"As expected, you're here for Mother."
Kitagawa Minamoto's Chakra surged continuously into his body, but Black Zetsu had no luxury to think deeply.
Minamoto's words had left him completely paralyzed!
Although he had long suspected this, hearing it openly admitted sent him spiraling into despair he could no longer suppress.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan—they were the clan of gods!
His mother had devised her plan to hang all living creatures on the Divine Tree to create White Zetsu warriors precisely to resist the Ōtsutsuki's pursuit.
She had hoped to use these fearless White Zetsu as her soldiers, but everything had been ruined by her two "good sons."
"It's over. Everything is over."
Zetsu's face turned ashen.
His only consolation was that this being didn't seem to know where his mother was.
But if he died here, whether Minamoto knew or not wouldn't make much difference anyway.
"Hmm? What's this..."
At this moment, Kitagawa Minamoto suddenly paused, his expression shifting to one of curiosity.
He seemed to sense something, falling into deep thought.
But just then, a massive snake head rushed toward him!
Boom!
The enormous snake head crashed heavily into the ground, causing yet another earth-shaking tremor.
As dust and smoke filled the air, Zetsu suddenly realized that Ōtsutsuki Minamoto had released him.
His face lit up with joy, and without hesitation, he burrowed into the ground, quickly making his way to Obito Uchiha's side.
"Tsk, what a surprise."
Under the silver moonlight, Kitagawa Minamoto had already evaded the giant snake head.
He glanced at the massive white snake below, with its eight heads and tails rivaling a Tailed Beast in size, and shook his head slightly.
He recognized this as Orochimaru's technique, but his attention wasn't on the snake; it was on the black Chakra in his hand.
This was extracted using his "Ketsuji Refining Technique," but unexpectedly, he found himself unable to absorb it directly.
"Why is this happening? Does it need to be transformed into some kind of 'pill' first?"
Kitagawa Minamoto wasn't sure, and it seemed he wouldn't get an answer anytime soon.
"Forget it. Let's deal with the immediate problems first. After all, there are still two Tailed Beasts waiting for me."
Unable to figure it out, Kitagawa Minamoto decided not to dwell on it.
He wasn't one to get stuck on unresolved issues; he knew exactly what he needed!
Moreover, after encountering the Akatsuki so many times...
He felt it was time to test Zetsu's durability!
"Hah!"
Seeing that Kitagawa Minamoto hadn't moved, Orochimaru immediately coiled his massive, Tailed Beast-like body and launched an attack.
The eight gigantic snake heads hissed loudly, rushing toward Minamoto in an instant.
"Good timing, but your technique is truly grotesque."
Kitagawa Minamoto watched Orochimaru's attack, and the Sword of Totsuka in his hand began to emit a dazzling light.
"Still, you and your companions are quite intriguing, being intertwined with that person's Chakra."
Before he finished speaking, Kitagawa Minamoto swung the Sword of Totsuka, its immense power seemingly tearing through the heavens.
In an instant, blood splattered everywhere as several of the Eight-Headed Serpent's heads were severed!
Boom!
The severed heads crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up another cloud of dust.
"Do you know the 'truth' of this world? Or are you with him to try to uncover this 'truth'?"
Kitagawa Minamoto's voice remained calm as the Sword of Totsuka in his hand gleamed once more.
In the blink of an eye, another snake head that had lunged at him from behind was severed!
"But this is a cruel topic. For inferior creatures like you, some 'truths' are better left untouched."
Buzz!
With another swing of the sword, blood flowed freely.
The massive body of the Eight-Headed Serpent was nothing but a burden before Minamoto!
"Because no matter what you do, you can never escape the circle of fate."
Kitagawa Minamoto swung his sword again, and the Eight-Headed Serpent's heads were nearly all severed!
Yet Orochimaru had failed to touch him even once.
"What is this?"
On the outskirts of the ruins, the Cloud ninja had arrived.
Though they were utterly demoralized, with so many people behind them, they couldn't ignore the scene before them.
Seeing the battle unfold, they were filled with unease.
They couldn't understand what had happened to Kumogakure—why had they faced Konoha's assault during the day, only to encounter another group of mysterious individuals at night?
"What should we do now?"
Darui stared at the scene before him.
Though it didn't seem as overwhelming as the Thousand-Armed Buddha from earlier, this battle was clearly no ordinary clash!
"Let's observe for now..."
Cee remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"One of the combatants appears to be Orochimaru. That guy..."
"Orochimaru?"
Darui's eyes narrowed upon hearing the name.
According to their intelligence, Orochimaru had fought alongside the Raikage and Kazekage.
However, both Kage had perished, leaving Orochimaru's whereabouts unknown.
Who could have imagined that he would show up here?
"What's his purpose for being here?"
"Unclear."
Cee shook his head but pondered for a moment before continuing.
"He seems to be a rogue ninja from Konoha and has ties to that mysterious Akatsuki organization."
