Since they couldn't reach an agreement, they had no choice but to resort to talent shows.
A powerful Chakra immediately emanated from Orochimaru's body, and a strong wind swept outwards from him.
On the other side, Utakata didn't sit idly by either. He blew small bubbles out of a tube and sent them swirling around Orochimaru.
"We should have brought Deidara along; he'd definitely be interested in these novel bubble bombs!"
Before he finished speaking, Orochimaru had already moved, showing no fear of the bubbles surrounding him.
As expected, a chain reaction instantly broke out in the arena, with explosions rang out one after another.
"Ah...!"
The aftershocks of the explosion knocked Ying to the ground, and she looked like she had taken a bad fall, but neither of them had time to pay attention to her at that moment.
The explosions along the way did not cause Orochimaru much trouble; instead, he used the momentum to build up his strength for a powerful attack.
This scene was completely unexpected by Utakata. A figure suddenly emerged from the smoke, and Orochimaru's fist was already coming straight at him.
He took a solid Utakata and flew backward like a cannonball, carving a deep trench dozens of meters deep in the forest.
"Heh heh heh... I thought you were all that capable, but it seems you're nothing special after all!"
Orochimaru slowly walked towards the direction where Utakata had landed, his aura growing stronger and stronger.
Previously, he couldn't unleash his full power against the Four-Tails Naruto, but now he can finally stretch his muscles.
I underestimated you!
Utakata struggled to his feet, shook his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared intently at the approaching figure.
The person in front of him was more powerful than anyone he had ever encountered before, even giving him a feeling of facing Yagura.
"All fear stems from insufficient firepower!"
Utakata picked up the bubble tube again and blew out bubbles one after another. This time, the bubbles were several times larger than before. If they were to explode again, the power would be unimaginable.
Soon, the forest was enveloped by countless bubbles, making it impossible to move an inch.
As he raised his finger high, he snapped it, as if igniting a powder keg. Even Deidara would have to be careful to unleash an explosion of this magnitude.
The Hikari engulfed Orochimaru once again, and continued unabated. Orochimaru dared not take the full force of the energy head-on.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An energy shield immediately appeared around him, deflecting all attacks.
Pain was able to defeat Utakata single-handedly, so Orochimaru believed that this clone was also quite strong and couldn't possibly be no match for him.
The battle between the two was quite loud, but no one came to check on it in this desolate jungle. Only Ying, who was powerless, watched helplessly from a distance.
The battle lasted for two hours before it subsided, and that was only because Utakata hadn't Complete Tailed Beast Transformation; in the end, he only unleashed five tails. Otherwise, the battle would probably have lasted even longer.
When Orochimaru brought the unconscious Utakata to Hotaru's front, Hotaru was startled.
"What... what do you want to do?"
Seeing Ying retreat like a startled rabbit, Orochimaru was somewhat helpless. Was his appearance even more terrifying than that of Utakata in his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation?
"Don't worry! I told you I came here to deal with this guy. As for you..."
At this point, he suddenly revealed a mocking smile. The only thing this girl could boast about was the secret Forbidden Jutsu embedded in her back— the Rage Release.
This Forbidden Jutsu explodes outward from itself, capable of destroying an area with a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
The explosion could last up to thirty minutes, which sounds terrifying.
If Konan knew about this humanoid nuclear bomb, she probably wouldn't have wasted so many Explosive Tags; she alone is worth 150 billion Explosive Tags.
The reason it can cause such great destruction is that this Forbidden Jutsu is constantly absorbing the Chakra of nature, that is, Senjutsu Chakra.
This Chakra will be stored, and the longer it is stored, the greater its power will be, and the longer the explosion will last.
Putting aside the explosive power, just look at the Senjutsu Chakra within her body. For someone who has cultivated Senjutsu, she's practically a human power bank.
If Orochimaru had her and Karin by his side, he could fight Kaguya without taking any damage for a whole day.
Orochimaru, or rather, the Northern Lands, had no intention of letting go of such a strategically valuable talent.
"I have already sent people to negotiate cooperation with the Tsuchigumo Clan. I believe there will be results soon. When that happens, you can learn whatever Ninjutsu you want!"
Upon hearing this, Ying's previously anxious heart immediately became excited; she changed her mind faster than flipping through a book.
Isn't this why she's been clinging to Utakata? Besides, the two of them hadn't developed any feelings for each other when they first met.
"Really? That's great!"
Seeing her innocent appearance, Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh, entrusting such a person with the heavy responsibility of reviving the clan was simply a misplaced choice.
It would be more like it if it were someone like Uchiha Sasuke, an ambitious person obsessed with revenge.
"Whether I'm really going back to Mount Katsuragi or not will become clear in no time. I don't need to go to such lengths to deceive a young girl like you!"
"Uh-huh!"
The two had a very pleasant conversation, completely disregarding Utakata's life or death, which made things difficult for the little brother.
If Orochimaru hadn't appeared, the two might have actually sparked a romance, only to end in tragedy.
Since it's destined to be a tragic relationship, why even begin it?
Orochimaru showed no remorse in breaking up the couple; in fact, he helped them get together.
Utakata has a better future, and Ying will have a brighter one. Orochimaru isn't just breaking them up; he's preventing them from making a mistake and avoiding a tragic relationship!
"Oh, right! Let's bring that kid along too!"
Arriving at the starting point, he lifted the unconscious Shirou with his other hand.
This guy is all talk and no action. He has no ability but still covets the body of a young girl. It's just his bad luck that he ran into Orochimaru. It's a good opportunity to get rid of him as well.
"Why is Shirou here?"
Ying had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but she hadn't had the chance to say it before.
"You can ask him yourself when you get back. I'm worried that if you find out now, you'll not only regret bandaging his wound, but you'll also want to kill him!"
She didn't get the answer she wanted, but she didn't speak again, since Mount Katsuragi wasn't too far from here anyway.
A day later, the two returned to the mountain village where the Tsuchigumo Clan lived, just as night fell.
Upon arriving at the Tsuchigumo Clan, Orochimaru spotted a familiar figure standing at the village entrance.
"My lord! You've returned just in time!"
Kimimaro quickly stepped forward, and two more Northern Lands ninjas stepped out from behind him to take Utakata and Shirou from Orochimaru's hands.
"Oh? It seems things are going quite smoothly!"
Upon hearing this, Kimimaro nodded, a smile appearing on his lips.
Kimimaro led a delegation from the Northern Lands, sending a number of ninjas with the aim of negotiating the relocation with the Tsuchigumo Clan.
Making Kimimaro personally intervene was giving them too much credit. However, it was a matter of courtesy first, then force, just in case. If they couldn't reach an agreement, then this clan would have no reason to exist.
Throughout history, those who possess great treasures but lack the ability to protect them have never met a good end.
With Ying, a humanoid nuclear weapon, existing among the Tsuchigumo Clan, it's unlikely they can remain unscathed in this chaotic world.
If they had stayed in a remote corner, that would have been one thing, but their ancestor insisted that future generations carry on the family's glory. Wasn't that courting death?
"Overall, things went fairly smoothly, but the chieftain of the Tsuchigumo Clan is still a bit worried and wants to see you!"