Orochimaru's Trump Card and Tayuya's Journey Home

Deep within the underground laboratory, the air was cold and stagnant, carrying a mixed stench of old dust and something rotten.

The sickly, feverish flush of fanaticism on Orochimaru's face slowly faded.

In its place came an even deeper, colder madness. Ignoring the completely ruined experimental subject in the cultivation tank behind him, he turned and walked toward the heavy stone door carved with countless forbidden incantations.

"Kukuku... Since this is such a gracious invitation, I naturally have to bring a sufficiently weighty 'gift' as well."

His hoarse laughter echoed through the empty passageway. Each step fell neither hurriedly nor slowly, as though he were carrying out a sacred ritual.

Beyond the stone door lay his deepest, darkest collection room—and one of his ultimate trump cards for daring to challenge the entire Shinobi World.

With one hand, he formed a seal. The incantations covering the stone door lit up one after another, casting a dim purple glow.

The heavy stone door grated as it slowly opened inward. An icy aura, a hundred times denser than that outside and mingled with death and resentment, surged toward them—enough to drive any weak-willed shinobi instantly insane.

Behind the door were not gold and silver treasures, but rows of cold iron cages.

Every cage held a living person curled up inside.

They were dressed in rags, their eyes vacant. Thick chains pierced their limbs, while Sealing Formulas that suppressed Chakra had been branded into their shoulder blades.

Some were enemy-country shinobi captured after defeat. Some were wandering warriors bought as merchandise on the black market. And some... were even "disobedient" subordinates from within Sound Village.

They were "sacrifices."

They were the "vessels" required to hold the souls of the dead and power that forbidden technique.

When they saw Orochimaru enter, the people in the