Chapter 126: Isn't My Body Right Below Your Head?
Orochimaru: [...It's all that idiot Jiraiya's fault!]
After listening to what his disciple said, Orochimaru cursed Jiraiya once more in his heart.
He then intended to continue teaching his disciple.
But in the next second, his eyes widened, and he performed the Summoning Technique.
Simply because... "I think Orochimaru-sensei is the strangest one! Jie jie jie..."
...Rewinding time a bit.
Just after the team had set off, behind the Konoha group, the Cloud Ninjas and Stone Ninjas quietly accelerated their pace.
But with the help of the Mirage, everything appeared perfectly normal.
[Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right...]
Yahiko's fingers were gesturing frantically in the air.
[OK! OK!]
As the Hidden Sand Village Ninjas responded with the same hand gestures, the operation officially began.
At this moment, a Konoha Ninja was walking at the front with the rest of the troops.
Just then, the Konoha Ninja in front of him turned back to look at him.
"Hey! Brother, could you do me a favor and scratch my back? It's really itchy!"
"Aya, can't you reach it yourself?"
"Aya~, help me out, brother. I'll let you read Icha Icha Paradise when we get back! It's the latest edition!"
"Hmph, what kind of person do you take me for! We're brothers; isn't helping each other what we're supposed to do!"
"So... Icha Icha Paradise?"
"What are you saying! We're brothers, what's yours is mine!"
"..."
"Hey, brother, how's my scratching?"
"Not bad, not bad, just a bit higher!"
"Alright! How about now?"
"A bit higher."
"Higher? But any higher and it'll be the back of your head!"
"Right! It's exactly the back of my head!"
"Didn't you say it was your back before?"
"Aya, itchiness moves around!"
"Fine, fine, you're so high-maintenance."
"Huh~, why is your head a bit cold?"
"Aya, I was born with a cold constitution, it's normal."
"Alright then."
"Hey, how much longer do I have to scratch?"
"Almost there, almost there, just use a bit more force!"
"Eh! Fine, fine!"
"Is this enough force?"
"Use more force!"
"Like this?"
"More force!"
"Even more! Your head is already showing red marks!"
"It's fine! Just use force!"
"Fine! Now?"
"More force!"
"Still more! Your skin is breaking!"
"It's fine! Keep scratching!"
"Hey! Are you really okay? My hands are covered in blood!"
"Ah! What! Let me see!"
"Ah! Who told you to use so much force! You've scratched my head open!"
"Hey! You were clearly the one who told me to use that much force!"
"I don't care! Anyway, my head is broken! You have to compensate me!"
"Compensate your grand-uncle! You were the one who told me to use force! I haven't even blamed you for getting blood all over my hands!"
"I don't care! You're the one who scratched my head open!"
"Baka! You're so annoying!"
Unable to take the other party's unreasonable behavior any longer, the Konoha Ninja finally snapped and slapped the man on the head.
Then... a terrifying scene occurred.
With just a light slap, the head of the man who had been arguing with him... just fell straight to the ground.
"I... did I just kill my own comrade?"
At this thought, the Konoha Ninja wanted to shout out loud for Lord Orochimaru.
But when he looked up, he found that the other Konoha Ninjas hadn't noticed a thing and were still marching forward as if nothing had happened.
"Hey! Lord Orochimaru!"
"Lord Orochimaru!"
"Orochimaru!"
"Slippery Snake!"
But no matter how the Konoha Ninja shouted, the Konoha Ninjas ahead showed no reaction whatsoever.
"Release! Release!"
"Genjutsu! It must be a Genjutsu!"
"Damn it! It must be the Sand Ninjas' Genjutsu!"
"Release!"
Gazing at everything before him, the Konoha Ninja frantically disrupted his own Chakra, intending to wake up from the Genjutsu.
But no matter how he disrupted it, the scene before him didn't change in the slightest!
"Ah! My head! Why is my head on the ground!"
Just then, the head that had been slapped to the ground actually started speaking.
"Ah! You... who... who are you! How... how are you not dead yet!"
