Life is unpredictable.
Although the situation in Ryuchi Cave wasn't exactly as Manda had imagined, it appeared quite similar on the surface.
—Orochimaru had indeed failed to completely defeat White Snake Sage.
After the three parties reached an agreement in the mental space, White Snake Sage returned to his physical form and summoned all snakes with a hiss.
No snake in Ryuchi Cave could defy this summons. Regardless of size, from giant pythons like Snake Princess and Manda to the weakest newborn hatchlings, as long as they possessed a trace of White Snake lineage natural energy within their bodies, they found it difficult to resist the call of the summoning scroll.
This was the most severe and intimate binding, existing deep within their bloodlines, within every single cell.
Thus, Manda had fled carelessly, his sole purpose being to avoid the lingering aftermath of their battle.
"What a shame..."
With a slight regret, Manda, leading the pack of snakes, set off on their journey back to Ryuchi Cave, traveling even faster than before.
After all, escaping a little slower might not result in injury from the battle's aftershocks, but returning late meant facing White Snake Sage's wrath, which was perhaps more terrifying than death.
And so, the snake tide descended, flowing back underground, leaving the bewildered villagers to wonder what had happened.
Not much time had passed before Manda returned to Ryuchi Cave, and his eyes immediately spotted a figure near White Snake Sage's head.
"What on earth is going on? Orochimaru isn't dead, and they're not fighting anymore?... Did he pull some other scheme?"
Manda's mind was in a whirl, unable to piece together the cause and effect. At that moment, Orochimaru, who was focused on absorbing energy from a shed snakeskin, looked over, his gaze carrying an unknown meaning. "Manda, why did you put my disciple in your belly?"
"Uh..."
Manda froze for a moment before understanding what Orochimaru meant, a rare flicker of panic in his eyes. "Ah, that, Orochimaru-sama, it was your disciple who insisted on climbing in; I couldn't dissuade him..."
Orochimaru interrupted Manda. "Enough with the nonsense. Are you going to let him stay until he's digested?"
"Oh, oh, oh, I'll just... *gag*..."
Manda opened his mouth and spat out a figure wrapped in slime.
Jugo's body, strengthened by natural energy, possessed a resilience that could even be compared to when Snake Princess was young. Having been swallowed for only a moment, he was not in any mortal danger.
However, all the hair on his body, which was like that of an ordinary person, had now completely dissolved in the digestive fluids, leaving him looking remarkably clean.
Jugo already had a rough face and a robust build; becoming bald made his appearance even more ferocious. He was currently frowning as if having a nightmare, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Orochimaru glanced at him and then looked away, continuing his conversation with the Sage of Six Paths within White Snake Sage's mental space.
This old fellow, after resolving the crisis in Ryuchi Cave, did not leave immediately. Instead, he had something he wished to discuss with Orochimaru.
"Sage of Six Paths, please speak your mind. You are a senior of the ninja world, and by observing my transformation, you have incurred a debt of gratitude from me..."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."
The Sage of Six Paths raised an eyebrow at his words.
Did his statement imply that his role as a guarantor for the previous transaction didn't count as a debt of gratitude?
After pondering for a moment, the Sage of Six Paths finally understood Orochimaru's logic.
During Roran, he could have intervened or not, and ultimately chose to observe. However, concerning the matter of White Snake Sage's disturbance, he had actively accepted Orochimaru's proposal for the safety of the ninja world. Even if Orochimaru felt some goodwill towards him, it was largely out of necessity.
Since it wasn't inherently out of goodwill, it naturally didn't count as a debt of gratitude.
Upon realizing this, the Sage of Six Paths sighed inwardly at how the later generation of ninjas were so calculating, far surpassing those from a thousand years ago. And Orochimaru's favor was indeed valuable, something even he would not easily overlook.
"There is indeed something I need your help with."
The Sage of Six Paths did not change his mind because of this. "A few days ago, Gamamaru... that is, the Great Toad Sage you speak of, came to me asking for my help to avert a crisis of destruction."
So that's what it was...
Orochimaru nodded inwardly, but he was somewhat puzzled. "What kind of crisis could lead to the destruction of Mount Myōboku?"
When he had heard about this in the Hokage's office in Konoha, he hadn't taken it too seriously, treating it as a minor problem that could be easily solved.
But hearing it from the Sage of Six Paths, Orochimaru realized the gravity of the situation.
