Faced with Manda's increasingly excessive demand, Orochimaru suppressed his impatience, carefully analyzing the potential benefits and losses.
He knew who the "Great One" Manda referred to, and he could see that the Eight-Headed Serpent was clearly a superior serpent species, possessing a natural, innate authority that was strong enough to make Manda discard its high arrogance, acknowledging the strict hierarchy among snake creatures.
He figured the Eight-Headed Serpent's blood must be what Manda needed to become stronger. However, Manda's demand for his blood was something Orochimaru couldn't immediately grasp.
He looked back at the Eight-Headed Serpent. Its tiny scarlet snake eyes rotated, and then it nodded its assent.
To be cautious, Orochimaru first squeezed a few drops of his own fresh blood from the bite mark he had made earlier. He held up his hand, and the crimson blood dripped down.
A dark shadow flashed. Manda's dark-purple tongue swept through the air and instantly swallowed Orochimaru's blood.
The moment Manda consumed Orochimaru's fresh blood, its two enormous emerald snake eyes froze. Its low, hoarse, ancient voice held a trace of uncontrollable excitement and surprise: "Little whelp, no—child! Orochimaru, are you a descendant of the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan?"
Manda's thundering voice trembled slightly.
Orochimaru's dark-golden snake eyes studied Manda closely for a moment, keenly noticing the sudden shift in its tone. Sensing a crucial turning point, he nodded. Thinking of the difficulty of summoning Manda this time, he then spoke: "Now you've gotten what you wanted, and I must get what I want! From now on, when I summon you, you must contribute more than half of your own chakra, and you must fight for me with all your power!"
"No problem! Manda will absolutely protect you well," Manda said, staring at Orochimaru with eyes that showed the surprise and reverence of someone who had found the most precious treasure in the world!
Manda then looked at the Eight-Headed Serpent on Orochimaru's shoulder with respect and anticipation.
The Eight-Headed Serpent's tiny mouth suddenly opened, and a single drop of golden snake blood shot out.
Manda's dark-purple tongue swept it up again.
The instant the Eight-Headed Serpent's golden blood was swept into Manda's mouth, a sudden, violent change occurred!
Crackling!—
A deafening series of explosions, dozens of times louder than firecrackers, instantly erupted across Manda's body. Its broad, tough scales exploded and burst open like a chain of dominoes, splashing dark-purple snake blood everywhere.
Thump! Thump! Thump!—
Not only on its exterior, but muffled crashes also resonated inside Manda's body, indicating a violent internal transformation. The snake blood on its surface shot into the sky like small fountains, reaching several meters high.
HISS! ROAR!—
Manda's colossal body fell to the ground, thrashing and rolling, emitting shrieks of anguish. Dust filled the air. Orochimaru immediately used the Ninja Walk to retreat far away to observe, keen to avoid the chaos.
In just half an hour, the forest floor for thousands of meters around looked like the end of the world had arrived, completely ravaged. Countless towering trees, thick enough for several or even dozens of people to embrace, were snapped in half by Manda's rolling body. Then, they were shattered into pieces of wood by its massive tail, which were sent flying into the wind.
After another ten minutes, Manda's transformation seemed to stop. The smoke and dust in the forest gradually subsided.
Orochimaru cautiously approached.
Dark-purple blood continually flowed from Manda's massive body, gathering into a considerable pool beneath it.
The car-sized scales all over its body were peeled back, broken, or shattered, making the serpent look utterly miserable.
RUMBLE!—
With a ground-shaking roar, Manda suddenly straightened its body, which reached five stories high. It opened its mouth and spat out a large mass of dark-purple snake blood, weighing dozens of kilograms.
The moment this mass of dark-purple snake blood splattered onto the ground and trees, it gave off a foul, acidic stench. It relentlessly corroded the wood and soil with a "Sizzling! Sizzling!—" sound, releasing a pungent white smoke.
After Manda expelled the blood, its remaining scales quickly shed onto the ground like falling dumplings, as if it were undergoing another skin molting. The gigantic Manda revealed a brand-new, denser set of scales beneath the pale moonlight.
The previous dark-purple and black scales had a sinister gloom. The new scales were less shadowy and more vividly dappled, showcasing the boundless killing intent concealed beneath their beauty. The four massive horns atop its head were sharper and more prominent, like four long swords piercing the sky. The violent aggression in its aura was slightly reduced, replaced by a new sense of majesty and grandeur.
The transformed Manda lowered its massive head, facing Orochimaru and the Eight-Headed Serpent, and said with a hint of respect: "Thank you for the gift of your golden blood, Great One! Descendant of the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan, I will fulfill our agreement!"
Orochimaru smiled slightly, his dark-golden eyes filled with uncontrollable excitement. After all that effort, he had finally secured control over Manda's power. The ever-increasing power and strength filled Orochimaru with satisfaction and a deep, intoxicating pleasure.
Poof!—
A huge cloud of smoke enveloped Manda. Orochimaru released the summoning jutsu, and Manda was sent back by the power of the summoning contract.
As Manda was being transported away within the contract's power, its ancient, hoarse voice muttered: "The descendant of the Golden Ancient Python and the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan!"
...
After sending Manda back and reforming the Eight-Headed Serpent Cursed Seal, the Eight-Headed Serpent burrowed back into Orochimaru's chest to recover. Orochimaru didn't want to linger and immediately rushed back toward Maeda Take's manor.
In the dead of night, with the moon high overhead, Orochimaru returned to his chamber. As he pushed the door open, he saw a sight that made him pause.
Sarutobi was sitting at a desk, writing furiously. Hearing the door open, he looked up, blinking his bloodshot, tired eyes. He smiled at Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, you're back just in time! I've finished this training plan for you. It includes some Fire, Wind, and Earth attribute ninjutsu that I believe will be useful to you right now, along with some of my own insights and experiences. Take it, assimilate it, and your strength should grow even greater, hehe! Oh, and I sense that your spiritual energy is quite strong, so I've also recorded a few intricate and useful Genjutsu in here!"
Sarutobi rolled up the scroll in his hand. Orochimaru could vaguely see the dense, still-wet ink covering the scroll's surface—various ninjutsu and insights. A strange feeling, an emotion he rarely felt and had long forgotten in his past life, welled up in his heart: gratitude!
Although Orochimaru was confident he already knew most of the ninjutsu listed, Sarutobi's act of staying up all night to create a personalized training plan touched the heart of a person usually as cold as ice, focused only on power and self-interest. A wave of emotion surged within him.
In this life, I have exceptional talent and an excellent reputation. Perhaps there is more for me to grasp and cherish.
Sarutobi rolled up the black training plan scroll and handed it to Orochimaru. He spoke with sincere earnestness: "Orochimaru, your talent is superb. But you must remember, don't greedily pursue the countless bizarre variations and effects of every ninjutsu. The mastery of jutsu lies in quality, not quantity. You must find a path, a Ninja Way, that belongs only to you. Only then can you truly become a powerful ninja!"
Orochimaru took the scroll, which was filled with Sarutobi's effort. He spoke with genuine sincerity, untainted by any motive or calculation: "Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei. Orochimaru understands!"
Sarutobi smiled with relief and walked out.
Orochimaru was left standing alone, his eyes flickering with a thousand thoughts.
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