Chapter 6 – Orochimaru's Summon

A few hours had passed since the battle. The camp was silent, weighed down by the losses, but Sal had finally managed to rest. His body still ached, but his sleep was soon interrupted.

— "Sal, wake up!"

The voice of a patrol ninja made his eyes snap open.

— "Orochimaru-sama has arrived and is asking for you."

Sal took a deep breath and stood up calmly, feeling the weight of the summon. He had expected this to happen. After all, what he had done wouldn't go unnoticed.

The main tent of the camp was spacious, but Orochimaru's presence made it suffocating. His sharp, yellow eyes locked onto Sal the moment he entered.

Beside Orochimaru stood Nara Murata, a strategist respected for his intelligence.

Orochimaru held his gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

— "You saved Nawaki."

— "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru lazily twirled a scroll between his fingers, a casual gesture that still radiated control over the situation.

— "Your speed was impressive."

Sal stood firm.

— "It's a technique I recently developed."

Murata, who had been silently observing the conversation, finally intervened.

— "Explain."

Sal took a deep breath, as if organizing his thoughts before responding.

— "I use chakra to reduce my body's friction and optimize every muscle impulse. The result is an instantaneous movement within a short distance."

Murata frowned, intrigued.

— "You created this on your own?"

— "Yes."

Orochimaru smiled—a thin, enigmatic smile.

— "Hoh… interesting. Do you plan to keep it a secret?"

Sal shook his head.

— "No. I want the technique registered in the village's Scroll of Seals. It might be useful in the future."

Orochimaru clasped his fingers together in front of his face, clearly pleased with the answer.

— "A commendable mindset..."

That's when he made an unexpected proposal.

— "You surprised me. And surprises like this deserve a reward."

Sal kept his expression neutral, but internally, he knew this was a valuable opportunity.

— "What do you desire as a reward?"

Without hesitation, Sal gave a slight respectful bow and answered.

— "I would like your help, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

— "Help? Elaborate."

Sal took a deep breath and, without a word, pulled out a scroll he had already prepared.

He unrolled it on the table, revealing a rough sketch of a new ninjutsu.

The detailed markings showed a technique that seemed to involve fluid movements, almost as if the user became part of the wind itself.

Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly before he masked his interest with another smile.

— "Oh… so, you're not just fast—you also have a talent for creating ninjutsu?"

Sal straightened his posture and spoke with conviction.

— "Yes. Developing ninjutsu is my true talent."

Orochimaru remained silent for a few seconds, evaluating Sal.

Then, he chuckled softly.

— "Interesting… Very interesting."

Orochimaru wasn't a fool. He knew Sal was presenting himself as a genius in technique creation. But so what?

Geniuses were valuable assets.

— "Very well, Sal. You'll have my attention. I want to see how far you can take this jutsu."

Sal gave a slight bow, hiding his satisfaction.

"Now, Orochimaru will see me in a different light. If I stand out as a creator of ninjutsu, the village will begin to value me more."

He knew Orochimaru never helped anyone for free. But, for now, that didn't matter.

He had gotten exactly what he wanted.