As Orochimaru shouted the name of the snake-like blade, a cold and immense aura erupted from it in an instant! The blade then completely transformed into a living white giant snake and surged into Orochimaru's body!
Squelch! Squelch!
Countless blue, glowing nerve bundles, like tree roots, burst out from the severed part of Orochimaru's waist and instantly sank into the cold, shattered rock floor below!
Rumble!!
The moment those nerve bundles touched the ground, the entire underground rock layer of the ruins, and even the entire island, seemed to come alive and seethe! An unimaginably vast, invisible neural network frantically spread out, instantly covering the underground of the ruins and extending into the deeper and wider rock layers!
Clank! Boom!!
Several bottomless cracks spread in a web-like pattern. A huge rock plate, like the backbone of a gigantic beast, arched up, carrying Orochimaru's body as it surged out of the ground.
White Fang leaped out of the broken ground without hesitation, emerging from the underground ruins. Looking up, a colossal rock snake, completely made of the island's bedrock, had erupted from the earth. Its massive body coiled and meandered, composed of hard basalt. Its huge snake head lifted up, and two balls of blue flame burned in its hollow eye sockets!
Orochimaru's shattered upper body was now on top of this coiled rock snake, on its head which was as large as a mountain peak.
"Such powerful strength... this is what it feels like! Hahahaha!"
Orochimaru looked at his hands and the rock snake below him, letting out a hoarse, insane laugh. This was the Shikai ability of "Hebihime." It could materialize the user's spirit into an independent nerve bundle. Any substance it touched could be given a "soul" and become a part of the user's body, obedient to their will.
It was similar to "Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation," but its manifested power was several times stronger! Not only inorganic matter, but if Orochimaru wished, he could even touch human bodies, touch his own or others' souls, and change their shapes, thereby achieving the effect of freely modifying the body!
"Everything mentioned in that scroll is true."
Orochimaru looked at White Fang below. He didn't choose to attack him but instead said coldly, "Tell me, is that Hollow King still there?" This time, he had truly learned his lesson. Even though he had gained a more powerful strength, he no longer showed any contempt for the "Hollow Realm."
He could feel that the power of his Zanpakutō could become even stronger. He didn't want his Zanpakutō to be snatched away by the superior-level Menos described in the scroll.
Furthermore, this "Menos" clearly had a chance to kill him just now, but it chose to stop when it saw the scroll. Could it be...?
In the face of Orochimaru's question and speculation, White Fang just looked at him deeply, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "He is always there, everywhere."
Hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, and then a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The huge rock snake below him opened its mouth, revealing fangs made of sharp rocks, as if it was also smiling.
White Fang silently gripped the other broadsword on his back, ready to go all out, but the next moment, he froze because of something Orochimaru said.
"Please send my regards to that being," he said. "Farewell."
With that, Orochimaru controlled the massive rock snake, turning it around without hesitation and submerging it into the sea surrounding the island.
He wasn't an idiot. The immense power he now possessed was all due to finding a small journal. Who knew what kind of terrifying power the owner of that journal had? Even a slight possibility of him being alive was enough. It would be a complete suicide to provoke such a powerful being when he knew they might be alive.
As for whether this act of retreating would be shameful... there was no one else here. And submitting to a powerful, god-like being was not shameful.
The most important thing now was to return to the mainland, figure out the abilities of his Zanpakutō, and gather intelligence. He had a feeling that a lot had happened in the time he had been gone.
But it didn't matter. Now that he had a Zanpakutō, as long as he didn't encounter the Five Kage and the Hollow Realm, he could do whatever he wanted.
The mist of the Hidden Mist Village used to be like a gentle veil. But today, the thick fog was stained with red, like a funeral shroud. The air was filled with a heavy smell of blood, char, and dampness, combining into a nauseating stench unique to the "Bloody Mist Village."
The area in front of the Mizukage's office had become a meat grinder!
"Kill! For the glory of the Kaguya Clan!"
"Water Kage's dogs! Die!"
"Hahaha! Kill! Kill! Die! Die!"
The Kaguya clan ninjas were like berserk beasts. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they charged fearlessly at the defensive line made up of the Anbu and other Hidden Mist ninjas! They swung various bone blades, bone spears, and bone spikes. Every attack carried a suicidal intent. They ignored their defenses, ignored the pain, and even ignored the kunai and ninja swords that pierced their bodies! They only wanted to tear out the enemy's throat with their bones and crush their trachea with their fangs before they fell.
Insanity! Absolute insanity!
This was not so much a rebellion as a collective suicide charge. The only reason was their inability to tolerate the oppression of the Fourth Mizukage. This was the nature of the Kaguya Clan, even more extreme and warlike than most of the Uchiha.
