Orochimaru's face was a storm of shifting emotions.
His whole body trembled with rage, cold sweat soaking his back.
At this moment, he was truly beginning to panic!
Yes.
He had come this time partly to repay a debt, partly to snatch a squad of Jonin-level Edo Tensei puppets—but only because he'd been certain he could walk away unscathed.
But now?
After hearing Uchiha Jin's self-introduction, all he could sense was the man's absolute confidence—confidence that he, Orochimaru, was already checkmated.
The man had him cornered.
Should he believe it?
For a moment he sank into thought.
He couldn't help replaying Jin's clash with Senju Hashirama—especially that final instant when Jin had used a dōjutsu.
No Chakra signature, nothing visible on the surface.
Yet in that single moment, Hashirama's Wood Release Buddha began to collapse and vanish into thin air in a way he couldn't comprehend.
Even Hashirama's Edo Tensei body had disintegrated on the spot, erased until the technique re-formed and resealed him.
Frankly, such a "logic-defying" Mangekyō technique was a nightmare; even a researcher like Orochimaru couldn't fathom its underlying principle.
What he could confirm, though, was that Jin's move had targeted only the physical body; Hashirama's soul hadn't been erased.
But that raised a question.
Was Jin unable to do it—or had he chosen to hold back?
After brief reflection, Orochimaru leaned toward the second option.
The reason was simple.
Hashirama was, after all, Tsunade's Great-Grandfather, and Tsunade now sat at the core of the Uchiha hierarchy; sparing the First for her sake made sense.
Of course.
More importantly, he trusted the name "Uchiha."
The Uchiha were a clan who simply did not lie; even pride alone would forbid it.
That Jin had awakened the Mangekyō proved he was an extremist; in Orochimaru's analysis of human nature, the odds of such a man lying were vanishingly small.
And Jin's record as a ruler made his words even more credible.
Though his methods and schemes were more terrifying than the Nara Clan's, every move Jin had made against Hiruzen had been open and aboveboard—never a single underhanded lie.
Since rising to power, Uchiha Jin had relied almost entirely on overt stratagems.
Therefore.
After long deliberation, Orochimaru spat out a scroll and tossed it straight to Jin.
"Fine—take it."
"You win this round, Lord Jin. I, Orochimaru, accept my loss."
"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique, along with the control tags for this batch of Edo bodies… they're all yours."
Orochimaru's tone was calm.
He could afford to lose; as long as his core interests weren't touched, a jutsu like Edo Tensei meant little to him.
As for Jin—he didn't catch the scroll directly.
Instead, with extraordinary Chakra control, he baked away the slime coating it with Fire Release, leaving the scroll itself unharmed.
That single feat made Orochimaru narrow his eyes.
Chakra nature transformation at this level told him Jin's strength—without even using his Sharingan—was already Kage-class.
It further convinced him that during the Third War, Jin had definitely not fought at full strength.
To hide that much power on a battlefield, yet remain undetected, only underlined how dangerous the man was.
Meanwhile.
Jin couldn't be bothered to glance at it; after drying the slime, he casually flicked the scroll to Tsunade.
"Check it."
His tone was utterly calm.
Taking the scroll, Tsunade began a meticulous inspection.
She frowned slightly.
She had seen her grand-uncle's original Edo Tensei notes—after all, the village's forbidden scrolls were essentially the Senju's—but Orochimaru's version was more refined… still.
Edo Tensei remained a fusion of summoning and sealing arts, and Tsunade was no slouch at sealing. After a few quick deductions she confirmed the scroll was genuine.
Next.
She pulled out the scroll that sealed Kushina, released her, tested a control tag, then turned to Jin with grave certainty: "Jin, it's clean."
"Understood." Jin nodded.
Hearing that, Orochimaru couldn't help asking, "Am I free to go now?"
"Not so fast," Jin replied.
Orochimaru's face darkened.
He had handed over Edo Tensei; almost every Jonin-level Edo body he'd gathered was now in Jin's custody—he'd gained nothing.
And still they wouldn't let him leave?
A shadow crossed his face. "Lord Jin, don't push your luck."
Cold light glinted in his eyes.
He was one of the Legendary Sannin—no one's pawn.
Jin was different, yes.
That fearsome dōjutsu worried him, but Orochimaru hadn't exhausted every countermeasure.
"Relax, Orochimaru."
"I, Uchiha Jin, keep my word. The Edo Tensei you just gave us is compensation for the 'trouble' you caused today."
"Now I propose a transaction; you're free to decline."
"Even if you refuse, it's of no consequence."
Jin's tone stayed level.
As Hokage of New Konoha, he couldn't afford to contradict himself.
Every word he and Orochimaru had exchanged had been broadcast to the entire village; going back on them would destroy all trust in the Hokage.
So.
Since Orochimaru had paid his compensation, the matter of today's trouble was closed.
What remained was—business.
On the other side.
Orochimaru exhaled, his expression easing.
Good.
Jin was playing fair, and that improved his mood considerably.
"A transaction, then?"
"I'm quite interested. What do you need, Lord Jin?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, curiosity fully roused.
Indeed.
The man before him was no ordinary shinobi; as a village's Hokage, what could he want from Orochimaru?