"The true master?"
Kimimaro frowned and followed Orochimaru's gaze toward the distant wolf statue.
He could feel a faint, indistinct presence there, but it was too far away to judge its strength.
"Lord Orochimaru, are you talking about that wolf?"
Tayuya curled her lip, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.
"We saw it when we entered the village just now. It's indeed quite large, but no matter how big it is, it's just a wolf. Can't the five of us from the Sound Five handle a single beast?"
The moment Tayuya finished speaking.
Boom—!!!
A dazzling bolt of golden lightning descended from the sky, exploding instantly right in front of her!
The light was so blinding that everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
Immediately after—
Terrifying electricity completely enveloped Tayuya!
There was no scream.
There was no struggle.
Only within the golden lightning, that figure was instantly reduced to nothingness.
Boom!!!
A powerful shockwave blasted outward, knocking the surrounding Sound Ninja back repeatedly!
Sakon and Ukon were knocked directly to the ground.
Kidōmaru crossed his arms in front of him, yet he was still pushed back several meters by the shockwave.
Jirobo gritted his teeth and held his ground, his feet plowing two deep furrows into the earth.
Kimimaro's expression changed as he shielded Jugo and the others, his white eyes filled with shock.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
The lightning dissipated.
Everyone opened their eyes and looked at the spot where Tayuya had just been standing.
It was empty.
Nothing remained.
Not even ashes were left behind.
Only a charred crater three meters in diameter remained on the ground, still emitting wisps of blue smoke.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Just then—
Boom!!!
Another bolt of golden lightning exploded violently in front of them!
The light was even more blinding and violent than before, with golden arcs of electricity dancing wildly like countless venomous snakes, tearing through the surrounding air!
"Retreat!"
Kimimaro shouted, and the group instinctively scrambled backward!
Sakon and Ukon rolled and crawled away.
Kidōmaru gritted his teeth and leapt into the air.
Jirobo directly picked up Karin beside him and dodged with a roll.
Jugo's body began to swell uncontrollably, but he was held down by Kimimaro.
The light gradually faded.
A massive figure slowly stepped out from the lightning.
A ten-meter-tall body, as towering as a mountain.
Silver-gold fur shimmered with a cold luster under the sunlight, and the flowing mane on its back was like a deity's cloak.
With every crackle of the golden arcs jumping around its body, tiny black fissures were left in the air.
And then there were those eyes—
Pupils burning with golden flames were looking down at them from above.
Yang Jiu.
He just stood there in front of everyone.
The massive shadow completely enveloped them.
Everyone froze in place.
They didn't even dare to breathe.
Because that pressure—
It was too strong.
So strong that they couldn't even give birth to the thought of running away.
"Sometimes, having a mouth isn't necessarily a good thing."
Yang Jiu spoke calmly, his golden eyes looking at Orochimaru.
That gaze was terrifyingly peaceful.
The corner of Orochimaru's eye twitched slightly.
In those golden snake-like eyes, for the first time, a clear fear emerged—not faked, but a primal, bone-deep wariness.
He had known how powerful Yang Jiu was before, but he hadn't expected him to be able to blast Tayuya to death before even being seen.
Before she could even finish a single sentence, she had completely vanished from this world.
Not even ashes were left.
Orochimaru took a deep breath and lowered his head.
"It was my lack of discipline."
His voice was low and respectful.
"This won't happen again."
Yang Jiu looked at him.
There were a few seconds of silence.
Then, he withdrew his gaze.
"Good."
Yang Jiu withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Kimimaro, Yakushi Kabuto, and the others, light flickering in his golden eyes.
It had to be said, Orochimaru's subordinates were indeed all talents.
Yakushi Kabuto—smart, meticulous, and good material for getting things done.
The Sound Five—although one just died, the remaining four were all quite strong, elites no matter where they were placed.
Then there were Jugo, Suigetsu Hozuki, Karin... each one had no small amount of potential.
Especially Kimimaro.
Yang Jiu's gaze lingered on Kimimaro for an extra moment.
The Shikotsumyaku Bloodline Limit, the last descendant of the Kaguya Clan, and that suicidal madness when fighting...
What a pity.
He had no intention of nurturing human Ninjas.
Otherwise, he could have trained them well to see how far they could go in the late stages.
Yang Jiu pulled back his thoughts and looked at Orochimaru again.
"Orochimaru."
"Present."
"Currently, Wolf Ninja Village has established diplomatic relations with Konoha, and both sides can conduct trade."
He paused.
"If you need anything, go trade with Hiruzen Sarutobi yourself."
"I believe that old man—"
The corner of Yang Jiu's mouth curled slightly.
"Won't dare to do anything to you."
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment.
Then, he smiled.
In that smile, there was surprise, amusement, and a hint of... unexplainable complexity.
"Is the Wolf King... giving me a green light?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, a hint of amusement flashing in his golden snake eyes.
Yang Jiu didn't answer his question, but instead changed the subject:
"Besides the Wolf Ninja Village, there is another mission for you."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Yang Jiu looked at him, his golden eyes carrying a bit of seriousness.
"Wolves."
"I need a large number of wolves."
"Ordinary ones will do."
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment.
Ordinary wolves?
With the Wolf King's current strength, why would he suddenly want ordinary wolves?
But he quickly realized—
He wanted to expand the pack.
No matter how many Ninja Wolves there were, they were all raised step by step from ordinary wolves. Only when the number of ordinary wolves increased could the base population of Ninja Wolves expand.
"How many does the Wolf King want?" Orochimaru asked.
Yang Jiu said indifferently, "The more, the better."
"I'm leaving this matter to you."
"With your methods, it shouldn't be difficult to get a batch of wolves back, right?"
Orochimaru smiled.
"It's not difficult."
"Give me a month, and I guarantee the Wolf Valley will have more than double the number of ordinary wolves."
Yang Jiu nodded with satisfaction.
"I hope you can do it."
After saying that, he raised his front paw, his mind moving slightly.
Buzz—
A drop of deep red blood slowly seeped from the tip of his claw, suspended in mid-air.
That drop of blood was crystal clear, like the purest ruby, with a faint golden halo flowing on its surface, refracting brilliant light under the sun. Every slight, breath-like vibration stirred up visible ripples.
Then, with a thought.
That crystal-clear drop of blood, under the control of the electromagnetic field, slowly floated toward Orochimaru.
Golden arcs of electricity wrapped around it, like an invisible hand holding this ruby-like treasure, crossing several meters and coming to a steady stop in front of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's eyes instantly lit up.
In those golden snake eyes, greed, desire, excitement—all kinds of light intertwined, shining startlingly bright.
His breathing became rapid.
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