"What do you mean by that?"
Hearing Orochimaru mention Gaara, Kazekage Rasa's eyes narrowed.
Whether Gaara was the village's Jinchuriki or his own son, Rasa would not allow him to be traded like a commodity.
"Don't misunderstand, I have no interest in tailed beasts, especially the One-Tail Shukaku."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows and smiled, "During the fight just now, you must have noticed that Shukaku's abilities are somewhat suppressed by me."
Kazekage Rasa fell silent. Not just somewhat suppressed, it was like a natural enemy.
And it wasn't just Shukaku; his magnetic style was useless against Orochimaru.
What was this ability to control sand and gold, and why had no one ever heard of it?
Although the other Sunagakure ninja did not witness it firsthand, they saw enough details from the battle, and the fact that the One-Tail Shukaku was subdued by Orochimaru in an instant was undeniable.
It was incredibly frustrating that their meticulously protected Jinchuriki, for whom they had paid a heavy price, was utterly defenseless against their imagined enemy.
The atmosphere in the inn's main hall was a little quiet.
At this moment, Ebizo, another elder advisor who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "Then, what kind of trade does Lord Orochimaru intend to make with our village's Jinchuriki?"
"First, let me tell you what I can offer you."
Orochimaru smiled meaningfully, "I'm not entirely sure what you've been doing before, but one thing is clear: this child is not a qualified Jinchuriki, and I can create a perfect Jinchuriki for you."
Fourth Kazekage Rasa's brow suddenly furrowed. Ebizo and Granny Chiyo exchanged glances, surprise evident in their eyes, "Are you serious?"
Not only was the Sunagakure side disbelieving, but even the Konoha ninja behind Orochimaru were astonished.
Setting aside the issue of aiding the enemy, Konoha did not even possess a so-called perfect Jinchuriki.
"Lying about something that can be so easily exposed would only be laughable."
Orochimaru looked at the expressions of the Sunagakure group, a hint of disdain on his lips, "Or do you think I want to create a tailed beast bomb to threaten Sunagakure? Hmph, haven't I already achieved that? Why would I go through such detours and trouble?"
The Sunagakure group's faces were all grim.
But the words, though harsh, held some truth, and they found themselves beginning to believe Orochimaru.
Indeed, with such power, why bother with schemes and tricks? Wouldn't it be simpler to confront them directly?
Fourth Kazekage Rasa confirmed that Orochimaru was not joking, but his expression became even more somber as he sat in his chair, saying nothing.
Granny Chiyo, however, was intrigued, "A perfect Jinchuriki, how exactly will you do it?"
She had been the one to push for Sunagakure's current Jinchuriki and knew the immense difficulties involved. It was no easy feat for a human to control a tailed beast.
"First, I will share Konoha's research results on sealing jutsu with you."
Orochimaru held up two fingers and smiled, "Second, I will help you create candidates for Jinchuriki."
"Create?"
Upon noticing Orochimaru's choice of words, Ebizo and Granny Chiyo both showed signs of doubt.
Not every ninja could become a Jinchuriki. In terms of natural talent, the Uzumaki Clan would be the most suitable.
They possessed strong life force and far greater chakra reserves than ordinary ninja. Although it would be difficult to be a container for a tailed beast, with the cooperation of sealing jutsu, they could endure it, making them the most outstanding candidates.
Gaara's mother, Karura, had a slight bloodline connection to the Uzumaki Clan, which was why Granny Chiyo insisted on using her offspring as a container.
But unfortunately, among her three children, only Gaara showed this ancestral trait, and this was achieved by implanting the One-Tail Shukaku while Karura was pregnant, stimulating its growth with the mother's life force.
Orochimaru's casual tone when talking about creating Jinchuriki candidates made Granny Chiyo feel uneasy.
However, despite this, she was very interested in Orochimaru's first suggestion.
Sharing sealing jutsu... If the sealing jutsu on Gaara could be modified, there might still be a chance to turn him into a suitable Jinchuriki.
However, it was clear that Orochimaru did not intend to go along with Granny Chiyo's wishes.
He had just said Gaara was not suitable, and now he was talking about creating new Jinchuriki, implying a replacement.
"Hmph... Talking more is useless."
Orochimaru chuckled, "Let me show you the result."
