Kamizuki's grip on his sword loosened slightly.
The Sharingan told him that Orochimaru before him was the real Mahito, not an enemy's Transformation Technique.
"When did you get here?"
Orochimaru had received a message from the front lines and left a month ago, so Kamizuki was somewhat surprised by his appearance.
Green light glowed from Orochimaru's palm as he temporarily suppressed the poison within Sakumo's body.
Completely removing the poison would still require a complicated procedure.
"It seems my concealment skills are quite good. Even Kamizuki-kun failed to notice me..."
"I never left."
Shikaku's brows tightened as he spoke. "You were here the whole time? Then why..."
Before he could finish, Orochimaru calmly said, "There was no opportunity to intervene."
After helping Sakumo sit down, Orochimaru walked toward Kamizuki.
Kamizuki had developed quickly. At ten years old, he was already nearly 1.6 meters tall, but he was still a head shorter than Orochimaru.
His pale golden vertical pupils lowered slightly.
"Several times, I wanted to make a move, but I felt it would spoil your enjoyment."
"As for just now..."
Orochimaru looked in the direction Chiyo and the others had departed, then slowly said, "We had no chance of keeping Chiyo. The cost would have been Sakumo's death at the very least. It wasn't worth it."
Turning back, Orochimaru's lips curled upward.
"Kamizuki... you really did it!"
"You broke through your own limits and created a new 'technique'!"
"A genius-level concept—fusing physical energy and spiritual energy outside the body!"
Everyone considered Orochimaru a genius rarely seen in decades, but in his eyes, his own talent was utterly insignificant compared to Kamizuki's.
Kamizuki held back a laugh, his lips turning downward.
"Hmph. Wasn't this something we expected long ago?"
Orochimaru casually took the barely alive Earth Grudge Fear. "I'll find that guy and recharge it for you."
As he spoke, a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.
"Earth Grudge Fear still has its limitations. As the opponents you fight grow stronger, the role it can play will diminish."
"If it could replenish Chakra automatically and possess some degree of recovery..."
"Like a tailed beast?" Kamizuki raised a brow.
Orochimaru pondered for a few seconds before slowly saying, "Let's not think that far ahead. Tailed beasts have existed for over a thousand years. They are natural disasters formed through natural evolution."
"Perhaps we could transform Earth Grudge Fear into..."
"The concept of a living puppet. What do you think?"
A fully automated human puppet...
It seemed Orochimaru, who had watched the entire battle, had also drawn inspiration from Chiyo's fighting style.
If Earth Grudge Fear could fight independently while supplying Chakra, it would indeed undergo a major upgrade.
The group found a shady spot to sit down, and Orochimaru helped Sakumo cut open his wound to drain the poison.
Sakumo grimaced in pain, baring his teeth. "Isn't there a gentler way to detoxify me?"
"I'm not a professional medical ninja. If you want, I can take you to Tsunade."
Sakumo thought about it. That woman was even less gentle than Orochimaru, so he quickly shook his head.
"Forget it... Sigh, this time, I really thought I was going to die."
"First, it was an S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure. Now we ran into Chiyo of Sunagakure. Kamizuki, do you have some special affinity with the older generation? Or is your luck just terrible?"
Before Kamizuki could speak, Orochimaru took the initiative to reassure his disciple.
"For a genius like Kamizuki, one who surpasses his peers, encountering renowned powerhouses is perfectly normal. It has nothing to do with luck."
He turned to Kamizuki and said solemnly, "This is the price of gaining fame at a young age. This time, it was Chiyo. Next time, you will enter the sight of even more powerful people, perhaps even the Kage!"
"While Earth Grudge Fear is unavailable, I suggest you return to base and rest."
Kamizuki thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I have an idea that needs time to sort out."
He could not keep relying on Earth Grudge Fear as his means of long-range attack. After this battle, the vague idea in his heart had been confirmed.
Orochimaru lowered his eyes, as though he had seen through Kamizuki's thoughts. "Blood?"
"Yeah."
Kamizuki raised his hand. A drop of blood seeped from his fingertip and took the shape of a steel needle.
Whoosh—
The blood needle shot out and exploded against a withered tree nearby, snapping it in half.
Its power was considerable.
"Using Pupil Power as a medium, I can control changes in the shape of my own blood. Perhaps I can develop it into a technique usable at all ranges."
Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly. He quickly identified the drawback of this approach. "Even if your body's blood-forming ability exceeds that of ordinary people, a technique that consumes blood so rapidly will cause dizziness from blood loss once it exceeds the limit."
"Honestly, given your personality, I think you would absolutely overdo it."
"Ha~ Am I really that impulsive?"
"...Aren't you?"
Orochimaru, Sakumo, and even Shikaku all looked at Kamizuki strangely.
Anyone who knew you even a little would never equate you with the word calm, right?
Suddenly, Shikaku spoke.
"Orochimaru-sama is right. Releasing blood as a one-time weapon consumes too much."
"But..."
Shikaku pressed his fingers against the ground, and black shadows writhed like swimming serpents.
"If you use it like my shadows, the issue of consumption can be mitigated."
The group fell silent for a while.
Sakumo spoke first. "I don't know much about the secret techniques of ninja clans, but even the Hatake Clan's swordsmanship is something my father strictly forbade me from teaching outsiders..."
"Shikaku, if you do this, the Nara Clan..."
Orochimaru shook his head. "This is a taboo in Konoha. Even if you teach it willingly, others will not see it that way. It would not be good for either you or Kamizuki."
"What bullshit taboo."
Kamizuki's lips curled slightly as he exchanged a smile with Shikaku.
"You didn't teach me anything. I copied it with the Sharingan, right?"
Shikaku nodded with a smile. "Those old fossils in my family definitely won't dare cause trouble for the Uchiha."
"As for everyone else... Orochimaru-sama, don't underestimate your influence."
Orochimaru was slightly taken aback, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Have I become an old fossil...?"
Sakumo let out a long breath. His gaze darkened, as though he had made an important decision.
"I suddenly have a feeling that I might have a daughter who dislikes swordsmanship. If that happens..."
"Kamizuki-kun, would you be interested in learning it?"
Unparalleled talent, an unyielding heart, and a presence that made others willing to impart everything they knew.
Even I could not help wanting to add a stroke to this great undertaking...
Orochimaru lowered his eyes and stared deeply at Kamizuki.
Just how far could you grow...
It truly was... enough to make one tremble with anticipation!
--
--
--
An unknown place, within a dark underground palace.
The rocky ground writhed, and strange white creatures emerged.
"Madara-sama, we found someone capable of bearing your eyes. He is in the Land of Rain."
In the darkness, a pair of pale violet eyes containing the mysteries of life and death slowly opened.
"As for the Uchiha clansman serving as your agent... I also have a suitable candidate here."
Before you continue