"Rasengan!"
With a thunderous roar, the door of the Control Room was violently smashed open, a gust of wind swirling into the hall. Under the tremendous torque, the iron panels tore and expanded, resembling a blooming iron flower.
Hiruko led the charge, stepping inside, but the sight before him made him momentarily pause, as if he had suddenly returned to the experimental base in the Land of Iron.
As the Control Room of Angkor Fortress, this space was quite spacious. The pristine white tiles gleamed cleanly, surrounded by intricately complex operation consoles, with indicator lights flashing wildly, exuding a strong modern atmosphere.
In front of the consoles stood a scattered group of over ten technicians dressed in white coats. Upon seeing the three burst in, they all fearfully covered their heads with their arms and crouched on the ground, trembling.
Orochimaru scanned the room lightly and said, "The chakra signature is very weak; they are not ninja."
"Who… who are you?" someone mustered the courage to stand, but as his gaze fell upon the three blood-stained whirlpool masks, his voice began to shake again.
"This is not something you should be worrying about."
Hiruko scolded sharply, smoothly drawing a pitch-black long knife from his sleeve. "Answer me, where is the Equipment Storage that holds the Mechanical Wings?"
The tip of the knife pierced the tile floor, emitting a crisp sound. Though the noise was faint, everyone shuddered at it.
"Don't want to talk? Then very well…"
At that moment, a "ding" sounded from the corridor, and the elevator doors began to slowly open, revealing eight fully armed Sky Ninjas standing in plain view.
"Die!"
Seeing their adversaries, the Sky Ninjas were filled with animosity. Perhaps considering the presence of the technicians in the Control Room, they did not fire their ranged weapons, but instead wielded serrated blades and rushed forward en masse.
The three exchanged furtive glances, astonished to see the recklessness of these foes.
Were they truly seeking hand-to-hand combat?
Each of the three had endured rigorous training to obtain their strength!
Not to mention Orochimaru's sage arts, Hiruko's bloodline jutsu, or Nian's ocular techniques—under Kamihane's systematic training, the combination of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu was foundational and not something these half-baked Sky Ninjas relying on scientific ninja tools could compare with.
A playful smirk crossed Hiruko's lips as he stepped forward to meet the enemies. Raising both hands, the dark dual blades slowly elongated, piercing into the wall, leaving behind long, screeching marks.
He advanced, easily dodging the crescent slashes of the serrated blades, then deftly turned, his dual swords flaring with a cold, dark light as they flashed past the Sky Ninjas. In an instant, bright red blood splashed across the walls.
In mere moments, the charging Sky Ninjas were cut down by his chaotic strikes.
Hiruko kicked one last Sky Ninja, sending him sprawling rollingly toward the entrance of the Control Room.
With a cold smile, he stepped closer, bringing the two slender black blades together into a single heavy broadsword.
With a swift motion, the blade slammed against the final guard, splattering brain matter everywhere and killing him in front of the technicians. A few droplets of blood even splashed onto a nearby woman, causing her to scream repeatedly and sob in horror.
Hiruko lifted his head, his eyes behind the whirlpool mask incredibly cold.
There was only one reason for his actions—to establish dominance!
He intended to prevent anyone from doing something foolish, like attempting to crash the fortress or activating a self-destruct mechanism as a desperate measure.
"Look up!" Nian suddenly shouted.
A bespectacled man trembled slightly and instinctively raised his head. Through the hollow of the whirlpool mask, a pair of bright crimson eyes met his gaze.
"Demonic Illusion: Puppet Technique!" Nian decisively activated his illusion, and with his current ocular prowess, even a tailed beast could be immobilized, let alone these defenseless ordinary people.
"Take us to the Equipment Storage."
Under the astonished eyes of the others, the man stood up, his expression vacant as he walked towards the exit, with Hiruko and Nian immediately pivoting to follow close behind.
"Are you the pilots of this flying fortress?" Orochimaru asked, his voice gravely husky, causing one girl to shudder in fright.
"Speak."
"Y-Yes, sir! Please don't kill us!" The first man who had attempted to rise raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"I ask you, what is the power source of this flying fortress?" Orochimaru inquired calmly.
"That…" The group exchanged glances, all lowering their heads in fear.
Only the man showed signs of struggle, eventually gritting his teeth and speaking solemnly, "If I tell you, can you spare us and let us go?"
"Of course." Orochimaru spread his hands wide.
The man took a deep breath and said, "The energy source for Angkor Fortress comes from the entire population of the Sky Ninja Village… regardless of age or gender, whether they are ninja or not, anyone with chakra in their body serves as an energy battery for this fortress!"
"We have a precision and massive Chakra Extraction Device. Once connected, we can continuously extract chakra from the villagers to provide ample power for this fortress…"
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly, his expression beneath the mask showing a hint of shock—such a method seemed utterly insane, even to him.
"Your leader is truly a madman…"
"No, all the villagers who contribute chakra do so willingly!"
The man asserted firmly. "For the sake of development and faster prosperity, we have no choice but to adopt this method. Moreover, new energy sources are currently in development, and soon enough, the fortress will be able to achieve autonomous flight and forever soar in the sky!"
"Hmm, I see." Orochimaru snorted lightly, waving a hand dismissively.
He was not particularly interested in the fortress's flight technology or what the man referred to as "new energy." Rather than directly extorting methods, he preferred to analyze and examine the details bit by bit, integrating them into his own thoughts and philosophies.
While strictly adhering to existing plans was indeed easy, it would only shackled his mind. As a ninja with an innovative spirit, he would never allow himself to fall into a stagnant mindset.
...
Under the guidance of the illusion-controlled man, the three quickly located the Equipment Storage. As they burst open the doors, they were greeted by rows of neatly arranged Mechanical Wings, glowing faintly with a golden light.
Without hesitation, the three produced their scrolls and began raiding the storage.
Suddenly, both Orochimaru and Nian lifted their heads, slowly turning to look at the shattered doorway.
Hiruko also paused, hearing a flurry of hurried footsteps.
The elevator door opened again, and a throng of Sky Ninjas surged into the Equipment Storage, surrounding the group.
Amidst the crowd, a burly man stepped forward. Unlike the other Sky Ninjas, he was not wearing the standard uniform but instead donned a loose robe, with bushy eyebrows, striking eyes, and yellow irises—none other than the leader of the Sky Ninja Village, Shinno.
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