With a creak, a door on the second floor of the inn suddenly opened, and another Orochimaru, along with Yashamaru, slowly descended the stairs.
Yashamaru, who had been seriously injured and unconscious from internal injuries, was now able to walk freely, despite his pale complexion due to blood loss.
And this was less than an hour later.
Granny Chiyo looked Yashamaru up and down, exclaiming, "Your medical ninjutsu is no less than Tsunade's."
As someone skilled in both poisons and medicine, Granny Chiyo, a master poisoner, was also Sunagakure's most outstanding medical ninja and could easily assess Yashamaru's condition.
"Hmph..." Orochimaru replied noncommittally and chuckled. The Orochimaru who had been sitting in the chair dissolved into white smoke, and the real one reappeared in his seat.
It was then that everyone realized the person they had been talking to was merely a shadow clone.
A complex mix of feelings – being underestimated and seeing a comrade saved – left the Sunagakure ninja momentarily silent.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa nodded slightly to Orochimaru, acknowledging his rescue of Yashamaru.
Yashamaru was one of Rasa's few trusted confidants within the Sunagakure Anbu, and he would not have been willing to use him as a test subject for Gaara if not for his special circumstances.
Just as Rasa looked at Yashamaru, signaling him to return to the Sunagakure side, Orochimaru spoke.
"Kazekage-sama, don't be so hasty. I told you, I want you to see the result."
Orochimaru waved his hand, and two Konoha ninja, under the watchful eyes of the Sunagakure ninja, pulled Yashamaru before him.
Seeing Orochimaru take out a kunai from his sleeve and gesture at Yashamaru's chest, Kazekage Rasa frowned.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord?"
"Hmph... Just watch obediently."
With a chuckle, Orochimaru plunged the kunai into Yashamaru's chest and slowly slid it downwards.
The sound of flesh and metal intertwining sent a chill down the spines of the ninja present.
They were all battle-hardened ninja, accustomed to bloodshed and death, so they shouldn't have reacted this way.
But Orochimaru's attitude, treating humans like dirt and displaying them as if they were fish on a cutting board, was beyond their comprehension.
Even the Konoha ninja, after this real-life encounter, gained a deeper understanding of Orochimaru's perverted nature.
Kazekage Rasa suddenly stood up, about to intervene, but what happened to Yashamaru startled him.
Even under the light, Yashamaru's vibrating internal organs were clearly visible, yet not a single drop of blood flowed from his wound.
And as Orochimaru withdrew the kunai and wiped it across the wound, the horrific gash healed in a short time, leaving only a shallow, faint mark.
Everyone present stared at Yashamaru's chest, as if doubting whether they had just seen an illusion.
Throughout the entire process, they didn't detect any chakra reaction from Orochimaru, meaning this was not ordinary medical ninjutsu.
So, what was it?
Kazekage Rasa looked strangely at the kunai in Orochimaru's hand. If not for his twenty-odd years of ninja experience telling him it was just an ordinary kunai, he would have suspected it was some divine weapon.
Granny Chiyo looked at Orochimaru, astonished, "What exactly did you do?"
Among everyone present, besides Orochimaru, no one, not even a top medical ninja like her, understood the difficulty involved.
"Just a little surgery."
Orochimaru flicked the blood off the kunai and smiled, "Simply put, this ninja has been reborn and possesses the potential to become a Jinchuriki."
"And with my surgery, you, you... or you, all have this opportunity."
Orochimaru's finger moved casually around the hall, and no matter who he pointed at, their heartbeats skipped a beat, followed by a quickening of their pulse.
The first emotion that arose was naturally surprise.
Yashamaru's case was before them. A wound from a sharp blade could heal instantly, which was an extraordinarily useful ability for a ninja, akin to having a medical ninja on hand for immediate treatment.
Not to mention the chance to become a One-Tail Jinchuriki.
At such a young age, Gaara could far surpass the efforts of decades of hard work with the power of a tailed beast. It was so unfair, but now, they too had the opportunity.
However, upon glancing at Gaara, who was still unconscious beside Orochimaru, the newfound excitement cooled.
Becoming a candidate was one thing, but was it truly good to be a Jinchuriki?
As Anbu of Sunagakure Village, they were all too aware of Gaara's experiences.
Being ostracized, targeted, and manipulated...
