This time, neither Orochimaru nor Diarmuid entered Konoha. Instead, Danzō came out to meet them personally, flanked by several Root shinobi who stood as silent as statues.
The moment he saw Diarmuid, Danzō asked with poorly concealed excitement, "Well? Was it a success?"
"Of course. Our Yorozuya always maintains its credit. If we say we'll get you a Tailed Beast, we get you a Tailed Beast," Diarmuid said with a chuckle. He then let a scroll slide from his sleeve and handed it to Danzō.
Danzō unfurled the scroll and took a quick look. The surface was pitch black, as if it had been soaked in ink.
"A standard unsealing formula will open it," Orochimaru added helpfully.
Danzō didn't see anything immediately remarkable, but he didn't suspect Diarmuid of trying to swindle him. In a transaction like this, there was no reason to play such petty games. Nodding as he put the scroll away, Danzō asked, "And regarding that... other matter?"
"It went exactly as we anticipated," Orochimaru explained.
A smile crept onto Danzō's face, though it was a chilling sight to behold. "Excellent," he said.
This was perfect. Not only had he secured the Three-Tails, but he had also indirectly neutralized a significant threat to Konoha. The only "imperfection" was the death of some girl named Nohara Rin.
But Danzō didn't care about that in the slightest. In fact, he had barely heard of her. If memory served, she was just a teammate of Sakumo's son and a disciple of Minato. To a man of his standing, the death of one, or even ten, such nobodies was of no consequence.
"Do you need to verify the goods?" Diarmuid suddenly asked.
Danzō shook his head. "I trust the reputation of Diarmuid."
That was the truth. The Yorozuya had claimed they would assassinate a Daimyo and they did; they had never defaulted on a deal. Diarmuid's cooperation had consistently been reliable, so Danzō wasn't about to get bogged down in details.
Diarmuid nodded. "Then, what about the payment?"
"Two Kinjutsu." Danzō reached into his sleeve and produced a scroll of his own, handing it over. "Both are S-rank."
Diarmuid raised an eyebrow and took the scroll without ceremony, unfurling it immediately. As he read, his expression became... colorful.
Perhaps feeling a bit guilty about the nature of the "payment," Danzō looked slightly awkward, though he remained silent.
They were indeed two S-rank Kinjutsu. In terms of raw power, they were formidable. They were also exactly the type of Sealing Jutsu Diarmuid had expressed interest in studying.
The two techniques were the Reaper Death Seal and the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing.
They were the kind of techniques that made Diarmuid want to punch someone.
Good grief, they're both "suicide" jutsus!
The Reaper Death Seal was an S-rank Kinjutsu of the Uzumaki Clan, currently stored within Konoha. Very few mastered it—Hiruzen, Minato, and Kushina were among the few.
Orochimaru would eventually learn it, but only after his arms were sealed in the stomach of the Shinigami, forcing him to find a way to break the seal and reclaim his hands. At this stage, only Minato, Hiruzen, and Kushina knew the technique. As the Hokage, Hiruzen naturally had access to such secrets; for a leader, such a technique was a necessary final resort to ensure one's soul didn't fall into enemy hands while taking the foe down with them.
As for the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, it was clearly related to the standard Four Symbols Sealing. While the latter was used to seal demons like Tailed Beasts into Jinchūriki, the "Reverse" version was a purely self-destructive technique. Danzō was a master of this; his Root organization was built on a foundation of Cursed Seals and Sealing Jutsu.
In the original story, Danzō would die using this very move. It possessed the power to swallow everything within a several-hundred-meter radius and drag it into the underworld.
It was powerful, certainly. Both were. But Diarmuid could sense the deep-seated malice behind Danzō's choice. It was as if the old bastard was actively rooting for his death.
Then again, Diarmuid understood the logic. He would have been surprised if Danzō had actually handed over something like the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Diarmuid wasn't a Konoha ninja; in fact, he was a potential threat. Danzō was happy to cooperate for now, but he had no intention of "arming the enemy." Personal interest came first for Danzō, followed closely by Konoha's security.
So, after much deliberation, he had given Diarmuid the Reaper Death Seal and the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing. They were S-rank, they were prestigious, and they fulfilled the letter of the agreement.
Go ahead, Diarmuid... learn them. Use them...
Diarmuid looked up at Danzō and deadpanned, "This is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Ahem. I have my own concerns and difficulties," Danzō coughed. He felt a hint of shame, but he wasn't about to change his mind.
Diarmuid sighed. "Forget it. It's our first collaboration. They are S-rank, after all. At least you didn't try to fool me with the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, or I really would have lost my temper."
"Heh... I'm glad you understand," Danzō replied.
