Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

"Hmph, that sounds nice, but with Iwagakure and Amegakure forming an alliance, Amegakure will obviously benefit more. You're quite the schemer, trying to play both sides, but how can there be such a good thing in the world? Where is your sincerity?"

"If you ask me, everything is negotiable if you just give me the Five-Tails."

Upon hearing this, Onoki retorted sarcastically.

He certainly didn't believe Hattori Masanari's words. The situation in Amegakure was indeed difficult, but it wasn't as serious as Hattori Masanari described.

For example, the absurd claim that Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village) might be destroyed in the upcoming Fourth Shinobi World War.

He knew very well that as long as Hattori Masanari was alive, Amegakure would not be truly destroyed, and with Hattori Masanari's current strength, as long as he focused on avoiding battle, no one would be foolish enough to provoke him.

Therefore, Amegakure is very safe in a certain sense.

However, he personally believed Hattori Masanari's concern about the destruction of Amegakure. Given Hattori Masanari's personality, he would not abandon Amegakure until the very last moment.

After all, if it were a matter of abandoning something, it could have been done during the last Shinobi World War, without having to risk so much danger and fight to the death with various powerful enemies several times.

Moreover, after hearing that Kobe Masashi had persuaded Tsunade to let Konoha help Amegakure, he even put aside his personal dignity and shamelessly begged Tsunade.

"Lord Tsuchikage is joking. Even if I wanted to return the Five-Tails to you, Konoha would probably not agree. However, if you want to gain Amegakure's sincerity, I can still offer some good things to share."

The White Zetsu clone had already sensed that Onoki was interested, and decisively took further steps to build a relationship.

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a scroll from his person and tossed it to Onoki.

Upon seeing this, Onoki used Earth Release: Rock Fist without using any seals, instantly covering his hands with a layer of stone skin, and then steadily caught the scroll.

After using some kind of detection ninjutsu to confirm that there was no tampering with the scroll, he slowly opened it and quickly browsed its contents.

"Is this...is this real?"

After glancing at the contents of the scroll, Onoki was so shocked that he became somewhat incoherent.

The contents of this scroll were actually the enhanced curse seal developed by Kirito Tohsaka of Konoha.

The intelligence department of Iwagakure had long been eyeing the powerful ninjutsu of Strengthening Cursed Seals, which could temporarily boost combat power, and had been trying to steal it from Konoha. However, it was said that only Kirito Tohsaka possessed this ninjutsu.

Anyone else who wants to obtain this ninjutsu can only ask Kirito Tohsaka for help.

As for how to obtain this ninjutsu from Kirito Tohsaka, the most likely only way is through a fair trade.

"Of course it's fake. Who is Kirito Tohsaka? His enhanced curse seal is not something that can be obtained so easily. This is something I developed by imitating a part of the manuscript that Kirito Tohsaka wrote when he was developing this ninjutsu.

Although the difference from the original is significant, and the side effects are considerable, with Lord Tsuchikage's discerning eye, you surely understand the value of this low-end version of the enhanced cursed seal.

The White Zetsu clone was very satisfied with Onoki's expression at that moment and said with a smile.

The low-cost version of the cursed seal technique he gave to Onoki at this moment was a further simplified version of the low-cost version of the cursed seal technique he gave to Konoha.

In short, this low-end version of the Cursed Seal Technique is similar to an optimized version of the Tiger Cursed Seal that Orochimaru gave to Mizuki. The medium for casting the technique does not need to use the blood of a sage; it can be replaced by medicinal herbs and the blood of certain powerful creatures. However, the side effects are extremely severe, and it requires a lot of effort to unleash its full combat power.

Even so, this lower-spec enhanced seal still has great value, because it can also be used as a trump card when facing desperate situations, giving the user the ability to turn defeat into victory.

Onoki didn't speak. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down as quickly as possible, but he couldn't help but grip the scroll tighter.

He was naturally aware of the value of this low-end version of the enhanced cursed seal. Although it was a low-end version, it had its own advantages. The biggest advantage was that the conditions for its use were greatly reduced, making it suitable for use among ordinary ninjas.

