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Just as Uchiha Kiyo completed the replacement of his clone, the sudden emergence of a chakra signature caused his expression to change drastically.
"Damn it, I was careless—there's no isolation barrier!"
He immediately cursed again, his tone filled with frustration.
"Who the hell is this?! I came to such a remote place, and someone still manages to show up?"
Uchiha Kiyo debated whether to use the Body Flicker Technique to escape or eliminate the intruder to maintain his secrecy.
However, as the presence approached and he felt the familiar sinister chakra, he relaxed slightly.
"You scared me to death... Who else could it be?"
"It turns out to be Orochimaru."
In the distance, Orochimaru was moving swiftly toward the source of the sudden chakra fluctuation.
He had built his laboratory in such a secluded area precisely to avoid unwanted attention, yet somehow, a massive chakra signature had just appeared out of nowhere. Orochimaru was slightly annoyed.
Previously, the occasional small chakra fluctuation came from weak ninjas passing by, which he ignored. But this time, the chakra appeared in an instant, with a significant fluctuation—what kind of technique was that?
Considering that this was the outer boundary of Konoha's barrier, Orochimaru quickly came to a realization.
"Someone is smuggling across the barrier."
Perhaps due to his confidence in his own strength or simply a lack of concern for unnecessary trouble, Orochimaru didn't alert the village but instead decided to investigate on his own.
The moment he saw Uchiha Kiyo and his clone standing there, Orochimaru narrowed his golden snake-like eyes.
As a master in the field of souls, his perception was unparalleled in detecting one's essence.
No matter how much Uchiha Kiyo altered his chakra signature or appearance, the core of his soul remained unchanged.
At this moment, Orochimaru sensed a very familiar presence. However, he couldn't immediately identify the person before him.
"Lord Orochimaru, I didn't expect us to meet again under these circumstances."
Uchiha Kiyo made no effort to hide himself, choosing instead to reveal his identity.
This was a deliberate move—a signal to show that he meant no hostility.
After all, his long-term plan involved working with Orochimaru through a mutual exchange of benefits.
With Orochimaru's vast collection of ninjutsu and forbidden techniques, a partnership could be incredibly fruitful.
"Oh?"
As Uchiha Kiyo released his transformation technique and revealed his true appearance, Orochimaru's expression turned intrigued.
"So... you've finally come out after two years, Kiyo."
Then, in his signature manner, Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked the corner of his lips before speaking in his usual eerie tone.
"Two years have passed. Why are you suddenly here?"
Uchiha Kiyo smirked slightly.
"It seems you're not at all surprised that I'm still alive, sensei."
Orochimaru scoffed.
"Your name is still written on my summoning contract. Did you really think I wouldn't know whether you were dead or not?"
A brief moment of awkward silence passed between the two.
It was Uchiha Kiyo who spoke first, breaking the tension.
"You're not here to arrest me, are you, sensei?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"That won't be necessary. I know exactly why you faked your death."
Hearing this, Uchiha Kiyo felt a sense of relief.
That meant they could speak freely.
"Kiyo, who is this beside you?"
Orochimaru's gaze shifted toward the weak-looking individual next to Uchiha Kiyo, his curiosity piqued.
Was this some hidden pawn Kiyo had left behind in Konoha?
Due to the Five Elements Seal Kiyo had placed on his clone—combined with an additional isolation barrier—Orochimaru could only sense a weak chakra presence, unaware of the clone's true nature.
Of course, Uchiha Kiyo couldn't reveal the truth, so he smoothly responded.
"He's a subordinate I've trained over the past two years."
Orochimaru gave a faint smirk but didn't press further.
The conversation then shifted to something far more intriguing.
"It seems you've recently started focusing on research, sensei. What exactly are you studying?"
"The art of immortality, perhaps?"
Orochimaru's sharp gaze locked onto Uchiha Kiyo.
"How did you know?"
"I was your student for years—how could I not recognize your ambitions?"
Despite his relaxed demeanor, Uchiha Kiyo remained cautious. He had no intention of provoking Orochimaru too much.
Now wasn't the right time for such a deal.
Orochimaru's research on immortality was still in its early stages, meaning the information available wasn't yet of great value.
"I wonder if you'd be interested in a trade?" Kiyo suggested.
"Oh? A trade? Are you offering something related to immortality?" Orochimaru's eerie voice carried a hint of intrigue.
Uchiha Kiyo quickly shook his head.
"No, no. Not immortality, but something else.
I've heard that many bloodline limit ninjas have gone missing in recent years. Based on my investigations, these disappearances seem to be connected to Root.
They specialize in targeting bloodline limit users… meaning they must be conducting research into Kekkei Genkai.
Sensei, have you been involved in this?"
In truth, Uchiha Kiyo had no concrete proof.
The news of disappearing Kekkei Genkai users came from the black market. Any so-called "investigation" was completely fabricated.
He barely had time to leave his own island, let alone conduct investigations.
Orochimaru's interest, however, was immediately piqued.
The moment Uchiha Kiyo mentioned a trade and the study of bloodline limits, Orochimaru instinctively thought of Kiyo's Sharingan.
Sensing the misunderstanding, Uchiha Kiyo quickly clarified with a wry smile.
"Sensei, don't look at me like that—I'm not talking about Sharingan.
I mean information regarding the research and development of Kekkei Genkai. I wonder if you'd be interested?"
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened.
He was very interested.
While his primary obsession was immortality, the pursuit of strength was another driving force behind his experiments.
Kekkei Genkai research held immense value to him.
Up until now, his studies had focused on transplanting bloodline abilities, rather than developing them from scratch.
If Uchiha Kiyo had genuine insights into creating and enhancing bloodline abilities, then this knowledge was priceless.
"Alright, Kiyo... What do you want in return?"
Uchiha Kiyo smirked.
"Well, sensei, now that I'm out on my own, I'd like a little help.
When I was still in Konoha, I didn't have time to collect many ninjutsu or secret techniques. That's what I'm interested in now. I wonder if you have anything I might like?"
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle.
"Secret techniques, hmm?"
This was an easy request.
He had access to plenty of such knowledge.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
Uchiha Kiyo's excitement rose.
If he could choose freely, then Orochimaru's collection must be vast.
After a brief moment of thought, he finally made his selection.
"Myojinmon."
Orochimaru: "..."
Why the hell do you need that technique?!
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