Just as Kazuyama Gekkō was leaving the Land of Hot Water, he suddenly felt the Senjutsu chakra of Tagitsuhime surging violently within him.
"Kazuyama, there's something I need to tell you."
Tagitsuhime appeared in the form of a long crimson serpent, and as soon as she emerged, she brought Kazuyama startling news.
"Your sensei, Orochimaru, asked me to deliver a message. A group calling themselves Akatsuki has approached him."
"Their leader possesses the Rinnegan, and another one is black and white, looking like a cactus."
What the hell? Akatsuki???
Isn't that the name he gave to Yahiko and Konan? And the Rinnegan… Nagato?
Black and white cactus… Zetsu? That description fits, but something feels really wrong here.
"Where's my sensei? The Land of Waterfalls?"
Tagitsuhime shook her head and revealed Orochimaru's whereabouts.
"He went to the Land of Rivers. They're waiting for his reply. He sent a message through Ryūchi Cave and told me to inform you."
The Land of Rivers? What the hell is Orochimaru doing there???
Instead of staying in Takigakure for research, he's running around everywhere!
And without Kazuyama's technique kunai, there's no way for him to just teleport over.
He had even told Orochimaru before to keep one of his kunai as a marker, but he still remembered the expression on Orochimaru's face back then.
Disgusted, with a tone like he was guarding against a thief, Orochimaru had said:
"No, something this valuable should be kept for yourself, or given to someone useful."
"I am Orochimaru. I fear no opponent."
"Tagitsuhime, take me to Ryūchi Cave. And tell Orochimaru to be ready to use Reverse Summoning at any moment."
Without another word, Tagitsuhime turned into her human form and used the Summoning Technique to take Kazuyama away.
In Ryūchi Cave, Manda was being harassed by the four Kinrin Sisters, their sinister stares making him miserable. When he saw Kazuyama appear, he looked like he had just seen his savior.
"Kazuyama, you're finally back!"
"Brother, I was so scared I thought I'd die!"
Manda lunged forward in a desperate dash, full of grievances, but before he could reach Kazuyama, a golden tail slammed in front of him. The sheer force made him feel like he had collided with a wall.
Kinrin's body had grown even larger, brimming with Senjutsu energy. She glared at Manda and snapped, "We're still here. You think you have the right to get close to Kazuyama?"
The next moment, her expression flipped. From vicious and fierce, she turned gentle, her voice softening.
"Kazuyama, you're here. Did you bring me something tasty?"
The moment she said "tasty," the other three giant snakes immediately slithered closer.
Kazuyama chuckled, pulled out a scroll, and unsealed it. Ten baskets of snakeberries appeared before them. Even Manda was stunned, drool dripping unconsciously from his mouth.
"Take them and divide them yourselves."
"Manda, tell me what's going on with my teacher."
Kazuyama tossed a basket of berries toward Manda and walked over. At that instant, a red flash darted out, and nine baskets instantly became six. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝗻𝗼𝘷𝗲𝗹•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Tagitsuhime reappeared, snatching three baskets in the blink of an eye.
The four snakes froze in shock. Kinrin immediately wailed, "Lady Tagitsuhime! You're always with Kazuyama, eating and drinking the best things, and now you're stealing from us too!"
Tagitsuhime ignored her, already devouring her haul.
Seeing even the Snake Princess here, Manda didn't dare breathe loudly. He quickly stored away his basket under the jealous stares of the sisters before speaking.
It turned out Orochimaru had gone to the Land of Rivers to gather medicinal herbs, as many grew there. But during the trip, he had run into an attack from the Rinnegan.
Kazuyama then noticed the numerous wounds covering Manda's body. He didn't recognize them, but there were many.
Manda glanced at his injuries, fear flashing in his eyes.
"The Rinnegan user's attacks are terrifying. I tried ramming into him and was instantly repelled. The harder I hit, the worse my injuries became."
"Even Orochimaru could only defend against it."
"Neither Wind Release nor Snake Techniques had any effect."
"If they had intended to kill us, we'd already be dead."
Kazuyama's expression turned serious. Did Nagato come in person?
"Was that person red-haired?"
"Yes, red-haired, very young. And he clearly hated Orochimaru—he struck without mercy."
Well, of course. Back then, Orochimaru wanted to kill those three kids outright.
Nagato holds grudges!
"What happened after that?"
"Then that cactus-like guy spoke up. He wanted Orochimaru to join their organization, but Orochimaru refused, saying he'd think about it."
"I don't know. Orochimaru canceled the Summoning, so I returned. But he told me to bring this message to you."
Kazuyama fell into silence. Was Orochimaru really planning to throw himself into the tiger's den?
Classic. His teacher was a snake—counting on shedding his skin to escape if things went wrong.
"They're here! Summoning!"
"Take me too! Tagitsuhime, stop eating!"
Before he finished, Manda, Kazuyama, and Tagitsuhime all vanished from Ryūchi Cave.
The four Kinrin sisters exchanged looks.
"Get ready. We might be summoned over soon."
"But first, let's eat!"
The eldest, Yulín, spoke, and before the others could react, she opened her jaws wide and started devouring the berries.
Through the Summoning, Kazuyama hid inside Manda's mouth, while Manda trembled nervously, terrified of not serving him properly.
Soon, a cold voice sounded by Kazuyama's ear.
"So, Orochimaru… this is your choice?"
"Hmph, just a stinking snake. I could kill him myself."
Two voices—Zetsu and Nagato.
"Kazuyama, there's someone else nearby, but their aura feels strange."
"Yes. Whoever it is, they have their own tricks. But from their aura, they're no ally—they're an enemy."
Kazuyama furrowed his brows. Another person? This was unexpected. Who could it be?