In the past, due to the presence of the One-Tail Shukaku, everyone naturally treated Gaara as special. But now that they had the opportunity to become "Gaara," putting themselves in his shoes sent a shiver down their spines.
What terrible things had the villagers done to Gaara?
Kazekage Rasa sat back down in his chair, his expression growing more somber.
Granny Chiyo, however, was studying Yashamaru, clearly piqued, and asked, "What exactly did you do in such a short amount of time?"
"Trade secrets, I can't go into detail, but I can explain the effects."
Orochimaru smiled and explained the characteristics of the wooden ninja, finally saying, "Even without becoming a Jinchuriki, these effects alone are enough to greatly enhance a ninja's strength."
"Konoha is willing to share such surgery with Sunagakure?" Granny Chiyo frowned, finding it too unbelievable. She couldn't believe such good fortune existed in the world.
"Of course not."
Orochimaru shook his head, but then changed tack, "However, it's not a problem to help Sunagakure perform surgery on a dozen or so people."
"With so many people, you should be able to calmly select a suitable candidate for the One-Tail Jinchuriki, shouldn't you?"
Orochimaru looked at the sand ninja behind the Kazekage and the elder advisors, grinning, "After all, Gaara is not suitable as a One-Tail Jinchuriki because his resolve is insufficient, isn't that right?"
The sand ninja didn't know if Orochimaru was making an objective evaluation or a sarcastic remark, but their moods were complex, and they all looked away.
"I don't know what you want, but with this alone, you cannot achieve a perfect Jinchuriki."
Kazekage Rasa tapped the table with his finger and said in a deep voice, "Even if there are people with suitable physiques, they will still need better sealing jutsu. But with better sealing jutsu, modifying Gaara directly would be more suitable."
In other words, this was a contradictory approach.
"Do I need to elaborate on the difference?"
Orochimaru seemed to hear a joke and asked mockingly,
"If you lose Gaara, you will gain a more mature Jinchuriki. Although he may temporarily be unfamiliar with the power of the tailed beast, his spirit will be completely loyal to Sunagakure Village."
"A child like Gaara, who suffered cruel treatment from the villagers since childhood, do you expect him to protect the village later on?"
"Such an idea is truly very strange."
Fourth Kazekage remained silent, unable to reply.
The other Sunagakure ninja also felt embarrassed. Although Orochimaru's words were not vulgar, they were a direct assault, far more piercing than ice needles.
Granny Chiyo, despite her age, was also thick-skinned and found herself agreeing.
Gaara had failed the test, and now there was another option. Replacing him was not unreasonable.
Moreover, by using Orochimaru's hand, they would not bear the burden of killing their own Jinchuriki, making it a win-win situation.
However, there was one point Granny Chiyo was eager to know. She looked at Orochimaru and said in a deep voice,
"With such generous conditions offered, what exactly does your Konoha want?"
"It's very simple."
Orochimaru licked his lips and stated directly, "In the near future, Konoha will have a confrontation with the Akatsuki organization. I hope Sunagakure will join Konoha's side and participate in this war."
Hearing Orochimaru say this, both the Sunagakure ninja and the Konoha ninja changed their expressions, their minds inexplicably recalling the Third Great Ninja War a few years prior.
"Konoha has been entangled with the Akatsuki organization for so long, why..."
A flash of inspiration struck Granny Chiyo, and she exclaimed, "That's right, with such surgery, it would naturally attract trouble, even for Konoha."
Considering the information about the Akatsuki organization, Granny Chiyo firmly refused, "It is absolutely impossible for Konoha to drag us into this war."
Although the Land of Wind was located in the western part of the continent, its intelligence gathering was inferior to other ninja villages. However, the battle in the Land of Water a few years ago had been so widely publicized, and Orochimaru had been absent for more than a year. Sunagakure Village naturally knew about it.
But this did not mean Granny Chiyo was truly refusing. She was asserting control of the narrative.
Although Orochimaru had come with great force, he was ultimately seeking help, and Sunagakure Village held a significant advantage. The benefits he had just offered were far from sufficient.
But to Granny Chiyo's surprise, when she said this, Orochimaru readily gave up.
"If that's the case, then we'll end it here."
"However, if the Akatsuki organization decides to abandon Konoha and attack Sunagakure Village instead, don't expect to ask us for help then."
"What do you mean by that?" Granny Chiyo frowned.
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