As he spoke, Orochimaru transformed into the first form of Sage Mode, and a powerful surge of Chakra rushed towards Hozuki Mangetsu.
"How does this compare to your Mizukage?"
Hozuki Mangetsu was dumbfounded by this inhuman appearance. He was so speechless that he was incoherent, and the Gravity Field enveloping him made him break out in a cold sweat.
This Chakra fluctuation has surpassed that of their Mizukage and is almost on par with some weaker Jinchuriki.
"You... are you a human or a ghost?"
Although there are strange people in the Ninja World, I have never seen anyone with horns on their head and fine lines all over their body.
Orochimaru was quite satisfied with his expression, but that wasn't enough. He not only had to shatter Orochimaru's worldview, but also instill awe in him.
Under Hozuki Mangetsu's incredulous gaze, Orochimaru slowly grew a pair of black wings and a whip-like tail from his back, while his forearms and legs gradually turned black.
Her nails had become sharp, and black tear stains under her eyes spread down to her chin, making her look incredibly eerie.
Although the Chakra fluctuations did not continue to increase, it was clear at a glance that a devastating explosive power was hidden within his strong body.
Slowly raising a finger, Orochimaru emitted a beam of energy from his fingertip, which flashed past Hozuki Mangetsu's stunned face, burning a few strands of hair near his ear to ashes.
The sudden attack snapped Hozuki Mangetsu back to his senses, and he immediately adopted an offensive stance again.
However, Orochimaru lowered his hand after firing the beam, glanced past him, and looked up slightly to look behind him.
Realizing that Orochimaru's attack wasn't directed at him, Hozuki Mangetsu slowly turned his head to look behind him.
The beam of light had already appeared a thousand meters away, its target a distant deserted island.
The next moment, a small mushroom cloud rose up a kilometer away, and after the smoke cleared, the small island reef, which was about two kilometers in diameter, disappeared into the sea.
The huge shockwave caused the waves to surge and the small boats nearby to rock violently.
This startled Guren, who thought it was the end of the world. The huge shaking also made the two boatmen in the cabin restless, and they rushed out to see what was happening.
They were so astonished when they looked at the rising mushroom cloud that they couldn't close their mouths.
Having witnessed the entire event, Hozuki Mangetsu was too shocked to speak, and any thought of resistance vanished completely.
When he turned around, he saw Orochimaru already pressing his finger against his forehead.
This scene made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. A cold sweat had involuntarily soaked his back, as if his head would explode like a watermelon in the next moment.
"Heh... The Ninja World is vast. Think long-term. What's the point of fighting around in the village all day long?"
Orochimaru withdrew his fingers and instead patted Hozuki Mangetsu's shoulder, drawing Hozuki Mangetsu's attention back to him.
Orochimaru doesn't mind being a little more patient with the geniuses of Kirigakure!
Seeing that Orochimaru had returned to normal and was smiling as if nothing had happened.
Hozuki Mangetsu couldn't help but swallow hard. At that moment, Orochimaru's seemingly harmless smile appeared to him as the smile of a demon.
At this moment, he finally understood why Orochimaru looked down at people with his chin. With that kind of power, blowing his head off would be a piece of cake.
"I have a path in the Land of Gold. It's risky, but once the country is built, the rewards will be substantial. There will be no tyranny, no oppression, no deceit, and only like-minded companions."
After a pause, Orochimaru continued:
"With my strength, given time, I might not be able to conquer the five Five Great Nations, but I can certainly contend with them! If you're interested, the village chief position can be rotated after this is done!"
The world of gangsters isn't just about human relationships; it's also about fighting and killing. Today I hit you, tomorrow you hit me.
Only by winning can you have a voice; isn't that how territory is acquired? Isn't that how talent is acquired?
"I... I need to think about it."
Faced with Orochimaru, whose fists were much bigger than his own, Hozuki Mangetsu had no choice but to temporarily back down. There were no people who would rather die than be humiliated.
Besides, Orochimaru didn't insult him; at most, he just threatened him.
Seeing that he didn't agree immediately, Orochimaru knew that he might only be temporarily backing down. He wasn't angry, because if someone could just defect like that, he wouldn't dare to use them anymore.
"Alright! If you ever can't stay in the Land of Water, remember to come find me in the Land of Rice Fields. Remember, you owe me a life. If you die for no reason, I won't mind sinking the Land of Water."
Without waiting for Hozuki Mangetsu's thoughts or expression, he took him and flew downwards.
Defeating the Land of Water is quite difficult. Don't be fooled by its small size on the map; it's actually quite large.
If it really came down to a fight, defeating the Mizukage Yagura shouldn't be a problem, but these are just words for now, and things haven't reached that point yet.
A short while later, Orochimaru and Hozuki Mangetsu returned to the ship. The three people on the ship looked at the two returning one after the other with somewhat puzzled expressions.
What happened to the promise of a life-or-death struggle? What happened to the promise of determining both superiority and defeat? And one of them was expressionless, while the other had a complicated and somewhat pale face.
"Sir, how are you? Are you alright?"
Guren hurriedly went to meet Orochimaru and asked, "The two of you disappeared for a while and then the explosion happened. It would be a lie to say I'm not worried."
"What could possibly happen? You should have confidence in my abilities!"
Orochimaru patted her little head; the little girl was quite caring.
"What's wrong with that guy? He looks constipated."
That was a bit hurtful, but luckily Hozuki Mangetsu was a bit far away, otherwise he would have Byakugan at her.
"Heh... How can you be in a good mood after getting beaten up?"
"I knew it, sir, you're the best. I was worried for nothing..."
Hozuki Mangetsu, sitting cross-legged at the bow of the ship, was also unable to calm down. Orochimaru's words had indeed shaken his resolve.
For a ninja, dying on the battlefield is the greatest honor, but dying in internal strife or at the hands of comrades would be something no one would be willing to accept.
Especially someone as proud as Hozuki Mangetsu, although his ancestor was Hozuki Gengetsu, the Mizukage, that's all in the past. The current Mizukage won't show mercy just because he's a descendant of the Mizukage.
The opponent's sword won't be any slower just because he's a descendant of the Mizukage; if he wants to live, he has to kill his opponent.
It could be your companion, your family member; only one of them can survive, and one day he will personally point the knife at his companion.
"Is there no internal strife, no deceit and treachery in the Land of Gold?"
Ultimately, in this world, strength reigns supreme. Orochimaru possesses that kind of strength.
What he said was probably true; he seemed to see a shadow of someone in Orochimaru: the First Hokage.
He had heard of the First Hokage's dominance over the Ninja World. Although he didn't know the First Hokage's strength, Orochimaru's devastating attack power gave him that feeling.
"Let's see how things go first, and we'll talk about it if it really comes to that."
Hozuki Mangetsu still clung to some illusions, unaware that the darkest hour for Kirigakure was about to arrive.