Soji was being held back by Konan and a whole bunch of Summoning Beasts on one side, while Orochimaru and Nagato had already begun a fierce battle on the other.
Uh, no, that was not right. It should have been said that Orochimaru was getting beaten up one-sidedly.
Of course, Orochimaru knew it himself. Nagato was the leader of the Akatsuki Organization and possessed the powerful, mysterious Rinnegan. Even if he had trouble moving around, Orochimaru was absolutely no match for him.
The reason he still stubbornly wanted to fight Nagato was merely to find an opportunity, even one with only a one-percent chance, to seize the Rinnegan.
Perhaps that was what they meant by not being able to accept it until one had tried.
And that was Orochimaru's obsession!
Of course, although Orochimaru had decided to fight Nagato one-on-one, he did not intend to be crushed by Nagato from beginning to end.
Therefore, right at the start of the battle, Orochimaru used the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
The one he summoned was none other than the tool, the Third Kazekage!
Ever since Orochimaru had controlled the Reanimated Third Kazekage to fight Sasori's Third Kazekage human puppet within the Land of Wind, only for the Third Kazekage to automatically release the Impure World Reincarnation through sheer willpower—
Orochimaru had continued improving the forbidden Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
It could not be called perfect, but its effects were certainly much better than before.
Therefore, after Orochimaru stripped the summoned Third Kazekage of his personal consciousness, he could more or less control him perfectly without worrying that the Third Kazekage would release the Impure World Reincarnation on his own like last time.
If there was any drawback, it was that with this version of the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, the summoned dead