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In any case, it was you, Orochimaru, who was neither man nor woman.
"Since the subjects have been selected, let us begin," Kazuki said, not bothering to debate such matters with Orochimaru. He cut straight to the heart of the issue, ordering him to move swiftly.
"Understood." With the rewards secured and a new body already chosen, Orochimaru naturally didn't dare to be slipshod. Though after undoing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he would fall into a prolonged period of severe weakness. Orochimaru picked up the Shinigami mask. Kazuki gestured with his chin, then stepped backward. Kakashi, Shisui, and the others followed suit, clearing a space for Orochimaru.
"Ahhh..." As the Shinigami mask was placed upon his face, Orochimaru suddenly acted as though possessed. From his mouth came a chilling, hair-raising moan. His body seemed as if its very spine had been ripped out, his entire frame going limp like overcooked noodles. As if that alone weren't strange enough, Orochimaru's body began to twist and writhe uncontrollably, as though something were pulling and guiding him. He had become a puppet dancing on strings, twisting ceaselessly, even the chakra within his body leaking out beyond his control.
What the hell was this?!
This bizarre and horrifying spectacle startled quite a number of the Anbu. Fortunately, not everyone was so easily frightened by such a scene. At the very least, Kazuki and his personal guards showed minimal reaction. It was also fortunate that Kazuki was aware of the original plot's trajectory; otherwise, he'd truly suspect Orochimaru of feigning madness. This was like some kind of deranged shamanic ritual. Yet, absurd as it was, this was precisely how one undid the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. And only thanks to Orochimaru's naturally supple body could such movements be achieved. Had it been Kazuki, he could never have contorted himself into such bewitching postures.
As a wave of eerie, bone-chilling laughter echoed outward, a massive, phantasmal figure materialized behind Orochimaru. At that moment, Orochimaru, who had been ceaselessly writhing, came to an abrupt halt. His arms rose, extending outward level with his shoulders, mirroring the colossal apparition of the Shinigami behind him. The Shinigami was toweringly immense – at a glance, it stood several stories tall. Mercifully, it was merely a translucent specter, and the location was a remote, desolate corner of the village. Had this occurred in a densely populated area, the sheer terror would have been unimaginable. The demon god, with its blue face, protruding fangs, and a short blade clenched between its teeth, matched Orochimaru's posture exactly: both arms raised, forming a straight line with the shoulders.
This thing was dangerous. The expressions of Kisame, Itachi, Kakashi, and Shisui – who had been relatively calm until now – all grew grave as they watched the demonic entity manifest behind Orochimaru.
Kazuki raised a hand, signaling them not to be alarmed. "Kisame, go and hold down that long-haired woman. Press her face toward Orochimaru."
"Yes, my lord." Kisame stepped forward, forcing the woman Orochimaru had selected to the ground and positioning her face directly toward Orochimaru. At that instant, the Shinigami's raised hand moved. It took the blade it had been clenching between its teeth and, in a single motion, slashed it across its own chest.
"Splurt..." Simultaneously, Orochimaru's chest was split open by a massive gash, blood gushing forth like a fountain. Fortunately, the wound wasn't excessively deep and hadn't severed the ribs. Otherwise, the scene wouldn't have merely been blood spraying, but blood and viscera spilling across the ground. When the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was undone, the individual wearing the Shinigami mask was meant to become the sacrificial offering. For an ordinary person, there was absolutely no hope of pulling off a golden cicada's escape from this. Only a venomous snake like Orochimaru could manage such a feat.
As the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was released, a cluster of translucent souls drifted out from the gaping wound on the Shinigami's chest. One of these souls belonged to Minato. The moment Minato's soul was freed, Orochimaru immediately shed his physical body. Transforming into a snake, he shot directly into the body of the woman he had pre-selected. His original body was thus left behind as the Shinigami's sacrifice. Just like that, Orochimaru brazenly executed a golden cicada's escape, successfully slipping away from the Shinigami's grasp. Though the manner of his escape was, admittedly, rather difficult to stomach.
Seeing Kakashi's sickened expression, Kazuki explained, "The one who undoes the Dead Demon Consuming Seal is destined to become the Shinigami's sacrifice. A very specific type of individual is required to carry out this task. An ordinary person, even if they could release the Fourth Hokage's soul, would inevitably perish in the process." So that was how it was. After Kazuki's clarification, the hostility in Kakashi's eyes toward Orochimaru lessened considerably.
"Heh heh heh..." Orochimaru couldn't have cared less what others thought of him. At this moment, having just transferred bodies, he had yet to fully acclimate. Once Kisame released his grip at Kazuki's cue, Orochimaru rose shakily to his feet. A new body required some time to master.
"Do you need time to rest?" Kazuki asked. With Minato's soul now freed, there was no further need for hesitation. They could proceed directly. It would be best to resolve everything tonight; Kazuki had no desire to waste excessive time here.
"That won't be necessary. However, due to having abandoned it midway previously, the Impure World Reincarnation technique still has a minor flaw," Orochimaru said. After briefly limbering up, he had already regained his bearings. Dusting off his dirtied clothes with complete nonchalance, he warned Kazuki that the jutsu had a small issue, as he had once halted his research on it.
"What flaw?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow. As long as the Impure World Reincarnation could successfully summon Minato, any other minor issues were perfectly acceptable.
"I will find it extremely difficult to control the subject. Compounded with having just switched bodies, I..." Orochimaru trailed off with a knowing smile. Because his improvements to the technique were incomplete and he had just transferred bodies, he would have great difficulty controlling Minato. If Minato proved unwilling to undo the seal and release the Nine-Tails, Orochimaru would be utterly powerless against him.
"That's of no consequence. Proceed," Kazuki said. A controlled Minato who simply undid the seal would be a scenario where everyone benefited – simple, effortless. The Yin half of the Nine-Tails would be easy to subdue. But an uncontrolled Minato was equally acceptable.
"In that case..." Orochimaru grinned broadly, signaling the Anbu to bring forward the sacrifice.
"Mmmmph!! Mmmmph!!" The sacrifice, dragged forward, writhed in utter terror, desperately struggling. But no one paid him the slightest heed. A death-row inmate condemned to be executed when his time came – no one would spare him any sympathy. Having received Kazuki's approval, Orochimaru began to act. Even though he had just switched bodies and hadn't yet adapted, his reactions slightly sluggish, executing the Impure World Reincarnation posed no difficulty at all. The moment Orochimaru's palm struck the ground, the bound sacrifice was engulfed in a swirling mass of paper-like fragments. Gradually, the fragments layered and overlapped. Then, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, stood before everyone's eyes – his body covered in cracks, his complexion eerily dim.
"Teacher..." Kakashi, visibly stirred, stepped forward involuntarily.
"L-Lord Fourth?!" The surrounding Anbu operatives stared in collective shock at Minato, who had materialized like a statue before them.
So, what do you think of my masterpiece? Are you satisfied, Lord Advisor?
Orochimaru tilted his head back toward Kazuki, a smug, self-satisfied smile spreading across his face.