With this low-end version of the enhanced cursed seal, the overall strength of the Iwagakure ninjas will increase by at least 20% in a short period of time, which is much more reliable than his artificial human project.

Moreover, the Hidden Stone Village can use this to continuously improve the system, without having to develop it from scratch, saving countless hours.

It has to be said that the scroll in his hand is worth a fortune. He never expected that this bastard from the Rain Village would be willing to offer such a precious gift.

Suddenly, he found Hattori Masashige much more pleasing to the eye.

"I see Yu Yin's sincerity. What are your demands?"

Ōnoki finished reading the entire scroll, then forced a smile and asked.

"My request is very simple, nothing more than mutual assistance. I believe our transaction is fair and without obstacles. What do you think, Lord Tsuchikage?"

"The great task of creating a clone of White Zetsu has been accomplished," he said happily.

"that's it?"

Onoki said, quite surprised.

He had thought Hattori Masanari was going to make exorbitant demands, using this as an excuse to put forward some new, excessive requests. The fact that he was only seeking a fair and open transaction was a complete surprise to him, and it felt unreal.

It wasn't that he had a persecution complex; he genuinely felt that the scroll in his hand was of immense value to Iwagakure, far exceeding the demand made by Hattori Masanari.

"Yes, that's it. Lord Tsuchikage, the current situation is no longer suitable for calculating interests too clearly as before. Doing so will only backfire and waste precious time. This is my sincerity, and I hope you understand."

Seeing that Onoki was uneasy and had a strong sense of being persecuted, the White Zetsu clone couldn't help but sigh, fearing there might be a trap involved.

When Onoki heard what the White Zetsu clone said, his face immediately turned red.

At the same time, he also felt a strong sense of identification.

Indeed, what time is it now? Instead of wasting so much time scheming and plotting, we should focus on improving our strength.

Since Hattori Masahiro said so, he only needs to confirm the authenticity of the low-end enhanced curse seal on the scroll in his hand, then he can use it with peace of mind and doesn't need to think too much about it.

"I apologize for my abruptness. Alright, we'll do as Mr. Hattori says. However, we'll need to confirm the authenticity of this scroll before we can determine the exact date for reopening trade. Is that alright?"

Onoki quickly suppressed his shame and nodded to the White Zetsu clone.

The white clone nodded in agreement, saying, "Of course, no problem. But let me be clear: the low-end version of the curse seal technique I developed has some serious side effects. It's best not to use it carelessly, or you could be in mortal danger."

"Mr. Hattori, you're exaggerating. It's a forbidden technique, so it's normal for it to be dangerous."

Onoki said dismissively.

In the ninja world, most ninjutsu that temporarily enhance strength are forbidden techniques with huge side effects. The low-end version of the enhanced cursed seal is already considered good among them. It doesn't have many requirements for use and is a powerful forbidden technique that can be easily learned.

"Then I won't go on and on, Lord Tsuchikage. I won't take up any more of your time. People like us shouldn't be away from the village for too long."

The White Zetsu clone had already given all the necessary reminders, so he decided not to waste any more time on Onoki and tactfully offered his resignation.

"I hope we'll meet again as comrades. Goodbye."

Onoki smiled slightly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Hattori Masanari was right. He couldn't stay away from the village for too long. It was time to go back. He was already eager to verify the authenticity of the scroll he had.

Meanwhile, a dozen kilometers north of Iwagakure Village lies a massive volcano, the famous Lava Mountain of the Land of Earth. This active volcano continuously spews out large amounts of black volcanic ash from its crater, while lava flows from its edges, creating a huge lava lake at the foot of the volcano.

Without a doubt, this lava lake is a forbidden place for flesh and blood creatures, but few people know that it is actually the long-term residence of Roshi, the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails of Iwagakure.

For ordinary people, a lava lake is indeed a forbidden place for life, but for Roshi, the Jinchuriki who has mastered the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai and developed the Lava Release Chakra Mode, a lava lake is just an ordinary lake.

He was currently immersed in the lava lake, persistently exploring the Lava Release bloodline limit with the help of the surrounding lava.

Since the end of the last great war, when he witnessed the death of Han, who was also a Jinchūriki, he has become deeply aware of his own powerlessness.

