"You're still as useless as ever, Orochimaru!"
"Argh!"
"..."
No one knew how much time had passed. When Orochimaru returned to the real world beneath the setting sun, he found that only a second seemed to have passed around him. Yet he felt as though he had endured at least seventy hours of being sliced to pieces.
"Any peerless genius is nothing more than an ant before the Uchiha Clan. Did you really think you could take even one step forward beneath these eyes of mine?!"
With one palm facing Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi looked coldly at the kneeling man before him and mocked him. Orochimaru gritted his teeth and raised his hand. In the next second, crows severed the arm bearing the Akatsuki ring.
"What a pitiful creature! Is this truly the power of one of the legendary Three Sannin? It's so pathetic I can't even muster any interest!"
Turning away and no longer paying Orochimaru any heed, as though he had completely ignored the man's existence, Itachi left him there. Orochimaru still could not catch his breath after the power of that genjutsu. A poisonous snake swallowed his severed arm, and Orochimaru threw back his head in wild laughter before turning into a puddle of sludge and vanishing.
"My, my, my! How terrible. It ended just like that!"
Zetsu and Obito watched the battle in the forest, one that had ended in less than ten seconds, and were somewhat dissatisfied. Obito remained silent, having never expected Orochimaru to be such trash. "That kid really is no ordinary person. But Orochimaru is just too useless. In that case, have Kisame keep an eye on Itachi. At least Kisame won't be taken out by Itachi so easily!"
"Hehehehe! And who can say?"
At the Heavenly Gate Divine Pillar Bridge, which