb with shock. They hadn’t expected Konoha to pull such a move, and they instantly fell silent. Although they managed to spit out a few parting platitudes, anyone with eyes could see that they were merely putting on a brave face while trembling with fear.

Seeing the uneasy expressions on the Kumo contingent’s faces, Konoha kindly reminded them not to worry about the safety of their return journey, as Orochimaru would lead a squad to accompany them starting tomorrow.

The delegation members were deeply touched upon hearing this, though the worry on their faces only grew.

As night fell, a new laboratory, a new training ground.

Orochimaru put Yakushi Kabuto through his usual round of discipline, and afterward, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Much like himself, Kabuto was a strategist-type shinobi. Compared to engaging in direct, head-on clashes, he excelled at and preferred using his intellect to deal with enemies.

This saved Orochimaru a great deal of effort; all he needed to do was help Kabuto master the combat rhythm of senjutsu-based ninjutsu.

By now, before exhausting his senjutsu chakra, Kabuto was fully capable of holding his own against Kage-level powerhouses.

"Tomorrow, we shall lead the shinobi squad out of the village."

Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto and smiled. "The time for revenge is fast approaching."

Kabuto kept his head lowered, the lenses of his glasses reflecting the light of the lamps, concealing the shifting, turbulent emotions in his gaze.

Orochimaru said calmly, "After all, Root gathers nearly a third of Konoha's elite forces. Opposing them will still be quite difficult, so you must remain cautious."

"I will not disappoint Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied with unyielding conviction.

His rapidly growing strength had also boosted his confidence. Obstacles that were once insurmountable now seemed like nothing more than small mounds of dirt in his path.

"If not for the recent theft, I wouldn't be too overly concerned."

Orochimaru licked his lips. "However, if Danzo has restored his youth using Hashirama's cells, things could become troublesome. Do not underestimate him; this fellow's strength is comparable to the Old Man's."

"Even so, I am confident I can emerge victorious."

Kabuto wasn't intoxicated by power; rather, his confidence stemmed precisely from his clear awareness of how much stronger he had grown during this period.

Seeing Kabuto brimming with confidence, Orochimaru smiled and refrained from dealing any further dampening blows.

Strength was one form of capital, but experience was another.

Kabuto’s capability on paper was indeed remarkable, but after all, it had been forged in the training grounds rather than through life-or-death struggles on the battlefield.

Moreover, smart people shared a common flaw: they trusted their own brains too much and were prone to fighting wars on paper.

These matters still required tempering; it would take a few setbacks for him to truly understand.

Having finished condensing his senjutsu chakra, Kabuto removed the white serpent scale from his chest and offered it forward, only for Orochimaru to refuse it.

Kabuto paused slightly, a look of incomprehension crossing his face.

"When you ambush Root, success or failure alike, you will be hunted by the village. Having this will increase your staying power."

Orochimaru glanced at him. "If you survive, this item belongs to you. Otherwise, it is merely passing through your hands and will eventually return to me."

Whether Root or the village confiscated it, he had his ways of taking it back.

Kabuto gripped the white serpent scale tightly and bowed deeply. "I will certainly not disappoint Lord Orochimaru."

...

Having seen Kabuto off, Orochimaru brought his hands together, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes as he entered Sage Mode directly.

"Sage Art: Shape-Shifting Technique!"

Inch by inch, under the influence of senjutsu chakra, his facial features and physique shifted layer by layer until he assumed the appearance of Yakushi Kabuto.

Inspecting his new appearance in the full-length mirror, Orochimaru nodded with satisfaction.

His appearance and signature presence were identical. Even if the real Yakushi Kabuto were standing right here, he might mistake him for his own shadow clone, and no one else could possibly tell the difference.

After creating a shadow clone, Orochimaru used senjutsu once more to revert to his original appearance.

A smile crept into the corner of the Genie’s eyes. "Not like you at all. I actually thought you’d use this as a test and leave him to sink or swim."

Orochimaru glanced at him without a word, while the 'Orochimaru-Kabuto version' shadow clone sat down cross-legged on its own, beginning to condense senjutsu chakra.