[In a Ramen Shop]
"'Hermit Purple!'
Ryosuke slapped the Polaroid camera, and a photo slowly slid out.
Orochimaru was sitting on a chair, holding a teacup in his hand. As if sensing Ryosuke's gaze, the teacup slightly lifted, and he nodded toward Ryosuke.
He was no longer running.
Without Star Platinum drawing in the details, Orochimaru in the photo was simply sitting in the middle of a street. On either side were empty shops, and behind him stood more than ten ninja wearing headbands marked with musical notes.
Otogakure.
Ryosuke understood, this was why Orochimaru had fled all the way here.
For seven days, he chased, Orochimaru fled, no wings could have saved him.
Ryosuke and Orochimaru had almost no moment of rest.
With Hermit Purple's effect, no matter where Orochimaru hid, Ryosuke could always track him through clues.
Until now, Orochimaru finally stopped running.
He waited openly for Ryosuke to show up.
Jiraiya had once said, if it was a surprise encounter with Orochimaru, he could beat him down, of course, there might've been a bit of bragging in that. But if Orochimaru had enough prep time, his threat level would rise exponentially.
In the photo, Orochimaru's gaze seemed to say, "I'm right here, Ryosuke. Do you really dare to come?"
'What kind of Batman setting is this?'
Ryosuke chuckled. "Boss, how far is it to Otogakure from here?"
The ramen shop owner glanced at Ryosuke's big sword and said, "On foot, heading northwest, a normal person would need about three days. On a carriage, maybe two. But for a ninja, hopping from tree to tree? Probably just one day."
Ryosuke roughly estimated the distance and nodded. He stood up, pulled a banknote from his chest, and placed it on the table.
"Keep the change."
The shop owner wiped his hands with a towel, came over, looked at the amount, and hurriedly lifted the curtain to chase after him.
"Sir! One bowl of noodles isn't that expensive, you gave way too much, "
Before he could finish, he froze.
He saw Ryosuke step on the Ruin Greatsword, as if an invisible giant had picked up both him and the blade, and flung them straight into the sky, flying northwest.
The shop owner collapsed onto the ground and shouted, "Wife!"
"What?"
"Come out… look! It's a god!"
———
[Inside Otogakure]
It was broad daylight, yet the streets were empty. Only Orochimaru sat on a chair, holding a steaming cup of tea, calmly sipping and basking in the sun.
If you only looked at Orochimaru, you'd think he had washed his hands of everything, let go of all grudges in the ninja world.
But if your gaze shifted back just a bit, you'd see over ten stern-faced Otogakure ninjas, and…
Two solid wood coffins.
In a world with such low productivity like Naruto's, finely crafted hardwood coffins counted as a luxury burial.
Ordinary families wouldn't get this treatment. When they died, they were just rolled in straw mats, if lucky. Most just got dumped into a pit.
Only landowners, merchants, or powerful ninja could afford hardwood coffins.
As previously mentioned, every village was infiltrating others, Otogakure was no exception. Spies from unknown villages used every trick, hiding in corners, watching Orochimaru and his group from afar.
Rumors had long circulated that Orochimaru was the Kage of Otogakure, but now that it was openly confirmed, many were still shocked.
Spies had wide access to intel.
They had long heard of the chase between Ryosuke and Orochimaru. Now it seemed the final showdown would be here, right before their eyes.
"But what's up with those two coffins marked 'One' and 'Two'?"
"You don't get it? Don't you know what kind of person Orochimaru is?"
"One of the legendary Sannin, now hunted all the way by Ryosuke, a member of the new generation. You think he'd just take that?"
"These coffins represent his resolve. If Ryosuke doesn't come, fine."
"But if he does…"
"If he does?"
"The coffins are ready. What do you think? This isn't just a fight to determine strength, this is life or death. Seems like Ryosuke really pissed Orochimaru off, he's ready to burn it all." The spies whispered quietly.
Kabuto came forward to pour tea for Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, do you really think Ryosuke will come?"
