"It's quite lively here."
A feminine voice drifted over as Orochimaru appeared leisurely, wearing his iconic pale yellow kimono with a rope knot tied around his waist.
His golden slit pupils looked ahead.
His gaze swept across the messy battlefield, Seiryū, and Nagato.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed involuntarily, and he thought solemnly to himself, 'Such destruction. Was it caused by a battle?'
He had sensed the powerful commotion here earlier, and seeing it up close, he found the surrounding area in utter ruins.
It was clearly the result of a fight.
He had witnessed Seiryū's strength before. The boy could even repel the Third Raikage now.
It wasn't hard to understand how he could cause such destruction.
But who could force Seiryū to exert such power?
Orochimaru's gaze locked onto Nagato.
The wind swirled in the clearing, making Nagato's medium-length red hair flutter and revealing those eerie Rinnegan.
"Those eyes. Could they be."
When he saw the Rinnegan in Nagato's eye sockets, Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly.
His expression became solemn, surprised, stunned, and even a little greedy.
"The Rinnegan!?"
Eyes with a ripple pattern.
The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths from myths and legends.
In the Ninja World, there were legends of the "Three Great Dōjutsu": the Sharingan, the Byakugan, and the Rinnegan.
Many people had heard of the Rinnegan's existence.
However, most regarded them as eyes that belonged only to myth.
Hardly anyone had ever seen them with their own eyes.
Orochimaru had also treated them as mythical, believing the possibility of their existence was slim.
But now, he was actually seeing them.
The Rinnegan, the eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, actually existed?
This surprised Orochimaru immensely and sparked a deep curiosity.
"And that face. It's Jiraiya's other disciple. To think he possesses the Rinnegan."
Orochimaru stared intently at Nagato.
That face was not unfamiliar to him.
Wasn't he one of the three disciples Jiraiya had taken in during the Second Shinobi World War?
He thought his name was Nagato?
He was actually the wielder of the Rinnegan.
"Child of Prophecy, heh, so that's how it is."
Orochimaru licked his lips, realizing something.
The reason Jiraiya took those three as disciples was probably because of this pair of Rinnegan, wasn't it?
Someone possessing the Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths would indeed make people think they were connected to that so-called Child of Prophecy.
"Long time no see, Seiryū-kun."
Stopping not far from Seiryū, Orochimaru habitually "washed" his face with his tongue.
Looking at Seiryū, he said, "You've been making quite a name for yourself lately, even repelling the Third Raikage."
Narrowing his eyes, Seiryū grinned and said, "You still dare to show your face? Jiraiya-sensei has been looking for you, saying he wants you to turn back from your path."
"If I tell him where you are, you'll be in big trouble."
After learning of Orochimaru's defection, his cheap Sensei, Jiraiya, had been very concerned about the matter.
While searching for the Child of Prophecy, he was also looking everywhere for Orochimaru's whereabouts.
Even though it was currently wartime.
Jiraiya hadn't let go of either matter.
He was deeply obsessed.
"Heh, that guy is as naive as ever."
Hearing this, Orochimaru just shook his head and glanced at Nagato.
He said hoarsely, "However, that guy's eye for picking disciples is quite good. Minato, you, and now this Nagato."
"All of you possess talent that stands at the top of the Ninja World."
The only thing about Jiraiya he admired was his ability to take in disciples.
The disciples he had taken in one after another could all be described as monsters.
"That's true. Jiraiya-sensei's eye is indeed the best in the Ninja World. Even I have to admire it."
Seiryū fully agreed with this point.
Setting himself aside for a moment.
In the original story, Nagato, Minato, and Naruto, which one of them wasn't a Shinobi who made the Ninja World tremble?
His vision was indeed unique.
"Alright, enough of that. Nothing good happens when you show up, just like that Madara. Don't tell me you've set your sights on Nagato-senpai's Rinnegan?"
Seiryū was curious about why Orochimaru would appear here.
A coincidence?
It was possible.
After all, the commotion from the battle just now was quite large.
However, judging from Orochimaru's tone, he clearly knew Seiryū was here.
This made Seiryū curious. Only Tsunade knew he had come here.
How did Orochimaru know he was here?
Had he exposed his tracks somewhere?
