The crowd's heads were like a canopy, blocking out the sun, and their shadows fell upon the exhausted Kumogakure Ninjas. Everyone felt a heavy pressure.
The first to bear the brunt was the Fourth Raikage. He kept his head tilted up, looking at the sky, but seemed frozen in place, unable to even respond to Nagato's repeated inquiries.
Kumogakure had fallen…
The Fourth Raikage chewed on the reality, and bitterness suddenly rose in his mouth, which was filled with a fishy taste.
He was the Shadow of Kumogakure, and among all the Raikages of the past, even among the leaders of all ninja villages, his vision and insight were considered outstanding. It was precisely because of this that he understood the terror that was now bearing down on them.
Thousands of the village's elites were nothing. Even the more than ten thousand people floating in the air now were nothing. When they became ninjas, everyone had prepared to dice with death and embrace death after a fierce battle. It was even a predestined fate that everyone had accepted…
For ninjas, death was not terrifying, but now something more terrifying than death was pressing down.
The Fourth Raikage closed his eyes in pain, but the scene he had just seen replayed over and over in his mind. The expressions of despair and deathly stillness on the faces of the more than ten thousand people, lying on the rubble, floating in the sky… were clearly visible.
These people were still alive, and they weren't even injured. Kumogakure, apart from the collapse of a mountain peak, was basically intact… but something had indeed died.
Why did such power exist?
After this question appeared in his mind, the Fourth Raikage didn't think any further. He opened his eyes, took in everything again, and forced himself to accept the facts before him.
Some things might have been shattered, but he was still the Shadow of Kumogakure and had to fulfill his responsibilities.
The Fourth Raikage tilted his head up, and a deep, hoarse voice squeezed from his throat, "Kumogakure is willing to surrender and become a subordinate of the Akatsuki organization…"
"Brother!"
Rarely, Killer Bee let out a loud shout, but there was not much of a strange tone in it.
However, even though someone took the lead in opposing, there was no one to respond, so the unwilling roar could only be drowned in silence.
The Fourth Raikage pressed his brother's shoulders and signaled Killer Bee not to be impulsive. He looked up at Nagato and said, "Even so, don't think Kumogakure is easy to bully. At least give us the same autonomy as Kusagakure. If you treat us like common grass, we would rather fight to the death here."
As he said this, the Fourth Raikage's emotions were not excited, but even a little low.
Even if the other party truly agreed, Kumogakure would no longer be Kumogakure, but a subordinate of the Akatsuki organization.
"Very well."
Nagato nodded slightly, his purple eyes filled with an overwhelming sense of pressure, and he said slowly, "As proof of your surrender, present Kumogakure's two tailed beasts."
At this time, the two Jinchuriki were injured and unconscious. For Nagato, it was just a matter of lifting a hand to capture them, but he refused to do so.
The difference between forcibly taking them away by force and them willingly surrendering was worlds apart.
The Fourth Raikage's eyes darkened, and he instantly understood Nagato's sinister intentions.
From a personal standpoint, he absolutely was unwilling to do this, but if he fell out with the other party at this time, what about the tens of thousands of villagers overhead?
The Fourth Raikage was in a dilemma because it was inherently a choice that put one in a difficult position.
"Brother, it seems we have to say goodbye."
Killer Bee grabbed the Fourth Raikage's arm, a look of resolve on his face, then looked up at the sky, "You are despicable. My and Gyuki are here, come and take them."
"Brother…" The Fourth Raikage was speechless for a moment.
"Very well." Nagato nodded slightly, placing the tens of thousands of ninjas on the ground, and aimed his palm at Killer Bee.
A powerful suction descended, drawing Killer Bee into the air. Immediately, dense runes appeared in the air, directly entering Killer Bee's body, sealing all his energy, including his chakra, within him.
After doing the same to Yugito, Nagato looked down at the Kumogakure crowd and said slowly, "I will only take the tailed beasts, and I will not take their lives. They will return on their own in a few days."
Killer Bee's expression changed slightly. The composure he had maintained, disregarding life and death, suddenly collapsed. He began to struggle with all his might, muttering in a strange tone.
He and Gyuki were true friends, their bond no less than the brotherhood of the Raikage. If he were to lose his life later, it would be one thing, but now he was essentially handing Gyuki over to exchange for the safety of the villagers, so how could he accept it?
"Using Four Symbols Sealing to strip you of your mobility was indeed the right choice."
