Land of Whirlpools! Orochimaru's Trail

The man in the cat mask trembled violently with rage upon hearing this, yet he could not resist the powerlessness brought on by his rapidly fading life.

The remaining Root members were struck with horror at the sight, and without a second thought, they scattered in retreat.

"Leaving?"

He had no intention of letting these people leak his whereabouts and bring the main forces of Konoha down upon him.

"Squelch!"

Several streams of scorching red lava erupted from his body, piercing the chests of every Root member with lethal precision.

In an instant, he snuffed out their lives.

Hmm!

He really pulled that off!

Sasori of the Red Sand could only think: Actually, he could have let me have that moment of glory.

Of course!

Uchiha Ye did not let this opportunity to scavenge for supplies slip by.

Hmm!

The haul was substantial!

"Chakra Precision Control!"

"Giant Strength Technique!"

Looking at the two scrolls in his hands, Uchiha Ye revealed a look of satisfaction.

With these, his shortcoming in physical strength could finally be significantly bolstered.

Two days later!

"Great Eruption!"

In the heart of the dense jungle, flames suddenly soared into the sky. A massive flaming fist, wreathed in lethal heat, whistled outward. The trees along its path burst and toppled, and the rocks shattered with a deafening roar.

The destruction only ceased after carving a path over seventy meters long.

A charred trench, more than three meters wide, was left in the jungle, with thick smoke rising everywhere.

"Not bad, the destructive power has increased by at least half!"

Uchiha Ye nodded in satisfaction as he surveyed his 'masterpiece.'

"Compared to before, your power has become much more refined."

Sasori of the Red Sand maneuvered Hiruko forward, looking at the trees along the path that had been reduced to charcoal, and could not help but exclaim in admiration.

"I fear that even with Hiruko, I can no longer defend against you."

He sighed with genuine emotion, "It seems I must perfect my puppet army as soon as possible, otherwise I really will be holding you back!"

Uchiha Ye waved his hands hurriedly, indicating that was not the case at all.

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away, Orochimaru could not help but shiver.

An inexplicable chill swept through his entire body, causing him to tighten his grip on the intelligence report in his hand.

"Uchiha Ye... has he grown stronger again?"

Orochimaru's narrow, slit-like eyes narrowed further, "To the point where he could make a massive lake boil."

He licked his lips, "What a terrifying ability!"

With such a body, what reason did he have not to claim it for himself?

Bearing the name of the Sannin, he could not afford to lose!

"Of course, there is still Sasori of the Red Sand; his poisons and puppets are somewhat troublesome."

A glint of light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, "It seems I may have to disturb that person's eternal rest this time."

Uchiha Ye's Lava Release was indeed powerful, but that person happened to be a master of Water Release, which countered Lava Release perfectly.

"It is a pity I lack the time. Otherwise, once I am able to summon that legendary figure, I would no longer need to fear Sasori of the Red Sand or Uchiha Ye."

"It seems that after surviving this ordeal, I must find a way to re-establish contact with Danzo and begin formal research into that person's cells."

Setting down the report, Orochimaru established a sensory array outside his base and threw himself into preparations for the coming battle.

On the level directly above, there was a massive cage.

Inside were confined numerous ninjas with hideous, twisted expressions.

They were all failed subjects of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal experiments.

Perhaps sensing that a battle was imminent, these people began to grow violent and restless.

"Is this the place?"

Above Orochimaru's base, Sasori, inside Hiruko, looked at the quiet, dense jungle and turned to Uchiha Ye, who had come to a halt beside him.

"This is the place!"

Uchiha Ye retracted his Observation Haki and opened his eyes.

The Land of Whirlpools was not large.

There were not many places suitable for Orochimaru to establish a base.

By conducting a systematic search along the way, it would naturally be found quickly.

How could he possibly misperceive the intense, icy aura that belonged solely to Orochimaru beneath this ground?

"He certainly knows how to hide!"

As soon as Sasori of the Red Sand said this and Hiruko prepared to take action, the sound of air being torn apart suddenly came from above their heads, and two tough steel nets swooped down.

Following them were sharp arrows and shuriken that pierced through the air like phantoms, moving so fast they even created sonic booms.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Uchiha Ye didn't react at all before being turned into a hedgehog and enveloped by the steel nets.

"Pfft! What is this? Is this all the so-called Akatsuki members are capable of? I thought you were supposed to be so impressive!"

A disdainful voice rang out from the woods, sounding near yet far, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.

On the contrary, the tail spike behind Hiruko swung rapidly, clearing away all the arrows before tearing through the steel nets.

"You have some skill, at least. Very well, let's see how long you can last!"

The arrogant voice echoed through the forest again.

But before these people could launch their next wave of attacks, Sasori's voice rang out from within Hiruko: "I say... there should be a limit to ignorance, you ants!"

As the words fell, two crosses suddenly sprang out from Hiruko's body, and then those crosses exploded, instantly filling the sky with needles of light!

"Oh no!"

A cry of horror came from the woods immediately, followed by the frantic sound of people dodging through the air.

However!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

In an instant, the surrounding leaves were riddled with holes, tattered and falling everywhere.

One by one, ninjas clutching their throats with expressions of terror tumbled down from the trees.

Before long, they had all breathed their last.

They were all Chunin!

Whoosh!

Just then, a sharp shadow managed to sneak behind Hiruko, and a stack of explosive tags appeared in his hand, ready to be slapped onto it: "Die, you arrogant bastard!"

But!

"Dog-Biting... Crimson Lotus!"

Just as this person thought he was about to succeed, Uchiha Ye's lazy voice suddenly rang out, and a massive, scorching lava dog lunged forward to bite.

"What?!"

This person likely never expected that Uchiha Ye, who had clearly been "severely wounded," could still launch such a ferocious attack.

"Ah!!"

Before he could react at all, he was swallowed by the lava, leaving behind only a scream before being completely incinerated, leaving no bones behind.

"What's the matter, Orochimaru? Is this how you welcome us?"

The arrows in Uchiha Ye's body automatically dissolved and fell away, as did the steel nets. "Does one of the Sannin also enjoy playing such petty tricks?"

The people who had died in the woods were all wearing headbands engraved with a musical note.

There was no doubt about it!

These were members of Otogakure, founded by Orochimaru.

"Heh heh..."

The next second, a low, chilling voice rang out, and an icy aura descended as Orochimaru appeared before the two, his expression excited. "Long time no see, you two!"

Behind him, a group of people with bloodshot eyes, dressed in hospital gowns, emerged like zombies.

"Hrr..."

"Gah!"

Low, guttural growls emanated from their throats.

The moment they looked at Uchiha Ye and Sasori of the Red Sand, their eyes lit up instantly.

"Orochimaru, do you really think... that these pieces of trash can stop us?"

Seeing this, Sasori of the Red Sand couldn't help but sneer.