After Orochimaru finished speaking, his golden snake-like eyes betrayed no attempt to hide his thirst for knowledge as he stared directly at the enigmatic and mysterious Mizukage before him.
Strength proved it. Intelligence confirmed it.
Yagura really shouldn't talk too much with smart people.
Especially not with someone like Orochimaru, one of the top three most intelligent minds in the world.
The reason he was speaking with Orochimaru alone was that his decision to personally go into battle was still classified within Kirigakure. It was something he had discussed privately with the elders.
"Oh? If you're interested, why don't you try figuring it out yourself?"
Since Orochimaru had already seen through part of the situation, Yagura decided to play along, steering the conversation away from the real answer.
"If I just give you the answer outright, wouldn't that take all the fun out of it, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru narrowed his snake-like pupils.
"You want to learn every jutsu in this world and achieve immortality."
Every word Yagura spoke struck a chord with Orochimaru.
Indeed, Orochimaru relished the process of transforming the unknown into the known—of personally experiencing and witnessing such transformations. Just as he would one day desire to witness Sasuke's growth.
And yes, he craved omniscience.
Human life was too fragile, too fleeting. He desired eternity.
"Heh heh…" Orochimaru let out a raspy, chilling laugh, his serpentine gaze locking onto Yagura.
"You truly understand me well."
"Or perhaps... it's not just me. Do you understand everyone in this world?"
"The Third Raikage and I have had no direct interactions, yet you seem to know both of us."
"Could this be a form of omniscience as well?"
Orochimaru's deductions were dangerously close to the truth.
Truly terrifying.
Yagura responded with a calm smile. "If you say so, then so be it. Being omniscient and utilizing that knowledge to my advantage is one of my few strengths."
Just like now, dealing with Orochimaru—Yagura could match him only because he understood him so well.
Orochimaru didn't refute it.
That attitude slightly annoyed Yagura.
He knew he couldn't outthink Orochimaru!
But just accepting it outright? That was humiliating!
"Enough of this tangent. Let's get back to the main topic."
Yagura had no intention of continuing this conversation. If they kept going, he might end up completely exposed.
"As I just mentioned, Orochimaru, I didn't borrow you from the Hokage to target the Third Raikage. He's my opponent."
Unfolding a map of the shinobi world, Yagura picked up a marker and drew chibi-style versions of himself and the Raikage in the middle of the sea.
Then, moving his pen northwest, he stopped at Kumogakure and drew a chibi Orochimaru.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at his cute caricature.
"I want to commission you to open up a battlefield behind enemy lines—create chaos within Kumogakure."
He tapped on the chibi Third Raikage's stormy expression and drew an arrow leading back to Kumogakure.
"If we can force the Third Raikage to retreat to Kumogakure, we win."
This was a strategy Yagura had devised himself—the only method he could think of to defeat the Third Raikage.
It was cowardly, perhaps, but there was no way he could take on the Third Raikage in a direct confrontation.
By leveraging Orochimaru, a Konoha shinobi, if he were to be exposed, Kumogakure's wrath would fall upon Konoha.
Even if the Third Raikage lost begrudgingly, a loss was still a loss.
Orochimaru quickly processed the entire plan and its implications.
The political aftermath didn't concern him—he was an expert at causing trouble for his village.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent him here, he must have already considered the consequences for Konoha.
Orochimaru focused on the feasibility of the plan. "Chaos?"
Creating significant turmoil in the heavily guarded and militarily powerful Kumogakure within a short timeframe, using only himself—
According to Yagura's plan, the chaos had to be big enough to force the Third Raikage to abandon the battlefield and return home.
And the time frame was short—between the moment the Raikage left for battle and the moment the fight ended.
This might be even harder than fighting the Third Raikage directly.
At least, for now, Orochimaru couldn't think of a surefire method.
But noticing Yagura's unreadable expression, he gestured for him to continue.
Yagura revealed the real target: "The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Blue B."
At this point in time, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki wasn't Killer Bee but a man named Blue B.
The Fourth Raikage's cousin, who had died when the Eight-Tails went on a rampage.
And that rampage? Orochimaru had been responsible, experimenting on Blue B to extract a sample from the Eight-Tails' horns.
His success had largely been due to the Jinchūriki's own shortcomings.
[Yagura: He's nowhere near our level, right, Isobu?]
[Isobu: Absolutely.]
Yagura provided Orochimaru with Blue B's details—without mentioning that it had been Orochimaru himself who caused his demise in the original timeline.
Yagura's words had already sealed the Jinchūriki's fate.
Hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes flickered with a trace of wariness.
Yagura was essentially laying all his cards on the table, confirming that he truly possessed some form of omniscience.
And he was using that knowledge to his advantage.
But standing outside the world, looking in—knowing every individual's weaknesses and striking them down accordingly—was far too terrifying.
...
A knock came from the office door.
"Wait a moment."
Yagura glanced at Orochimaru, who had been lost in thought for some time, and asked,
"So? Have you decided how to deal with the defective Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru nodded in affirmation.
Dealing with a Jinchūriki whose mind was already on the verge of collapse—forcing the Tailed Beast within to run wild—there were countless ways Orochimaru could achieve this.
Yet, once again, that familiar sense of unease crept up his spine.
It was as if Yagura already knew he would succeed.
Even now, Orochimaru continued to probe, "Is this yet another part of your knowledge?"
Yagura simply smiled and remained silent.
This was no longer just "character knowledge"—this involved the "future."
"Heh, truly a fascinating ability."
Orochimaru rose from his seat, his serpentine eyes glancing sideways at Yagura.
"You have many secrets. I hope you don't end up dying at the hands of the Raikage."
Yagura smiled sweetly but inwardly cursed—You damn pervert, just get lost already.
Bringing in Orochimaru had been a necessary evil to deal with Kumogakure.
Sure, he had briefly entertained the idea of recruiting Orochimaru for Kirigakure's research.
If not now, then perhaps in a few years after Orochimaru defected from Konoha.
But after this exchange—after nearly exposing himself—he was wary.
For now, Kirigakure wasn't ready to handle such a dangerous, unpredictable bomb.
Better to send him back to Konoha and let Hiruzen deal with his "precious student."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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