"At first, I didn't know there was another person with the Rinnegan here. I simply received a commission. Someone paid a certain reward for me to deal with you."
Orochimaru spoke calmly, revealing his purpose without concern.
But in his heart, he was pondering, 'Madara?'
The Asura of the Shinobi World, Madara?
Why would he hear that name from Seiryū's mouth?
"A commission?"
Seiryū rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, then realized something. He smiled and said, "The demigod of the Shinobi World, Hanzō? You came directly for me, so it seems my movements were discovered by you long ago."
"I only came into contact with one Ame Shinobi in the village. It must have been then?"
"Did that Ame Shinobi have some kind of seal on him? It seems I was treated as an enemy with ill intentions."
His mind spinning rapidly, Seiryū connected the details.
He arrived at this hypothesis.
"Truly terrifying, Seiryū-kun. To be able to make such an inference from only a few words of mine."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed slightly.
From just one sentence, the other party had deduced all of this.
How was his brain wired?
"No, is Hanzō not afraid of death? To dare provoke me at a time like this, does he really think the title of demigod of the Shinobi World is that impressive?"
Hearing this, Seiryū was also somewhat speechless.
Hanzō really wasn't afraid of dying.
Seiryū was the future Hokage Assistant, a position above tens of thousands and second only to one.
How did the other party dare to commission Orochimaru to attack him?
Attacking a future high-level official of Konoha was enough to spark a war between nations.
Oh, right.
The other party didn't know his identity as the future Hokage Assistant. Thinking of it that way, it was understandable.
"After all, your actions have already threatened his power and status. Meeting with the Akatsuki, who are regarded as an evil organization, would naturally make you an ill-intentioned person. Such a ruler will not allow his dominance to be threatened."
Orochimaru didn't care about Hanzō's life or death.
If he died, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
In any case, this was all deduced by Seiryū. It had nothing to do with him, Orochimaru.
He hadn't explicitly said the client was Hanzō.
"You were commissioned, and you accepted. Does that mean you're confident you can deal with me?"
Seiryū nodded, then smiled. "I almost forgot. Last time you left, you said the next time we met, you'd show me some interesting jutsu."
"Let me guess. You've learned Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation?"
Orochimaru fell silent.
Just how much did this kid know? Why did it feel like the other party knew him so well?
He even knew what jutsu he had mastered.
Seeing Orochimaru fall silent, Seiryū was amused and continued, "So it really is that jutsu. Let me guess again. Do you plan to reincarnate the First and Second Hokage-sama?"
It couldn't be helped.
As a transmigrator, he simply knew more than others.
The things Orochimaru was famous for.
Aside from whether he was "Auntie Snake" or "Uncle Snake" in the later stages, his arsenal of snake-style Ninjutsu, his R&D capabilities, and so on.
Edo Tensei was the most noteworthy.
And for Edo Tensei, there were only so many candidates. The First and Second Hokage were the most likely to be thought of.
The first time the reincarnated bodies appeared, it was those two.
Orochimaru: "..."
Not only did he know he had mastered Edo Tensei.
He had even thought of the candidates he wanted to reincarnate?
"Has anyone ever told you that you're terrifying? I've only mastered this jutsu for a short time and have only truly performed it once or twice. Logically, you shouldn't have been able to connect it to such things."
Orochimaru took a deep breath, his expression serious and solemn.
He was filled with confusion and doubt.
What exactly was the other party using to deduce these things?
"It's simple. Didn't I say it before? I am the Soul King, the ruler of the Three Realms from another world, an extremely evil pirate planning to become the Soul King of Shinigami in Naruto. My Observation Haki has the ability to briefly foresee the future!"
Seiryū spoke eloquently, beginning his nonsense. "In the visions of the possible future, I saw you launching a Konoha Crush at a certain point in time."
"You used Edo Tensei to summon the First and Second Hokage-sama, intending to deal with the Third Hokage-sama. In the end, well, both of your arms were crippled by the Third Hokage-sama using the Reaper Death Seal!"
"That was truly an interesting future."
Orochimaru naturally didn't believe it. He just shook his head and laughed.
Having heard Edo Tensei and the Reaper Death Seal from Seiryū's mouth one after another, it was clear the other party had also seen the Scroll of Seals.
