Orochimaru, trapped in place, couldn't move an inch and ended up completely taking the brunt of this "punishment."
He muttered inwardly: That Anya really is impressive. When I came to Kiri, I only dared manipulate bloodline limit ninja who were being hunted, and obtaining the Eight-Tails cells from Kumogakure took tremendous effort. But him? He simply asked for the Six-Tails container and even managed to align himself directly with the Mizukage.
Thinking further, Orochimaru shuddered with realization. Only now did he notice that among the Five Great Countries, both the Hokage and the Mizukage had become his women, while the Kazekage was practically his brother. If so, only the Tsuchikage and the Raikage remained; once those two were settled, the entire Ninja World would essentially be under his control. Was it coincidence or deliberate?
Just as he was contemplating, a figure suddenly appeared in his spiritual space—it was indeed Anya.
"Uncle," said Anya calmly, "I probably won't be able to leave for a while. The task of controlling the tailed beasts will fall on you."
Orochimaru replied coldly, "You need to understand—this was your plan. Also, we haven't captured all the tailed beasts yet, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path still hasn't been located. Is one woman really worth abandoning our plan?"
Anya answered firmly, "Not abandonment—just a delay. Originally, cultivating these tailed beast cells would've required significant time anyway. It won't make much difference."
Seeing Anya had already made his decision, Orochimaru hesitated briefly before asking, "How long do you expect to stay here?"
Anya replied, "I'll leave soon enough. The Akatsuki is nearing completion of its tailed beast collection. All villages are sure to feel threatened and eventually unite. The next Summit of the Five Kages is just around the corner."
Orochimaru's expression softened. "It seems you've thought it through. The rational and the irrational will always clash. Endless conflicts intensify into greater wars. The weak band together to survive, but once they've survived, new conflicts are bound to emerge. What a tiresome cycle."
Smiling faintly, Anya said, "Perhaps the future world might not be so dull."
Orochimaru replied indifferently, "I hope so."
Led by Ao, more and more ninjas gathered here, encircling the secret chamber built by Terumi Mei using Boil Release technique, standing alert and ready.
Ao activated his Byakugan to observe what lay inside, yet saw nothing at all—an unusual situation he had never encountered since obtaining the Byakugan, which startled him greatly.
Approaching Master Gen respectfully, Ao asked, "Elder, do you know what's going on? Who exactly has infiltrated our village?"
Master Gen gazed at the quiet chamber entrance before him and sighed inwardly. Lifting his hand somewhat helplessly, he said, "Disperse everyone. There's nothing happening."
"But—" Ao rushed to protest.
Master Gen's face darkened. With a stomp of his staff against the ground, he snapped, "What? Do my words no longer carry weight?"
"I wouldn't dare," Ao quickly lowered his head, then turned to command the other ninja behind him, "Everyone, retreat immediately! Secure every entrance and exit!"
Soon afterward, the sealed room collapsed entirely, revealing Terumi Mei and Anya holding hands, standing right before Master Gen.
"Have you finally made up your mind?" Looking at them, Master Gen wore an expression of deep disappointment. "Even after all this time… you still can't let go of him."
Before Terumi Mei could speak, Anya took the initiative to say, "I was wrong first, but we can't keep holding onto the past forever. Master Gen, I will prove through my future actions that her judgment wasn't mistaken."
Hearing these words, Terumi Mei couldn't help feeling delighted. Her earlier composed demeanor faded instantly, replaced by a girlish excitement as she leaned affectionately beside Anya.
Even though she was already the Mizukage, she still acted like a love-struck girl. Master Gen had no words, shook his head, and prepared to leave.
Anya and Terumi Mei exchanged glances before walking alongside him, one on each side.
Master Gen side-eyed both of them and asked, "What do you want?"
Smiling happily, Terumi Mei said, "Oub has decided to stay in Kirigakure permanently. Today, we'll go fishing with you and then have dinner together."
A gleam flashed in Master Gen's eyes. "Seriously?"
Seeing both nod simultaneously, Master Gen felt reassured, and a long-missed smile appeared on his face. "Hehe, well then, let's all go together."
Tenten soared freely through the sky with her Wing Unit deployed, saying toward a certain location, "Sasori, is this the Division Technique? It's amazing! Then you can always stay by my side."
A puppet the size of a hornet perched by Tenten's ear, replying in Sasori's voice, "No problem."
Blushing slightly, Tenten said, "Are members of the Akatsuki Organization really that powerful? I heard Team 7 and Team 10 have already set off; can't they defeat them?"
"These two members aren't the strongest within the Akatsuki Organization, but they are extremely difficult to kill. That's why I brought you along—to prevent them from escaping."
"Oh, I see. Don't worry, with you here to guide me, we're sure to take them down."
"Don't conserve your chakra. Increase your speed." Sasori seemed urgent. He had no choice—Team 7 had gone ahead, which means Hakuto was involved too. If anything unexpected happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Tenten sensed Sasori's urgency, gathered her chakra, and shot off with blazing speed, leaving behind a trail like an afterimage as she quickly headed toward their destination.
Just when Tenten reached the battlefield, she witnessed Naruto hitting Kakuzu with a newly developed jutsu.
[Wind Release: Rasenshuriken] was Naruto's first S-class jutsu. By using wind-natured chakra, he transformed the Rasengan into an advanced technique shaped like a shuriken.
Needles of wind-chakra pierced every cell in Kakuzu's body, directly destroying his heart. In an instant, his entire body suffered thousands of strikes, leaving him collapsed on the ground, unable to move.
"Amazing!" Tenten couldn't help exclaiming at what she saw.
Sasori also showed signs of being moved. He began to understand why Anya had made Naruto the key factor in the plan—but even so, his current strength still wasn't enough.
Seeing Kakashi step forward to deliver a finishing blow to Kakuzu, completely eliminating whatever life remained, Sasori felt pleased and said to Tenten, "Now that the battle is over, let's leave."
"Okay."
Meanwhile, a bird puppet flew toward the distance.
Sasori's main body, which had already obtained the Four-Tails' cells, received the message delivered by the bird puppet. A trace of happiness flickered in his gaze before he coldly barked at the spot, "Come out."
A transparent figure half-knelt respectfully before Sasori and said, "Dagan reporting to Red Spider, sir."
"Proceed with the plan I laid out earlier," Sasori ordered.
Dagan hesitated before asking, "Are you sure? What about Hercules..."
"He's already dead. Don't hold back any reservations. Find the location as quickly as possible." Sasori unleashed his full oppressive aura without restraint. The overwhelming pressure darkened the sky around him.
"Notify me immediately after you find it. If you dare try anything sneaky, not a single soul in the entire Ninja World will be able to spare your life."
Sweating profusely from fear, Dagan stammered, "Rest assured, I'd never dare think ill of you."
After the warning, Sasori calmly waved his hand, "Go."
"Yes." Dagan transformed into a transparent figure and vanished instantly.
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