Akainu!

"Long time no see, Shisui-kun."

Swish!!

Shisui drew his short blade from behind his back, cold sweat trickling down his cheeks as a fine, prickly itch crawled up the back of his neck.

Strong as Shisui was, his hand gripping the blade was trembling!

A person's name is like the shadow of a tree.

In the beginning, the title of Konoha Sannin carried a hint of disgrace, but as each of them distinguished themselves on the battlefield, the name gradually became synonymous with power.

To this day, the Konoha Sannin are undoubtedly legendary powerhouses in the ninja world!

For Shisui, Orochimaru held a different kind of significance.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Orochimaru served as the supreme commander for multiple theaters, including the Mist Battlefield where Shisui was stationed.

He had witnessed the cold-blooded ruthlessness of this commander firsthand; even now, he would often wake up in a cold sweat in the dead of night.

Yet, mixed into Shisui's fear of Orochimaru was a complex emotion.

It was admiration.

Because his reason told Shisui that those cruel orders from Orochimaru were correct—they were the most appropriate decisions at the time.

On the battlefield, he was like a cold, emotionless machine.

Even Namikaze Minato, the fastest in the ninja world, could not save everyone.

Orochimaru's cold-blooded decisions were the means to preserve the greatest amount of combat strength possible.

If not for the fact that his clan head was on good terms with the Fourth Hokage, Shisui wasn't even sure how he would have voted during the vote of confidence.

The Fourth Hokage was excellent, but he felt that Orochimaru would not have been a bad Hokage either.

But times have changed, and upon meeting again, neither of them were Konoha ninja anymore.

Seeing Uchiha Sora form hand seals as his chakra rapidly condensed, Orochimaru smiled faintly.

"Sora-kun, it is better not to waste your effort. I will not give you the chance to summon; I have already visited the land of deathly silence created by that monster."

Uchiha Sora grinned. "Change how you address me. I really don't like being called Sora-kun."

"Then how should I address you?"

"Uchiha Sora, or Lord Sora, either will do."

Orochimaru laughed.

It was not a laugh born of extreme rage.

The moment he laid eyes on Uchiha Sora, he discovered that this youth possessed the same traits as himself.

It was an extreme obsession, the readiness to pay any price and make any sacrifice for one's goal!

Orochimaru liked that look in his eyes.

He slowly reached out, his pale fingers adorned with a ring bearing the kanji for "Sky."

"I am the 'Sky' of the organization, and you are also called Sora. This is a special kind of fate."

"That's a pickup line that went out of style hundreds of years ago."

Uchiha Sora accelerated his chakra refinement, ready to flee at any moment.

Orochimaru was undoubtedly a Kage-level powerhouse; even if he joined forces with Shisui, their chances of winning were slim. Furthermore, he had noticed Shisui's erratic emotional fluctuations, meaning he couldn't guarantee they would perform at their peak if they fought.

His goal was Shukaku; there was no benefit in fighting Orochimaru here, and there was no shame in running away.

Uchiha Sora was stubborn, but he wasn't a mad dog that bit everyone he saw.

Orochimaru lowered his hand and smiled. "Are you not interested in the organization I have joined?"

"It is a very suitable place for rogue ninja like us, who have been abandoned by our villages, to survive."

Connecting this to his previous words, Orochimaru was making it clear that he had been to Konoha and was aware of the Uchiha's departure.

Uchiha Sora's lips curled upward. "Don't get it wrong, we didn't defect."

"I just find that rotting village too foul-smelling. Sooner or later, I will go back and burn it clean."

Orochimaru's smile deepened, as if he had encountered a rare kindred spirit. "Sora-kun... Uchiha Sora, you possess eyes that can see the truth."

"We could cooperate."

"Together, we can destroy that decaying village!"

"Sorry, but you don't have much credibility right now."

Uchiha Sora rested his hand on the hilt of Ryuzuki, saying slowly, "Mr. Orochimaru, if you retreat now, I can pretend nothing happened."

Orochimaru spread his arms, looking like a venomous snake waiting for the right moment to strike: "Oh~ judging by your tone, are you saying you can hurt me if you want to?"

