"Kirigakure has discovered that the Fourth Mizukage Yagura was being controlled by genjutsu!" White Zetsu reported urgently.
"What?!" Uchiha Obito's voice echoed with disbelief through the cavernous hideout.
"I've arranged for other ninjas under genjutsu control and White Zetsu clones to hold back the enemy forces. Yagura is still in our custody!" White Zetsu continued, trying to salvage the situation.
"You fool!" Obito's voice turned venomous, his single visible eye blazing with fury.
"You do this, and you still expect Kirigakure won't discover the truth?!" His anger was palpable as he paced before the towering Gedo Statue.
Uchiha Obito cursed under his breath, his fists clenched in frustration. When he had personally controlled the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, his manipulation had never been detected by the shinobi of Kirigakure. The village had remained oblivious to their leader's true condition for years. But the moment he had entrusted the control to White Zetsu, the deception had crumbled like a house of cards.
"Incompetent!" he spat.
"Return my Mangekyō Sharingan to me!" Obito commanded, his voice filled with disgust as he glared at the White Zetsu who wore his precious eye.
White Zetsu glanced nervously toward Black Zetsu, seeking guidance. After receiving a subtle nod of approval from his darker counterpart, White Zetsu reluctantly closed his eyes and carefully extracted the Mangekyō Sharingan, holding it out to Uchiha Obito with trembling hands.
Obito snatched the eye without ceremony and began the delicate process of reinstalling his Mangekyō Sharingan into his empty socket.
A wisp of ethereal blue smoke began to curl around his face as his unique healing abilities activated. In the blink of an eye, the torn wound at the corner of his eye sealed itself completely, flesh knitting back together as if it had never been damaged. The Mangekyō Sharingan settled back into place, becoming one with Obito's body once more.
The three tomoe began to rotate slowly, transforming into the distinctive pattern that resembled three curved sickle blades. The design looked both mesmerizing and ominous, radiating an aura of danger that made the air itself seem heavier.
Black Zetsu's voice cut through the tension with its characteristic sinister tone. "What do you intend to do about Yagura now?"
"He's become useless to our cause," Obito replied coldly, his newly restored eye gleaming with calculated malice. "Now that Kirigakure has discovered Yagura was under genjutsu control, no one in the village will trust anything he says or does."
"Even if I attempt to control the future Fifth Mizukage, it would be pointless. Every failure teaches them valuable lessons. Kirigakure will definitely implement countermeasures against this type of manipulation in the future!"
"Don't forget," Obito continued, his voice growing more serious, "Kirigakure now has access to the Byakugan through their alliance networks. That dojutsu can see through many forms of deception."
Black Zetsu felt a surge of satisfaction watching Obito's current mental state. The masked man had finally returned to his former strategic thinking, using his intellect instead of relying purely on brute force and emotion.
"Should we have White Zetsu evacuate the area then?" Black Zetsu inquired, though he suspected he already knew the answer.
"No, the current situation serves our purposes well," Obito replied thoughtfully. "The White Zetsu forces and the Mist shinobi still protecting Yagura will continue to inflict serious damage on Kirigakure's infrastructure and morale. This chaos serves as an excellent deterrent and keeps them focused on internal conflicts rather than external threats."
"However, before we abandon this operation entirely, either Yagura himself or the Three-Tails must fall under my direct control!"
"An incident like what happened with the Two-Tails must never occur again!" His voice carried the weight of bitter experience and determination.
"We're moving out!" Obito declared.
The space around him began to distort and spiral, reality bending to his will as his Kamui technique activated. Uchiha Obito's figure slowly dissolved into the swirling vortex, disappearing from the hideout entirely.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu followed suit, their forms sinking into the earthen floor as if it were water, vanishing without a trace shortly after their leader's departure.
Only the colossal Gedo Statue remained in the vast underground chamber, sitting in eternal meditation upon its lotus throne, an ancient sentinel watching over the empty space with hollow, unseeing eyes.
The Land of Waterfalls
"Is this the location we're looking for?" one of the Cloud shinobi whispered, his voice barely audible in the dense forest.
"This should be the right place," his companion confirmed, checking a small scroll containing their mission details.
