A dark expression crossed Hyuga Gakuya's face as a powerful surge of chakra exploded from his body, instantly flooding the entire hall with an oppressive force.
"Orochimaru… It seems you won't behave unless I teach you a lesson," Gakuya growled.
In a flash, he vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Orochimaru, his hand clamped tightly around the man's throat.
Orochimaru's face flushed red as his breath caught in his throat, but his eyes still burned with defiance and unyielding will.
He tried to cast a jutsu to escape Gakuya's grip, but his body was sealed—immobilized by layers of suppressing tags.
"Hmph… You think this will make me surrender?" Orochimaru rasped.
Gakuya's grip tightened further, his voice icy.
"I'm not here to waste time with you. Either you cooperate… or you die."
Everyone present was stunned by the sudden escalation. Silence fell across the room like a heavy blanket.
Tsunade couldn't help but shout, "Gakuya, don't be reckless!"
Gakuya cast her a glance and said flatly, "If he keeps being stubborn, we'll all die beneath the Ten Tails' feet."
That one sentence was enough to silence anyone who might have objected.
A flicker of fear finally passed through Orochimaru's eyes, but his mouth remained stubborn.
"Kill me if you want. You'll never get the secret to undoing Edo Tensei."
Gakuya narrowed his eyes. "You think I won't risk it? If I could control you once, I can control you again."
As he spoke, he formed a spirit sphere in his left hand and held it up right in front of Orochimaru's face—ready to plunge it into him at any moment.
Fear finally surfaced in Orochimaru's gaze, but still he refused to relent. He believed Gakuya needed him too much to follow through.
At that tense moment, Jiraiya stepped forward again.
"Orochimaru, stop being so stubborn," he said seriously. "Put aside your grudges—for now, our priority is surviving this together."
Orochimaru panted, his expression shifting as he considered. At last, he gave a slight nod.
Only then did Gakuya release him, letting him collapse to the ground, gasping for breath. Hatred burned in Orochimaru's eyes, but he said nothing.
"You'd better not try anything," Gakuya warned.
Orochimaru slowly got back to his feet and gave a cold snort.
"Hmph. Fine… I'll go along with this, for now."
But whatever emotion had flickered in his eyes moments earlier was now completely hidden.
The tension in the hall eased just a little, though everyone remained on edge.
Ōnoki cleared his throat. "Since Orochimaru's agreed to cooperate, let's begin discussing how we're going to deal with this threat."
Everyone nodded and took their seats once more.
Tsunade was the first to speak.
"Orochimaru, tell us—what's the key to undoing Edo Tensei?"
Orochimaru shot her a glance, then said in a calm, unhurried voice,
"The core of Edo Tensei lies in the caster's control over the soul of the deceased. To break it, you either find the caster and stop them… or use a sealing technique to sever their link to the souls."
Mei Terumi frowned. "Easier said than done. We don't even know where the caster is."
Gaara spoke after a moment's thought.
"Perhaps we can find clues through the reanimated shinobi themselves."
Gakuya nodded. "That's a viable lead—but we'll need to be cautious. Those shinobi aren't pushovers."
Orochimaru turned to Gakuya.
"One more thing—what about my subordinates? Didn't they develop a charm that could sever the caster's control? Where are their research notes?"
He was referring to the talisman Jiraiya had placed on him during the rescue—one that had briefly returned control of his soul. Of course, that had actually been arranged by Gakuya, through Kabuto's preparations.
"They're dead," Gakuya replied. "Traitors. I killed them myself. They didn't leave behind any real research. Just a few failed prototypes."
"I figured we might need them, so I brought them with me today."
Orochimaru sneered. "Fine. Let me see them. Maybe I'll spot something worth improving."
Gakuya could read the glint in Orochimaru's eyes—satisfaction, ambition. He was hiding it well, but not well enough for Gakuya to miss.
Heh. Trying to bluff in front of me? You really think you're the only master manipulator?
Even if he couldn't see the full picture yet, Gakuya had already caught on to pieces of Orochimaru's plan. Still, he reached into his robe and pulled out several tags, handing them over.
Orochimaru examined them closely. After a while, he spoke.
"They're incomplete, sure—but there's a hint of something here. With my research, I might be able to improve them. They could become useful."
Ōnoki asked, "How long will that take? We don't have much time."
Orochimaru shot him a look.
"Don't rush me. This kind of thing isn't solved overnight."
As the group resumed their discussion, another shinobi burst into the room, face pale and voice panicked.
"Uchiha Sasuke is outside the venue—attacking everyone on sight! We can't stop him!"
"He's here already," Gakuya murmured.
The next instant, the messenger's head flew from his shoulders.
A lone figure appeared in the center of the hall.
Sasuke.
His eyes were cold, burning with hatred. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed as he stared at everyone present.
A faint smile tugged at Gakuya's lips. He was the first to speak.
"Sasuke… These eyes of yours have already surpassed Itachi's. You truly didn't let him down."
For a moment, Sasuke's lips curved ever so slightly. He brushed his fingers across his eyes.
"Yes. Though I owe it to you, for your guidance…"
He began with a note of gratitude—but then his tone changed.
"But that doesn't excuse you from betraying your ideals."
Gasps spread across the room. The atmosphere grew tense.
Gakuya's brows furrowed slightly.
"I haven't betrayed my ideals. Maybe human nature isn't as rotten as we thought. Maybe this world can change—just by different means."
Sasuke scoffed.
"Spare me the excuses, senpai. You once swore you'd pursue your dream no matter the cost. I believed in that dream. I followed you… even when it meant risking everything."
"But now? Now you stand among these so-called defenders of justice, looking for peace and compromise. Is that what's left of the man I once respected? This isn't the Gakuya I knew—the one who burned with conviction!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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