Instantly Killing Kimimaro, Orochimaru's Perfect Vessel?

The once-spacious canyon had been utterly transformed.

Huge craters and broken trees lay everywhere.

Under the devastation of the Wood Dragon Technique, the terrain here had been completely rewritten.

"Pfft—"

Kimimaro spat out another mouthful of blood.

The massive Wood Dragon coiled around him, crushing his bones inch by inch.

His prized Shikotsumyaku was truly no match for this Senju brat.

Chenshu Senju leaped down from the dragon's head.

The Wood Dragon turned into specks of green light and dispersed into the night.

Kimimaro crashed heavily onto the ground, his chest heaving violently.

For some reason, all he felt now was exhaustion—endless exhaustion.

His life force was rapidly draining away.

His tuberculosis had reached its terminal stage. Even his breath carried the stench of blood.

Beside him, Tayuya's face was red as she desperately held down the vines wrapped around her body.

After the blast wave from earlier, her trench coat had become a complete mess.

The "seat belt" Chenshu Senju had tied around her was cinched in all the wrong places.

Especially those two thick vines, which happened to be wedged right between her proud twin peaks.

That deep cleavage rose and fell violently with every breath.

Sakon and Jirobo squatted nearby, their eyes wide and round.

"What the hell are you looking at?! I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Tayuya cursed in humiliation and fury.

In truth, she was panicking like crazy inside.

Even Kimimaro had been instantly defeated.

The four of them probably did not even qualify to be cannon fodder today.

If this Senju brat wanted to kill them, what could they use to stop him?

Their heads?

Or their chests?

"Enough. Stop making noise."

Chenshu Senju walked over.

Tayuya's entire body tensed, and she instinctively took two steps back.

Looking at her curvaceous figure, accentuated by the vines cinched around her body, he sighed inwardly.

He had to admit, Orochimaru might have terrible judgment in other things, but his taste in women was passable.

He turned to look at Kimimaro on the ground.

"Didn't Orochimaru tell you that you're about to die?"

"So what?"

Kimimaro's tone was icy.

"Orochimaru-sama gave me this life."

"I can give it back to him at any time."

Kimimaro clutched his chest and spoke with difficulty.

"Why give it back to him? So he can make you into a specimen?"

Chenshu Senju shot back.

The air fell silent.

"That crappy illness of yours is a hereditary terminal disease. Orochimaru can't cure it at all."

Chenshu Senju crouched down, emerald-green chakra lighting up in his palm.

Medical Wood Release.

A dense aura of life instantly flowed into Kimimaro's body.

His withered cells miraculously began to regain their vitality.

The tearing pain in his lungs rapidly eased.

Kimimaro's eyes widened as he stared at Chenshu Senju in disbelief.

He was actually saving him.

"Why?" Kimimaro asked.

"What Orochimaru-sama? He's just making empty promises to trick child laborers."

Chenshu Senju rose to his feet and looked down at him.

"Follow me from now on. Meals, lodging, and medical care included, plus two compensatory days off every month."

Kimimaro:?

The Sound Four:?

What were compensatory days off?

What kind of damn organization benefit was that?

Still, feeling the long-lost vitality within his body, Kimimaro's resolve wavered violently.

Orochimaru-sama had only ever treated him as a vessel that could be discarded at any time.

But the person before him not only possessed overwhelming strength, he could truly save his life.

The law of the jungle had always been the iron rule of the shinobi world.

Kimimaro struggled to his feet.

Then he dropped to one knee.

"If you can keep me alive..."

"Then this life of mine will be yours from now on."

Tayuya and the others were stunned by the sight.

Kimimaro had actually submitted.

Kimimaro, who regarded Orochimaru as a god, had actually knelt just like that.

Chenshu Senju was very satisfied.

The ultimate recruitment had succeeded. His top-tier private squad was officially established.

From now on, he would not even need to make the first move when fighting in groups.

Awesome.

This was an absolute steal.

A near-Kage-level Kekkei Genkai bodyguard, plus four high-ranking subordinates who came with the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Orochimaru's painstakingly cultivated foundation had all been snatched away by him.

This was the proper way for a transmigrator to get started—getting everything for free.

"Boss, what about us?"

Sakon asked cautiously.

Chenshu Senju glanced at them.

"You? For now, make do as tea servers and errand boys."

Hearing that, the last sliver of hope in Jirobo and Kidomaru's hearts finally died.

Yet at the same time, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At least they would not die.

Tayuya bit her lip.

She lowered her head to look at the artistically arranged vines around her body.

"Then... can you untie this?"

"No."

"Why?!"

Tayuya instantly broke down, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

"It's the middle of the night. Wearing so little will make you catch a cold."

Chenshu Senju spoke utter nonsense with a straight face.

"Besides, if you show off that figure of yours, I'm afraid those three will bleed to death right here."

Tayuya:...

To hell with catching a cold!

These damned vines were squeezing her so hard she could barely breathe!

More than ten miles away.

Deep in the mountains.

Orochimaru hid among the dark trees.

His pale fingers dug viciously into the bark, blood seeping from beneath his nails.

His breathing had become rapid to the extreme.

Those snake-like eyes stared fixedly at Chenshu Senju in the distance.

Madness.

This was utter madness.

Kimimaro and the Sound Four had all actually pledged themselves to that brat!

Orochimaru felt as though his lungs were about to explode from rage.

But compared to his anger, what he felt more intensely was overwhelming excitement and fervor.

This was the bearing of a true king.

This was the most perfect vessel worthy of Orochimaru.

That Medical Wood Release that could bring the dead back to life, that overwhelmingly powerful Wood Dragon Technique.

It was beautiful. Too beautiful to belong to this world.

With that body, what did he have to fear from Itachi Uchiha? What did he have to fear from terminal illness?

"Chenshu Senju..."

Orochimaru licked his lips.

His hoarse voice sounded like sawing wood.

What was Sasuke compared to this?

He was determined to have that max-level Wood Release body.

A crazed capture plan was completely finalized in his mind.

Even if it cost him his life, he would obtain that Senju brat!

Meanwhile.

The canyon battlefield.

Chenshu Senju led his five freshly recruited underlings, preparing to leave.

"Boss, where are we going?" Jirobo asked.

"To find a white-haired old man and eat and drink at his expense."

Everyone looked completely bewildered.

Just as they were wondering what he meant, rustling came from the woods nearby.

Chenshu Senju's lips curled as he looked toward the newcomer.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

"Kid Chenshu, where the hell did you run off to?"

"I only went to take a piss, and you fucking left me behind by myself?"

Jiraiya jumped out of the woods with an irritated expression.

But the moment he looked up, he froze.

Not only did he see the badly injured Kimimaro, he also saw Sound Ninja scattered all over the ground.

Of course, the one he could not take his eyes off was Tayuya.

His gaze locked directly onto Tayuya's spectacular twin peaks, squeezed tight by the vines.

Jiraiya:!

"Holy shit, th-this is some top-tier new bondage technique!"

Jiraiya nearly sprayed a nosebleed.

He rushed over in a few long strides, pulling out pen and paper with a fanatical expression.

"Quick, quick, quick! Let me gather some inspiration! I've got material for the next Make-Out Paradise!"

Chenshu Senju:...

The Sound Four:...

Tayuya's face went completely black.

What kind of perverted lunatics were these people?!

For some reason, she desperately, desperately wanted to return to Otogakure.