The underground water system was complex and connected in all directions.
Also, because it was so wide, even bigger than Ryuuchi Cave, even the genie couldn't map it out quickly.
After all, he wasn't a professional radar device.
So, these past few days, while avoiding the White Zetsu's search, Orochimaru tried to expand his range of movement as much as possible, giving the genie a chance to map the area.
Of course, this wasn't a waste of time, as moving around also helped him hunt.
"Almost there. I think I've found the exit of this underground water system."
The genie had already turned into lines, Limitless stretching into the darkness of the water system. His head was now smaller than a pinhole, but his voice was still the same as ever.
"Let's go, I'll guide you."
"Okay!"
Orochimaru nodded, immediately plunging into the water. His snake tail swished gently, chasing after the wisps of smoke, like a swimming dragon.
The underground water system crisscrossed, and the water flow wasn't as simple as a surface river. Without a clear sense of elevation, the currents were very strange.
In addition, Orochimaru's body was now nearly fifty meters long, not the size of an ordinary person, so the width and height of the water system had to be just right.
Forcing his way through wasn't impossible, but if the White Zetsu clones were watching, using such a rough method wasn't as good as simply breaking upwards, back to the surface.
With so many limitations, finding a suitable route was really hard work for the genie.
In the darkness, time seemed to slow down, but with the genie as his clock, Orochimaru wouldn't get lost in time.
He walked and ate, and before he knew it, a day had passed.
"We should be out of the White Zetsu clones' search range now, right?"
Orochimaru spat out a fish bone and asked.
The genie nodded and smiled, "We left a long time ago. But, seeing you eating so intently, I didn't want to interrupt."
"It's time to go back to the surface now."
Orochimaru rinsed his mouth, washing away the fishy taste. "I've eaten enough fish for several lifetimes these past few days. It's time for a change of pace."
After this period of continuous eating, this huge body was no longer an empty shell. He could now use some amazing power. But Orochimaru would rather not have this power.
In the ninja world, this body was too inconvenient for him to move around.
Not to mention others, even the villagers of Konoha, upon learning that Orochimaru of the Three Ninja had turned into this form, would probably react with fear and try to stay away.
Orochimaru knew their limitations too well.
"Go back to the surface? I advise you to give up that idea for now."
The genie pointed upwards. "We're thousands of meters underground, climbing up slowly will be tiring."
"Besides, we don't know what the situation is up there. With your current size, you'll likely be exposed once you get up there. You'll still have to stay underground for a long time, which would be bad for moving around."
"If I'm guessing right, the ocean should be ahead. That's where you should be right now, both for hunting and for finding a way to return to your original form."
The ocean was vast and boundless. Whether it was the genie's world or the humans of the ninja world, their understanding of it was very limited.
Mystery and the unknown were the characteristics of the ocean, and now it was the perfect place for Orochimaru to hide.
Orochimaru thought for a moment, then nodded. "That makes sense. There might not be enough prey on land for me to eat."
Growing bigger was easy, whether it was from one meter to one and a half meters, or from one and a half meters to fifty or sixty meters.
But after growing bigger, getting the resources to maintain that size was quite difficult.
But now, you can't think about changing back to your smaller self. You either have to satisfy this hungry stomach, or weaken and starve to death.
In this case, the ocean, with its abundant food and no other ninja interfering, was definitely a good choice.
...
Konoha, the Hokage's office.
"What? Still no contact with Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya slammed his hand on the desk, looking anxious. "So, the rumors going around are probably true?"
When Orochimaru left, he had a bad feeling. This loss of contact, in a way, confirmed his suspicion.
"Jiraiya, don't lose your cool."
The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and said in a deep voice, "He's just temporarily lost contact with the village. I've already sent people to find his subordinates. Maybe they have a way to communicate."
"Now, sit down."
"Yes, old man." Jiraiya took a deep breath and sat back in his chair, but his clenched fists showed that he wasn't calm.
Before long, Orochimaru's disciple Anko Mitarashi, his subordinate Yamato, and Shisui and Jinsuke, who were closely connected to him, were all summoned to the Hokage's office.
After the Third Hokage explained the reason, the expressions on their faces changed to varying degrees, with Anko being the most anxious.
The others believed in Orochimaru's strength, while she was simply worried.
"I'll contact Lord Orochimaru right away."
Anko bit her lip and immediately began to perform the Summoning Technique.
Poof!
A cloud of smoke rose, and a gray-backed viper crawled out.
Seeing this gray snake, Anko breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression quickly changed.
Because after she completed the hand seals again, this gray snake was still in the same spot. It couldn't sense Orochimaru-sama's Chakra to complete the reverse summoning.
The connection between the two seemed to be cut off by something.
This time, even the most composed Shisui changed his expression.
Next, everyone tried their own ways of contacting Orochimaru, but as expected, they all failed.
"Shisui and Jinsuke, stay. The rest of you can go back."
The Third Hokage put down his pipe, looked at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "Don't spread this news."
The most powerful and prestigious person in Konoha had spoken. Even the most panicked Anko hid her anxiety. When she walked out of the Hokage's office, she forced herself to look calm.
Once the younger ninja left, Jiraiya couldn't wait to speak. "Old man, give the order quickly. I'll take people to find Orochimaru. He must be in a bad situation now."
This mission was Orochimaru going in his place. If something really happened, Jiraiya would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
"Calm down. How can I trust you with a team when you're in this state of mind?"
The Third Hokage's expression became stern. "We don't know what exactly happened yet. Going there rashly will only get you trapped too."
As the Hokage of Konoha, he had to think about the entire village and not let personal feelings cloud his judgment.
It had been more than five days since Orochimaru set out to investigate the Akatsuki organization. During that time, Orochimaru only sent one message four days ago, saying that he planned to investigate Takigakure Village, and then he went silent.
Why Takigakure Village? Orochimaru didn't say, but the Third Hokage knew that this guy must have discovered something.
Now, he had already sent enough intelligence personnel to investigate, waiting for news to come back, and then he would immediately arrange a rescue.
"Orochimaru, you're not the kind of guy who dies easily..."
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