"Even in this ninja world, I am not omniscient or omnipotent, and I do not know what great crisis Mount Myōboku is facing."
The Sage of Six Paths shook his head, his expression extremely serious. "However, while Gamamaru may not possess the immense power of other sages, his prophetic dreams have almost never been wrong."
His request for Orochimaru's assistance was naturally not solely out of consideration for past sentiments.
Mount Myōboku was not weak. Even excluding the topmost sages, its strength was somewhat greater than Ryuchi Cave. The power capable of destroying it would likely also pose a threat to the ninja world.
"I have taken note of this matter."
Orochimaru nodded slightly, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "By the way, do you know if there is a ninja in the current ninja world who possesses eyes like yours?"
Regarding Nagato, Orochimaru was very curious about the Sage of Six Paths' attitude towards him.
It was impossible for the Rinnegan to appear by chance in someone with the Uzumaki bloodline; this was a fantastical notion to others, but the Sage of Six Paths naturally knew the truth.
This matter was clearly fraught with schemers, and he couldn't believe the Sage of Six Paths had no curiosity about it.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's third son, Black Zetsu, aside for now, could Madara Uchiha's schemes truly deceive him?
After all, Madara Uchiha's chakra-infused soul body was in the Pure Land, completely visible to the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage of Six Paths remained silent for a moment before replying, "I know that child, but for certain reasons, I will not interfere with the growth of Chunin-level ninja in the ninja world, and I am even happy to see more strong individuals emerge."
"I see." Orochimaru didn't press further, but he had already understood that this was a precaution against the Ōtsutsuki clan in the galaxy.
Perhaps it was for this very reason that the Sage of Six Paths had not intervened when he underwent his transformation.
"Later, Nagato and I might have a battle. Since you have this attitude, I can proceed without reservation."
Hearing Orochimaru say this, the Sage of Six Paths gave him a deep look. "It would be best if you showed mercy. Powerful ninjas in the ninja world might be who you rely on one day."
"I have great expectations for your creation of the enhancement surgery, and I am pleased to see such developments. Please do not disappoint me."
Orochimaru merely smiled without replying.
They were not strictly superior and subordinate. He had his own plans for the ninja world, and indeed for all humanity, and did not intend to fully meet the Sage of Six Paths' expectations.
Seeing this, the Sage of Six Paths did not force the issue, merely nodded, and disappeared directly from White Snake Sage's mental space.
Orochimaru stood there for a moment before turning to the Genie Lamp behind him. "How is Jugo now?"
"He is currently fighting Suiren for control of this body. While his own mental power is strong, his aggressiveness is too low."
The Genie Lamp shook its head. "Personality dictates destiny. It wouldn't surprise me if this fellow were consumed by Suiren."
"That's fine too."
Orochimaru smirked. "What's useful is the body itself. I don't care who controls it, and I'm curious to see if this Shikigami can completely take over a human body."
The consumption of soul bodies was not unfamiliar to Orochimaru. Even before encountering the Genie Lamp, the 'Edo Tensei Technique' he researched also involved consuming the target's soul body when taking over another's body.
However, this forbidden jutsu had compatibility issues, leading to periodic damage and the need for frequent body replacements.
He wondered if this artificially created Shikigami could avoid such problems.
If it could, perhaps there would be a possibility of mass-producing excellent subordinates.
As he was pondering, Jugo, who had been slumped on the ground, suddenly let out a roar to the heavens, his entire body undergoing astonishing changes—he had lost his reason again.
In fact, after being beaten severely by Orochimaru today and releasing his suppressed bloodthirsty rage, Jugo could have remained lucid for over ten days. But now he had arrived at Ryuchi Cave.
The natural energy here was already abundant, not to mention that White Snake Sage was currently shedding his skin.
With Orochimaru's help in absorbing the excess natural energy, White Snake Sage could wholeheartedly refine his physique, achieving five hundred years of progress in just over ten minutes.
This resulted in Orochimaru being unable to absorb the shed snakeskin immediately, causing the natural energy in Ryuchi Cave to increase rather than decrease.
Jugo managing to hold on until now before his transformation already showed immense willpower.
"Ahhh..."
With a scream, Suiren's soul body was directly devoured by Jugo. His eyes turned crimson, and he rampaged through Ryuchi Cave in a fit of destruction.