In contrast to the wild roars of the Kaguya clan, the Hidden Mist ninjas were silent. Their eyes under their Anbu masks were cold as they silently slaughtered in the thick fog. No matter how many of their comrades died around them, they remained emotionless, like emotionless killing machines.
The bodies of the Kaguya clansmen fell like reaped wheat. Their boasted Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) seemed so clumsy and fragile in front of the well-trained Hidden Mist Anbu!
Remains were scattered everywhere, and blood stained the ground, forming a viscous stream that flowed into the drainage ditches.
However, in this chaotic slaughterhouse, a figure flitted like a ghost. Wherever he went, he stirred up a rain of blood! It was a small figure with long gray-white hair that was matted together in the bloody mist, sticking to his blood-stained face. He looked to be only ten years old. His body was so thin that a gust of wind could blow him over, but in his gray-white pupils, there was none of the innocence or fear of a child. There was only a bottomless emptiness.
This was, without a doubt, Kimimaro.
His movements were nimble and light, as if he had no weight. Every dodge was perfectly timed, and every attack was precise and lethal. He didn't clumsily swing his bone blades like the other clansmen because his body itself was the perfect weapon!
Swish!
A Hidden Mist ninja appeared from the mist, his long blade swinging toward Kimimaro's back. A breathless Kimimaro staggered from the blow, but he wasn't injured because four hard, sharp bone spikes burst out from his back, piercing through the body of his attacker!
Three Hidden Mist ninjas surrounded him, their ninja blades gleaming coldly. Kimimaro's body suddenly spun like an elegant dancer. In the instant he spun, several thin, sharp bone spikes shot out from his joints!
Squelch! Squelch!
The dense sound of bones penetrating flesh rang out, and the three men were riddled with holes!
Seeing this, there was no expression on Kimimaro's face. His gray-white pupils reflected the blood mist and death, but it couldn't stir a single ripple. There was no anger, no pleasure, not even the awareness of killing. He was just following orders, killing all the Hidden Mist ninjas. He didn't care what he was fighting for, didn't care about the glory of the Kaguya Clan, and didn't even care about his own life or death.
This was only because he was needed. This empty sense of being "needed" dispelled the loneliness and confusion he had felt for a long time.
But he was still just one person. The number of Kaguya clansmen was decreasing at an astonishing rate. Their crazy charge, under the strict formations, cold slaughter, and precise coordination of the Hidden Mist ninjas, was like a wave crashing against a reef, only to be shattered into nothing.
As each Kaguya clansman was killed, their faces were filled with unwillingness and madness. The screams became fewer, and the resistance grew weaker. Only a handful of Kaguya clansmen were still standing. They were separated and surrounded, making their final struggle.
The Fourth Mizukage they were shouting about hadn't even made a move. He was just standing in his office in the Mizukage building. Yagura Karatachi, wearing his Mizukage hat, stood quietly by the window. Under the shadow of the hat was a face that was unusually young, even a bit childish. He looked down at the tragic and chaotic slaughter as if watching a play that had nothing to do with him. The splashing of blood, the cracking of bones, the wails of lives... there was no anger, no regret, no emotion. Nothing could stir a single ripple in his eyes. He was like a cold, emotionless statue.
From beginning to end, he didn't make a move or release any ninjutsu. He just stood there, watching the Kaguya Clan extinguish themselves like moths to a flame.
In fact, according to their original fate, the Kaguya Clan would have been completely wiped out on the outskirts of the village. And after the Kaguya Clan was killed, Kimimaro would have been lucky enough to survive and meet Orochimaru on the road.
However, compared to the original plot, an unexpected variable had appeared. Someone who shouldn't have been there had shown up.
"Hmph, no matter where you go, there are always idiots who overestimate themselves."
A figure walked out of the darkness behind Yagura Karatachi. The grim and ugly face was gradually exposed to the light. It was, without a doubt, Obito Uchiha, who had escaped from the Hidden Leaf.
Before his death, Madara Uchiha had controlled the Third Mizukage and turned the Hidden Mist Village into his personal dominion. However, after Madara Uchiha's death, the Third Mizukage's rule was overthrown and he was killed, and the Hidden Mist Village entered a brief period of peace. But later, Obito Uchiha did the same thing as Madara Uchiha: he controlled the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, and made the Hidden Mist Village his base. Now that he couldn't return to the Akatsuki and couldn't stay in the Hidden Leaf for long, he could only come back here.
"..."
Thinking of what he had encountered in the Hidden Leaf, a shadow passed over Obito Uchiha's right eye, but his blind left eye remained empty. This time, his identity was completely exposed. The only benefits he got were this blind Mangekyō Sharingan and Itachi Uchiha, who had the potential to awaken the Rinnegan.
