The group made it back to Tanchu Street without incident.
Haruya glanced at Kakuzu and Sasori walking a short distance behind him, then lowered his voice."Huinai—follow this road until you see the Gunma Casino. Stop there. One of my clones will pick you up."
Uzumaki Huinai trembled slightly, nodded, and hurried off with baby Xiangling held tightly in her arms.After so long trapped inside Grass Village, the crowd made her shrink like a frightened fawn—every movement timid, soft, and pitiful.
"Alright. Let's go meet Orochimaru," Haruya said, pointing north. "About a thousand meters that way."
He hadn't chosen Tanchu Street for the meeting—too crowded.If things went wrong, he preferred a deserted plain where no civilians would get vaporized.
"Can't wait to see one of the legendary Sannin," Kakuzu said with a grim little smile.
Yeah.You can't wait to collect one of the legendary Sannin and trade his head for ten million ryō, right?
Haruya saw straight through him.Kakuzu once sold his own teammates for cash.And now Orochimaru—a walking bounty poster worth tens of millions—was right in front of him.
Of course Kakuzu's greed was burning.
Not that Haruya was worried.
Orochimaru might not have the Curse Mark yet, nor Immortal Reincarnation, but he had absurd combat instincts and disgusting survivability. Killing him outright would not be easy.
Besides, Kakuzu and Sasori weren't exactly natural counters to him.This wasn't the Mangekyō Sharingan one-hit-kill scenario.
And honestly?If Orochimaru did die, it wouldn't ruin Haruya's plans.
He already had Hashirama Cells.He had zero interest in the Curse Mark or the current version of reincarnation jutsu.Improved Edo Tensei was valuable, sure—but hardly essential. Worst case, he'd just have Kabuto figure it out later.
"There's one rule," Haruya said. "Whatever Orochimaru asks, do. Not. Answer. Just take the goods and leave."
He lifted two fingers.
"I'll add two hundred thousand ryō to your secrecy fee."
Kakuzu immediately shut his mouth, nodded firmly, and said, "Understood."
Money makes miracles.Money also makes Kakuzu extremely obedient.
A few minutes later, Orochimaru's figure appeared in the distance.
"That's my cue to stop," Haruya said. "I'm just a clone anyway."
He hung back, watching Kakuzu and Sasori approach while pulling out a pair of binoculars.
Eat-popcorn-and-watch-chaos.jpgThree heroes vs. Lu Bu—no, three psychos vs. Orochimaru.
This was better than any anime he'd watched in his last life.
Peak-level shinobi combat, live and uncensored?Yes please.
He'd be cheering for his own side, of course.
Orochimaru noticed Kakuzu and Sasori quickly.His tongue flicked out in excitement—the kind of excitement that comes before a forbidden secret is revealed.
If the transaction went smoothly…and if he could keep one of them, or force out their bloodline limits or secret techniques…
He would gain something precious.
As the two approached, his golden eyes narrowed.
A uniformed pair.An organization—definitely.
"Where are the goods?" Kakuzu asked.
He'd seen Orochimaru's wanted poster a hundred times in the black market.He'd even considered collecting it—but Konoha was too troublesome to storm back then.
Now Orochimaru was alone, right here.
Master Ball, go.But first—business.
Thanks to Haruya's generous payments, Kakuzu had officially categorized him as a "premium long-term client."
Orochimaru took out a storage scroll.He didn't bother refusing the fee; the portion Haruya wanted was small, and even if something happened, there was wiggle room.
Kakuzu accepted the scroll without checking it.
And that was when the air snapped tight.
Two killing intents collided, rising like jagged pillars toward the sky.
In Naruto, killing intent wasn't metaphorical—it was a psychological weapon.Like when Orochimaru paralyzed Sasuke in the Chūnin Exams, forcing him to injure himself just to break free.
And now?
Orochimaru was stunned to find Kakuzu's killing intent matched his own.
Killing intent is simple to develop—you just need to have slaughtered more people than you can count.
Orochimaru's expression sharpened.
Ten Thousand Snake Formation!
A tidal wave of venomous snakes poured from his mouth, spreading out more than ten meters and surrounding Kakuzu and Sasori in a writhing ring.
"Good," Kakuzu said.
He shrugged off his Akatsuki cloak.Behind him, a towering humanoid mass of black tendrils rose—his Earth Grudge Fear form.
A sign of respect, in his own twisted way.
The fire-mask on his shoulder opened its maw.
Fire Release: Searing Migrant!(Fire Release: Zukokku)
A wall of flame erupted, incinerating all the surrounding snakes in seconds.
Orochimaru's pupils tightened.
That firepower was monstrous.And he'd never seen these black tendrils—what kind of jutsu was this?
Interesting… very interesting.
He spat out a small snake—which in turn spat out a gleaming blade.
The Kusanagi Sword shot forward at blinding speed.
Kakuzu extended black tendrils to block it—and the tendrils were sliced clean through.
"What a sword," Kakuzu muttered, eyes sparkling with greed.A blade that could cut Earth Grudge Fear threads was priceless.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
His arms turned black and rock-hard, and to Orochimaru's surprise, Kakuzu actually caught the Kusanagi Sword between his hands.
"Impressive fire and earth releases," Orochimaru noted internally, mind racing.
Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Sky Blade!(Sora no Tachi)
The sword extended infinitely.
Kakuzu's eyes widened. He released the blade instantly, leaping back—then vanished with Body Flicker.
Lightning-mask opened its jaws.
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
A massive lightning spear tore across the plain, punched clean through Orochimaru's torso, and detonated.
"Did he die?" Kakuzu muttered, watching the smoke.
Then he looked down.
A poisonous snake was wrapped around his waist.
Orochimaru stood behind him, swinging a forty-meter-long Kusanagi like he meant to bisect Kakuzu.
Kakuzu dissolved into water.
His real body appeared farther away, where the wind-mask unleashed a tight sphere of compressed air.
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!(Pressure Damage: Atsugai)
The tiny sphere expanded violently, detonating into a storm that swallowed Orochimaru whole.
"Dodged again?" Kakuzu growled.This snake bastard really was slippery.
Most shinobi would've died five times by now.Several of Kakuzu's techniques bordered on forbidden-jutsu levels of destructive power.
But Orochimaru exhaled softly.Though unharmed, he was far from relaxed.
This was the hardest fight he'd had since facing the Demigod Hanzō.
And worst of all?
Sasori still hadn't even started.
He studied Kakuzu frantically. Earth, water, lightning, fire, wind—what kind of monster used all five?
"Too slow," Sasori said at last.
He raised his left arm.The cannon unfolded again.
This time more than a dozen cylinders launched.
Kakuzu quickly retreated.
"Puppet master?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
The cylinders exploded—a storm of poison-tipped senbon filled the air.
The coverage was too wide.No Body Flicker or basic Substitution could evade it.
Orochimaru-Style Substitution!
His body turned into a mass of needles—and then he shed it like a dead skin, emerging again from the dissolved remains.
"What a terrifying poison," he muttered, glancing at his discarded 'skin' melting into sludge.
Orochimaru knew poisons well—but Sasori might be just as skilled as he was.
He looked at the two, face grave.
He'd abandoned any thought of defeating them.
Instead a new question burned in his mind:
How many members does this organization have?If the random members are this powerful—how strong is Haruya, the leader?