Plus, he had once said he would show an interesting jutsu the next time they met.
A reasonable guess.
Seiryū must have investigated him.
Knowing he had also seen the Scroll of Seals and that he had studied the cells of the First Hokage, then perhaps he had studied the Second Hokage's cells as well.
And from that, he inferred that he had mastered Edo Tensei and might reincarnate the First and Second Hokage.
This kid's brain was incredibly sharp.
He was skilled at deducing the truth from small details.
"It is indeed interesting. It's a major climax. I watched it with great interest!"
Seiryū nodded in full agreement.
"Since you already know the jutsu I've mastered."
Orochimaru licked his lips and then gave a feminine smile. "Then let me show you the power of the former First and Second Hokage."
"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Biting his thumb, Orochimaru began to form hand seals and then pressed his hand against the ground.
Boom! Boom!
Two coffins rose from the ground. One had the character for "First" written on it, and the other had the character for "Second"!
The coffin lids then opened, revealing two men wearing Sengoku-era armor with cracked patterns on their bodies.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, wearing red Sengoku armor and having long black hair.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, wearing blue Sengoku armor and having short silver hair.
"I wonder if I'd be beaten to death if I said I was their future grandson-in-law."
Looking at the First and Second Hokage inside the coffins, Seiryū muttered to himself with amusement.
Then his perception spread out.
However, he didn't sense much.
He couldn't help but think to himself, 'But if they're only at the strength level of the Chunin Exams period from the original story, they might not be enough to handle.'
The reincarnated Shinobi summoned by Edo Tensei also varied in strength.
The strength gap between the reincarnated Shinobi during the Chunin Exams and those during the Fourth Shinobi World War was massive.
Wary of Seiryū suddenly attacking, Orochimaru didn't dare be careless. But seeing that Seiryū had no intention of moving, he licked his lips. "It seems Seiryū-kun is also curious about the strength of these two, since you didn't interrupt my jutsu."
Seiryū turned to look in another direction and said noncommittally, "I couldn't interrupt it, could I? Even if my speed was fast enough, there's not much point in attacking a clone, is there?"
"As expected, I can't hide it from you. The Uzumaki Clan's Mind's Eye of the Kagura is indeed a powerful sensory technique."
Orochimaru's voice came from another direction.
This was Orochimaru's real body.
Even if the clone was destroyed, it wouldn't stop him from performing Edo Tensei.
"That's just how it is."
Seiryū looked at the reincarnated bodies of the First and Second Hokage and smiled. "I'm also a bit curious about their strength. How much combat power can the former Kage summoned by Edo Tensei display?"
As he spoke.
Seiryū also glanced at Nagato, whose expression was wary and solemn.
During their brief conversation, the other party had shown no intention of attacking.
He might be adjusting his state, or he might be wary of them.
With Orochimaru suddenly showing up to interfere, Seiryū couldn't ignore his presence.
He couldn't just choose to go find trouble with Nagato directly.
Besides, after suffering such a loss and nearly being sealed by him, Nagato probably wouldn't expose a weakness so easily again.
This was going to be difficult.
Seiryū also felt helpless.
This was so damn troublesome.
The current situation was also somewhat beyond Seiryū's expectations.
Don't forget, there was still a Madara who might arrive here.
"You'll find out in a moment. With my improvements, this jutsu is even more perfect than when its creator, the Second Hokage-sama, used it!"
Orochimaru's golden eyes shone, and his tone carried a hint of pride.
After his improvements, Edo Tensei was now even more perfect.
Even the creator of Edo Tensei, Senju Tobirama, definitely could not reach his level in the application of the technique.
"Activate!"
Orochimaru shouted lowly as his seal was completed.
The First and Second Hokage in the coffins suddenly snapped their eyes open, and powerful Chakra fluctuations radiated from them, whipping up a hurricane in the surroundings.
Sensing the Chakra fluctuations from the two reincarnated Kage, Seiryū thought to himself, 'Improved, huh? Chakra fluctuations of this intensity have already surpassed the current Third Hokage.'
Surpassing the current Third Hokage.
That already said a lot.
The strength of the First and Second Hokage that Orochimaru had reincarnated this time, even if not at their peak, was definitely not to be underestimated.
(To be continued.)