"Provide adequate blood samples?"


    Hearing this, Uchiha Soyama was visibly taken aback. He didn''t fully grasp what Orochimaru was implying. Was the potion not perfected yet? Did he want to test it on samples?


    Orochimaru seemed unconcerned with Soyama''s confusion. He went on with the words he had prepared: "Yes, it took me a long time to develop this potion. Not to mention the ingredients needed to create it, just look at its effects to understand how valuable it is, right?"


    "Of course!" Soyama agreed.


    "Therefore, to ensure the potion isn''t wasted, I need to better understand the bloodline conditions of the Uchiha n," Orochimaru exined nonchntly.


    "The Uchiha n isrge, but not everyone among us can awaken the Sharingan. I''m sure you understand this even better than I do."


    "True enough," Uchiha Soyama nodded.


    Some members of the Uchiha n possessed pure blood and could awaken the Sharingan with minimal stimtion. Others, however, had diluted bloodlines and, even in the face of great trauma, might never awaken their Sharingan.


    To those familiar with the Uchiha''s bloodline secrets, this wasn''t news. Uchiha Soyama wasn''t surprised by Orochimaru''s insight after all, Orochimaru was a disciple of the Hokage. Knowing such things wouldn''t be difficult for him.But... the true purpose of this man?


    Uchiha Soyama thought carefully before speaking.


    It was clear enough why this potion was being kept under wraps, because it was specifically beneficial to the Uchiha n. It wouldn''t be of much use to anyone else. The vige certainly wouldn''t research something like this just for the Uchiha, so this had to be Orochimaru''s own work.


    But that only deepened Soyama''s confusion. Wasn''t Orochimaru a disciple of Hiruzen Sarutobi? Why was he keeping this secret from the Hokage to strike a deal with the Uchiha?


    And what did Orochimaru gain from this arrangement? Providing blood samples and helping awaken the Sharingan… for free? It sounded ridiculous. It was hard not to see him as some kind of con artist.


    As Uchiha Soyama voiced his skepticism, Orochimaru merely chuckled. "There''s no hidden motive, I''m simply fascinated by the Uchiha bloodline!"


    "That''s it?"


    "Isn''t that reason enough?" Orochimaru paused, then continued, "Most people don''t understand how important curiosity is to a researcher, so it''s understandable if the n leader doesn''t get it."


    "All the n leader needs to know is that my research requires arge number of blood samples from the Uchiha n. In exchange, I''ll continue to supply the n with potions like this one. That''s all there is to it."


    "Of course, if you''re concerned that I might uncover some deep secrets about the Uchiha n through these blood samples… just pretend I never mentioned it."


    Orochimaru''s meaning was clear: he wanted a straightforward deal with the Uchiha. All he was after was their blood samples, not their Sharingan.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Haha, why would you say that?" Uchiha Soyamaughed awkwardly.


    From everything Orochimaru had said so far, Soyama doubted that the Uchiha n even had any secrets left unknown to Orochimaru.


    And besides, it was just blood. What could he possibly discover from a sample? Soyama didn''t believe Orochimaru could unlock the true secrets of the Sharingan with just a bit of blood, nor did he think Orochimaru would be able to create anything strange from it.


    In truth, Soyama had no reason to refuse. The only thing that concerned him was how to exin this to the Third Hokage. After all, this was being done behind his back, and the Uchiha n wasn''t in a position to take such risks lightly.


    However, Orochimaru''s position was simple: he would inform the Third Hokage about the potion''s effects after their deal wasplete. As for whether the Hokage would announce it to the public or simply let the Uchiha n benefit from it, that was out of Orochimaru''s hands.


    And that arrangement was more than enough for the Uchiha.


    With that assurance, Uchiha Soyama quickly made his decision. Since there was nothing to lose, why not agree?


    And so, the deal between them was made.


    "Congrattions to the n leader for making a wise choice," Orochimaru said with a sly smile.


    "Thank you, Lord Orochimaru. Take care," Soyama replied, watching Orochimaru''s figure disappear into the distance. Squinting his eyes, he murmured, "What an extraordinary man. Not only powerful enough to face someone like Hanzo, but with such remarkable research skills as well… heh." ????ò?Е?


    With Uchiha Soyama''s agreement secured, Orochimaru allowed himself a sigh of relief. Although he had many ways of obtaining Uchiha blood samples, having Soyama''s cooperation would save him a lot of trouble.


    Early the next morning, Orochimaru reported the effects of the potion to the Third Hokage. The top officials of Konoha were taken by surprise once again. Ever since Orochimaru had created the strengthening serum, he hadn''t produced anything of note for some time. Recently, he had developed several specialized ninja tools that had drawn attention.


    But as impressive as ninja tools were, they were still external aids, and nowhere near as enticing as gic modifications.


    However, when they heard that this potion specifically targeted mental stimtion to help awaken the Sharingan, their initial interest cooled.


    "What''s the point of developing this?" Danzo was the first to speak, with a clear note of dissatisfaction in his voice. "As Hiruzen''s disciple, you''ve been aware of the tension between the Uchiha and the vige for years, haven''t you?"


    Danzo''s tone suggested that his displeasure wasn''t with the research itself, but with the fact that Orochimaru had undertaken such a significant project without consulting him.


    "Of course I know," Orochimaru replied casually. "But this potion was a byproduct when I was researching the enhancement serum. I only decided to share it recently because I had a sh of inspiration and managed toplete it. If you think it''s useless, feel free to discard it."


    Ever since aligning himself with Danzo, Orochimaru had left behind any pretense of being an obedient disciple. Telling convenient lies had be second nature.


    "Discarding it wouldn''t matter," Danzo replied, "but could this even be useful for anyone besides the Uchiha?"


    "It''spletely useless for others," Orochimaru admitted. "Ordinary ninjack the spiritual inheritance necessary for it to work at all."