"Lord Raikage, are you going out?"
The Cloud Ninja guarding the village entrance looked at A, who was walking towards them, with a puzzled expression.
Ai's face darkened, and he nodded.
"What, are you going to stop me?"
"I wouldn't dare."
The two Cloud Ninja immediately stepped aside, allowing Ai to pass through calmly.
They watched him leave, and began to whisper among themselves.
"Lord Raikage has changed so much!"
"After all that happened, it's normal for things to change a lot. I heard that the Raikage's brother Killer B..."
"Keep your voice down! Don't let the Raikage hear you!"
The discussion abruptly stopped; they all knew that discussing Killer B in the Kumogakure was taboo.
Ai quickly made his way to the destination based on the location recorded on the scroll.
Along the way, the scroll that the white snake had spat out had been crushed beyond recognition by him.
But the heaviness in his heart did not ease in the slightest.
Who exactly is the other party?
They managed to infiltrate Kumogakure so easily and deliver the letter to me.
What he said...
Is it true?
The scroll contained only one short sentence:
"Do you want to kill Uchiha Mirai? Do you want to change the current state of Kumogakure? If so... come to this place!"
That location was within the Land of Lightning, but it seemed to have been abandoned long ago, and no one usually went there.
Ai's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Just to be on the safe side, he didn't bring any attendants with him on this trip.
He has absolute confidence in his abilities.
If you can't handle an enemy yourself, bringing more ninjas won't help.
It would be better to go alone to show your sincerity.
If what they say is true, this might be an opportunity to pull Kumogakure out of its predicament.
Ai had no other choice; whatever the outcome, he had to give it a try.
Soon, he arrived at the location recorded in the scroll.
It was deep in a forest, where the trees had grown tall and thick because no one had interfered with them for a long time.
Beyond the woods in front of her, the scene before Ai gradually became clear.
He saw two figures standing in the distance, seemingly having been waiting there for a long time.
"It's you!?"
As they drew nearer, Ai's pupils constricted sharply; the person in the wheelchair...
It can't be wrong! Absolutely not wrong!
This person's appearance was deeply ingrained in his mind; his distinctive features were instantly recognizable to any ninja who had ever heard of his name.
Orochimaru! It's you? What, you think you can take action against Konoha looking like this?
Ai's voice carried a hint of mockery and disdain.
Although we don't know what happened to Orochimaru that led him to this miserable state.
However, even at his peak, he was a fugitive from Konoha, forced to hide to avoid being discovered by the Konoha.
Moreover, now that he's in a wheelchair, does he still want to take revenge on Konoha?
"Heh, instead of worrying about what I look like, you should worry about your brother Killer B Bee!"
"You!"
Orochimaru's lighthearted laughter struck a nerve, instantly igniting Ai's fury and causing him to instinctively clench his fists.
"I am very sincere in negotiating this cooperation with you. As for whether it can be completed, that depends on your decision."
Orochimaru, sitting in his wheelchair, spoke calmly.
Ai took a deep breath upon hearing this. Orochimaru's words made his anger feel like a punch hitting thin air; continuing would only be pointless.
"Hmph! I'll see what makes you so confident first. If I remember correctly, the leader of your Akatsuki was defeated by that person, wasn't he?"
Ai snorted and gave Orochimaru a disapproving look.
He was unaware that Orochimaru had left the Akatsuki, but the battle between Deva Path Pain and Uchiha Mirai was legendary in the Ninja World.
That's precisely why he became even more wary.
As long as the threat to the Uchiha Mirai, the boulder weighing on his chest will never be removed.
"Come with me!"
Orochimaru maneuvered the wheelchair around, and with Kabuto's push, slowly drove it toward the dark cave entrance behind them.
After hesitating for a moment, Ai finally made up her mind and followed him into the cave.
As they passed through the narrow, dark passageway at the entrance, the space inside expanded continuously. By the light of the Krypton Lamp, Ai looked around in astonishment.
Sophisticated experimental instruments, various specimens whose names I don't know, and some even human tissue.
Ai never expected that Orochimaru would build such a large base right under his nose in the Land of Land of Lightning!
After walking for a while, Ai froze completely, her legs stiff as if they were filled with cement.
He tilted his head back, staring at the scene before him in utter shock.
A glass container, as large as a giant pillar, was embedded in the center of the cave, surrounded by sophisticated research equipment. What shocked him most was the giant beast sleeping inside the container.
What kind of behemoth was that?
A had only ever experienced this terrifying sense of oppression when facing Future Godzilla of the Uchiha Mirai.
"This is my highest-level masterpiece."
Noticing Ai's expression, Orochimaru couldn't help but let a smug smile creep onto his lips.
Initially, he only intended to research the power within Godzilla's cells and then transplant it into his strongest Eight Branches Technique.
The Eight Branches Technique allows him to transform into Yamata no Orochi, possessing supreme combat power comparable to that of Tailed Beast!
It is also the most powerful forbidden technique he possesses!
As his experiments progressed, his thinking gradually began to change.
The Eight Branches Technique alone is insufficient to match such perfectly powerful cells!
He wants to use the Yamata no Orochi as a model, incorporating Godzilla's genes, to create a monster that surpasses Godzilla!!!
To achieve this goal, he was even willing to sacrifice his perfect body and transform into the Yamata no Orochi.
The soul, trapped within this broken body, continues this supreme research.
Eight heads had too many weaknesses and their abilities were scattered, so they were changed to three heads.
Being only able to move on the ground was insufficient to handle all situations, so huge wings were added to its back.
As Orochimaru continued to improve it, the snake's body also subtly changed, eventually becoming what it is now.
Orochimaru's eyes seemed to burn with flames.
This is the culmination of his life's work!
From snake to dragon!
From mortal to divine!
"What is His name?"
Seemingly influenced by Orochimaru's emotions, A, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and asked a question.
Orochimaru gently opened his mouth, lightly touched the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue, and uttered a tongue-twisting and strange word.
Those were the three words that haunted his dreams, as if fate had secretly inscribed them into his soul.
"King Ghidorah!"