Now, his only hope could only be placed on Itachi Uchiha. As long as he could get Itachi Uchiha to awaken the Rinnegan, he still had a chance to continue his plan.
"Zetsu," he asked in a cold voice. "Has Itachi Uchiha been settled?"
Black and White Zetsu slowly poked their heads out of the wall. White Zetsu, in its usual strange tone, chuckled, "He's settled down, but what about his broken arm?"
Hearing this, Obito Uchiha frowned. After a moment of silence, he said, "Go and transplant your arm to him. Remember to plant a seal in his heart."
"Okay," White Zetsu shrugged, not having any objections. Transplanting White Zetsu, planting a seal...
Half of Obito's body had been transplanted from it after he was crushed, so it originally only had one arm. It only looked complete because Black Zetsu had attached itself to it. Obito was planning to repeat what Madara had done to him, to Itachi Uchiha.
But it wasn't as stupid as the other White Zetsu. It wouldn't say these things when Obito was angry. And it seemed that because of what the fake Obito had said, Obito wasn't even wearing a mask anymore. It seemed he planned to act with his true identity.
"Black Zetsu," Obito said in a cold tone. "You made me leave the Hidden Leaf, and even left Kakashi's life behind and let my identity be exposed. What was the reason?"
Black Zetsu, of course, couldn't say what difference does it make if your identity is exposed. It just took a few steps forward and handed the intelligence it had gathered to Obito. Obito frowned and took the scroll. As he read it, his face grew darker and darker. Since he had left the Hidden Leaf before the "Shadow" arrived, he had no idea what had happened afterward.
"It's that 'Shadow' again!" Obito said through gritted teeth, full of hatred. "Menos, Espada, the Hollow Realm... is that what that guy's organization is called?"
The "Menos" that Fugaku Uchiha had transformed into after his death was actually subdued by the "Shadow." Didn't that mean they had helped that guy again for no reason?!
"What is this 'Menos' thing?" He looked up at Black Zetsu, his face grim as he asked.
"According to the intelligence and my speculation," Black Zetsu's tone was also hoarse and solemn, "it should be a creation of Yin Release. It's a human being who has died with strong emotional fluctuations and has been twisted and transformed by some kind of power..."
A human being who has died with strong emotional fluctuations and has been twisted and transformed by some kind of power?
Hearing this, Obito was stunned for a moment. He asked with a tone of shock and suspicion, "Some kind of power? In other words, when we were making our move, that 'Shadow' guy had already targeted Fugaku Uchiha?"
"..."
Black Zetsu fell into a brief silence. Or rather, even it didn't know the answer. This was the first time it had seen a "Hollow" and it didn't feel like it was a natural transformation.
However, the "Shadow's" words seemed to indicate that the "Hollow Realm" had existed for a long time. Plus, the "Shadow" might be a creation of some "extraterrestrial being"...
"Perhaps the 'Hollows' existed before I was separated from my mother, but they disappeared for some special reason?" Black Zetsu thought to itself.
If the "Shadow's" goal was the same as its own—to resurrect its "father" or "mother"—perhaps the "Hollow Realm" was one of the steps in the resurrection process? No, it's not a resurrection. The "Shadow's" creator was the extraterrestrial being that had appeared in the Land of Hot Water before. The "Shadow's" true goal should be to help it regain its power.
Hmm, this guess is a reliable one.
After all, according to the intelligence it had gathered, before the "Shadow" left the Hidden Leaf, it had said that "my Lord" would return to the world. This "my Lord" should refer to that extraterrestrial being.
Thinking of this, Black Zetsu felt a headache. It seemed that the progress of that extraterrestrial being was far ahead of its own.
"Black Zetsu..."
Obito suddenly spoke, interrupting Black Zetsu's thoughts and making it look up at Obito. But what it saw was Obito's dazed profile.
"You just said that this 'Menos' thing is a creation that's born when a human dies with strong emotional fluctuations and is twisted and transformed by 'some kind of power,' right?"
"In other words, it requires an external force to be born, right?"
Obito's voice was strangely dry. He turned to look at Black Zetsu and raised a hand to point outside the window. "Then tell me, what the hell is that thing?"
Upon hearing this, a strong sense of unease surged in Black Zetsu's heart. It quickly went to stand behind Obito and looked out the window.
As soon as he arrived in the Hidden Mist Village, Obito heard that the Kaguya Clan had staged a coup, intending to overthrow and kill the Fourth Mizukage. He also learned through intelligence that many people in the Hidden Mist Village were also getting restless. So he gave the order to completely encircle and kill the Kaguya Clan, intending to make an example of them. Since it was meant to be a warning, he had to let more people see it, so he let the Kaguya Clan into the village.
However, it seemed to have led to a serious consequence he hadn't anticipated. The fanatical charge collided with a cold, iron-like slaughter. The last few figures struggled futilely under the encirclement, and were then pierced and torn by cold kunai and ninja swords.
