"..."
Orochimaru wore a mask, his eye sockets slightly narrowing.
The next moment!
Orochimaru's body twisted violently!
A ghastly, massive ghostly figure of the Death God emerged from Orochimaru's back!
This was the Death God Mask left behind by the Uzumaki Clan; putting on the mask allowed communication with the Death God, summoning the Death God into the world!
"Lord Orochimaru's hands are inconvenient."
Akihara Kagura, seeing that the Death God made no move, noticed Orochimaru's immobile hands and quickly instructed, "Someone help him, cut open his stomach, like seppuku..."
"..."
A Root Ninja swiftly drew a Ninja Sword and thrust it into Orochimaru's abdomen, slicing it open with a fierce stroke. The cut immediately caused Orochimaru immense pain, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth!
However, as Orochimaru's abdomen was slashed open, a long wound also appeared on the Death God's ghostly figure, and one soul after another flew out from its stomach!
Many souls sealed by the Death God were liberated at that moment!
Including the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, whom they had just sealed today using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, and even the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, who was sealed many years ago!
The moment these souls flew out of the Death God's stomach, they headed to the Netherworld Pure Land, leaving behind a glowing soul that fell onto Orochimaru's hands, restoring the movement capability of his once-sealed hands due to the soul's completeness...
"It's real..."
"My hands..."
"Finally restored..."
Orochimaru's arms trembled, finally feeling the completeness of his soul, as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal had caused his hands immense pain, which was alleviated at that moment.
"How could I lie to you?"
Akihara Kagura laughed softly and continued, "However, you must escape from this body quickly, lest the Death God seize your soul, as every communication with the Death God, bringing it into the world, requires the user's soul as a sacrificial offering..."
"I know..."
Orochimaru nodded and took off the Death God Mask.
However, the ghastly ghostly figure of the Death God behind him had not disappeared, waiting to devour Orochimaru's soul, though it eventually did not have the chance.
Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth wide, and a tiny white snake slithered out from within him, causing his body to become an empty shell!
The ghastly Death God looked down at Orochimaru's empty body shell, finding no sign of Orochimaru's soul inside, wondering how it could claim this sacrificial offering. The Death God's eyes showed confusion, and then it vanished from the place in anger...
On the other side.
The moment Orochimaru's tiny white snake hit the ground, it transformed into a pythonesque white-scaled snake!
This white-scaled snake's body was composed entirely of densely packed, tiny white snakes, which formed the scales of the snake. However, its head was that of a human face, making one's scalp tingle just looking at it!
"Don't release any toxins."
Akihara Kagura glanced a little warningly at the white-scaled snake and continued, "And don't try to take over the body of any of my subordinates here, or I may just have to burn you alive, Lord Orochimaru..."
"Whose body should I enter?"
The white-scaled snake looked at Akihara Kagura and suddenly spoke with a human voice, "Akihara Kagura, hurry and find me a body, I need a human body!"
This was Orochimaru's true form.
Orochimaru had long transformed himself into a white-scaled snake, allowing him to invade other bodies and even fight in this state.
Moreover...
As long as the white-scaled snake was not completely dead, as long as one little snake survived, Orochimaru would not perish, able to resurrect by seizing another body.
"Right here."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, raised his palm, and a mud-like white creature emerged from his palm, transforming into a White Zetsu.
In Akihara Kagura's palm, a black Curse Seal emerged, quietly imprinting on the White Zetsu, "Lord Orochimaru, see how this body suits you?"
"!!!"
Orochimaru, disregarding everything, transformed into a little snake and burrowed into that White Zetsu's mouth; the White Zetsu swiftly morphed into the likeness of Orochimaru!
"What is this creature?"
Orochimaru looked disbelievingly at this body, feeling that the White Zetsu was extremely compatible with his soul, "This body can actually merge with my soul without any rejection..."
The next moment!
Orochimaru realized something was amiss!
Orochimaru sensed the presence of a Curse Seal's power on this body and immediately looked towards Akihara Kagura, "Kagura-kun, why does this body..."
"Because I did some tinkering."
Akihara Kagura did not deny his little trickery and continued, "Doesn't Lord Orochimaru also like leaving Curse Seals on others?"
"..."
Orochimaru's face showed a hint of anger!
How could this be the same?
Leaving a Curse Seal on others was a means for him to control others!
This guy, Akihara Kagura, leaving a Curse Seal on him, was it also to control him?
"Alright, don't mind these trivial matters."
Akihara Kagura sat up and waved his hand, indicating to Orochimaru not to be so petty, "A little countermeasure to prevent Lord Orochimaru from betraying our alliance..."
"Kagura-kun."
Orochimaru bit his teeth, looking somewhat dissatisfied at Akihara Kagura, "Your actions are what seem to be breaking our alliance..."
Akihara Kagura's placed Curse Seal...
Was even stronger than his own Curse Seals!
This was something the proud and arrogant Orochimaru found hard to bear. The most troublesome thing was that Orochimaru clearly understood the Curse Seal's effect; within the Curse Seal was the technique user's Chakra, which could cause trouble for the bearer of the Curse Seal at any time!
"I hold our alliance in high regard."
Akihara Kagura shook his head, gesturing at Orochimaru's body, continuing, "Didn't I find for you a highly suitable body? Although it might have a tiny flaw..."
"Is this just a tiny flaw?"
Orochimaru's pupils slightly narrowed, feeling the chill on his back, which was the Curse Seal placed by Akihara Kagura on him.
"Just a minor issue, don't take it to heart."
After saying that, Akihara Kagura looked at the Root Ninja present, "Bring over the sacrificial offering I prepared. I am going to resurrect the Third Hokage."
"Do you have the materials for his resurrection?"
Orochimaru furrowed his brows, looking at Akihara Kagura.
"It's coming right away."
Akihara Kagura nodded, continuing, "I expect that by the time the sacrificial offering I prepared in advance arrives, the Third Hokage's body will also have arrived..."
In fact.
The time when Sarutobi Hiruzen's body was brought over was even earlier.
This Hokage had just been placed into a coffin and buried in the ground, with a group of Dark Department members still arranging for the Third Hokage's funeral at the Memorial Stele on the rear mountain.
An unblemished White Zetsu, Awei, arranged by Akihara Kagura in advance, silently emerged from the ground, presenting Sarutobi Hiruzen's body before them.
Orochimaru looked at his teacher's body, his gaze unexpectedly carrying a touch of melancholy, suddenly recalling a conversation he once had with Jiraiya...
Killing one's teacher...
Wasn't necessarily as satisfying as imagined.
Even...
Somewhat saddening.
Orochimaru gently squatted down, intending to help his teacher tidy up a bit, when a group of Root Ninja carried the sacrificial offering for resurrecting Sarutobi Hiruzen inside.
"The sacrificial offering you prepared for resurrecting the teacher..."
Orochimaru heard a burst of footsteps and turned to see their other ally, Shimura Danzo, lying on a stretcher, with a cross-shaped scar on his chest.
Evidently.
No one else showed up.
Shimura Danzo was evidently the sacrificial offering for resurrecting Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Orochimaru felt the absurdity of the world, suddenly looking towards Akihara Kagura, "Kagura-kun, is this what you call... respecting the alliance?"