Akainu!

"Long time no see, Shisui."

Swish!!

Shisui drew a short blade from behind him. Cold sweat trickled down his cheek, and the nape of his neck prickled with a fine, itchy sensation.

Even Shisui, powerful as he was, had a trembling hand on his blade!

A man's reputation was like the shadow of a tree.

At first, the title "Konoha Sannin" had carried a hint of shame. But as each of them distinguished himself on the battlefield, the name gradually became synonymous with the strong.

By now, the Konoha Sannin were undoubtedly legendary figures in the Shinobi World!

To Shisui, Orochimaru meant something more.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Orochimaru had served as the commander-in-chief in several theaters of war, including the Mist Battlefield where Shisui had fought.

He had seen with his own eyes how merciless the commander could be. Even now, he often woke in a cold sweat from nightmares of those days.

But alongside his fear of Orochimaru, Shisui felt something more complicated.

Admiration.

Because reason told Shisui that Orochimaru's cruel orders had been correct—the most suitable decisions under the circumstances.

On the battlefield, Orochimaru had been like a cold, emotionless machine.

Even Namikaze Minato, the fastest shinobi in the Shinobi World, couldn't save everyone.

Orochimaru's cold-blooded decisions had been the best way to preserve as much fighting strength as possible.

If not for his clan head's close relationship with the Fourth Hokage, Shisui wasn't sure how he would have voted in the vote of confidence.

The Fourth Hokage was a good man, but Shisui didn't think Orochimaru would have made a bad Hokage, either.

But times had changed. Now that they'd met again, neither of them was a Konoha shinobi anymore.

Seeing Uchiha Sora form Hand Seals, chakra rapidly gathering, Orochimaru smiled faintly.

"Don't bother, Sora. I won't give you the chance to summon it. I've visited the dead zone that monster left behind."

Uchiha Sora grinned. "Call me something else. I really don't like being called Sora."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Uchiha Sora, or Lord Sora. Either is fine."

Orochimaru smiled.

It wasn't a bitter smile born of anger.

At first glance, he'd seen in the boy's eyes the same quality he possessed.

An extreme obsession—a willingness to make whatever sacrifices it took to achieve one's goal!

Orochimaru liked that look.

He slowly raised his hand. A ring engraved with the character "Void" adorned one of his pale fingers.

"I'm the Akatsuki's Sora. You're Sora, too. What a special connection."

"That pickup line went out of style centuries ago."

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

Orochimaru was undoubtedly a Kage Level fighter. Even with Shisui's help, their odds weren't good. Besides, he'd noticed Shisui's unusual emotional state. If they fought, Shisui might not be able to give his all.

His target was Shukaku. There was nothing to gain by fighting Orochimaru here, and there was no shame in running away.

Uchiha Sora was reckless, but he wasn't a rabid dog who tried to bite everyone he met.

Orochimaru lowered his hand and smiled. "Aren't you interested in the organization I've joined?"

"It's a good place for missing-nin like us, cast aside by our villages, to survive."

Considering what he'd said earlier, Orochimaru was making it clear that he'd been to Konoha and knew what had happened to Uchiha Sora.

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

"We just thought that rotten village stank too much. Sooner or later, I'll go back and burn it clean."

Orochimaru's smile widened, as though he'd found a rare kindred spirit. "Sora... Uchiha Sora, you have eyes that can see the truth."

"We could work together."

"Together, we can destroy that rotten village!"

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

Uchiha Sora rested his hand on the hilt of Ryuzuki and said slowly, "Mr. Orochimaru, if you leave now, I can pretend none of this ever happened."

Orochimaru spread his arms like a venomous snake poised to strike. "Oh? Are you saying you can hurt me if you want to?"

Clang—

An inch of the gleaming blade slid from its sheath, and a faint flame ignited. "Why don't we find out?"

The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. Shisui steadied his trembling hand.

Even against his former commanding officer, now an S-rank missing-nin, he'd act if Uchiha Sora gave the word.

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

That snake was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Whoosh—

The sand rose again as a massive, low-slung figure crawled closer, like a snake or a turtle.

They'd been so focused on Orochimaru that they'd only just noticed him.

A cold voice rang out.

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

"How much longer are you going to make me wait? I don't like waiting."

At the sight of that familiar figure, Uchiha Sora didn't hesitate. He shouted, "Attack!"

Boom!!

A blazing dragon of fire roared forth: Shisui's Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Uchiha Sora also began borrowing against the more than two hundred credit points he'd accumulated during this time.

The platform had rated his credit at one hundred. Two hundred credit points should be enough to match Kage Level strength.

Against Orochimaru alone, he could fight while retreating.

But with Sasori of the Red Sands there, too...

He couldn't run. If he showed any sign of losing, those two wouldn't let such a rare Uchiha test subject get away!

Then they'd fight!

"User loan application received"

"This loan will freeze 230 credit points for a term of five years. Accept?"

"Match successful. Please confirm to receive the power of another world"

"Appendix: This loan concerns a humanoid life-form. Please do not do anything that drastically violates its principles. The platform accepts no responsibility for any loan-related issues resulting from such conduct"

"Helpful reminder"

"Even a moment of indulgence has a price already set by the laws of fate. Please use this platform with caution."

Maybe cut the extra chatter next time. I know I have to repay it. Just lend it to me!

Boom—

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

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

"Do you have a grudge against that guy?"

Orochimaru asked in confusion. He could tell that Uchiha Sora didn't want to fight, and he himself had been considering whether to engage.

So why had Uchiha Sora attacked the moment Sasori of the Red Sands appeared?

In his view, Danzo, now out of power, was far less valuable as an ally than the Uchiha Clan.

If he could work with the Uchiha to establish a shinobi village, it could become a Supernovas-level power. Even contending for the position of a great nation wasn't out of the question.

The Akatsuki was powerful, but its numbers were small, and its members all had their own agendas. The organization was held together by the Leader's absolute strength, so it wouldn't be of much help to him.

Hidden inside Hiruko, Sasori of the Red Sands said coldly, "Who knows? Maybe he's just reacting to the prospect of dying."

"Let's finish this quickly. One corpse each."

Orochimaru's expression turned cold. "Don't get ahead of yourself. He's more valuable alive than dead!"

"You don't want to kill him, but the killing intent in his eyes is real."

"You're so indecisive when facing someone who wants to kill you. That's not like you, Orochimaru."

Creak—

Hiruko's tail straightened, about to shoot out Poison Sting.

Suddenly,

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

A tremendous roar came from the sky. A black-and-red point of light hurtled toward them, like a meteor blazing with fire.

As the point of light drew closer, the outline of a person became visible.

Boom!!!

A towering figure landed with a thunderous crash. His mighty frame stood a full three meters tall, radiating the heat of molten lava.

A greatsword rested on his back. His face was firm and square, and his eyes were full of resolve and ruthlessness.

He looked less like a man than the legendary god of fire!

Recognizing the newcomer, Uchiha Sora couldn't help but grin.

With the loan agreement's fragmented remnants having preserved the Ability, this man's power...

couldn't have been a better fit!

"Hello, Admiral Akainu!"

The newcomer raised a hand to the hilt of his greatsword and said gravely,

"I'm not an Admiral yet. You should call me Vice Admiral Akainu."

"I can sense the wicked aura coming from those two. If you're fighting them, I can help."

"Ah, much appreciated."