As Zeldris finished speaking, a subtle, unreadable smile curled at the corner of his lips.
His words made Orochimaru pause, confusion flickering in his snake-like eyes. He glanced up at Zeldris, distracted, his mind still overwhelmed by the shock of losing his hands.
"Zeldris… What are you saying?" he asked, voice low and tense.
Right now, his thoughts were consumed by one thing—the numb, lifeless weight of his arms. There was no pain, no sensation at all. Just… emptiness.
The Reaper… That old man actually did it.
The realization hit like a sledgehammer. Sarutobi Hiruzen had truly sealed his arms away with the Reaper Death Seal.
Orochimaru had always viewed souls and spiritual techniques with disdain, favoring science and logic over mysticism. The Edo Tensei was the only exception—a technique that bent the rules of life and death to his will.
But now, his arrogance had caught up with him.
He had been outplayed.
"Damn it…"
Zeldris stood quietly beside him, watching Orochimaru unravel. He shook his head, almost amused.
Has he really lost it just because of this?
After a moment, Zeldris spoke again, his tone sharper this time.
"Orochimaru-san… don't tell me you've already given up?"
"This isn't the time to sulk. If your hands are gone, the logical thing to do is fix them—right?"
Orochimaru slowly lifted his head. The usual arrogance in his expression had faded, replaced by cold fury and something rare… desperation.
He took a deep breath to steady himself.
"You're right. There's no point in crying over it. Healing my hands takes priority now."
"This attack… ends here. I'll leave the rest to you."
As he said this, a name echoed in his mind—someone from the past.
Tsunade.
She was the only one he could think of. The legendary medical ninja. If anyone could repair soul damage… it had to be her.
But… will she even help me?
Before he could think further, Zeldris's voice cut into his thoughts again.
"If I'm not mistaken… you're thinking of going to Tsunade-hime, aren't you?"
"Let's say you do find her. Do you really think she'd help you, Orochimaru?"
"Don't be naive."
The words hit harder than they should have. Orochimaru's brows twitched as rage flared in his eyes. He clenched his teeth and snapped back.
"Zeldris-jun, I'm grateful you saved me, but—if not Tsunade, then who?!"
"Do you have a better idea?!"
To his surprise, Zeldris simply raised an eyebrow, that same sly grin playing on his lips.
"You think Tsunade is the only one who can heal you?"
"I know someone—someone who's not just on par with her, but possibly beyond her."
"If he can't fix your hands… then Tsunade won't be able to either."
Orochimaru's breath caught.
What?
His arms weren't just injured—they had been spiritually severed. To suggest someone could restore them… it sounded impossible.
Yet, coming from Zeldris—it didn't feel like a bluff.
Orochimaru stared, hope flickering behind his narrowed gaze.
"Who… Who is this person?"
"Can he really… fix this?"
Zeldris nodded slowly. "Oh, he can. No question about that. But…"
He let the last word hang, his expression turning teasingly smug.
Orochimaru immediately understood.
"…You want something in return," he said flatly.
"I'll agree to anything. Just… give me back my hands."
Zeldris chuckled.
"That's more like it. I didn't expect the great Orochimaru to be so quick to submit. How refreshing."
Orochimaru scowled. "Zeldris, if you're done mocking me—just tell me. Who is it? What does he want?"
He didn't have time for games. His future—his research—everything he had built depended on this.
Zeldris's smirk deepened. He leaned in, his voice low but clear.
"The person I'm talking about…"
"…is me."
Orochimaru froze.
"What…?"
He stared at Zeldris, stunned. At first, he thought he'd misheard. But Zeldris's gaze didn't waver. He was serious.
This guy…?
Impossible. Ridiculous. And yet—Orochimaru hesitated.
Zeldris's strange abilities… the things he'd seen him do… none of it was normal. Maybe—just maybe—it wasn't a lie.
After a moment of thought, Orochimaru finally spoke.
"You really surprised me, Mr. Zeldris."
"Now, what are the conditions for healing my hands?"
Zeldris gave a small smile, calm and composed.
"It's simple."
"Five hundred million."
That signature smirk never left his face.
Orochimaru's expression darkened in an instant.
Five hundred million?!
This guy really just tossed out that number like it was pocket change?
Is money that easy to make now?
Tch… Might as well go crawling back to Tsunade. Even in my current state, if I used Edo Tensei, she wouldn't just ignore me.
But just as Orochimaru's thoughts began to drift, Zeldris interrupted with a leisurely voice.
"Come now, Orochimaru-san. Is this really something you need to think over?"
"You're buying back your own hands. With them, you'll make that money back a hundredfold."
Orochimaru clenched his teeth.
Five hundred million, huh…
Counting the last mission fee, he'd be handing over a total of six hundred million.
This bastard… Is he trying to suck me dry?
If I give him everything, how am I supposed to continue my research?
His eyes narrowed with a faint trace of killing intent. He was just about to turn and leave when—
Zeldris, still relaxed, added, "You really want to walk away from this opportunity?"
"And besides… Rasa of the Hidden Sand… He's still alive, isn't he?"
Orochimaru froze on the spot.
Rasa… right.
If he takes Rasa out, the money problem vanishes.
But… can he really trust this guy?
Something about this Zeldris feels off.
Is it just my imagination, or does it feel like everything's playing out exactly how he wants?
Who the hell is he really?
A silence lingered before Orochimaru finally turned back and met his eyes.
"Fine. We have a deal."
Zeldris chuckled lightly.
"Now that's more like it, Snake-san."
"But I didn't expect someone like you—an expert in forbidden arts—to be unaware of the Uzumaki clan's Reaper Death seal techniques."
