Time passed.
The barren wasteland was now occupied by two massive snakes. One was Shinga, clad in a golden, gleaming soft armor, while the other was a colossal serpent covered in purple stripes.
However, unlike its usual ferocious demeanor, the second snake seemed dispirited and weak.
Upon closer inspection, its body bore numerous wounds, including two freshly healed puncture scars on its raised abdomen.
Looking at Shinga, who was arrogantly swiping its tail across the other snake, it was clear that Manda had been subjected to frequent "physical conversations" with Shinga recently.
"Manda, I have a small favor to ask of you. Please deliver this letter and scroll to Orochimaru and bring back his reply to me," Sōmi said, looking up at Manda.
"Human..."
"Why should I help you?"
Manda flicked its dark purple tongue, its eyes still flashing with a fierce glint.
Sigh.
Sōmi let out a soft sigh. In the next moment, he abruptly activated the One-Tail Chakra Mode. With a single hand gesture, the Starfall Rod shot forth.
Boom!
The Starfall Rod exploded above Manda's head like golden fireworks, transforming into countless slender gold sand ropes that tightly bound Manda's entire body.
The purple runes on the surface of the ropes glowed faintly, crushing any hope Manda had of using the Summoning Technique to escape.
Creak... creak...
With a slight clench of Sōmi's right hand, the ropes began to dig into Manda's flesh bit by bit. Fresh blood gushed out instantly, pooling into a crimson puddle on the ground like a newly unearthed spring.
Moments later, as Manda's eyes rolled back and it appeared on the verge of fainting, Sōmi finally loosened the golden ropes.
"How about now?"
"Are you willing to do me this small favor?" Sōmi asked coldly, his tone dripping with menace.
"I... I am willing..."
"It's a small matter..."
Seizing the chance to breathe, Manda greedily inhaled the air and quickly agreed.
"Good."
"From now on, when I summon you, don't resist. I won't ask you to fight for me; I just need you to act as a messenger."
"As payment, I'll ensure Shinga won't provoke you anymore," Sōmi said calmly, his tone returning to normal.
At the mention of the last part, Shinga's single eye flared with indignation, but Sōmi quickly silenced it.
Meanwhile, Manda felt a deep sense of humiliation. Once, it had been a dominant force in Ryūchi Cave, locked in mutual disdain with Shinga but unable to overpower it.
Who could have predicted that Shinga would suddenly don a layer of golden armor? Its venom, fangs, and brute strength were instantly rendered ineffective.
And this despicable human dared to look down on it with such disdain...
Sōmi had chosen this indirect approach because having Manda personally deliver the letter would lend it far greater weight.
After all, Sōmi could no longer predict the direction of the ninja world. He wasn't even sure if Orochimaru would still defect from Konohagakure.
The purpose of this maneuver was to fan the flames and try to pull Orochimaru away from the village.
In the Land of Fire, atop a remote mountain peak. The area was desolate, devoid of human presence—not even woodcutters ventured here.
Yet the base of this mountain had long been hollowed out, transformed into an underground world.
In a dimly lit room, where a flickering yellow light cast eerie shadows, Orochimaru stood beside a hospital bed, observing the naked male body lying on it.
The lower half of the body was covered with a blanket, while a talisman bearing black sealing symbols obscured the face.
"Hmm?"
"Manda?"
Orochimaru's thoughts stirred abruptly, and he made his way to a spacious underground hall.
As the smoke cleared, Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Manda... what happened to you?"
Orochimaru's voice carried genuine surprise.
"Don't even ask!"
"There's a new summoner in Ryūchi Cave. That guy's summoning beast has always been at odds with me, and that wretched human even gave it some kind of golden armor. Now it comes to provoke me whenever it feels like it..."
Having just been humiliated again, Manda now appeared weak and dejected. Its tone, to Orochimaru's astonishment, even carried an unfamiliar note of grievance.
"Orochimaru, I don't want sacrifices anymore. Do you have any way to enhance my power?"
Manda's words were accompanied by a resentful yet pleading gaze directed at Orochimaru.
"..."
Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. By this logic, the root cause of Manda's suffering could be traced back to him.
"Not for now."
"But if you insist, I can start researching this. Once I have results, I'll let you know."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile as he tried to console Manda.
"Then can you use some ninjutsu to give me a layer of tough armor?"
Manda asked, still unwilling to give up.
"No."
"If I used Earth Release to create a rock armor for you, it would severely hinder your mobility. It's not worth the trade-off," Orochimaru replied bluntly.
"Then why does that wretched snake become even more agile after putting on its golden armor..."
Manda muttered bitterly.
In the end, realizing there was no immediate solution, Manda opened its massive mouth and used its tongue to place a scroll and letter in front of Orochimaru.
"This is from someone named Sōmi from Sunagakure. He asked me to deliver it to you!"
"Hurry up and read it; I need to take your reply back to him!"
With that, Manda sprawled its massive body across the floor, closed its eyes, and began resting.
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru's curiosity deepened. He had never seen Manda so obedient before. Even when he summoned it with a hundred live sacrifices prepared, Manda's attitude had always been defiant.
"Sōmi?"
"That little brat from Sunagakure?"
"It's been a while... has he grown this capable?"
Orochimaru's interest was piqued. How had Sōmi managed to achieve this?
Unfolding the letter, Orochimaru read:
"Dear Orochimaru-senpai,
"It's been a while, and I find myself missing you.
"I heard that the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure is Jiraiya's disciple. I find this deeply unjust. In terms of talent, knowledge, and vision, you undoubtedly surpass Minato Namikaze..."
"The collaboration we discussed last time—have you given it any thought?
"While exploring Ryūchi Cave, I stumbled upon an extraordinarily powerful force. I owe this discovery to you, and I wish to share this information with you as a token of gratitude.
"If Konohagakure fails to appreciate someone of your caliber, know that the gates of Sunagakure will always be open to you..."
"I've prepared a small gift; I hope you'll accept it!"
Orochimaru's eyes flickered with a complex light, the contents of the letter clearly leaving an impression on him.
After a moment, he opened the accompanying scroll.
As the white smoke dissipated, several fresh corpses and a large quantity of yellowish-white materials appeared on the ground.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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