Anyo's head was pounding. Whoever had tied the knot had to untie it. It seemed he needed to pay Orochimaru a visit.
"Kikyo, come somewhere with me."
"All right."
A black portal appeared, and father and daughter jumped into it together.
When they emerged, they had arrived at Orochimaru's Northern Hideout. The immense chakra of the Nine Tailed Beasts immediately drew Kikyo's attention, filling her face with shock.
"This is..."
Anyo said, "Replicated chakra from the Nine Tailed Beasts. There's a gap between them and the originals, but they have at least half their power."
"Here again, and you've even brought your daughter. That's quite rare."
Orochimaru was used to Anyo's visits, but Kikyo's presence astonished him. His eyes filled with admiration, as though he were looking at a work of art.
Anyo spoke plainly. "The last time I came, were you angry because I nearly recognized that child?"
Orochimaru's expression changed. "He went to see you?"
Anyo shook his head. "No. He nearly killed Sasuke, though, so I learned of his existence."
"Ah, that child went after all." Orochimaru sighed, his expression returning to normal as he said calmly, "With your brains, you should have guessed what's going on by now."
"My guess is that you originally created him to be your transmigration vessel. So why did you give up on that later?"
A trace of fervor flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. "He's the most perfect creation out of all my experiments. At first, he was only the size of a palm. Later, as I watched him grow little by little and become ever more perfect, the sense of accomplishment in my heart was unparalleled. It surpassed any ninjutsu. Making him my transmigration vessel would be nothing short of desecration. I couldn't do that."
Kikyo spoke up then. "There's another