Clang—

The bright blade slid an inch from its scabbard, and faint flames began to flicker: "Why don't you try and see?"

The atmosphere grew oppressive, and Shisui steadied his trembling hands.

Even when facing his former superior, now an S-rank rogue ninja, he would choose to strike the moment Uchiha Sora gave the order.

When dealing with someone like Orochimaru, even if Uchiha Sora didn't want to fight, he couldn't afford to show weakness.

This viper was just waiting for that exact moment to strike.

Whoosh—

The wind and sand rose again, and a low, hulking figure approached, crawling like a tortoise-snake.

Both of them had been so focused on Orochimaru that they had only just noticed him.

A cold voice rang out.

"They're just two brats, Orochimaru. What are you hesitating for?"

"How much longer do you expect me to wait? I don't like waiting for people."

Seeing that familiar figure, Uchiha Sora didn't hesitate for a second, shouting, "Attack!"

BOOM!!

A scorching fire dragon roared forth—it was Shisui's Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Uchiha Sora also began to take out a loan using the two hundred-plus credibility points he had accumulated during this time.

The platform judged his own strength at one hundred; two hundred credibility points should be equivalent to Kage-level combat power.

Dealing with Orochimaru alone, he could fight and retreat.

But with Sasori of the Red Sands added to the mix...

He couldn't run. Once they showed signs of defeat, these two guys would never let go of such rare Uchiha test subjects!

Then he would fight!

"Loan application received"

"This loan will freeze 230 credibility points for a term of five years. Do you accept?"

"Matching successful. Please confirm to receive the power from another dimension"

"Appendix: This loan is a humanoid life form. Please do not force them to act in extreme violation of their principles. This platform is not responsible for any loan issues arising from such actions"

"Friendly reminder"

"Even for a moment of indulgence, based on the laws of fate, the price is already set. Please use this platform with caution."

Less chatter next time. I know I have to pay it back; just lend it to me!

BOOM—

Under the scorching heat of the fire dragon, the surface of the sand turned to glass.

Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sands dodged the attack and exchanged a glance.

"Do you... have a grudge against that guy?"

Orochimaru asked, puzzled. He could sense that Uchiha Sora had no desire to fight, and he himself had been debating whether to make a move.

Why did Uchiha Sora attack the moment Sasori of the Red Sands appeared?

In his view, the value of cooperating with a fallen Danzo was far less than that of the Uchiha clan.

If he could cooperate with the Uchiha to establish a ninja village, it would be a superpower on the level of a rising star in the ninja world, and it wouldn't be impossible to vie for the position of a Great Nation.

Although the Akatsuki organization was strong, their numbers were few, and everyone had their own ulterior motives; it was held together solely by the leader's absolute force, which wasn't of much help to him.

Sasori of the Red Sands, hidden within Hiruko, said coldly, "Who knows? Maybe it's just a stress reaction before death."

"Finish this quickly. One corpse for each of us."

Orochimaru's expression turned cold: "Don't be so arrogant. He's worth more alive than dead!"

"You may not want to kill him, but the killing intent in his eyes is certainly not fake."

"Being so indecisive when facing someone who wants to kill you, that doesn't sound like you, Orochimaru."

Clack, clack—

The tail of Hiruko straightened, poised to launch its poisonous needles.

Suddenly, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!

A massive roar echoed from mid-air as a black-and-red speck of light approached at high speed, resembling a blazing meteorite.

As the speck drew closer, the silhouette of a human became visible.

BOOM!!!

A towering figure crashed down, his massive, three-meter-tall frame radiating the scorching aura of magma.

He carried a giant sword on his back, his face stern and square, his eyes filled with resolve and coldness.

More than a human, he looked like a legendary god of fire!

Upon seeing the newcomer, Uchiha Sora couldn't help but curl his lips upward.

Given the fragmented legacy characteristics of the loan treaty, this guy's ability fragments...

Could not be more perfect!

"Hello there, Admiral Akainu!"

The newcomer raised a hand to the hilt of his greatsword and said in a deep voice.

"Not yet; you should call me Vice Admiral Akainu."

"I can sense the evil aura from these two fellows. If it's to deal with them, I can help you."

"Ah, much appreciated."