The smoke of gunpowder slowly dispersed.
Aizen brushed aside Kyōka Suigetsu, clearing away the haze that clung around him.
Except for the small circle of rocky ground—barely half a meter wide—where Orochimaru stood, the entire area had been blasted apart by the earlier exchange, leaving behind a vast crater.
Ten meters away, Orochimaru panted heavily.
His arms had reverted from serpents to human form, but the sleeves that once covered them were shredded, exposing pale, corpse-like skin.
"This… this guy…"
The fear in Orochimaru's eyes ran deeper than before.
He recalled the moment just now—In that instant, the pressure from Aizen's blade had crushed him, as though the man could see the future itself. With an empty left hand, Aizen had struck the joint of Orochimaru's arm just as it morphed into a python. Lightning-style chakra then flashed from his fingertips, piercing both arms, delaying the detonation, and sending Orochimaru's body hurtling through the air.
It was seamless—each action flowing into the next without a single wasted motion.
If there was such a thing as perfect combat, this was it.
"Anticipating everything I did… you… no, it's impossible!" Orochimaru muttered, shaking his head.
The way Aizen moved—reading each strike as if inside his opponent's mind—was eerily similar to the Sharingan, a power Orochimaru had long coveted. At its pinnacle, like Uchiha Itachi's.
But the Uchiha were annihilated. Only Itachi and Sasuke remained.
How could anyone else wield it?
And it certainly couldn't be Uchiha Kenya—Rasa himself had reported killing him, albeit at a heavy price. Orochimaru had no reason to doubt that claim.
Yet in this world, nothing was ever absolute.
Did he suspect the Sharingan? Fortunately, he hasn't seen through my real identity… Kakashi's eye isn't inferior either, Aizen thought calmly.
Just as he advanced, Orochimaru lifted a hand.
"Wait—Aizen!"
Lowering both arms, he signaled his intent to end the clash.
"After all, we're meant to cooperate. There's no need for a battle to the death, is there?"
Aizen's gaze remained icy."A man who once tried to assassinate my village's Kage dares speak of cooperation?"
Grinning, Orochimaru spread his hands wide."Without me, Sunagakure can't even dream of threatening Konoha—let alone challenging the Land of Fire. My methods may have been… excessive, but you still need me, don't you?"
Originally, Orochimaru had little interest in the Sand. His plan was simple: kill Rasa, replace him with a puppet leader, and secure a safeguard. Sunagakure was, after all, still allied with Konoha. If Rasa faltered midway, everything would collapse.
But now, facing a subordinate this dangerous, assassination seemed far less certain.
"You do understand human nature well. Truly the disciple of Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Aizen snorted, sliding Kyōka Suigetsu into its sheath.
Orochimaru, just like the legends claimed, commanded loyalty not only through power but through his ability to exploit human weakness. The orphans, the discarded, the forsaken—those he gathered followed him with near-religious devotion.
It was almost reminiscent of the Hokage's Will of Fire, that endless cry of living for Konoha.
At that thought, Orochimaru's pupils narrowed faintly, though his smile never wavered.
"Since Rasa sent you, that means he approves of my plan as well?" Orochimaru pressed."The Konoha Collapse Plan. Surely the Sand have no objections? It is… flawless."
Though he had failed to kill Rasa, Orochimaru clung to that belief.
"Even with Sunagakure's forces combined with yours, it isn't enough to shake Konoha's foundations," Aizen said coolly. "What we need… is a decisive weapon."
"Oh?" Orochimaru's golden eyes glimmered. "And that would be?"
"Jinchūriki."
The single word froze Kabuto mid-breath and silenced the others present.
"That child… Gaara, isn't it?" Orochimaru mused. "My network claims he has talent, but no control over the One-Tail."
"Within four years," Aizen replied, voice calm as still water, "he'll master Shukaku. In the meantime, you'll gather your forces. But after today… I don't trust you. From here on, the plan moves under my command."
Orochimaru chuckled, lips curling into a serpent's grin."So domineering… I'd heard you were refined in Sunagakure, yet here you stand, colder than any blade. How strange."
"Stranger than a snake?" Aizen sneered, letting a mocking laugh echo."One more thing—I'll require your help with a minor task. Nothing troublesome."
Orochimaru's slit-pupiled eyes thinned.
This man… his schemes run deep. The fools in Sunagakure likely have no idea who he really is.