Nagato swung his hand and struck, knocking Killer Bee, who could no longer resist, unconscious. He then turned his gaze to the Fourth Raikage and Kumogakure Ninja below, saying in a clear voice,
"Someone will come to discuss this in a few days, so be sure to prepare yourselves."
As the words fell, Nagato, with the two Jinchuriki to his left and right, floated upwards.
The Fourth Raikage looked up, watching their figures disappear into the sky. He then turned his gaze to the Kumogakure Ninjas beside him and said in a deep voice,
"Now we have returned to the situation before the Warring States period and the founding of the village, but… the dark clouds will eventually pass. For now, endure."
The village's belief had suffered a heavy blow, and it was uncertain how long it would take to recover. For now, the Fourth Raikage could only comfort everyone in this way.
The Fourth Raikage looked at the horizon and sighed inwardly, "Did Konoha really repel such enemies? Then just how strong are they?"
If that were true, the Ninja world's sky was about to change.
…
Seven days later, inside the Ryuuchi Cave, the White Snake Sage's shedding was finally nearing its end.
Her massive body, which had once stretched for miles, had now shrunk to only about a thousand meters. While still majestic compared to a human body, it could no longer be described as bloated.
Of course, this was only the most superficial, obvious change. The refinement and reduction of a thousand years of accumulation would result in how great an improvement, even the White Snake Sage herself couldn't quite figure out at the moment.
Moreover, she didn't want to think too much about things right now.
The shedding, which had lasted for seven full days, involved constant refinement of senjutsu, and being forced by Orochimaru's life-or-death crisis, had consumed a great deal of her spiritual energy. It would be strange if she could be invigorated immediately.
Therefore, after the intense fluctuations of natural energy subsided, what was reflected in the eyes of the snakes was a White Snake lying lazily in the cave. She was still stained with blood, and some of her scales had not completely detached, turning into stone blocks… but all of this, instead of appearing dirty and cumbersome, had a strange quality.
This was no longer the White Snake Sage who was confined to Daichi, appearing and disappearing like a divine dragon. This was a fellow serpent that had truly appeared before all the snakes and pythons.
Beasts followed their instinctive desires most closely, but the vast difference in strength between them made it clear to all the snakes and pythons that no one could become this White Snake's mate.
However, even so, the serpent species, whose instinctive desires had been piqued, began to engage in reproductive activities in the shadows.
For a time, the roars of snakes and pythons filled the entire cave.
The White Snake Sage remained motionless, cultivating her spirit as she pleased. She had seen this scene countless times over the past thousand years. Only young snakes in their growth phase would become restless because of this.
But as she was meditating with her eyes closed, she suddenly felt waves of pain on her body.
Her senses were almost released in the first instance. The White Snake Sage habitually twisted her head, and her golden pupils reflected a hateful figure.
"Orochimaru, what are you doing?"
The White Snake Sage said coldly. Perhaps due to having gone through countless molts, her voice was no longer the previous aged one, but a very mature female voice.
Facing the White Snake Sage's questioning, Orochimaru just smiled, "I'm just taking the promised reward. Your shedding was very perfunctory at the end. Since you didn't detach them yourself, I had to take them myself."
As he spoke, two more stone-like scales were removed.
The White Snake Sage glared with her serpent eyes, almost losing her temper on the spot, but her previous shedding had indeed consumed too much of her strength. She hadn't even completed the mandatory shedding perfectly, so where did she have the strength to confront Orochimaru again?
Out of sight, out of mind. The White Snake Sage turned her head back, no longer even emitting her spiritual energy, clearly showing her disgust towards Orochimaru. But even so, the continuous pain from her body kept reminding her of Orochimaru's actions.
"By the way, there's a kid outside. I'll leave him with you for now to train him," Orochimaru suddenly said, thinking of Jugo.
"Hmph…"
The White Snake Sage didn't agree, but she didn't refuse either.
…
Another day passed. The sky was clear and the clouds were light. Orochimaru, riding the mist, traveled leisurely on his way back to Konoha.
This trip to Ryuuchi Cave had been very rewarding. Not only had he obtained a large amount of natural energy, but he had also figured out the Sage of Six Paths' attitude, which was even more crucial.
Although that old man had lost his body, Orochimaru had already begun to touch upon the Six Paths level. He had some vague understanding of the abilities of powerhouses at that level and knew very well that as long as the other party wanted to, they could obtain a suitable body for them at any time.
