As everyone withdrew from the conference room, the rumbling explosions finally began to subside.
But before anyone could go in to investigate, a gigantic two-headed snake suddenly burst out of the conference room. With a casual coil of its huge, bloated body, it blew apart every wall surrounding the room!
Then the giant snake reared up, piercing straight through the entire pavilion. With a sweep of its tail, the massive building began to crumble.
Countless rocks, rubble, tables, and floorboards cascaded down like a torrent, mixed with many Land of Iron samurai covered in blood and flesh, screaming in agony.
"Get out of here!"
Mifune shouted.
Houka and the other shinobi had already shrewdly retreated the moment the two-headed giant snake appeared, so Mifune's warning was naturally aimed at the samurai.
But compared to the shinobi's mobility, the samurai's speed was clearly nowhere near the frequency at which the two-headed giant snake swung its tail.
In just over a dozen seconds, a great number of samurai died beneath the ruins of the pavilion.
At that moment, Orochimaru stood atop the two-headed giant snake. His golden vertical pupils and Rinnegan looked down upon Houka and the others from above.
"It seems none of you intend to hand the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails over to Akatsuki."
Orochimaru revealed a cold smile. "In that case, there is only one option left—war!!"
Ōnoki slowly floated into the air, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with Orochimaru. His aged voice rang out. "Is Akatsuki planning to declare war on the Five Great Countries?"
Orochimaru merely smiled without answering.
"What is Akatsuki's purpose in gathering the Tailed Beasts?" Ōnoki asked again.
"Our purpose?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he trotted out the rhetoric Pain had once used to fool him, his tone instantly turning fervent. "Naturally, it is