Qing Shui's words caused the ninjas stationed at Hōzuki Castle to tense instantly.
The ruins before them still smoldered faintly, a silent testament to the overwhelming power he possessed. Broken walls, scorched earth, and the lingering scent of destruction filled the air. No one present doubted that if Qing Shui wished, he could turn this place into a river of blood within moments.
And so—
They did not dare refuse him.
"Please… give us two days, Lord Hirakawa," one of the stationed ninjas said hurriedly, bowing deeply. "We will report this matter to our superiors immediately. We will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation."
Qing Shui let out a cold snort.
He could easily force the truth out of them.
But—
He didn't.
These ninjas were merely following orders. They were unaware of the schemes of the higher-ups.
They were innocent.
"Fine," Qing Shui said flatly. "I'll give you two days."
The tension in the air dissipated slightly.
The stationed ninjas finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterward, Qing Shui and his group cleaned up the battlefield before temporarily settling inside Hōzuki Castle.
Despite being a massive prison facility, it still contained rooms designated for guests and officials.
The battle had taken a toll on everyone.
Kurenai and the others had remained on high alert the entire time, their nerves stretched to the limit. Now that the danger had passed, exhaustion hit them all at once.
"I can't feel my legs…" one of them muttered weakly.
Even Kurenai, who usually maintained a composed demeanor, leaned against the wall, her breathing uneven.
As for Nono, she fared slightly better—but only slightly.
After taking a quick shower, she returned to her room without a word, collapsing onto the bed almost immediately.
The silence that followed was heavy and peaceful.
For most of them—
Rest was the only thing that mattered now.
But not for Qing Shui.
Taking advantage of the calm, he quietly left behind a Shadow Clone.
The clone would remain in the castle, maintaining appearances.
Meanwhile—
The real Qing Shui slipped away silently.
He had unfinished business.
Orochimaru.
At the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls—
A lone figure moved swiftly through the shadows.
Orochimaru.
His expression was grim, his eyes flickering with frustration and calculation.
His attempt to kill Qing Shui had failed.
Worse—
He had been utterly defeated.
Returning to Konoha was no longer an option.
That would be no different from walking into a trap.
Which left him with only one path.
Defection.
From this moment onward—
He was a rogue ninja.
His destination was clear.
The Land of Rice Fields.
A small, inconspicuous country located near the borders of the Land of Fire and the Land of Waterfalls.
It had no major ninja village.
Only scattered, unaffiliated clans and wandering shinobi.
Perfect.
Several years ago, Orochimaru had secretly established a research base there.
Now—
He intended to return.
To rebuild.
To gather forces.
To create something entirely his own.
Perhaps even—
A hidden village.
"As long as I perfect the Reincarnation Technique…"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Qing Shui… your body will be mine."
In his eyes, Qing Shui was nothing more than a promising vessel.
A talent worth harvesting.
Someone whose abilities could be claimed.
Assimilated.
Perfected.
But reality had proven otherwise.
Despite all his preparations—
He had been defeated.
Completely.
Humiliatingly.
It was only the second time in his life he had suffered such a crushing loss.
The first—
Had been at the hands of Hanzo of the Salamander.
And yet—
Rather than discouraging him—
It intrigued him.
Qing Shui's power had exceeded all expectations.
Which only made him more desirable.
More valuable.
More… worth taking.
"Unfortunately,"
A cold voice cut through the air.
"You won't get that chance."
Orochimaru froze.
A chill ran down his spine.
Slowly—
He looked up.
From the sky—
A massive figure descended.
A colossal, winged spirit beast.
Its presence alone seemed to distort the air around it.
Standing atop it—
Was Qing Shui.
For a moment—
Silence reigned.
Then Orochimaru laughed softly.
"Hehe… Qing Shui-kun, you've exceeded my expectations once again."
Though he smiled—
There was caution in his eyes.
Being tracked so precisely…
Was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Qing Shui merely smiled faintly.
He had no intention of explaining anything.
After all—
Orochimaru was already a dead man.
"I told you," Qing Shui said coldly.
"Today is your death day."
Without hesitation—
He attacked.
The Ultimate Summoning Beast spread its massive wings.
With a single flap—
A violent storm erupted.
Wind Release.
The force alone was enough to tear apart the earth.
Orochimaru reacted instantly.
His hands moved rapidly through seals.
Wind Release clashed against Wind Release.
But—
His hastily formed technique was no match.
The storm swallowed his attack entirely.
"How is this possible?!" Orochimaru's pupils shrank.
Summoned beasts were powerful—
But not like this.
Only the creatures of the Three Great Holy Lands possessed such overwhelming strength.
And this—
Was not one of them.
What he didn't know—
Was that this beast had been enhanced.
Fused with the wings of the Seven-Tails.
Infused with traces of Nine-Tails chakra.
It was no ordinary summon.
A crack of thunder split the sky.
Lightning surged from the beast's horn—
Striking downward.
Orochimaru barely dodged.
The ground exploded upon impact, forming a web of cracks.
Had it hit—
He would have been severely injured.
"Ten Thousand Serpents!"
Orochimaru countered immediately.
From his mouth poured countless snakes—
A writhing mass.
They swarmed the beast, clinging, biting, tearing.
But it was futile.
With a powerful flap of its wings—
The beast shook them off.
Then—
It exhaled flames.
The swarm was reduced to ash instantly.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
That attack had never been meant to win.
Only to buy time.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Several massive snakes appeared.
Each one enormous.
Comparable in size to the spirit beast itself.
But Qing Shui understood.
Orochimaru wasn't trying to fight.
He was trying to escape.
And Qing Shui—
Would not allow it.
He raised his hand.
A terrifying force erupted.
Gravity.
"What kind of jutsu is this?!" Orochimaru's expression changed drastically.
His body was dragged forward—
Uncontrollably.
For a moment—
Panic flickered in his eyes.
But he was Orochimaru.
He adapted quickly.
Launching counterattacks—
Trying to force Qing Shui to release him.
But Qing Shui did not waver.
A black rod shot forward.
It pierced Orochimaru's body.
Instantly—
His chakra was suppressed.
Locked.
Restricted.
Before he could react—
Qing Shui was already in front of him.
Their eyes met.
Calm.
Cold.
Final.
Qing Shui activated the power of the Human Path.
Memories surged.
Information flowed.
Everything Orochimaru knew—
Was laid bare.
Then—
It ended.
With a single motion—
Orochimaru was killed.
The legendary Sannin—
Fell.
Silently.
Without ceremony.
Qing Shui stood there for a moment.
Expression unreadable.
Then—
He turned.
And disappeared into the night.
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