Naruto: Get Stronger by Spoiling My Sister

"This what is this!" Orochimaru's breath hitched, a flicker of intense desire igniting in his eyes.

In Neji's palm was a glass vial. Inside it two unmistakable Sharingan.

Orochimaru's reaction was exactly as Neji expected. The Sharingan, after all, held an irresistible allure for him.

Neji chuckled lightly. "Well? As long as you agree to my terms, these are yours."

He gave the vial a little shake, letting the eyes shimmer under the light.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, voice laced with curiosity. "Neji, as tempting as the Sharingan are, I find you far more intriguing. The mysteries surrounding you are even more compelling than those eyes."

"Heh. Fair enough. But if I answer your questions, then these two Sharingan? Off the table." Neji slipped the vial away, amusement gleaming in his gaze.

"I already have Sasuke. While these Sharingan are attractive, I don't exactly need them," Orochimaru said, licking his lips.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan varies depending on its wielder. Even though they all evolve from the same basic Sharingan… their abilities diverge." Neji paused. "Isn't that curious?"

His words had a magnetic pull, drawing Orochimaru deeper into thought, awakening his relentless thirst for knowledge.

Neji then stepped closer, voice calm and low. "Don't you want to understand the connection?"

"Neji," Orochimaru said with a twisted smile, "I'll admit, you've piqued my interest. But close combat isn't your specialty alone."

From the wide sleeves of his cloak, a writhing mass of snakes burst forth, coiling tightly around Neji.

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

"A Byakugan delivered to my doorstep… now that's a fine offering," Orochimaru purred, eyes gleaming as he stared at Neji, mere inches away.

"It's a shame I've already used Living Corpse Reincarnation. Otherwise, you would have made the perfect vessel. Unfortunately, I can't control you so…"

Orochimaru took a deep breath and suddenly exhaled a sharp gust of cutting wind.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

The wind blade sliced cleanly through Neji's neck.

But in the next instant, writhing wooden branches erupted from Neji's form, entangling Orochimaru in a tight grip.

"You're not exactly what I'd call a trustworthy ally, Orochimaru." Neji's voice came from behind him, cold and mocking.

"Wood Style?! How do you know Wood Style?" Orochimaru was visibly shaken. "Don't tell me you were part of that experiment too? Neji!"

"Orochimaru, things go smoother when you behave." Neji opened his mouth. A thick yellowish acid sprayed outward, raining down on Orochimaru.

Caustic Saliva Technique!

"Damn!"

Orochimaru instantly unhinged his jaw. Two hands shot out from his throat and pushed against the ground, propelling him into the air. His legs twisted into serpentine coils as he made a hasty retreat.

Ssszz!

The acid hissed as it melted through both the bark of the wooden branches and Orochimaru's discarded skin.

Eight Trigrams: Mountain-Crushing Palm!

Suddenly, Neji was directly in front of Orochimaru. With a single palm strike to the chest, a burst of white energy exploded from his hand, punching a gaping hole into Orochimaru's right side.

The force of the blow sent Orochimaru flying, tumbling mid-air until he barely managed to stop himself.

"Kh… cough…" Orochimaru spat out blood. "Is that all?"

Snakes slithered from the wound, rapidly stitching the flesh back together.

"Killing you outright might be difficult," Neji admitted, "but making you suffer for the next three years? I can manage that."

Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!

A pair of glowing, deep blue lion heads flared to life around Neji's fists. He kicked off the ground and appeared before Orochimaru in a blur, slamming into him with a deafening impact.

"Urgh!"

Orochimaru vomited blood under the force of the blow but it didn't end there. Neji danced around him, his movements like a flurry of blue butterflies, landing strike after strike on every tenketsu, or chakra point, in Orochimaru's body.

To put it simply Neji used precise footwork, relentless basic strikes, and every single hit was a critical.

Two months ago, Neji had to rely on his Dust Release to make Orochimaru cautious. Now? No need for all that. He could just fight.

Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!

Sliding forward with flawless grace, Neji unleashed a flurry of strikes, sealing off all the chakra points in Orochimaru's body. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed he was about to use a Substitution technique.

Then, a calm voice whispered behind him.

"You can keep wasting energy with your Substitution Jutsu. You can even try to burrow your way out like a rat. But make no mistake if you do that, next time we meet, I will crush your skull without hesitation."

Orochimaru looked around, startled.

At some point, Neji had conjured a legion of wooden clones. They had surrounded him completely.

"You know I'm not bluffing," every Neji spoke in unison, their combined voices like thunder rolling across the earth.

"…Understood." Orochimaru's tense body finally relaxed. "Then let's proceed with the deal."

He understood well Neji wasn't posturing. While he was confident he could escape, provoking such a formidable enemy would be foolish.

"I'll hold onto these Sharingan for now," Neji said as the clones dissipated and his murderous aura faded. "Once I verify your technique, they're yours."

He fixed Orochimaru with a razor-sharp glare. "Don't try anything stupid."

"Relax. I know when to pick my battles," Orochimaru nodded. He wasn't about to sabotage this fragile alliance especially not with Neji's power clearly surpassing expectations.

Right now, they were… collaborators. And Orochimaru was hoping to use Neji's strength to offset his own threats.

"Kabuto. Show Neji to his room," Orochimaru instructed.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said, recovering from his shock.

He hadn't been idle on purpose. The moment he, Tayuya, and the others had considered intervening, a crushing aura locked them in place. None of them had been able to move.

Only when Neji withdrew his presence did Kabuto regain control. That overwhelming gap in power had snuffed out any lingering thoughts of revenge.

Now, as Kabuto looked at Neji, there was still a faint trace of fear in his eyes.

"This way, please."

Neji said nothing, but his gaze lingered on Kabuto. So… the arm was healed.

Orochimaru's Substitution Technique? Neji wondered. No… if it were that simple, he wouldn't have lost so badly last time. Which means…

The answer was becoming increasingly clear.