"Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan differs between his left and right eyes. The left eye is called Amaterasu, capable of unleashing black flames. These flames can burn anything and cannot be extinguished by ordinary means."
"Once they latch onto the body, the only option is to sever the affected part. If there's time, one might also counter it with a sealing technique like the Fire Sealing Method."
"The right eye's ability is called Tsukuyomi, an illusion-based power. Once eye contact is made, the victim's consciousness is dragged into the Tsukuyomi world."
"In Tsukuyomi's realm, time and space are entirely under the caster's control. In other words, the moment you lock eyes with him, you might have already endured over three days of torment in his mental world."
"The victim is completely at the mercy of the caster's torture, which directly affects the mind and even the soul. No matter how strong one is, resisting is nearly impossible."
"Additionally, the Mangekyo Sharingan possesses a universal ability—summoning an energy construct called Susanoo. This technique is immensely powerful; ordinary ninjutsu cannot harm it in the slightest. Its offensive and destructive capabilities are on par with a Tailed Beast's, making it extremely difficult to deal with."
Aoba stopped there, leaving Orochimaru unsatisfied.
"Such formidable abilities—offense, defense, and mental prowess all flawless. Surely he must have a weakness?"
"Of course. But that's for the second round of our deal, Orochimaru-sama. I believe the information I've provided is already worth a Kusanagi Sword."
Truthfully, intelligence on Itachi Uchiha was useless to most shinobi.
Though the man's character was questionable, his tactical prowess was unparalleled. Ninety-nine percent of shinobi in this world wouldn't even force him to use all the abilities mentioned above.
This kind of intel was most valuable to the strongest shinobi—especially someone like Orochimaru, who desperately needed it. Thus, this was a seller's market.
Orochimaru clearly understood this as well. He let out a sinister chuckle before speaking.
"Fair enough. State your request."
"I need Danzo's blood."
The demand caught even Orochimaru off guard. He had expected Aoba to ask for secret techniques or forbidden jutsu—but never something so peculiar.
"Danzo's blood? Why would you think I have something like that?"
"I believe Orochimaru-sama must possess it. You've collaborated with Danzo multiple times and even performed human modifications for him. Given your methods, keeping a sample of his blood would've been effortless."
At this, Orochimaru's gaze toward Aoba grew even stranger—filled with undisguised greed.After that, he took out a Sealing Scroll, unsealed it, and retrieved a preserved test tube from within.
"This is what you asked for."
Aoba took it without inspecting it. In truth, there was no way to inspect it anyway. But when it came to Orochimaru, he was reliable in this regard—he wouldn't deceive him with fakes.
"Itachi Uchiha does have weaknesses. In fact, his greatest strength—the Mangekyo Sharingan—is also his greatest weakness."
The Mangekyo Sharingan has a fatal flaw. Its ocular power is finite and cannot be restored. In other words, the more it is used, the greater the damage inflicted upon the user's eyes. Eventually, the eyes will be rendered completely blind.
Itachi Uchiha awakened his Mangekyo far too early. By now, the strain from his Mangekyo should already be affecting his vision.
Moreover, there's one crucial point. Even if his Mangekyo doesn't blind him, he won't live much longer."
These words visibly agitated Orochimaru. After all, he had been coveting Itachi's body for a long time.
"Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan is both a tremendous boon and an immense burden for an Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha unlocked his Mangekyo far too early—before his body had fully matured.
As a result, those eyes placed an overwhelming strain on his body, manifesting as a severe bloodline disease. He has only a few years left to live."
This information truly struck a nerve with Orochimaru. He stared intently at Aoba, as if trying to discern whether his words were true. Aoba remained unfazed, as everything he said was factual.
As the saying goes, information about Itachi Uchiha holds little value among low-level shinobi. Even without using his Mangekyo, most opponents stand no chance against him.
In truth, Aoba withheld quite a bit. For instance, he didn't mention the different forms of Susanoo or the likelihood that Itachi had already obtained the Totsuka Blade.
It wasn't that he didn't want to share more, but he could only reveal so much at this point. He could already sense Orochimaru's growing interest in him.
Though he possessed even more intelligence and Orochimaru still held things he desired, Kamikawa Aoba knew this transaction had to end here.
If he said any more, Orochimaru might not be able to restrain himself.
"Kukukuku…" After a piercing laugh, Orochimaru's serpentine eyes locked onto Aoba.
"Aoba-kun, I am truly curious. What exactly happened these past three years? Where did you acquire so much information?"
"Apologies, but that falls outside the scope of our transaction. Lord Orochimaru, our business concludes here."
Aoba had no intention of prolonging this. He had already obtained what he needed, and facing Orochimaru was far too taxing.
"Aoba-kun, have you considered returning to my side? You possess invaluable intelligence, and I have forbidden techniques beyond your imagination. Together, we could accomplish great things."
"Apologies, Lord Orochimaru. My answer remains the same as it was three years ago. Farewell."
With that, Aoba took a step back, his eyes fixed warily on Orochimaru and his two companions.
Seeing Aoba retreat, Kimimaro, who had been silently standing by Orochimaru's side, took a step forward.
At this point, Kimimaro's strength was not yet at the level it would reach during his battles with Rock Lee and Gaara years later. However, his bloodline disease was also not as severe.
For a taijutsu specialist like him, youth itself was an advantage. Aoba wasn't entirely confident in facing Kimimaro alone. With Orochimaru and Jugo present as well, victory was impossible.However, since he dared to come, he naturally had some reliance. It's just that unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to use it lightly.
"Alright, Kimimaro, Aoba-kun is our friend. I believe we'll have more transactions in the future, won't we, Aoba-kun?"
"Of course, I trust Orochimaru-sama will be able to find me."
"Good, in that case, let's part ways here."