Chapter 17 — I Only Forgive Geniuses
"This is…!"
Watching Gekkō Ren's actions—watching him slice open his own forearm—Orochimaru revealed a look of shock and delight. His gaze burned intensely as he stared at Gekkō Ren.
There was no blood gushing from the wound.
Instead, the inside of Gekkō Ren's severed forearm was filled with black-gray matter that seemed to writhe faintly. The cut was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. And through the portion that had yet to close, they could clearly see steel beneath his muscles—the metal seemingly replacing his bones.
At that moment, Orochimaru had already formed several speculations about the future development of Gekkō Ren's abilities. One of them even stirred envy in his heart—
Immortality.
Some people were simply born possessing what others desperately pursued.
The way Orochimaru looked at Gekkō Ren changed completely. It was as though he had glimpsed the future of his own life. A blazing hope bloomed in his eyes—the same kind of hope that once shone in the eyes of the children he had bewitched. It was the yearning for the future.
"This…"
Namikaze Minato was equally stunned.
No wonder Gekkō Ren, with only genin-level strength, could kill so many Suna shinobi and remain completely unharmed!
Minato suddenly understood. No wonder Gekkō Ren had been left stripped bare after the battle. With such an ability, though not truly immortal, killing him would not be something ordinary ninjutsu or attacks could accomplish. In contrast, Gekkō Ren's own attacks were extremely dangerous and difficult to defend against.
Seeing the way Orochimaru was looking at him, Gekkō Ren felt helpless.
Orochimaru had already begun his forbidden experiments and was pursuing immortality. Revealing his T-800 skeletal structure and blood-machine nanotechnology was undoubtedly a tremendous temptation for Orochimaru—and extremely disadvantageous for himself.
But this was a choice forced by circumstance.
Gekkō Ren knew his own limits. He only possessed genin-level strength. Killing enemies was possible—but protecting himself was another matter entirely. The Barrett was purely an offensive template; it could not guarantee his survival under the encirclement of numerous Suna shinobi. Revealing it would only be redundant. Orochimaru would simply continue questioning him.
After all, Orochimaru was the supreme commander of this battlefield. And Gekkō Ren was merely a genin. A few vague words would never be enough to brush off someone who had already taken interest.
To Orochimaru, making an unknown genin disappear on the battlefield would be effortless.
So rather than hide and risk being eliminated quietly, it was better to reveal his hand, place himself under the scrutiny of the higher-ups, and legitimately gain access to more intense Suna frontlines. Moreover, with the Technology Template, his trump cards would only increase over time.
He could only hope that what he revealed would be tempting enough—so tempting that Orochimaru would value him too much to act impulsively. At the very least, restrain himself until Gekkō Ren had avenged his parents.
At this time, Orochimaru had not yet developed Living Corpse Reincarnation.
"Ren's bloodline limit has truly astonished me," Orochimaru said with a smile after countless thoughts had flashed through his mind. "With such a powerful bloodline limit, Ren's achievements—and… innocence—are beyond question."
"I do not want credit," Gekkō Ren said without hesitation. "I only ask to keep the Suna forehead protectors I collected, to offer them in tribute to the spirits of my fallen parents."
On a chaotic battlefield filled with danger—when no one could testify to your deeds—the corpses of enemies and the spoils of war were the only proof of merit. Even if the forehead protectors and bodies had merely been picked up.
"Ordinarily, keeping the Suna forehead protectors would mean forfeiting the associated merit," Orochimaru chuckled. "But since I am the supreme commander of this battlefield…"
He smiled faintly.
"Take the Suna forehead protectors and honor your parents. Your merit will not be erased."
In truth, Orochimaru was doing him a favor—and deliberately doing so under his own name.
"I can testify to Gekkō Ren's achievements," Minato interjected from the side. "My team and I have already examined the Suna corpses. They were indeed all killed by him. We even confirmed the identities of several jōnin among them."
Although Minato saw through Orochimaru's gesture of goodwill, he said nothing. First, he was not rigid by nature, and he had no right to persuade Gekkō Ren to abandon his desire to honor his parents. Second, he genuinely hoped Gekkō Ren would receive this merit. It was no small accomplishment. On their return, Gekkō Ren had told him that in order to pursue vengeance, he had sold everything of value at home—including the house.
"With Minato's testimony, that is even better," Orochimaru replied with a smile.
Then he looked at Gekkō Ren and asked,
"Ren, how would you like to become my disciple?"
That smile no longer carried its usual sinister undertone. He was clearly serious.
"Ah?"
Gekkō Ren blinked, momentarily stunned by Orochimaru's sincerity.
Beside them, Minato was also startled, but quickly understood. A genius like Gekkō Ren was indeed enough to move even Lord Orochimaru. Even he himself had been impressed.
"Ren, become my disciple," Orochimaru repeated. "I will personally train you into an exceptionally outstanding and powerful shinobi."
Though Gekkō Ren was tempted to accept immediately, he restrained himself. Orochimaru was far too dangerous. His thoughts raced.
Orochimaru's desire to take him as a disciple stemmed from fascination—but it could never be entirely sincere. Orochimaru would indeed teach him seriously, but there would undoubtedly be an ulterior motive.
Gekkō Ren considered two possibilities.
First, Orochimaru wished to study his bloodline limit. Taking him as a disciple would make such research far more convenient—and even justifiable.
Second, according to the original story, Orochimaru had competed for the position of Fourth Hokage. Even the Third Hokage had initially favored him. At this time, that competition had already begun. The Third Shinobi World War was its stage. Possessing a powerful disciple who could be rapidly cultivated would be a tremendous advantage in that contest. And if he became Hokage, such a disciple would be an invaluable ally—perhaps even his right-hand man.
Of course, there could also be reasons Gekkō Ren had not yet considered.
"Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru," Gekkō Ren finally said. "Your kindness moves me greatly. But I have already found the path that suits me."
In the end, he refused.
Becoming Orochimaru's disciple certainly had advantages. It would make many things easier—allowing him to do what ordinary shinobi could not.
But there were also serious drawbacks.
First, Gekkō Ren knew how poor his own ninja talent truly was. He simply was not cut out for traditional ninjutsu. Even with Orochimaru's guidance, what he could absorb would be limited. Worse still, becoming his disciple greatly increased the risk of exposing his greatest secret.
Second, he possessed the Technology Template—a cheat ability—and the mindset of someone shaped by modern, information-saturated society. That template was his true path. It was the only path available to him.
Third, even if becoming Orochimaru's disciple brought convenience now, once Orochimaru defected from Konoha in the future, it would only create greater trouble.
Though Orochimaru felt a flicker of displeasure at being refused, it was quickly overshadowed by his keen interest. Smiling calmly, he said:
"It does not matter. If Ren ever changes his mind, you may come to me at any time. No matter when, I will still be willing to accept you as my disciple and guide you carefully. Even if you do not become my disciple, if there is anything you do not understand, you may always come and ask me."
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Orochimaru," Gekkō Ren replied apologetically.