The group of elite Cloud shinobi moved through the quiet forest like shadows, their footsteps making no sound on the moss-covered ground. As they drew closer to their intended destination, the ninja ceased all verbal communication and instead relied on a complex system of hand signals to relay information and coordinate their movements.
More than ten minutes passed as the team navigated through the increasingly thick vegetation. Finally, the group of highly trained shinobi arrived at their target location deep within the heart of the forest.
Their captain raised his hand in a silent command, and the ninja team immediately dispersed according to their predetermined formation. Each member knew their role in the search pattern, though none of them were entirely certain what exactly they were supposed to find in this remote location.
"AHHHHH!" A blood-curdling scream suddenly echoed through the previously peaceful forest, shattering the silence like glass.
"Move!" the captain commanded.
The well-trained ninja team reacted with lightning speed, their formation instantly collapsing back together as they rushed toward the source of their comrade's distress. Within seconds, they had reached the location where one of their teammates had been conducting his search.
A massive pale serpent, easily as thick as a tree trunk, flicked its forked tongue menacingly as it surveyed the assembled ninja with cold, predatory eyes. Without warning, the enormous snake launched itself forward with surprising speed, its jaws opened wide enough to swallow a man whole.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Blade!"
One of the Cloud shinobi reacted with impressive reflexes, drawing his short sword in a fluid motion. Crackling electricity surged along the blade's edge, creating an aura of brilliant blue-white energy. Strange arcs of lightning danced through the air as the electrified weapon sliced clean through the giant serpent's body. The snake was torn apart instantly, its massive form crashing heavily to the forest floor with a wet thud.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" The ninja who had been swallowed by the serpent emerged from within the creature's now-split corpse, gasping for air and covered in digestive fluids. He rolled away from the snake's remains, struggling to regain his composure after the terrifying ordeal.
"Hehehe... Cloud shinobi?"
A distinctly sinister voice drifted through the trees, carrying an unmistakable tone of amusement and menace.
"What exactly do the ninja from Cloud Shinobi Village want with me?" The voice continued with mock curiosity.
Orochimaru's serpentine form materialized from behind a large tree as if he had been part of the bark itself. His pale skin seemed to glow in the dappled forest light, and his golden eyes fixed on the intruders with predatory interest. With a casual flick of his long sleeves, several more enormous snakes suddenly burst from the undergrowth.
"Lightning Style won't save you from all of them!" Orochimaru taunted.
The summoned serpents moved with deadly precision, their massive coils wrapping around the nearest Cloud shinobi before he could react. Venomous fangs sank deep into the ninja's neck, injecting paralyzing toxins that instantly robbed him of his ability to resist or even call for help.
"Orochimaru!" the team leader shouted, recognizing the legendary Sannin immediately.
The situation had deteriorated rapidly, but rescue attempts would have to wait. The Cloud shinobi captain swallowed his initial impulse to immediately attack and instead focused on the primary objective of their mission.
"Orochimaru," he said with forced calm, "you need to come with us."
"Leave? And where exactly would we be going?" Orochimaru inquired with mock politeness, his tongue flicking out to taste the air like a snake testing for prey.
"To Cloud Shinobi Village," the captain replied firmly.
"Hehehe..." Orochimaru's distinctive laugh echoed through the forest as he licked the corner of his mouth with his unnaturally long tongue. A dangerous gleam appeared in his golden eyes, and his pale face took on an expression of predatory amusement.
It seemed his fearsome reputation had declined considerably if Cloud Shinobi Village believed they could simply send a handful of ninja to "invite" him anywhere. The audacity was almost insulting, though he had to admit it was also somewhat entertaining.
The Cloud shinobi team knew better than to expect Orochimaru to cooperate based on words alone. They had come prepared for a fight, and the tension in the forest grew thicker with each passing second.
Both sides faced each other in a tense standoff, hands moving toward weapons as the atmosphere became increasingly charged with the promise of violence.
Just as the first jutsu was about to be unleashed, several more Cloud shinobi emerged from concealed positions behind Orochimaru. Before the Snake Sannin could fully process this development, another wave of Hidden Cloud ninja dropped from the canopy above and emerged from hidden positions throughout the forest.