Kabuto couldn't imagine, how had Kimimaro, Kaguya, and Orochimaru all been defeated by Ryosuke? It must've been a hard-fought, close battle.
From Orochimaru's cautiousness, Kabuto could infer that Ryosuke was a powerful ninja.
'But… with Lord Orochimaru fully prepared, will Ryosuke really still come? Alone, to challenge an entire hidden village?'
That went beyond recklessness or impulse, it was stupidity.
And Kabuto wasn't the only one who thought so.
———
Hidden in the sky, Konan and Deidara had the same thought.
"Looks like we came here for nothing," Deidara yawned lazily.
Their targets were Ryosuke and Orochimaru, but compared to the rat-like Orochimaru, Ryosuke's bold, arrogant personality was more Deidara's style.
Konan gave a small nod.
But just then, "He'll come."
From the sky, Uchiha Itachi.
From the ground, Orochimaru.
Separated by thousands of meters, both men said the exact same words at the exact same time.
"Why?"
Kabuto and Deidara asked in unison.
Faced with the question, Orochimaru and Itachi, two of the most intelligent minds, couldn't give a precise answer.
They simply threw out a vague word, "Hunch."
A subtle, indescribable certainty that normal people couldn't comprehend.
Only those who had truly faced Ryosuke in battle could feel it.
After hearing Itachi's explanation, Konan raised her hand to say something, but stopped.
Deidara, however, had no filter and slapped his thigh, laughing, "A feeling from getting beaten up? Itachi, are you sure you're not talking about some weird fetish?"
Uchiha Itachi, "…"
They waited another two full hours. The plan was to let Ryosuke fight Orochimaru to a deadlock, then strike while they were both worn out and capture them.
Konan checked the time.
The blazing sun now hung directly overhead. It was noon.
"Deidara, any signal from your clay scout bugs?"
Deidara had placed clay scouts in a 20-kilometer radius around Otogakure. If Ryosuke entered that area, even slightly, they'd explode.
"Nothing," Deidara replied.
Konan said, "Itachi, looks like your 'feeling' was wrong. We can't wait any longer. Orochimaru's location in Otogakure is already out. Soon, forces from all sides will arrive. We must act before that."
Konan finished speaking, but Itachi didn't respond.
He remained in his meditative pose.
"Itachi?"
"Listen carefully." Itachi suddenly spoke.
'Listen?'
Konan focused her hearing, she heard the sound of rushing wind, and it was, getting closer...
"Look!"
The noonday sun shone on the approaching Ryosuke, flying on a blade.
"He's here!"
"He really came!"
No stealth, no assassination, no troops.
Just like that, all alone, under the blazing noon sun, he swaggered into the enemy's lair.
"Holy crap!"
Deidara's eyes lit up, his jaw half-dropped, "Itachi, I take back what I said earlier. Now I get what you meant by that 'feeling.' Ryosuke… this guy's kinda interesting!"
"And he's actually… flying?!"
Everyone on ground and in the sky saw Ryosuke speeding in.
They channeled chakra into their eyes and saw Star Platinum appear behind the Ruin Greatsword, gripping the handle, aiming directly at Orochimaru, "Ora!"
Ryosuke accelerated again.
Behind him, a white conical cloud burst into existence.
Suddenly, roaring wind and thunder filled the sky like divine judgment, falling upon Orochimaru.
BOOM!
The Ruin Greatsword pierced through Orochimaru's body, pinning him to the ground.
The shockwave spread out, the earth cracked, and the terrain sank.
From just one strike, all buildings within 100 meters collapsed. Every Otogakure ninja hidden nearby was buried in rubble.
Dust filled the air, obscuring vision.
A hand reached out from the debris, gently waving,
as if lifting a curtain.
A wild wind blew.
Ryosuke stood at the center of the ruins, pulled out the Ruin Greatsword, and at the same time,
Thud! Thud!
Two coffin lids hit the ground.
Ryosuke looked at the two people emerging, frowning slightly.
"Why are there… two giant rice dumplings?"
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