"What? So Orochimaru wasn't lying after all..."
As Rasa flew away on his golden platform, he turned back to witness a scene that would leave a deep impression on him.
Sōmi, gripping the Starfall Rod in one hand, formed a series of hand seals with the other. A powerful aura radiated from him, and in an instant, a massive sand vortex materialized beneath Orochimaru's feet.
The vortex, spanning several hundred square meters, churned violently, grinding the surrounding soil into fine particles while bringing refined golden sand from underground minerals to the surface.
Within the swirling sand vortex, countless sand arms emerged. From Rasa's vantage point in the air, the ground below resembled the underworld itself. Thick, claw-like sand arms surged upward, as if trying to drag Orochimaru into the depths of the abyss.
Rasa clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't help but wonder how Sōmi possessed such a vast reserve of Chakra. Moreover, the golden sand under Sōmi's control was not only more agile but also visibly more vibrant in color.
The golden sand shimmered with a metallic luster under the sunlight, its density far surpassing that of Rasa's own.
Frustrated, Rasa turned away from the battle, his face filled with bitterness. Recently, he had indeed been slacking in his training due to various distractions.
His wife, Karura, had recently become pregnant with their third child. Had he allowed himself to become too complacent, too immersed in the comforts of family life, and thus hindered his progress?
"Orochimaru!"
"Have you reconsidered my proposal?"
Sōmi's expression was cold as he stared at Orochimaru, who was struggling to evade the pale purple lightning spheres relentlessly pursuing him.
A trace of apprehension appeared on Orochimaru's face. The golden sand ninja was already a formidable opponent, but this newly arrived red-haired youth was equally unnerving.
The puppet he controlled didn't even require hand seals to unleash a barrage of powerful lightning spheres, constantly pinning Orochimaru down.
As the black sealing runes spread further from the sand vortex, Orochimaru's unease deepened. This time, it wasn't just the golden sand ninja he had to contend with...
If he were truly sealed here, escaping would be far more difficult than last time.
"Cooperation?" Orochimaru asked, halting his movements after slicing apart the final lightning sphere. Standing at the center of the slowly rotating sand vortex, he looked toward Sōmi.
"Yes, cooperation," Sōmi replied, completing his hand seals before tossing the Starfall Rod into the air.
The rod hovered above the sand vortex, and from its base, a thick, black liquid began to ooze out, resembling ink.
The black liquid spread around Orochimaru, gradually forming a dark sphere. As the liquid's color faded, it became transparent.
Only upon close inspection could one discern a thin, crystalline layer surrounding Orochimaru—shimmering like glass, yet almost imperceptible.
"This doesn't seem like the attitude of someone seeking cooperation," Orochimaru remarked, his tone laced with sarcasm. He extended his sensory perception and quickly realized that the thin membrane had seeped into the ground, blocking his escape routes.
"Given your exceptional skills in evasion, I felt it necessary to set up this seal. Only then can we engage in a proper negotiation," Sōmi replied with a faint, insincere smile.
Scorpion remained silent, his fingers deftly manipulating the puppet of Raiga Kurosuki. The puppet began to radiate an overwhelming amount of Chakra.
Crackle!
A fierce gust of wind swept through the area as silver lightning surged from the puppet's dual blades. The flickering arcs of electricity crackled incessantly, resembling the chirping of countless birds.
Suddenly, a deep purple light erupted from the puppet's chest and abdomen, flowing along its frame and merging with the silver lightning on its blades. The silver lightning gradually took on a pale purple hue.
The pale purple lightning lacked the blinding intensity of its silver counterpart, but its arcs pulsed with a restrained, ominous energy—like a hidden undercurrent beneath the ocean's surface, brimming with destructive potential.
With a flick of Scorpion's fingers, the puppet raised its dual blades. The dense purple lightning coalesced into a massive sphere, which shot toward Orochimaru with a sharp sizzle.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply. The grinding-stone-sized lightning sphere exuded a menacing aura that made his hair stand on end. It had been a long time since he had encountered a technique of such terrifying power.
Instinctively, Orochimaru prepared to use a Substitution Technique to evade the attack. However, Sōmi abruptly clasped his hands together.
The Starfall Rod descended.
Boom!
The transparent membrane surrounding Orochimaru suddenly became alive with countless black specks. The specks darted and intertwined within the barrier, resembling a swarm of tadpoles swimming in a tank.
"What is this?!"
For the first time, anger flashed across Orochimaru's face.
He could feel that Sōmi's sealing technique had completely cut off his escape routes. The only way out was to break through the barrier.
Yet, to his surprise, the lightning sphere controlled by Scorpion remained suspended outside the barrier, not detonating.
The pale purple lightning sphere hovered silently, its surface crackling with dense electric arcs. The refined lightning seemed to strain the very air around it, emitting a faint, oppressive hum.
In a matter of moments, Sōmi and Scorpion had completely overturned Orochimaru's understanding of Sunagakure.
Particularly Scorpion, this red-haired puppet master. Orochimaru had never before seen a puppet capable of unleashing such powerful Lightning Release techniques without requiring hand seals.
If he had known from the start that Sunagakure harbored such individuals, he would never have been so reckless. With his abilities, escaping the battlefield early on would have been a far easier option...
What puzzled Orochimaru even more was how the golden sand ninja seemed to have an intimate understanding of his abilities. Every move they made was clearly designed to counter him.
"Collaborating with an outsider like me—aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of your Kazekage or the scorn of your villagers?" Orochimaru asked, his tongue flicking out to moisten his dry lips.
"As long as I achieve my goal, I don't care about such things. And my goal... only you can help me accomplish it," Sōmi replied indifferently.
"Let's hear it, then," Orochimaru said, his curiosity piqued. He was eager to know what this man had been after from the very beginning.
"I want your Summoning Technique scroll. And, more importantly..."
"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Sōmi's voice was cold and deliberate, each word striking like a hammer.
"Ah!"
At the mention of "Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation," Orochimaru's golden pupils narrowed to pinpoints, sharp as needles.
The Summoning Technique scroll he could understand—after all, powerful summoning beasts were not easy to come by.
But this young Sunagakure ninja—how did he know about one of Orochimaru's deepest secrets?
The Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation technique was a Forbidden Technique, known to only a select few even within Konohagakure.
And yet, this obscure ninja from Sunagakure spoke of it with absolute certainty...
"Could Sunagakure have a high-level spy embedded in Konohagakure?"
"Or is it that man... Danzo?"
For a moment, Orochimaru's mind raced with countless possibilities.
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