Feeling the cold edge press against his neck, Orochimaru's expression finally darkened.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
As a former Konoha shinobi, Orochimaru was intimately familiar with that jutsu. He knew very well that Hyūga Satoru had mastered it—but what he hadn't anticipated was how far this young man had already pushed the technique.
There was no such thing as an invincible ninjutsu in the shinobi world. Even space–time techniques had weaknesses.
For the Flying Thunder God, that weakness was obvious: it required a pre-placed mark.
That limitation was exactly why Orochimaru had remained vigilant throughout the battle with Jiraiya, keeping part of his attention on Satoru. Shinichi—no, Satoru—had not appeared to scatter many markings across the battlefield.
Yet despite all his caution, Orochimaru had failed to realize that a Flying Thunder God seal had already been planted.
On Kabuto.
And it was that single mark that had forced Orochimaru into his current, extremely unpleasant position.
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru slowly licked his lips—and then, unexpectedly, smiled.
Such a perfect opportunity… and Satoru hadn't gone for the kill?
With Orochimaru's intellect, the conclusion came instantly.
Satoru must have another objective.
Otherwise, there was no explanation.
The ninja villages never showed mercy to rogue ninja. Orochimaru had no delusions that he was somehow special—worthy of leniency. Even Jiraiya did not have the authority to spare him.
As for capture alive?
Absurd.
The village knew exactly how dangerous he was. Sending shinobi to restrain themselves against Orochimaru would be tantamount to suicide. No Hokage—no matter how soft-hearted—would ever issue such an order.
Which meant only one thing.
Satoru wanted something else.
Realizing that, Orochimaru relaxed instead of panicking.
"What do you want?" he asked calmly.
"Capture me alive? Drag me back to Konoha for execution?"
"Or perhaps…"
His hoarse voice carried a strange composure, as if the kunai biting into his skin was meaningless.
"Are you after something more interesting?"
Satoru raised the blade slightly.
The kunai's edge sliced cleanly into Orochimaru's neck. Blood welled and trickled down, staining the steel.
The wound was shallow—barely three centimeters—but the message was unmistakable.
Orochimaru, however, did not flinch.
"You came here with Jiraiya," he said thoughtfully. "This was never just a simple rogue-hunting mission."
"If Konoha truly wanted me dead, they would've acted years ago. They wouldn't have let me roam freely for so long."
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"Let me guess… was it Danzō who sent you?"
In Orochimaru's mind, Jiraiya and Satoru belonged to entirely different camps. The only people in Konoha who truly understood Orochimaru's value were Danzō and a handful of old vultures.
Perhaps they wanted his research.
His experiments.
Orochimaru chuckled again, convinced he had seen through everything.
Satoru's expression didn't change.
"Your guess is wrong," he said calmly, "but not completely off the mark."
"We didn't come for you."
"Rogue ninja aren't our target."
As he spoke, Satoru's left hand moved. In one smooth motion, he slid a ring off Orochimaru's finger.
A ring engraved with the character 空 — Void.
Satoru held it up between two fingers.
"This ring," he said evenly. "You're familiar with it, aren't you?"
"Tell us about the organization that uses it."
Orochimaru's pupils contracted.
Akatsuki?!
So Konoha had noticed them already?
Understanding dawned as Orochimaru swept his gaze over the assembled group—their strength, their composition, their coordination.
Then he laughed.
Laughed openly.
Akatsuki had always been nothing more than a temporary alliance to him—a mutually exploitative arrangement. He had joined for access to resources… and for the Rinnegan.
But Akatsuki's leader had never shown himself. Members only communicated through projections. Orochimaru had never learned the leader's location, and without that, stealing the Rinnegan was impossible.
In recent years, Orochimaru had grown increasingly indifferent to Akatsuki's missions. That attitude had already put him at odds with the organization's leadership.
If Konoha and Akatsuki came into open conflict?
Orochimaru would benefit the most.
"What do you want to know?" he asked cheerfully.
Satoru didn't waste time.
"How many members?"
"Who are they?"
"How strong are they?"
"What techniques do they use?"
"And most importantly—what is their goal?"
He met Orochimaru's eyes.
"As for payment… we'll accept your life and the lives of your subordinates."
A sharp glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes.
"You think you control me?" he sneered.
Satoru simply replied, "I'm helping you."
As he spoke, he lightly patted Orochimaru's shoulder—and withdrew the kunai.
The pressure vanished.
Orochimaru's expression darkened instead of relaxing.
That brat had definitely marked him already.
"You little monster…"
Anger surged—but Orochimaru forced it down.
He clasped his hands together and, to everyone's surprise, released Edo Tensei on his own.
The coffins sank back into the earth. Hashirama and Tobirama vanished.
"Manda—return," Orochimaru added calmly.
Far away, Kimimaro disengaged from Might Guy and stepped back.
Then Orochimaru began to speak.
"The organization is called Akatsuki."
"It is, at heart, a mercenary group."
"The leader possesses the legendary Rinnegan."
Jiraiya's expression changed instantly.
Orochimaru noticed—and smiled.
"You should recognize those eyes, Jiraiya."
Silence fell.
After a moment, Jiraiya muttered, "It can't be him…"
Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Kisame of the Mist. Jūzō Biwa. Kakuzu of Takigakure. Sasori of the Sand. Myself."
"That is Akatsuki's current combat strength."
Satoru listened carefully.
Akatsuki was still small.
Incomplete.
This was the perfect moment to crush them.
But reality was harsh.
Without Mangekyō Sharingan, without Minato and Kushina leaving the village, without a full mobilization… the Hidden Rain could not be challenged yet.
They were early.
Too early.
Inside the underground base, Orochimaru concluded calmly:
"Akatsuki's goal is to capture all the tailed beasts."
"And then rule the world."
"I have no interest in that."
"For Konoha… now is the best time to destroy them."
"If you choose to act—"
"I can help."
...…
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