Zeldris chuckled from the side.
In the original timeline, Hiruzen Sarutobi sealed away Orochimaru's hands with the Reaper Death Seal. He didn't regain full use of them until the Fourth Great Ninja War. Clearly, Zeldris knew what he was doing.
Daimaru, who had been silent, finally returned from his thoughts.
Whether Zeldris had helped intentionally or not, he had saved him from Hiruzen's final jutsu.
He forced a smile. "To think that Sarutobi still had something like that hidden up his sleeve."
"But… I do owe you, Zeldris."
Zeldris blinked, slightly surprised.
Did Orochimaru just… say thank you?
Now that was rare.
But he probably guessed I set that situation up on purpose.
After a pause, Zeldris spoke calmly.
"If you really want to thank me, save it until after Konoha's little party is over."
"Once everything settles, we'll find somewhere quiet. I'll heal you then."
"In this chaos, it's not the right time."
Orochimaru nodded slowly, accepting that reasoning.
"Very well. Let's go after Rasa, then."
But Zeldris shook his head, lips curling up again.
"Not in that state, you're not."
"I'll handle Rasa."
"Besides… don't you have another plan you haven't completed yet?"
"…?!"
Orochimaru froze. A drop of cold sweat trickled down his cheek.
What… did he just say?
How does he know?!
That plan was something even Kabuto didn't know about.
He stared at Zeldris, his voice tight. "Zeldris-kun… What are you talking about exactly?"
He kept his tone level, but his thoughts were in disarray.
There's no way.
There's no way he knows about that.
But Zeldris only gave a casual laugh.
"No need to fake it with me, Orochimaru. I'm not interested in the details."
"Just don't forget to wire the money later."
"Oh, and one more thing—better hurry."
"If Uchiha Itachi finds him first, you'll lose your chance entirely."
With that, Zeldris vanished in a blur.
Orochimaru stood frozen in place, drenched in sweat.
His mind raced.
Uchiha Sasuke…
He clenched his jaw tightly.
That bastard… He really does know.
There's no more time to waste.
Even with his hands sealed, a mere child like Sasuke shouldn't be too difficult to handle.
Without hesitation, he turned and dashed off in the direction he knew Sasuke would be.
Konoha Village was a battlefield.
The streets, once lively with the chatter of villagers and the laughter of children, were now scorched and broken.
The allied forces of Sunagakure and Konohagakure had already clashed head-on, and the intensity of the battle showed no signs of waning.
Summoned beasts roared through the chaos—towering toads, fanged snakes, and monstrous birds tearing through the skies and ground alike.
Jutsu after jutsu exploded through the air, fire and wind dancing alongside lightning and earth in a symphony of destruction.
Every corner of Konoha echoed with the clash of kunai and the crackle of chakra. And among those echoes were the screams—sharp, sudden, and then silent.
The weak had already fallen. Only the strongest remained, still locked in deadly combat.
High above the village, a lone figure floated quietly in the sky, robes fluttering in the wind. His piercing purple eyes scanned the burning village below, calm amidst the storm.
He wasn't searching for survivors.
He was searching for a target.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
"…Found you," he murmured.
Zeldris.
He hadn't descended until now—not because he feared the battle, but because he was waiting for the right moment. Now, his eyes had locked onto one man: Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
But just as he prepared to descend, Zeldris noticed the man clashing with Rasa. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…An old acquaintance?"
He smirked.
"Well then. No harm in saying hello."
With that, he dove down, his cloak trailing behind like a shadow descending upon the storm.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield…
Dust and sand swirled around two figures locked in battle. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, stood with his breath ragged, his brow slick with sweat. But a grin still tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"As expected of the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi," Rasa said, voice low but steady. "To see you with my own eyes… You live up to the stories."
Standing opposite him was a silver-haired man in a flak jacket, face partially obscured by a black mask. One eye closed, the other glowing faintly crimson.
Kakashi Hatake.
He, too, was breathing heavily. The battle had dragged on, each moment demanding his full attention. Though his face remained calm, his mind was alert, calculating every move.
Rasa was no ordinary opponent.
'This fight is dragging out…' Kakashi thought. 'I wonder how Guy is holding up.'
Straightening slightly, Kakashi spoke firmly, "It's over. Sunagakure doesn't stand a chance this time."
Rasa chuckled, a dry, confident sound. "Still too naive, Kakashi."
"You really think we'd attack Konoha without preparing for everything?"
Before Kakashi could reply, Rasa raised his hand, golden chakra beginning to pulse beneath his feet.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Surge!"
The ground trembled as glittering streams of gold burst upward, forming a tidal wave of deadly placer gold that surged toward Kakashi like a living force.
But something was off.
The attack lacked the overwhelming pressure it had earlier—back when Rasa had fought Zeldris. His frown deepened.
'Damn… Konoha's soil isn't like the desert.'
The environment dulled his abilities. That's why he hadn't been able to finish Kakashi.
And it was starting to frustrate him.
Kakashi, however, didn't flinch. In a flash, his hands formed a series of seals.
He slammed his palm against the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A thick slab of earth erupted between him and the oncoming sand, absorbing the attack with a heavy thud. Dust exploded around them.
And then—a voice cut through the aftermath. Calm, casual, almost amused.
"Yo…"
Kakashi's eye twitched. Rasa immediately turned his head.
"…You two look like you're having fun."
Descending slowly from above, a man with dark robes and unreadable eyes hovered in the air.
Zeldris.
He smiled faintly.
"Need a hand?"
PS: 𝘔𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘭! 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘐𝘵 𝘖𝘶𝘵!!
(𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸: Fairy Tail: Voyage Through One Piece)
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