Hearing the voice from the head, the Konoha Ninja screamed instantly. He hid behind a large tree and shrieked at the head on the ground.
"Who am I! Aren't I your brother!"
"Why did you slap my head off! Hurry up and pick me up!"
"No! No! No! Impossible, your head has fallen to the ground, how could you still be alive!"
"Ahhh~~"
As he spoke, the Konoha Ninja miraculously found the strength to flee into the distance... "Huff... huff..."
"It should be safe here!"
Looking at the unfamiliar environment, the Konoha Ninja finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Yeah! Brother, it's finally safe here!"
"AHHH!!! WHY ARE YOU HERE!!!"
Looking at the head right beside him, the Konoha Ninja jumped in shock.
"Eh? Brother, I've been following behind you the whole time!
I saw you running for your life, so I thought someone was chasing us from behind!
That's why I've been following you!"
"By the way, brother, who exactly is chasing us?"
"AHHH!!! GHOST!!! MAMA-SAN!!!"
"Wuuuuu~~~"
But no one answered the head's question. All that followed was the Konoha Ninja running again, accompanied by heart-wrenching crying!
...A long time later... "Wuuuu... I beg you, please let me go!"
The Konoha Ninja was now in a Dogeza position, facing the head.
With snot and tears flowing, he pleaded for mercy.
God knows what kind of torment he had suffered.
He hid in tree hollows, dove to the bottom of rivers, tunneled into the earth, and clung to cliffs... but every time he thought he had escaped, the head would appear beside him and ask why he was running!
He was numb! Truly numb!
"Aya! Brother, what are you doing! I'm not your enemy!"
"Wuuuu... Brother, I was wrong, just let me go! I really didn't mean to scratch your head open, and I didn't mean to slap your head onto the ground."
As the Konoha Ninja repeatedly apologized, the area fell silent.
Not hearing the head speak for a long time, the Ninja's mind began to wander.
[Could it be... it's gone?]
Thinking this, the Konoha Ninja regained some strength and slightly lifted his head.
Then he strained his eyes to look upward.
And then... he lowered his head again.
[It's still there! He's still there! Why is he still there! Damn it!]
Although the Konoha Ninja's head movement was very slight, the head still noticed it.
Seeing the Konoha Ninja lower his head again, the head revealed a faint smile.
Then it flexed its mouth. There were clear palm prints on both cheeks. After adjusting its state, it finally spoke.
"Hehe... so I'm already dead!"
"Hehe... sigh!"
"I forgive you, brother!"
"Eh?"
Hearing the head's words, the Konoha man's trembling body froze. He then raised his head and looked at the head on the ground in shock.
"You... what did you say? You forgive me?"
"Yes! I forgive you! Brother!"
"Re-really?"
"Really, but..."
Hearing this, the Konoha Ninja's body visibly shuddered, but out of a desire to survive, he mustered the courage to ask.
"But what?"
"Hehe, don't be afraid!
But you have to promise me two conditions."
"What conditions!"
"Condition one: you have to go back and take care of my parents!"
"No problem! Just tell me, brother. From now on, your parents are my parents!"
"Condition two: you have to find my body and bury me properly!"
"Uh..."
"Hmm? You're unwilling?"
"I'm willing! I'm willing! How could I be unwilling! We're brothers!"
"Hehe... as long as you're willing!"
"Now, carry my head and head back."
"Ah! Oh! Okay! Okay!"
After saying that, he tremblingly picked up his brother's head with his hands.
The icy coldness to the touch made the Konoha Ninja's entire body shake, and his legs were trembling.
"Hmm? Move, why aren't you moving?"
"Oh oh! Moving now! Moving now!"
..."Brother, do you still remember the way back?"
"Ah! You're a living person and you don't remember, and you expect me, a head, to remember!"
"Hehe, I just thought since you only have a head left, brother, you might remember more clearly!"
"What!"
"Nothing, nothing!"
..."Brother, I really can't find the way back. What should I do?"
"What to do?"
"Hehehe..."
"If you can't find it... isn't there another body right here? Hehehe..."