In total, more than thirty elite Cloud shinobi now surrounded Orochimaru in a perfect tactical formation. Without exception, these were among the most skilled and experienced ninja that Cloud Shinobi Village had to offer. Given the current military situation and resource constraints facing the Hidden Cloud Village, the fact that they had been able to assemble such an impressive force for this single mission spoke volumes about its importance.
"What an impressive display!" Orochimaru observed with genuine interest, his eyes scanning the encircling forces with tactical appreciation.
The Snake Sannin found himself genuinely curious about why Cloud Shinobi Village would go to such lengths to secure his cooperation. If their intention had been simply to eliminate him, they could have launched their attack immediately without bothering with diplomacy or explanations.
So Cloud Shinobi Village truly needed something from him that required his willing participation!
Just as Orochimaru was considering whether to fight his way out or hear what they had to say, a clearly high-ranking officer stepped forward from the Cloud shinobi formation.
"Lord Orochimaru, please forgive the aggressive tactics of my subordinates," the officer said with a respectful bow. "They are indeed somewhat overzealous in their duties."
"Please understand that we harbor no hostile intentions toward you. We have come to request your assistance because we face an urgent matter that requires your unique expertise and abilities."
"Therefore, we humbly ask that you accompany us to our village," the Cloud shinobi leader continued, though the surrounding ninja maintained their combat-ready positions.
The diplomatic words contrasted sharply with the continued show of force, making it clear that while they preferred cooperation, they were prepared to use other methods if necessary.
"How fascinating!" Orochimaru mused, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"It appears I have little choice in the matter!" he observed, noting how thoroughly they had prepared for this encounter.
Orochimaru's eyes began to glow with an eerie light as chakra started surging rapidly through his body. The distinctive signs that he was preparing to unleash his considerable power became evident to everyone present.
"Ah, I nearly forgot something important," the Cloud shinobi leader said suddenly, as if remembering a crucial detail. "This is our gift to Lord Orochimaru, a token of our village's sincere respect."
The officer reached into his uniform and withdrew a sealed scroll, tossing it directly toward the legendary Sannin with practiced ease.
Orochimaru caught the scroll reflexively, his golden eyes narrowing as he studied the Cloud shinobi leader's expression. After a moment's hesitation, he carefully broke the seal and unrolled the document.
The instant Orochimaru's eyes fell upon the scroll's contents, his typically composed expression cracked, revealing genuine shock and surprise. For just a brief moment, unmistakable joy flashed across his features before he regained his composure.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Orochimaru rolled up the scroll and swallowed it whole, ensuring that its contents would remain secret and secure within his body.
"This welcome gift is truly unexpected," Orochimaru admitted, his entire demeanor shifting from hostile to intrigued. "I can clearly see the sincerity of Cloud Shinobi Village's intentions. Very well then, let us depart immediately."
The Cloud shinobi leader gestured to his forces, and the surrounding ninja sheathed their weapons in perfect synchronization. However, they maintained their tactical positions around Orochimaru, making it clear that while the immediate threat had passed, they were still prepared for any eventuality.
"Please, this way," the leader said with genuine politeness.
Orochimaru noticed that while the Cloud shinobi had put away their weapons, they showed no intention of dispersing their careful encirclement. Rather than taking offense at this precaution, he seemed almost amused by their thoroughness.
Without further protest, the legendary Sannin began moving alongside the Cloud shinobi team toward their distant village, his mind undoubtedly racing to understand what could be so valuable that an entire village would risk so much to secure his cooperation.
After the entire group had disappeared into the forest depths, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows where he had been observing the entire encounter.
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses thoughtfully as he studied the spot where the confrontation had taken place.
"What exactly could Cloud Shinobi Village have offered that would capture Lord Orochimaru's interest so completely?" he wondered aloud, his analytical mind already working to piece together the implications of what he had witnessed.
Kabuto was intensely curious about the mysterious contents of that scroll that had so dramatically changed his master's attitude toward their would-be captors.
As for Orochimaru's safety in the hands of Cloud Shinobi Village... well, anyone who knew the Snake Sannin's true capabilities would understand that such concerns were entirely unnecessary.
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