Five days later, Orochimaru met with Gisei Shiraishi again.
He pulled out a scroll and tossed it to Gisei, his hands tucked neatly into his sleeves, his face completely expressionless.
Gisei caught it, unrolled it, and saw the characters for 五行封印 (Gogyō Fūin - Five Elements Seal). He didn't bother reading any further.
The Five Elements Seal was a technique he had mastered long ago; it was already part of his clan's collection.
Without a word, Gisei tossed the scroll right back at Orochimaru, crossing his arms and staring him down.
Orochimaru caught the scroll without flinching. His expression didn't change in the slightest as he pulled another scroll from his robes and threw it over.
Gisei caught this one with a skeptical look. He opened it for a glance, and the corner of his mouth began to twitch.
裏四象封印 (Ura Shishō Fūin - Reverse Four Symbols Sealing)?
The sealing technique Danzō used in the original story to blow up half a bridge...
Well, that confirms it. The person pulling Orochimaru's strings is undoubtedly Danzō. And Danzō wasn't stupid; he never gave away the good stuff easily.
The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing was certainly a high-level technique, but a seal designed exclusively for suicide was completely useless to Gisei.
"Orochimaru, if you have anything else, bring it out now. This kind of suicide technique is basically chicken ribs—tasteless and useless."
"The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing is considered a forbidden-level technique. It took considerable effort to acquire."
It seemed Orochimaru really didn't have anything else to offer. Gisei shook his head and raised his arm to throw the scroll back when Shiro's voice rang in his ear.
Wait. What we need is the knowledge behind the sealing technique. By inferring from one instance, we can deduce many things.
Hearing Shiro's advice, Gisei's hand froze in mid-air.
Orochimaru had assumed the negotiation failed, but seeing Gisei hesitate, he stuck out his long tongue and licked the corner of his mouth in anticipation.
"Alright, Orochimaru. I admit you have the qualifications to cooperate. Two days from now, I will arrange a meeting for you with the clan heads. It will be up to your own performance then."
Gisei pocketed the scroll and promptly issued an eviction order. Orochimaru didn't say another word; he simply turned and left.
Once alone, Gisei unrolled the scroll and began to study the technique seriously. He read for nearly two hours before finally closing it.
Mastering the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing would take at least a month. Sealing techniques were different from other jutsu; raw chakra control didn't give you a shortcut here. It required genuine understanding.
It didn't matter; the technique was in his hands now.
Next, he had to arrange for the clan heads to meet Orochimaru.
Thinking about this, Gisei laughed with a touch of malicious glee.
Orochimaru's background meant he didn't understand ninja clan politics very well. This meeting would surely be an unforgettable experience for him.
But after Orochimaru inevitably failed, he would definitely fall out with Gisei. What then?
Orochimaru was currently acting as the intermediary between Gisei and the Third Hokage, but he also had Danzō behind him, fueling the flames and wanting Gisei dead.
If they had a falling out, Gisei would lose access to the village's forbidden techniques. Moreover, to the Third and Danzō, it would signal that Gisei had completely escaped their control.
If he wasn't even willing to make political compromises, what hope could they still have for controlling him?
Gisei understood the principle that "that which is too rigid breaks easily."
Now was not the best time to burn bridges. At most, he could only bare his fangs a little. Stabilizing his relationship with Orochimaru and the Third was still a necessity.
As for Danzō... that guy's paranoid personality meant he would always be staring fixedly at Gisei. If Gisei didn't give him a harsh lesson, Danzō probably wouldn't recognize reality.
Speaking of which, what Gisei wanted to do and what Danzō wanted to do were basically the same: incite war.
If he bypassed Orochimaru and cooperated directly with Danzō...
Gisei looked thoughtful. Danzō definitely assumed Gisei wanted to stage a coup to become Hokage. He might as well play along with that assumption and cooperate with Danzō, using the Hokage position as the bait.
Of course, Danzō wouldn't trust him, and he certainly wouldn't trust Danzō. With absolutely no foundation of trust, their cooperation would be incredibly dangerous.
Was it actually feasible?
Gisei fell into deep thought.
There was only one thing he was clear about: Danzō wanted him dead. Although Gisei didn't necessarily want to kill Danzō right now, a lesson was necessary—a beating that would make Danzō feel both pain and fear.
What if he controlled Danzō?
A glint flashed in Gisei's eyes. The benefits were obvious; Konoha would have no secrets from him.
But how?
The butterfly seed probably wouldn't work. Although Danzō was selfish, he was still a believer in the Will of Fire. If pushed to the edge, he might choose suicide, and the butterfly seed couldn't stop that.
If Danzō killed himself while under Gisei's influence, Gisei wouldn't be able to defend himself even if he had a hundred mouths.
After thinking it over, Gisei abandoned the idea. It wasn't realistic. As a high-ranking official, Danzō held too many secrets. Even if Gisei controlled him, Danzō likely had countermeasures in place.
Better to teach him a lesson first, then try to negotiate.
Two days later, in the evening, Orochimaru arrived as promised.
Upon seeing Gisei, an irrepressible smile appeared on Orochimaru's face. Gisei, of course, wore a matching smile.
He had already spoken with Anna Takemoto and Aonobu Kawai. As long as those two didn't nod, none of the other clans would either.
Quite the opposite, actually. Gisei had told them to deliberately cause trouble for Orochimaru, ideally provoking him into a rampage.
That would be fun to watch.
Since this meeting definitely wouldn't be peaceful, Gisei set the location outside.
Rie led the way, while Orochimaru and Gisei followed behind, chatting sporadically.
"Orochimaru, although you are the Hokage's disciple, getting the approval of the ninja clans isn't that simple. Are you really prepared?"
"I actually prepared some small gifts. I believe the clan heads will like them."
"Can you tell me what the gifts are?"
"No need to rush. You'll know when the time comes."
"Orochimaru, you really aren't a simple person. Does the Third know about this?"
"Of course."
Gisei laughed internally. The Third's idea of relying on Orochimaru to subdue these clans was truly too naive.
Aside from his title as the Hokage's disciple, Orochimaru had almost nothing to show for himself. Apart from some material bribes, Gisei couldn't imagine what else he could possibly offer.
Soon, Rie brought them to the meeting place.
To give Orochimaru a bit of psychological pressure, Gisei had transferred nearly a hundred ninjas from the Takemoto and Kawai families to guard the perimeter.
Seeing so many elite ninja, the expression on Orochimaru's face indeed became a few degrees more serious.
This was likely the first time he truly understood the power of the clans. No wonder Gisei was so arrogant, and no wonder the Hokage felt powerless against him.
Thinking that soon these people would become bargaining chips in his own hands, Orochimaru felt a burst of heat in his chest.
He was getting impatient.