So as soon as the great battle ended, he went into seclusion here, partly to comply with that bastard Onoki's request to prevent him from losing control and harming the villagers, and partly to take advantage of the harsh environment here to conceal his identity and facilitate his cultivation.

Suddenly, Rōshi, who was sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the lava lake in Lava Release Chakra Mode, opened his eyes.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically, and he left the lava lake as quickly as possible.

But he was still a step too late. The surrounding magma was manipulated by some force and began to rotate at high speed, forming a magma vortex with terrifying attraction.

He was trapped in the massive vortex of lava and could not escape.

"Oh no, I don't have much time left to breathe."

Old Zi thought anxiously.

Although he has the ability to bathe in magma thanks to Lava Release Chakra Mode, he is still flesh and blood and needs to breathe.

Therefore, every time he entered the bottom of the lava lake to cultivate, he would surface to breathe every now and then.

The unknown enemy was clearly well-prepared and knew something about his cultivation process, launching a sneak attack on him almost at the perfect moment.

"You old geezer, you really are annoying. Even though you're hiding here, people still come to bother you."

When Lao Zi was in trouble, a very annoying and mocking voice suddenly rang in his mind. It was the four-tailed Son Goku inside him gloating.

"Shut up, you stinky monkey, hurry up and lend me your power."

Upon hearing this, Old Purple's temper flared up instantly, and he immediately started cursing at Four-Tails.

Four-Tailed Fox completely ignored this. Just like Old Purple, it had a terrible temper, and the two had a very bad relationship. It usually couldn't wait to see Old Purple make a fool of himself and suffer a loss, so how could it possibly lend a helping hand at this time?

Of course, Rōshi didn't expect the Four-Tails to help him on its own. He immediately used the Stone Seal within his body to forcibly extract the Four-Tails' power, allowing himself to quickly enter the Tailed Beast Transformation state.

A few seconds later, a huge explosion occurred in the magma vortex, and a massive jet of magma shot into the sky.

As large amounts of magma fell under the influence of gravity, a humanoid monster covered in deep red energy and with two red tails emerged from the magma fountain. He landed on the magma lake and stared with bestial eyes at a half-human, half-snake monster on the lakeshore.

Upon seeing the monster's appearance, Old Purple instantly recognized it and exclaimed in surprise, "Orochimaru, weren't you already dead?"

Chapter 342: The Tailed Beast Capture Plan Officially Begins

"Dead, yes, I am indeed dead."

Upon hearing Roshi's surprised words, Orochimaru, who had entered Sage Mode, immediately revealed a terrifying smile, extended his long forked tongue, and replied in a slightly exaggerated tone.

He was already dead. His original body had been killed by Kirito Tohsaka long ago, along with his soul. If he hadn't split off a complete soul seed beforehand and parasitized a certain experimental subject with good aptitude, he would have been completely dead.

However, he had experienced the feeling of death once, and the memory was still vivid to this day.

So, he has indeed 'died' once.

"Hmph, I don't care if you're dead or not. Since you dared to provoke me, you should be prepared to be burned to death by me."

Old Zi said coldly.

As he spoke, lava balls shot out of his mouth.

Lava Burst - Lava Ejection.

Each lava ball radiates terrifyingly high temperatures; even rocks that are touched by it will instantly melt and be pierced through.

Orochimaru, however, seemed oblivious. His tail, covered in white snake scales, pierced the ground, creating a solid earthen wall in front of him, completely engulfing the incoming lava sphere.

At the same time, an earth snake emerged from the ground beneath Lao Zi and quickly wrapped around his entire body.

The earth snake's body was extremely tough, and Lao Zi struggled desperately, but could not break free for a while.

Whether it's the earthen wall or the earthen snake, they are all things created by Orochimaru using the Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation. This Sage Art from Ryuchi Cave has been completely mastered by Orochimaru and is used flexibly in battle.

Taking advantage of the fact that Rōshi was unable to break free from the earth snake's restraints, a long blue chakra snake suddenly emerged from Orochimaru's mouth, and then, together with the earth snake, further restrained Rōshi.