Chapter 123: Does One Surrender Between Life and Death?
Anko Mitarashi raised an eyebrow.
Even though she should be the weakest party here right now, she was the first to ask, "Orochimaru, do you know this guy?"
"Still as foolish as ever, Anko."
Orochimaru didn't answer her question directly, just glanced coldly at Uehara Naraka, then looked back at Anko Mitarashi, a cruel smile flashing across his face.
"I'm extremely glad I abandoned an idiot like you. So much time has passed, yet you haven't changed one bit. I finally realize, some people's foolishness is incurable..."
"Bastard!"
Anko Mitarashi instantly flew into a rage!
Uehara Naraka flew down beside Anko Mitarashi, abruptly stopping Anko's movements, and pushed the woman behind him.
Uehara Naraka felt there was something fishy about Orochimaru's words.
Observing Orochimaru's way of dealing with people, he rarely launched personal attacks on the weak. This act of deliberately provoking Anko Mitarashi seemed out of character.
Uehara Naraka rubbed his chin and chuckled lightly, "Orochimaru, do you really dislike our proctor? Such a cute girl is hard to find, you know..."
"But she's too stupid!"
The smile on Orochimaru's face grew colder, "Actually putting you, me, and that old geezer Kosuke Maruboshi into the Forest of Death..."
"Yeah, that was quite inappropriate."
Uehara Naraka nodded, patted the shoulder of Anko Mitarashi beside him, who was struggling against the faint eruption of her curse mark, and said softly, "Never mind me, I'm just someone wholeheartedly wanting to become a Chunin. But that old geezer and this guy Orochimaru definitely aren't here to pass the Chunin Exams. They have conspiracies!"
"..."
Anko Mitarashi's forehead throbbed. She gritted her teeth, looking at Uehara Naraka, "Who on earth are you, fellow!"
"An ordinary Ame (Rain) Genin."
After Uehara Naraka introduced himself, he narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Alright, Proctor, you should leave here first! I'll help you deal with this guy Orochimaru!"
Uehara Naraka looked at Anko Mitarashi, who seemed reluctant to leave. He glanced at Anko's neck and said, "You staying here won't contribute much combat power; your skills are still so lacking. Why not quickly go help me request reinforcements from Lord Third Hokage and Kakashi..."
Both the Third Hokage and Kakashi Hatake knew a fraction of Uehara Naraka's true nature, believing him to be an Ame genius who had a good impression of Konoha.
Anko Mitarashi clearly didn't quite believe it, but she indeed couldn't exert much power right now. Staying here would just be waiting for death.
Uehara Naraka patted Anko's shoulder, and a green light flowed from his palm into Anko's body.
This was the healing and chakra recovery of Starcall.
Based on Uehara Naraka's chakra and life energy, ten percent was almost enough to fully replenish Anko Mitarashi's body.
Uehara chose to heal Anko, partly to curry favor, and partly so Anko Mitarashi could say a few more good words for him.
"This kind of chakra!"
Anko Mitarashi felt the chakra within her body, her face a mixture of shock and joy. Using the chakra, she once again suppressed the power of the curse mark.
Anko Mitarashi's gaze instantly became firm. She turned her head to look at Orochimaru, "Hey, I'm not leaving! I must kill Orochimaru..."
Uehara Naraka: "..."
Damn it, this Anko is the real hot-blooded idiot!
Orochimaru's expression was a bit ugly, but it quickly returned to composure. He quietly raised two fingers, and a yellow giant snake suddenly appeared, snatching Anko Mitarashi in its mouth and slithering far away!
The smile on Uehara Naraka's face was somewhat meaningful. He stared at Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, are you afraid I'll kill her?"
Orochimaru, however, chuckled and asked in return, "Naraka-kun, didn't you also help heal her just now? What if I had wanted to kill her?"
But at this moment, Orochimaru felt his thoughts had been seen through.