Konoha Ninja: [!!!]
The head's words made the Konoha Ninja freeze on the spot. When he came to his senses, he threw the head away and frantically retreated.
Although he knew the head would eventually appear by his side again.
But... it was now a life-or-death moment.
Fear?
If he stayed afraid, he'd lose his life.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A fireball, released with all his might, shot toward the head's direction.
And it hit!
[Great! A direct hit!]
Seeing the fireball successfully hit the head, a smile appeared on the Konoha Ninja's face, but it didn't last long before it was replaced by sheer horror.
[What!]
Because in his eyes... within that firelight.
The shadow of a head was looming, then it floated up, and the shadow became clearer and clearer.
It was clearly about to come out.
"Hehehe... my good brother, what are you doing! It's one thing if you can't find my body, but are you trying to erase my head as well?"
The head floated in front of the Konoha Ninja and spoke with a smile.
"How... how could I? I... I was afraid you were too cold, brother, so I wanted to warm you up! Heh... hehe!"
"Oh~, then thank you very much, brother!"
"You're... you're welcome!"
"In that case, could you do me one more favor, brother?"
"Favor? What favor?"
"Hehe, I still don't want to die, brother!
So... please lend me your body for a bit!
Hehehe..."
"No! No no! Brother, give me another chance, I will definitely find your body!"
"Hehe... isn't my body right below your head!"
"No! No no! This is my body! Look, my body is still connect... ah no, my head is still connected to my body! So this is my body!"
"Hehe, it's fine, we'll just take it off!"
With that said.
The head seemed unable to restrain itself any longer and lunged forward.
And as it moved, the skin on the head kept peeling off. If one looked from behind, they would also find a large hole in the back of the head.
The marks around the hole... looked as if it had been scratched through.
"No! No no! NOOO!!!"
..."Thud!"
A head filled with terror fell to the ground.
Immediately after, a head full of holes settled beside it.
"Hehe, I never thought those arrogant Konoha Ninjas... would be so fragile!"
"Hey! Kyūsuke! If you're done playing, come back quickly, stop messing around!"
"Oh oh, coming, Captain!"
"Remember to put the heads back in the box; we have to deliver the gifts in a bit!"
"Oh oh, you got it!"
"Thud!"
Kyūsuke tossed the two heads directly into the box.
"Yo! It's only been a while, and the box is almost full!"
"If you were any later, this box wouldn't even have room for yours!"
"Also, look at what you've done to that head!"
"Ehehe, didn't Yahiko say we should show some creativity!"
"How are things on Yahiko's side? Has the target been caught?"
"It's tough, Orochimaru is too slippery, hard to catch."
"But his apprentice was quite easy to snatch!"
"I don't know how such a shrewd master could teach such a stupid disciple!"
"How else! He was protected too well!"
"Haha, true! So we might as well take him back to Hidden Sand Village for some proper training!"
"Hahaha, exactly!"
...Perspective shifts to Orochimaru.
"Summoning Technique!"
As the fake Nawaki finished speaking, Orochimaru immediately summoned a giant snake after a brief moment of shock.
The giant snake opened its massive mouth and lunged toward Nawaki.
But the outcome was unexpected; the giant snake passed right through Nawaki's body without causing any damage.
"Jie jie jie! Orochimaru-sensei! What is the meaning of this!"
"Hehe... I never thought the famous Chicken Cutter... pfft... Yahiko, would choose to appear by my side in such a way."
Hearing Orochimaru see through his identity.
Yahiko didn't pay any attention to that, but instead... "Did you... just mock me!"
"Uh... Yahiko-kun, don't misunderstand, I just have a bit of a stitch in my side."
"Oh~, that's a major problem! But it's okay, our Hidden Sand Village has the most advanced medical care. I believe if Orochimaru comes back with us, you'll recover in no time!"
"Hehe... there's no need to go back with you. I'm more interested in knowing, where is my disciple?"
"You mean that little idiot?"
"What else could have happened?"
"If he didn't die... how could I turn into him?"0
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