"Where am I? Am I still alive?"
Orochimaru woke up, gazing at the unfamiliar surroundings and muttering to himself.
"Obviously!"
"What?! You… I…"
The sudden appearance of Kazama left Orochimaru so startled he could barely string a sentence together.
Seeing Orochimaru like this, Kazama couldn't help but find it amusing.
"The great Orochimaru, who loves scaring others, is now scared out of his wits by me."
With that thought, Kazama cleared his throat.
"Alright, Orochimaru, I'll cut to the chase. If you want to keep living, then…"
"I, Orochimaru, am willing to serve Kazama-sama!"
"Huh?"
Orochimaru's words caught Kazama completely off guard.
Sure, his original plan was to make Orochimaru submit, but he hadn't even used Betsutenshi yet.
He never expected Orochimaru to surrender so willingly—something Kazama hadn't anticipated at all.
Looking at Orochimaru's terrified expression, though, Kazama quickly pieced it together. His earlier display of Kurei Chika and Yamata no Orochi had clearly broken Orochimaru's spirit.
Even someone like Orochimaru, who refused to bow to the Akatsuki, was now willingly submitting to him.
In the face of absolute power, anyone would have no choice but to kneel.
"Perfect. Saves me the trouble of using Betsutenshi!"
Kazama smirked inwardly before addressing Orochimaru again. "Since you're willingly submitting, I won't kill you. But if you ever betray me, well…"
"Kazama-sama, you have my word!"
Before Kazama could finish, Orochimaru placed a seal on himself.
"This is the Sōsatsu Hebiin—the Double-Kill Snake Seal. If I ever betray you, no matter where I flee, you can activate this seal and kill me instantly!"
Orochimaru then shared the method to activate the seal with Kazama.
"Not bad. Since you're showing such loyalty, I'll trust you. And as my subordinate, you won't have to worry about the Akatsuki hunting you down anymore. I'll protect you."
"Thank you, Kazama-sama!"
Orochimaru's heart raced with both shock and joy.
Shock, because the Akatsuki was shrouded in mystery, known to almost no one. Even his time with them and his betrayal were closely guarded secrets.
Yet Kazama knew all about it, which unnerved him.
Joy, because Kazama's overwhelming strength and willingness to shield him from the Akatsuki meant he no longer had to live in fear of their pursuit.
In that moment, Orochimaru felt his decision to serve Kazama was absolutely the right call.
"One more thing," Kazama added. "You're not allowed to kill innocent people. You can keep doing the research you love, but only if it doesn't harm lives. If you cross that line, I'll make you wish you were dead."
"I understand, my lord!"
Seeing Orochimaru so obedient filled Kazama with satisfaction.
"Now, your first task: help me find the Fentenkyū, the divine artifact of Enbugoku."
"Fentenkyū?"
"Exactly. Like the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, it's an ancient divine artifact. Since you tracked down the Kusanagi, I'm sure the Fentenkyū won't be too hard for you."
"Kazama-sama, you can count on me. I'll find the Fentenkyū for you!"
"Good. When you have news about the Fentenkyū, head to the outskirts of Konoha. Someone will meet you there and bring you to me."
With that, Kazama vanished, reappearing at the hideout where Zabu and Haku were waiting.
"Orochimaru is now my subordinate. If he shows up near Konoha with important business, you'll meet him and inform me."
"What?! Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, is serving you, Kazama-sama?"
Zabu and the others were floored by the news.
"What's that? You think I'm too weak to have Orochimaru bow to me?"
"No, no, not at all! That's not what we meant!"
Kazama's teasing question sent Zabu and the others into a flustered panic, waving their hands.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you. No need to get so worked up."
Kazama chuckled, patting Zabu's shoulder, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief.
"We're just shocked. Orochimaru wouldn't even bow to the Third Hokage, but now he's serving you."
"Guess it's just one thing taming another, huh?"
Kazama said, preparing to leave.
"Kazama-sama, one more urgent matter!" Zabu called out.
"What is it?"
Seeing the panic on Zabu and the others' faces, Kazama grew curious.
"Earlier, we saw a white phosphorous serpent, a giant flame turtle, and what looked like the legendary Yamata no Orochi in the distance. We don't know if they're friend or foe, so we wanted to give you a heads-up."
Kazama burst out laughing at Zabu's words.
"The white phosphorous serpent was Orochimaru's doing. No need to make a fuss."
"And the giant turtle and Yamata no Orochi?"
"Those were my jutsu!"
With that, Kazama headed toward Konoha, leaving Zabu and the others standing there, jaws dropped in stunned silence.