Fortunately, apart from rocks, there was nothing else here. No matter how much Jugo raged, he couldn't cause any significant damage.
Orochimaru didn't even spare him a glance, focusing intently on absorbing the natural energy from the shed snakeskin.
...
In Kumogakure, the mountains were varied, resembling towers, pillars, and bells... Most of them rose from the ground, standing tall amidst the clouds. The villagers of Kumogakure also built their homes on the mountains, living among the peaks.
But at this very moment, the sword peak supporting the Raikage's building had completely collapsed. Countless fragments piled up to form a sizable mound, and Nagato himself floated above it.
Beneath the mound lay hundreds, if not thousands, of Kumogakure Ninja, lying in disarray. None of them were dead, but they were utterly exhausted, their chakra completely depleted, unable to support any further battle.
Among them, only a small number still possessed some strength.
"Fourth Raikage, do you intend to continue this futile attempt?"
Nagato's gaze looked down, slowly saying, "You should know that I held back just now. Or do you want me to kill every single person in Kumogakure?"
Hearing this, the blood-soaked Fourth Raikage's hair and beard bristled, his eyes wide like a furious lion. But unfortunately, it was only impotent rage.
Half a day ago, Nagato had suddenly appeared in Kumogakure and, with his first strike, destroyed a high mountain.
The Fourth Raikage, leading the charge, along with the village's elites, including two Jinchuriki, had besieged Nagato for half a day. He had merely blocked their attacks casually, completely crushing Kumogakure and bringing its people to the brink of despair.
Was this the monster Konoha village was facing? How had Orochimaru managed to repel him? How could the gap between them be so vast?
The Fourth breathed heavily, countless questions swirling in his mind. But what he didn't know was that the Nagato Orochimaru had repelled was not as strong as he was now.
After undergoing two transplant surgeries, Nagato's strength had increased by more than tenfold.
Especially after awakening the new dōjutsu, 'Limbo: Border Jail,' his two split shadows, one attacking and one defending, had almost single-handedly crushed Kumogakure with this ability alone.
Although they were both humans and both ninja, the two were no longer creatures of the same dimension.
Nagato no longer proclaimed himself a 'god,' but his actual performance was no different from that of the 'God of Shinobi.' He no longer had any interest in killing the Kumogakure ninjas—they could no longer threaten him.
Nagato's visit here was the first step towards realizing his ideal: forcing Kumogakure to submit through military might.
"You're dreaming!"
The Fourth Raikage's eyes were bloodshot, his mouth filled with blood. He spat downwards fiercely, "Don't you think you're invincible. If you destroy Kumogakure today, someone will surely bring you to justice."
When the sword mountain supporting the Raikage's building collapsed, the Fourth Raikage had keenly realized that in this battle, even Genin-level forces were not even valuable as cannon fodder.
His first order was to have the Genin lead the villagers in scattering and fleeing.
"Good resolve and will."
Nagato nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "But in front of me, your sacrifice is utterly useless, and no one in Kumogakure will live to see that day."
His sensory abilities were inherited from the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline, and now supplemented by the Sage Body, he could detect the subtle movements of the Raikage and the many Kumogakure ninja.
"Since you won't shed tears until you see the coffin..."
Before he finished speaking, Nagato slowly floated upwards until he became a tiny black speck in the eyes of the people on the ground. Only then did he stop.
He closed his eyes slightly, and his immense spiritual power surged outwards in all directions, as if it would extend to the very ends of the earth.
"World, feel despair!"
Nagato raised his hands, and an infinite gravitational force erupted, passing through mountains and rivers, enveloping all the fleeing Kumogakure ninjas and villagers. "Banshō Ten'in!"
With a low declaration, thousands upon thousands of people, their faces contorted in fear, were instantly pulled into the air, uncontrollably, like birds returning to their nests, forming masses and flying towards the sky above the former Raikage building.
Around Nagato, the crowds gathered, almost forming a gray cloud.
Initially, some Kumogakure ninjas fought with the resolve to die, launching attacks at Nagato with all their might, but all were blocked by Limbo. As the crowd grew, their courage to face death turned into despair, and a deathly silence permeated the air.
Nagato, holding this 'human cloud' devoid of courage, slowly descended from the heavens, returning to the mound of rubble.
Looking at the Fourth Raikage, who wore the same expression, Nagato spoke slowly, "I'll give you one more chance. What is your choice?"