When Yuto's sudden smile appeared, a chill ran through Orochimaru. A bad premonition tightened in his chest.
"Orochimaru, missing-nin of Konoha."
His golden eyes flickered, but he still answered honestly. When he said "missing-nin," he put extra weight into the word.
He couldn't gauge Yuto's personality yet, but anyone sealed by Konoha likely held no fondness for it.
And with Senju Hashirama standing here—even if as Edo Tensei—Orochimaru had a measure of confidence. He controlled the First; in case of trouble, he could unleash him at once.
"A missing-nin from Konoha? Not bad at all."
Yuto's smile never faded. He turned toward Hashirama and spoke softly:
"This state of Hashirama… not even a tenth of his true strength. Less a Senju Hashirama than a puppet wearing his skin. Watch."
He snapped his fingers.
Rip!
It was like cloth tearing.
Before their eyes, Hashirama's body shattered into pieces.
"No awareness. Can't even dodge the simplest strike."
Yuto shook his head, regret in his eyes.
When? How?
So strange.
Was this a kekkei genkai?
Orochimaru's body went rigid. No chakra fluctuation—nothing at all.
But on Mei and Ao's faces, joy bloomed. Legend said Yuto could summon invisible spirits to fight. The shredded Hashirama… surely their doing.
"Don't tense up. Just a trick. Byakugan, Sharingan—bloodlines like those can barely glimpse them. And those four behind you—if they use that special chakra in their bodies, they should sense it too."
Yuto's calm gaze slid to the Sound Four, his lips curling faintly.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted. He meant the cursed seal.
To see even that?
The way Yuto looked at them gave Orochimaru a guess. His face smoothed, his voice even:
"If Yuto-dono needs anything, simply say the word."
Yuto nodded, giving him a knowing look.
"Sealed for so long, my reserves are nearly spent. I'll be taking a bit of chakra. You don't mind, do you?"
A spark flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He knew better. The cursed seal's power and its side effects—no one understood them like him.
As for Yuto's claim of being weakened, Orochimaru didn't believe a word.
From the moment Yuto revived, he had studied him closely, looking for flaws in that so-called immortal body.
But there was nothing. No weakness in flesh, no cracks in spirit. He seemed merely a man waking from a nap.
Even without lifting a hand, the pressure of his power was overwhelming.
That was why Orochimaru behaved.
He thought of the secret Konoha archives that spoke of Yuto's bloodline, able to absorb all energy.
Perhaps it was time to witness it firsthand.
Under the weight of their gazes, the Sound Four's eyelids twitched. A bleak heaviness filled their hearts.
Perhaps coming here had been a mistake.
But though they thought it, their bodies moved obediently, stepping before Yuto.
"You four—use the power within you."
His tone was flat.
In his last battle against Madara and Hashirama, he had discovered something. He hadn't had time to confirm it then—sealed away too soon. But now, the chance was here.
The Sound Four exchanged looks, then glanced at Orochimaru.
At his slight nod, they flared their cursed seals.
Boom!
Dark, chilling chakra erupted from their bodies. Black markings spread in twisted patterns across their skin.
Each bore different lines, but all surged from ordinary chunin to the level of elite.
Mei and Ao's expressions shifted. They hadn't expected Orochimaru to hide such a card.
Ao's face hardened. This was no simple exchange. Orochimaru hadn't come just for information; he clearly had other motives.
If not for Yuto, they might already have been outplayed.
Mei licked her red lips, a flicker of killing intent in her eyes.
Then, just as they thought it was over, the Sound Four's auras swelled again.
Their strength spiked, forcing them into jōnin-level.
The chakra was darker, more twisted. Madness crept into their eyes. They no longer looked fully human.
Mei and Ao's faces tightened. Not because of the Four's newfound strength—it wasn't enough to truly threaten them.
It was Orochimaru himself.
The power to command the dead.
The ability to mass-produce this cursed strength.
That was what made him dangerous.
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