"Next time, if we trade again and you try to pass off these 'die-together' jutsus as rewards, don't blame me if I turn on you," Diarmuid said, his tone suddenly turning ice-cold as a thick surge of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
The intensity of that intent was so heavy that even Danzō felt his hair stand on end from a single glance.
"When I get angry, even I'm afraid of myself," Diarmuid suddenly grinned, his face returning to a bright, cheerful smile.
Danzō swallowed hard and forced a meager smile. "Of course. Next time, I will show more... sincerity."
Though, in the short term, he didn't anticipate needing another favor from Diarmuid.
"Hahaha! Alright, the deal is done. I won't stay in Konoha for tea; I have things to do. Farewell!" Diarmuid waved a hand casually. He then turned to Orochimaru. "What about you? Heading back, or coming with me?"
"There's nothing for me to do in Konoha for the moment, and I have some questions for you. I'll come along," Orochimaru said after a moment's thought. He then turned to Danzō. "Don't mention my involvement in this mission. Say Root handled it themselves."
Since Orochimaru had made it clear he had no interest in becoming Hokage and remained indifferent to village politics, Danzō had stopped counting on him. If Orochimaru didn't want the credit, fine, Danzō would claim it all for himself.
"Don't worry. This won't be traced back to you," Danzō said without hesitation.
Orochimaru nodded, and he and Diarmuid quickly departed.
Danzō watched them leave, standing in thought for a while before turning to his subordinates. "From now on, keep the Land of Rain under strict surveillance."
"Yes, Danzō-sama," the two Root ninja replied.
…
Elsewhere, Orochimaru and Diarmuid were conversing as they walked.
"The Reaper Death Seal and the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing? Those are quite impressive techniques. Even I haven't had the chance to study them yet," Orochimaru noted, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh? Is that so?" Diarmuid said, feigning ignorance.
Orochimaru thought for a second and added, "I've always had a keen interest in Sealing Jutsu."
"Really? Me too," Diarmuid replied.
Orochimaru: "???"
Are you intentionally acting dense? You were like this when you asked me for those ninjutsu scrolls, too.
However, given his "cool and aloof" persona, Orochimaru didn't know how to press the issue, so he fell silent.
After walking for a while longer, Diarmuid suddenly burst out laughing. "Why did you stop talking?"
"I felt like you were playing with me, so I lost interest in speaking," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Hahaha..." Diarmuid laughed and tossed the scroll to Orochimaru. "Go ahead and study it. I doubt that old fox Danzō would tamper with the text, but you never know."
Orochimaru caught the scroll and nodded. "Then I won't be formal." After a pause, he added, "Danzō clearly acted in bad faith by giving you those techniques. I'm surprised you didn't snap."
"He still has his uses," Diarmuid said with a smirk.
The Tailed Beasts themselves weren't exactly "good things." Whether it was him, Madara, or Obito, someone was going to collect them eventually. If Danzō had any brains, he'd try to cultivate a controllable Jinchūriki; if he didn't, he might try to become one himself. If he did that, then when the time came to revive the Ten-Tails, he'd be one of the first to die. So, giving them to him was fine.
For others, being a Jinchūriki had benefits—increased strength and access to massive Chakra. But Diarmuid didn't need any of that. On the way back, Orochimaru had already collected plenty of Three-Tails Chakra; he might even be able to create some artificial versions later.
Indeed, Orochimaru had studied Tailed Beasts and would eventually master the technology for "Artificial Tailed Beasts." Years ago, during his meddling in Kumogakure, he had obtained some cells from the Eight-Tails, which he had successfully cultured. Later, he would even grow a massive 'horn' from those cells. If he had put his mind to it, he could have likely replicated a Tailed Beast.
Diarmuid couldn't quite wrap his head around the principle. Tailed Beasts were essentially pure Chakra, so how could they be "cloned"? But trying to understand Orochimaru's logic with common sense was a fool's errand, so he dropped it. The results spoke for themselves.
In short, while the Tailed Beast was a priceless treasure to Danzō, it held little value for Diarmuid. At least for now. Trading it for Kinjutsu was a fair enough bargain.
Orochimaru didn't dwell on the subject. Instead, he asked, "By the way, that Mangekyō Sharingan of Uchiha Kagami you obtained... it hasn't been damaged, has it?"
"No, Sasori is keeping it in storage. Why do you ask?" Diarmuid said.
"It will be useful. I plan to conduct research into the Sharingan. Perhaps it will open up new perspectives and directions for my work," Orochimaru said calmly.
"No problem," Diarmuid smiled.
He had been waiting for Orochimaru to start researching the Sharingan. Hopefully, once the results were in, he could try out a pair for himself.
"So," Orochimaru continued, "what exactly is this conspiracy of Uchiha Madara you mentioned?"
"That... is a very long story. It goes like this..." Diarmuid began in a soft voice.