At this, Cee paused, but everyone understood what he meant.
Orochimaru might potentially be an ally!
Still, until the situation unfolded further, they wouldn't act rashly.
Boom!
As they deliberated, another violent explosion erupted.
The final snake head of the massive serpent was severed, and crimson blood rained down like a storm!
Kitagawa Minamoto remained high above, gazing down with indifference.
He shook his head disdainfully at the scene before him.
"How pitiful. Your resistance is utterly uninspiring. With such meager strength, do you truly wish to uncover the 'truth'?"
"The truth..."
Though the serpent had lost its heads, under Orochimaru's control, it continued to move.
Its heads began to regenerate, and Obito appeared beside Orochimaru.
Emerging from the serpent's central body where a head had been severed, his expression was grim.
He didn't fully understand Kitagawa Minamoto's words, but he suspected they were related to Zetsu.
Still, he couldn't help but shout.
"I don't know what 'truth' you're talking about, but whatever it is, I'll seek it out! I'll uncover all the secrets of this world!"
"And I'll thoroughly investigate your 'truth' as well!"
Obito's voice was filled with anger.
He couldn't comprehend why they couldn't defeat this man, and he was fed up with Minamoto's condescending attitude.
"I will tear off your mask and uncover who you truly are. I will reveal your 'truth'!"
"Oh, really?"
Kitagawa Minamoto tilted his head, finding the words oddly familiar.
They sounded suspiciously like something Naruto had once said to Obito.
Had he inadvertently taken Obito's script?
Shaking his head lightly, Kitagawa Minamoto smiled.
The Sword of Totsuka in his hand rose slightly.
"I came here seeking my lost power, but now it seems you're more interesting than I imagined."
Before he finished speaking, the Chakra around Kitagawa Minamoto began to glow like moonlight.
The radiance dispelled the surrounding darkness, turning the cloud-covered night into something resembling daylight!
"This Chakra..."
"This guy... feels even more terrifying and dangerous than Kitagawa Minamoto!"
"What are they talking about?" "What is this 'lost power' they're referring to?"
Kitagawa Minamoto hadn't lowered his voice, so the Cloud ninja heard everything clearly.
But they couldn't understand what he meant or what he intended to do.
All they knew was that this being seemed even more fearsome than the Thousand-Armed Buddha they had faced earlier!
"It's over... it's all over... this guy... this guy..."
In contrast to the Cloud ninja's ignorance, Zetsu's mind was on the verge of collapse.
He had always hidden behind the guise of Madara Uchiha's will, lurking beside Obito.
But everything that had transpired tonight could very well spell his doom!
He had to think carefully about how to clean up this mess, or he wouldn't survive to do anything at all.
"I've noticed that, while your strength is lacking, your resolve is unprecedentedly strong."
As Kitagawa Minamoto's Chakra reached its peak, his voice echoed once more.
"But such unwavering resolve often feels like self-deception. Still, that's normal. After all..."
"For inferior creatures like you, without such resolve, how could you survive in this cruel world?"
Buzz!
In an instant, the blade swung, and compressed energy erupted wildly.
"Delay him for a moment! I'll get us out of here!"
Obito shouted loudly.
Having learned from Zetsu's mistakes, he knew he had to wait until Ōtsutsuki Minamoto acted before making his move.
As he spoke, Kamui's power surged, and Orochimaru sprang into action!
Whoosh!
The massive Eight-Headed Serpent twisted violently, its movements generating winds as fierce as Wind Release ninjutsu!
But its struggles were futile against Kitagawa Minamoto.
As the blade descended from the heavens...
Slash!
In an instant, it felt as though the world had been split in two.
The entire valley shook violently as torrents of blood sprayed from the Eight-Headed Serpent's body!
"Ah!"
Orochimaru let out a blood-curdling scream.
The serpent's mountain-like body was cleaved in half, and the terrifying force continued to spread.
Within moments, the entire valley seemed to collapse.
At last, Kitagawa Minamoto's voice rang out once more.
"But it's a pity—the only truth in this world is the undeniable reality before us."
Boom!
A massive explosion engulfed the valley, the deafening roar echoing endlessly.
The towering valley crumbled, reduced to a flat expanse in mere moments!
"What is this?!"
As the storm in the valley subsided, the Cloud ninja stared in shock at the distant scene.
They were utterly speechless.
For a moment, they felt like rootless driftwood—no matter how strong they were, they couldn't resist.
Seeing the flattened valley, their despair only deepened.
"What's happening to Kumogakure? Why are we encountering such beings..."
Darui murmured, while Cee swallowed hard, unable to speak.
"Alright, the minor nuisances have been dealt with."
At that moment, a calm voice rang out.
Looking up, they saw the god-like figure hovering above them.
His radiant blue eyes gazed down, seemingly intent on destroying their very souls.
"Now, it's your turn, inferior creatures."
(End of Chapter)
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