In the ninja world, only the leaders of the five great nations' villages are entitled to the title of "Kage."
Star Ninja Village, with a population of just a few hundred people and barely over a hundred ninjas, dared to call its leader "Hoshikage."
This title made Orochimaru feel rather amused.
It was reminiscent of a certain memory of a nation far larger in size that claimed dominance over its neighbors and boasted a long, exaggerated history. Everything was supposedly theirs, and they acted as though one day the whole world would belong to them. It was shameless.
"What's your name?" Orochimaru asked as they walked forward.
"Hotaru Hoshi," the young man answered honestly.
It was clear he had no idea who Orochimaru was or why he had come to the village. But he understood one thing—Orochimaru was not someone he could handle, so all he could do was observe and bide his time.
"Hotaru Hoshi?"
"That's right!" Hotaru said proudly. After a moment, curiosity overcame him. "What was that ability you just used? Controlling plants?"
"Controlling plants?" Orochimaru didn't respond, but Mei scoffed. "Your country is so isolated, you don't even know about Wood Release?"
While Kirigakure didn't have detailed intel on Orochimaru's Wood Release, they had heard that Konoha had many users of this technique during the war.
Furthermore, Orochimaru's reputation for scientific research was widely known in the ninja world.
It wasn't hard to deduce.
"Wood Release?" Hotaru appeared confused, as if he had never heard of such a technique.
Orochimaru didn't bother clarifying and continued walking toward the village.
---
Star Ninja Village was a far cry from Konoha. While Konoha was vast and more akin to a city, Star Ninja Village truly resembled a small village.
Scattered small houses dotted the area, with villagers hanging clothes to dry or relaxing outside.
Aside from the elderly and children, there were only about a hundred capable adult ninjas.
When the villagers saw three strangers entering their village, they were both curious and wary.
Hotaru quickly sprinted toward the Hoshikage's office without waiting for Orochimaru's permission, and Orochimaru made no effort to stop him.
---
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Almost immediately, four or five figures appeared, surrounding Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Terumi Mei in the middle of the village.
"You're from another village, yet we haven't received any commission. Why are you here uninvited?"
A middle-aged star ninja, his expression dark, spoke up.
"What's your purpose?" the man demanded, frowning.
"Nothing much," Orochimaru said casually. "I just wanted to see your Peacock Method. It caught my interest."
His tone was indifferent, as though he were a superior inspecting someone's work.
It was as if he were critiquing a dish at a restaurant: This is decent. I'll take it. Send the waiter to my room later for further instructions.
But the star ninjas were not his subordinates. Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, they immediately activated their Peacock Method, their chakra materializing into bird-like wings.
"You want to steal our star? Over my dead body! Peacock Method: Slashing Feathers!"
Convinced Orochimaru was an enemy, they didn't hesitate to attack.
Materialized chakra turned into sharp blades, slashing toward Orochimaru.
Mei instinctively tried to move out of the way, but with her chakra sealed, there was nowhere to run.
Before she could panic further, a white materialized chakra in the shape of a skull surrounded her, blocking the incoming attack.
"This... What is this?"
"How... How is that possible?"
The star ninjas were stunned. Orochimaru's Susanoo had easily deflected their Peacock Method's assault.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I, too, can materialize chakra. Shall we see whose technique is superior?"
As he spoke, the skeletal figure of the Susanoo grew. Muscles and armor attached themselves to its frame, and a massive rocket launcher formed on its back, aimed directly at the star ninjas.
The immense pressure of the Susanoo's chakra weapon left the star ninjas frozen in place, their wings trembling as they hesitated to move.
"Stop!"
An elderly man, appearing to be eighty or ninety years old, hurried over, guided by Hotaru Mars. In truth, the Third Hoshikage was well over a century old.
As he approached and saw Orochimaru's Susanoo, the old man's expression darkened.
"I must ask, why have you come to Star Ninja Village?" the elder said solemnly.
Noticing that Orochimaru hadn't acted yet, the Hoshikage decided to take a cautious approach, choosing diplomacy over aggression.
"Lord Hoshikage, this man is here for the star! Capture him immediately!"
"Yeah! He's definitely after our star!"
"I knew it! The other villages have always been after our treasure!"
Hearing the panicked accusations, Orochimaru sighed in irritation. Even Kabuto couldn't help but mutter, "You people are so deluded. Do you really think your village's ninjutsu is that valuable?"
Kabuto's words stung.
"With techniques like yours, not even smaller nations like the Rain or Grass villages would care about your so-called secrets," Kabuto added coldly.
"You... How dare you insult us!"
"Then what is your purpose here?" the Hoshikage interjected, silencing his subordinates.
Hotaru had already informed him of Orochimaru's arrival and supposed interest in the Peacock Magic.
But now Orochimaru claimed otherwise. What was he really after?
Orochimaru smiled casually. "Other villages may not care for your ninjutsu, but I happen to like it."
The surrounding ninjas bristled at his shameless words, their anger barely contained.
"Do you know why no one else wants your ninjutsu?" Orochimaru continued. "It's because the Peacock Method cripples or even kills its users if they practice it beyond a certain point. Do you really think anyone would covet such a flawed technique?"
"What?!"
"How do you know so much about our village's techniques?"
"Who... Who are you?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Are we really going to waste time with more questions?"
The Susanoo dispersed with a faint hum, and before the star ninjas could react, Orochimaru moved.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, several star ninjas collapsed to the ground, vines erupting from the earth to bind their limbs.
In an instant, five or six ninjas were subdued, leaving only the Hoshikage and Hotaru Mars standing.
The Third Hoshikage was terrified. Orochimaru hadn't even used his Flying Thunder God technique, yet his speed was unmatched.
The star ninjas, so focused on their Peacock Magic, were utterly helpless in close combat.
"I'll say this one last time," Orochimaru said coldly. "I have no interest in your lives. Take me to see the star you use for training. If not, I won't hesitate to kill you all."
The Third Hoshikage's face was pale as he nodded nervously. "Y-You are a guest, and I wouldn't dare neglect you. Shall we... perhaps have a meal first?"
***
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