Uehara Naraka rubbed his chin, skipping over the topic of Anko Mitarashi, "Alright, let's not talk about that woman. I came to warn you: I won't interfere with what you want to do in Konoha, but you also shouldn't disturb my Chunin Exams."
"Naraka-kun..."
Orochimaru's expression gradually turned somewhat dangerous, his fingers clenching one by one, "You should know my desire for the Sharingan. You've already interfered with my plans..."
"Oh?"
Uehara Naraka looked doubtfully at Orochimaru, "I accidentally disrupted your plans just now. What do you want to do? Kill me?"
"Friendly reminder: although I don't counter you as Uchiha Itachi does, I am very good at eliminating my enemies directly on a soul level..."
Orochimaru: "..."
This damn kid countered him even more than Uchiha Itachi!
Orochimaru began to consider if he should research some techniques that could protect the soul. For example, he remembered that Tobirama Senju seemed to have left behind a forbidden technique that could imprison the soul within the body even if the physical body died.
Uehara Naraka leaned against a tree trunk, looking at Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, I've given you enough tolerance... As for that little fellow Sasuke, after I'm done using him, you can deal with him however you like."
"How long will that take?"
"Are you in a hurry?"
As Uehara Naraka looked at Orochimaru, a smile suddenly appeared on his lips, "Oh, I understand. You want to use Living Corpse Reincarnation to change bodies again, right?"
Akatsuki's members basically all knew about the Living Corpse Reincarnation Orochimaru researched; after all, it was a forbidden technique that, like Sasori's human puppets, could extend one's lifespan.
"Correct."
Orochimaru didn't deny it and said gravely, "I need a body that suits me, one that can allow me to exert my full power, or even advance further. Sasuke Uchiha possesses the ninja world's top Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan. Naraka-kun, if it were you, would you miss this opportunity?"
"Indeed, I wouldn't miss it."
Uehara Naraka let out a laugh, looked at Orochimaru, and said, "Then what can you do? Stretch out your neck for me to chop off? I believe you definitely wouldn't leak Akatsuki's intelligence, forcing me to hunt you to the ends of the earth, right?"
Orochimaru: "..."
"Alright, let's leave it at that!"
Uehara Naraka glanced at Orochimaru and said with a light chuckle, "Pay attention to your limits. You are just a traitor I deliberately spared. Don't think about defying our Akatsuki's will. I imagine you definitely wouldn't provoke an enemy ten times, a hundred times stronger than yourself, right?"
"...I understand."
Seeing Uehara Naraka seemed on the verge of turning hostile, Orochimaru unhesitatingly backed down. He didn't want all his plans to be interrupted by Uehara Naraka now.
The Konoha Crush Plan was the core.
To obtain Sasuke Uchiha, he had to continue enduring. Orochimaru didn't believe Uehara Naraka could stay in Konoha after the Chunin Exams ended.
A ninja is one who can endure pains that ordinary people cannot.
Uehara Naraka watched Orochimaru's figure quietly disappear, a trace of worry flashing across his face. He was genuinely somewhat concerned Orochimaru might turn hostile; that might disrupt his plans.
But in an instant, Uehara Naraka remembered there seemed to be another person in the Forest of Death who could be used.
Kabuto Yakushi.
Uehara finally decided to take a gamble.
The current Kabuto Yakushi was truly an insignificant little pawn. If he could make Kabuto his subordinate, then he could use Kabuto to guide Orochimaru, lest Orochimaru delay his plans, and incidentally plant a nail.
If Kabuto Yakushi refused to agree, then he would simply kill him!
Hey, seemed like he could try other methods too?
Uehara Naraka thought of his two skills [Cell Division, Chronoshift], a smile appearing on his lips. If he killed Kabuto Yakushi and then revived him, repeating the cycle a few times...
Would this guy Kabuto Yakushi agree then?
After experiencing the terror of death several times, perhaps he would recognize his own situation?
(End of Chapter)
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