Chapter 80: Orochimaru Will Not Pretend to Be Obedient or Play Tricks

Orochimaru pondered for a moment, sighed heavily, and felt somewhat vexed.
“Even if the White Snake Sage truly seeks transformation, I have nothing to offer as leverage.”
A white serpent that has survived for a thousand years and mastered sage techniques—Orochimaru doubted that his own abilities could be of any use to such a creature.
This wasn’t self-deprecation, but rather a clear understanding of his limits; sage arts lay entirely outside his realm of knowledge.
“That piece of information isn’t meant to be used like that,” the Lamp Spirit shook his head, “I simply want you to realize that the White Snake Sage may not be stingy with power. Whether it has a little more or a little less natural energy is of no real consequence.”
Orochimaru was taken aback, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he struggled to grasp the meaning.
He could see the truth in the Lamp Spirit’s words. Yes, the White Snake Sage had been accumulating power for ages and certainly did not lack energy, but what did that have to do with him? Could he expect it to simply give him something for nothing?
Free gifts are always the most costly—hadn’t they just been discussing the price to pay for the White Snake Sage’s careful tutelage in sage techniques?
“There are visible prices, and there are invisible prices,” the Lamp Spirit, understanding Orochimaru’s concerns, smiled,
“Ten million ryo—that’s what you charged Uchiha Jinso for the transplant of the first-generation cells. But if it were merely ten million, would you have performed the surgery?”
“Of course not,” Orochimaru recalled the many gains he had made during that operation, a hint of realization dawning in his mind.
“This time, there’s no need to seek an exchange of equal measure. Instead, adopt an attitude that makes the White Snake Sage look at you the way you looked at Uchiha Jinso…”
The Lamp Spirit guided him gently, striving to clarify the approach, for such social maneuvering was precisely Orochimaru’s weakness.
From a young age, Orochimaru had displayed extraordinary ninja talent and was always admired and feared by others.
He had become accustomed to being in a position of authority, looking down from above. Even in equal transactions, he harbored a sense of superiority, never believing himself to be beneath anyone else.
To entice the White Snake Sage to invest in him, it would be difficult to suddenly have Orochimaru flaunt his abilities.
If handled poorly, he might end up as a caricature, achieving the opposite of the intended effect.
The Lamp Spirit could only explain this line of thinking as best as possible; the precise adjustments and improvisations would have to come from Orochimaru himself.
After a lengthy contemplation, a subtle gleam flickered in Orochimaru’s eyes. With immortality as his goal, and the Lamp Spirit at his side, he could comprehend something of the White Snake Sage’s mentality.

—Whereas ordinary people plant trees for future generations, for those who seek immortality, it is as if they plant today and enjoy the shade tomorrow.
Such beings, like himself, are not averse to nurturing seeds.
With that thought, Orochimaru suddenly turned his gaze to the other side, where Manda was noisily devouring his second pig.
The Lamp Spirit noticed Orochimaru’s glance and smiled, “It seems you’ve come up with something.”
“I just realized that the White Snake Sage, in pursuit of transformation, may have experimented far more than we imagine.”
The corners of Orochimaru’s mouth curled slightly as he licked his lips,
“Manda aside, Ryuchi Cave has three humanoid snake princesses. Are they snakes that have taken on human form, or ninja who practiced sage arts and transformed? If the latter, so be it. But if the former, how large are their true bodies?”
The discussion had suddenly turned a bit macabre, but the Lamp Spirit knew well that Orochimaru lacked any mundane desires—it wasn’t that he wanted to play the hero.
“Ask Manda about it next time. He’s a foolish snake, but having lived so long, he should know a thing or two.”
“That wouldn’t be wise. Manda’s attitude toward the snake princesses of Ryuchi Cave is unclear. If I ask rashly, it might alert him. He can be quite cunning in certain respects.”
Orochimaru’s lips curled into a grin. “I’ll probe him about it when the opportunity arises, but before that…”
A sudden rumbling shook the ground as Manda dragged his massive body to the foot of the tree where Orochimaru stood, glaring down from above. “Orochimaru, the third offering—bring it over at once.”
Orochimaru glanced at Manda’s hugely distended belly. “Not full yet, are you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Give me ten—no, five more, and I could still eat them all.”
Manda snorted disdainfully, “Orochimaru, you’re not planning to renege on your promise, are you?”
“Heh…”
Orochimaru’s expression remained unchanged as he replied seriously, “Of course not. But the summoning time is limited. It’s time to send you back. No need to worry about me breaking my word—I’ll be heading to Ryuchi Cave to learn sage arts. I’ll offer sacrifices then.”
“Sage arts? Still clinging to that?”
Manda raised his snout, his serpentine face twisted into a human-like sneer. “Then I’ll wait for you at Ryuchi Cave.”
With a puff of white smoke, Manda vanished.
Orochimaru lingered atop the tree for a moment, then abruptly set off toward the Land of Fire.

This region had been hunted by giant beasts; he needed to travel farther afield to find suitable prey.
The Lamp Spirit craned his head forward, puzzled. “I thought you were just deceiving him, but you’re actually planning to catch another one.”
“Why not?”
Orochimaru’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “But my offerings won’t be so easy to swallow.”
…
The Land of Stone.
Wedged between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, unlike its neighbor, the Land of Rain, this territory was parched and waterless. Everywhere one looked, there was only rock and sand, exuding a desolate, decayed atmosphere.
Barely worthy of being called a country, its population was sparse, with few towns and mostly settlements formed by villages and clans.
Of course, the villages here were mere clusters of a dozen or a few dozen people—nothing like Konoha, which, despite its name, was actually a town of over a hundred thousand souls.
So impoverished, the Land of Stone couldn’t even support a ninja village, and the great nations held no interest in occupying it.
It existed solely because the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth needed a strategic buffer zone.
Orochimaru, who had commanded ninja armies many times and directed the three-nation war here, understood the Land of Stone’s predicament well. Yet as he arrived again, surveying the familiar landscape, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of melancholy.
He knew that the Land of Stone’s barrenness was inextricably linked to the presence of the White Snake Sage.
In the shinobi world, natural energy is no mere abstract concept—it is closely tied to a region’s prosperity. For instance, the ancient kingdom of Loulan, though in the desert, could create an oasis thanks to the Dragon Vein.
If the White Snake Sage were eliminated, or helped to refine its body and complete its transformation, the energy emanating from Ryuchi Cave could surely change the Land of Stone’s fate, letting the land bloom anew.
Hmm… and then it would be destroyed by the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth—a truly sorrowful truth.
He sighed inwardly but did not slow his pace. Soon, Orochimaru arrived at the location of Ryuchi Cave.
—A bottomless fissure in the earth.