"Do you know the 'truth' of the world, or are you with him because you want to seize the opportunity to understand this 'truth'?"
Takemi's voice remained calm, and the Totsuka Blade in his hand gleamed again.
In a blink of an eye, the giant snake head attacking from behind was once again cut off.
"However, this is a cruel topic. For you lower beings, it's best not to touch some 'truths'."
Buzz—
Another slash and blood streamed. The enormous body of the Eight-Headed Serpent was nothing but a hindrance in front of him.
"Because no matter what you do, you can never escape the circle of fate."
Takemi swung his blade again, and the Eight-Headed Serpent's heads were almost all cut off.
But Orochimaru still hadn't touched him in the slightest.
"What exactly is this?"
On one side of the ruins, the Kumogakure people had also arrived. Although they had almost no fighting spirit left, with so many people behind them, they still had to come out, and at a glance, they saw this scene before them.
This made them all feel a sense of trepidation. They didn't understand what had happened to Kumogakure.
Why, after just suffering a surprise attack from Konoha, did they turn around and encounter a group of strangers fighting again?
"What do we do now?"
Darui looked at everything before him. Although he felt it couldn't compare to the Great wooden statue from earlier in the day, this battle also seemed far from simple.
"Let's observe first."
Cee was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"One of the combatants seems to be Orochimaru…"
"Orochimaru?"
Darui's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing that name. According to intelligence, Orochimaru had fought alongside the Raikage and the Kazekage.
However, both of those Kage had died, and only he was unaccounted for.
"What is his purpose in coming here?"
"Uncertain."
Cee shook his head, but after a moment of thought, he continued, "But he seems to be a Konoha rogue Ninja, and he's also involved with that mysterious Akatsuki."
He paused there, but everyone likely understood what Cee meant.
There was a certain probability that he could be a potential ally.
But no matter what, until the situation was resolved, they would absolutely not make any rash moves.
Boom—
Just as they were contemplating, another violent roar erupted.
The last head of the colossal, Tailed Beast-like giant snake was severed, and crimson blood poured down like rain.
Takemi remained high above, looking down with indifference, shaking his head disdainfully.
"How pathetic. Your resistance gives me no interest. With just this much power, you wish to delve into 'truth'?"
"Truth…"
Although the giant snake had lost its head, it could still move under Orochimaru's control. And the snake heads began to regrow. Obito also arrived by his side at this moment.
His figure emerged from the middle of the snake, which had lost its head, and his expression was very grim.
He didn't know what Takemi meant, but he felt it had something to do with Black Zetsu. However, he couldn't help but let out a low roar.
"I don't know what your so-called 'truth' is, but whatever 'truth' it is, I will seek it out! I will find all the secrets of this world!"
"I will also thoroughly investigate your 'truth'!" Obito growled in a low voice. He couldn't hold back anymore.
He just didn't understand why they couldn't defeat this guy, and he was fed up with this guy's condescending attitude.
"I will definitely pull off your mask and see clearly who you truly are! I will definitely see your 'truth'!"
"Is that so?"
Takemi tilted his head. He had a feeling those words sounded familiar.
Why did they sound so much like what Naruto had said to Obito?
Was he taking Obito's script now?
Shaking his head gently, Takemi smiled slightly, and the Totsuka Blade in his hand also lifted slightly.
"Originally, I only came to search for my lost power, but now it seems you are more interesting than I imagined."
Before his words finished, the moonlight-like Chakra around Takemi became even more dazzling.
This Chakra instantly dispelled the surrounding darkness, turning the deep night, shrouded by dark clouds, into something akin to broad daylight.
"This Chakra…"
"This guy, why does he feel even more terrifying and dangerous than Takemi?"
"What are they even talking about?"
"What is the lost power?"
Takemi hadn't lowered his voice, so the Kumogakure people naturally heard everything clearly. But they didn't understand what he was talking about, nor what he intended to do.
They only felt that this guy before them seemed even more unsettling than the giant statue from earlier in the day.
"It's over… it's over, he…"
Compared to the Kumogakure people's ignorance, Black Zetsu's inner world was collapsing.
He had always hidden himself under the guise of Madara's will, lurking by Obito's side. But everything that happened tonight would kill him.
He had to think carefully about how to deal with the aftermath, otherwise, there would be nothing left for him to do.
"I've found that you lower beings, regardless of your strength, possess an unprecedentedly firm will."
As Takemi's Chakra finished condensing, his voice resounded again.
"But this firm will, sometimes, is more like self-deception. However, this is normal, after all…"
"For you lower beings, without such a will, how could you survive in this cruel world?"
Buzz—
In an instant, the blade swung, and extreme energy, as if compressed, began to release wildly.
"Stall him for a bit, I'll take you away!" Obito immediately shouted loudly.
He hadn't dared to move before, having learned his lesson from Black Zetsu. He had to wait for Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki to make a move.
As he spoke, his Kamui erupted wildly, and Orochimaru moved too.
Whoosh—
The Eight-Headed Serpent, like a small mountain twisted wildly at this moment. The mere gales it created were no weaker than Wind Release Ninjutsu.
But its struggles were utterly useless against Takemi. The moment the blade descended from the sky—
Swish!
In an instant, the heavens and earth seemed to be split by that single sword.
The entire valley seemed to undergo a massive tremor at this moment, and a vast amount of blood erupted from the Eight-Headed Serpent's body.
"Ah!"
Accompanied by Orochimaru's tearing roar, the Eight-Headed Serpent's mountain-like body was sliced into two halves.
And that terrifying power continued to spread, and in an instant, the entire valley seemed to begin collapsing.
At this moment, Takemi's voice finally descended.
"But unfortunately, this world only has the undeniable truth."
Boom!
A massive roar instantly enveloped the entire valley. Endless rumbling echoed continuously within the valley.
The towering valley continuously collapsed at this moment, and in just a blink of an eye, it had transformed into a flat expanse.
"What exactly was that?!"
When the storm in the valley subsided, the Kumogakure people looked up in astonishment at the distance.
At this moment, all of them were speechless. In that instant, they truly felt like insects. No matter how strong they were, they couldn't resist.
And now, seeing the flattened valley, that despair from the bottom of their hearts grew even stronger.
"Kumogakure, what happened? Why did we encounter such a guy…"
Darui murmured, and Cee gulped hard, unable to speak.
"Alright, those minor troubles have been dealt with."
Just then, an indifferent voice suddenly resounded. Looking up, they saw that that guy, like a heavenly god, had arrived above them.
His brilliant, azure eyes gazed down at them, as if to destroy their very souls.
"Now it's your turn, lower beings…"