The roars of the Kaguya clan had turned into desperate whimpers, as if they were their final echoes. It all ended in silence.
Only that small figure, who was killing wildly in the crowd but was destined to be unable to change the outcome, was left. He was a tireless killing machine, but the parts of the machine were worn out, and blood stained his pale skin.
Kimimaro felt so cold. A kind of cold that couldn't be dispelled. It wasn't the damp cold of the mist, but a loss of life. He felt so tired. A kind of heavy weariness he had never felt before, like an invisible shackle, wrapped around his limbs. His body became unusually heavy, as if it were filled with lead.
He finally felt fear. It wasn't the fear of death. He was afraid of loneliness, of the emptiness after death. "Death" was equal to loneliness, equal to endless loneliness. The concept of "death" had drilled into his mind so clearly for the first time.
"Am I going to die?" Kimimaro spat out a mouthful of blood and thought to himself, "Just like those fallen clansmen, becoming a cold corpse, and then facing endless darkness and loneliness..."
No, this is not what I want! I don't want to disappear just like this! I want to continue to exist!
An unprecedented, strong fear and unwillingness, almost tearing his soul, erupted in his empty and lifeless heart.
"What I want is a reason to exist! A reason that even after I die, I can prove that I once existed, that I was once needed!"
"My existence, my death, should all have meaning!"
His gray-white pupils, for the first time, burst into a hot light. It wasn't the desire to kill but the desire to exist itself. But this strong will to live and desire, which was almost tearing his soul, couldn't save his ebbing life.
Finally, under the blade of a Hidden Mist ninja, he fell.
But the next moment, a sudden change occurred! The souls of the dead Kaguya clansmen scattered everywhere, filled with strong unwillingness, hatred, and crazy fighting will, rose from their corpses as if they were pulled by an invisible force! They transformed into streaks of light, carrying all their murderous intent, pain, and anger, and surged into Kimimaro's body!
"Agh!!"
Kimimaro threw his head back and let out a non-human shriek. The blood vessels under his skin wriggled and bulged wildly like earthworms! His body began to undergo a terrifying transformation. His bones made a grating "crackling" sound as they grew, twisted, and deformed inside his body! His muscles swelled and knotted like an inflated balloon. His skin was stretched and torn, revealing the body covered with a pale, horny layer underneath!
Finally, under the almost dazed gaze of Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu, a twisted and grotesque monster burst out of his flesh!
Bang!!
Flesh and blood scattered. What was revealed to the Hidden Mist people was a grotesque monster wearing a bone mask and covered in sharp bone spikes all over its body.
"Roar!!"
Along with a deafening roar, the figure raised its bone-armored fist and smashed it into the ground with a shriek that tore through the air!
Rumble!!
The ground trembled violently, cracking and collapsing! Then, countless pale, sharp bone spikes, gleaming with a cold light, erupted from the collapsed ground below, like a monstrous, pale bone forest growing in hell!
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!!
A sudden impalement covered the entire area.
"Agh!!"
"No..."
The piercing screams instantly echoed into the sky.
A Hidden Mist ninja tried to leap up and dodge, but a bone spike that shot out from below instantly pierced through his chest. Blood gushed out of the wound like a fountain!
Another Chunin was impaled from below, the bone spike going through his body from his genitals to the top of his head. His body hung on the pale bone spike like a broken rag doll!
Several ninjas were squeezed and impaled by the densely growing bone spikes, like insects pinned to a specimen board!
The sound of bones shattering, flesh tearing, and internal organs being squeezed mixed with their dying wails... Dozens of Hidden Mist ninjas were pierced by this terrifying bone forest. Blood flowed like a stream down the pale bone spikes, staining the deathly white bone forest a blinding crimson! The thick mist was stained even redder with blood, and the sweet, rich smell was suffocating.
"..."
Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu stood by the window, taking in everything that was happening below. Obito's face was completely frozen. He stared intently at the grotesque monster and the pale bone forest that had instantly slaughtered dozens of Hidden Mist ninjas...
"Damn it! Damn it!!" Obito roared in a fit of rage. "When does it end?! The Hidden Leaf and the Akatsuki, twice! This is the second time! Isn't that enough?!"
First, it drove him out of the Akatsuki. Then it drove him out of the Hidden Leaf. And now it has followed him to the Hidden Mist Village?!
"Obito!" Black Zetsu said in a grave tone. "Since it has just transformed, its power is not stable. We must control it immediately. Perhaps we can make it work for us..."
Hearing this, the enraged Obito was stunned. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as he looked at Yagura Karatachi, who was being controlled by a genjutsu beside him.
"Go!" he said coldly. "Bring that monstrosity back to me!"