Natural energy had a strong erosive and assimilative nature for ninjas who practiced Senjutsu, and even more so for higher-level powers.
The transformation process might require a considerable amount of energy, but with the entire Pure Land at his disposal, the Sage of Six Paths certainly wouldn't have limitations in this regard.
This was a Six Paths level powerhouse who could potentially be fully resurrected at any time.
Orochimaru, naturally, wouldn't become arrogant because of his recent growth and ignore the Sage of Six Paths' influence.
Fortunately, the outcome of the conversation between the two was very good, even exceeding Orochimaru's expectations – the Sage of Six Paths would not interfere with his actions for the time being.
In comparison, perhaps the thing that might destroy Mount Myōboku in the prophecy was more threatening.
However, before dealing with the threat of Mount Myōboku, he still had to deal with the immediate trouble.
"Hoo…"
Orochimaru exhaled a deep breath of cold air forward. Within a hundred meters, the mist condensed into ice, and countless tiny ice beads fell from the sky.
His trip to Ryuuchi Cave had caused him to absorb too much White Snake-type natural energy. Although the nature of the power was a level weaker than his own, the accumulation of a large amount was still a considerable problem. It would take a significant amount of time to digest and completely convert it into his own power.
Orochimaru glanced at the White Snake scales that had grown on his chest, abdomen, and arms, and made up his mind to set aside some time to focus all his energy on devouring and digesting the White Snake-type natural energy.
With this thought, Orochimaru sped up his pace, his figure turning into a flash of light, shooting directly towards the location of Konoha village.
…
As usual, upon returning to the village, Orochimaru first intended to check on the progress of the petrified ninjas and then greet the Third Hokage.
But as soon as he entered the Hokage's office, he felt a heavy atmosphere.
Seeing Orochimaru push the door open, the Third Hokage's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said in a deep voice, "You were gone for too long this time. Why couldn't Jiraiya and the others contact you?"
Ryuuchi Cave had indeed gone through a turmoil, and its scale was extensive. The communication snakes he had given the few people were all from Ryuuchi Cave. Although the possibility of all of them dying was low, it was not impossible.
Orochimaru didn't dwell on this issue and said directly, "What happened?"
The Third Hokage pulled out a stack of documents from the pile and handed it to Orochimaru.
These were intelligence information compiled before the meeting. If Orochimaru had been contacted earlier, he should have been present to consider countermeasures.
Orochimaru quickly skimmed through the documents. After a moment, he looked up and sighed, "The Akatsuki organization is truly swift and decisive."
In just a few days, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure… all three ninja villages had their Jinchuriki taken by the other party. It was even more unbelievable that Kumogakure had formed an alliance with the Akatsuki organization and come under their command.
Those guys from Kumogakure were notoriously reckless and stubborn, not turning back even when hitting a brick wall. Now they had actually bowed their heads and surrendered…
After reading about what specifically happened in Kumogakure, Orochimaru's doubts were cleared. He sneered, "All flash and no substance."
For ordinary ninjas, this move might be irresistible. But if the target were ninjas of the same level, there would be too many possibilities for manipulation.
However, even saying that, Orochimaru had to admit that its visual impact was indeed extremely effective.
In fact, it wasn't just the Rinnegan's 'Bansho Tenin' or 'Shinra Tensei'… even the Mangekyo Sharingan's dojutsu, and the more common Susanoo, the Sharingan's extremely strong perceptive ability… were all like mowing down weeds. Against opponents weaker than oneself, one could not only win, but win beautifully.
In his free time, he had also guided Uchiha Itachi. Although this child was young, he had already displayed the demeanor of a grand strategist. He was a true, the most perfect Uchiha… so Orochimaru had ordered him not to use his Sharingan, and to only fight with the most clumsy and basic taijutsu, just like Guy.
That was several months ago. He could see the child's growth later.
Orochimaru's thoughts wandered. To outsiders, he appeared to be thinking seriously, but the Third Hokage, having been Orochimaru's teacher for many years, might not know the full extent of his strength, but he was well aware of some details of his life. He could tell at a glance that Orochimaru was distracted.
"Orochimaru, what is Nagato's current strength? Can you still deal with him like last time?"
He asked this, but from Orochimaru's attitude, the Third Hokage had already seen some clues. He was just confirming it now.