"There's no point saying more."
"Go on your way in peace."
The moment the last word fell, Arisu's figure had already vanished from where he stood.
There was no earth-shaking momentum, no dazzling ninjutsu, only an afterimage so fast it surpassed time and space.
Momoshiki didn't even have time to shrink his pupils. He couldn't mobilize even a trace of chakra before a cold hand was already pressing down on the top of his head.
Splurt!
Five fingers suddenly tightened.
His skull, hard as divine metal, was violently torn off from his neck like a sheet of paper.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, and the last thing reflected in them was endless terror.
The next moment, his life ended.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki, dead.
Arisu's expression remained unchanged. A strand of dark light formed at his fingertips, and with casual ease, he seized Momoshiki's dispersing soul into his palm.
"Seeking death!"
Kinshiki's eyes nearly split apart. His chakra surged wildly, tearing space itself. The golden giant axe formed by Takamimusubinokami gathered the strength of his entire life and came crashing down with enough force to burn heaven and destroy earth.
Arisu didn't even raise an eyelid.
He simply lifted one hand.
Clang!!
A deafening sound of metal striking metal exploded.
The giant axe, powerful enough to split mountains apart, was firmly held in place by a single hand.
Arisu's clothes didn't even flutter. He was completely unharmed.
Meanwhile, the divine weapon that contained Otsutsuki power could no longer advance even an inch.
His five fingers slowly closed.
Crack! BOOM!
The giant Takamimusubinokami axe shattered inch by inch like fragile glass. Golden fragments rained to the ground, kicking up dust everywhere.
The color drained completely from Kinshiki's face, and unprecedented fear spread across it.
He didn't even have time to retreat.
Arisu flashed forward and appeared in front of him.
There were no fancy techniques.
Just an ordinary thrust.
His fingertip easily pierced Kinshiki's heart.
Otsutsuki Kinshiki, dead.
Arisu collected their bodies.
Looking at the two of them, he slightly shook his head.
"You two are as weak as Kaguya..."
After muttering that, Arisu disappeared instantly and casually exiled both of their souls to the Pure Land.
———
"These two bodies have great research value, especially Momoshiki's Rinnegan."
Before Arisu even finished speaking, his fingertips had already precisely pierced Otsutsuki Momoshiki's eye sockets. Without the slightest hesitation, he dug out the pair of Rinnegan with their strange patterns.
He planned to transplant the power of Takamimusubinokami into his own eyes.
"As for the remaining bodies, leave them to Mount Myoboku."
Arisu frowned.
Ever since he handed Urashiki's corpse to Mount Myoboku for research last time...
They still had not achieved any results.
Mount Myoboku's technological level had long surpassed normal understanding within the ninja world, but in the field of advanced biological research, they still lacked a genius capable of breaking through the limits.
That name appeared in Arisu's mind almost instantly.
Orochimaru.
Ever since Danzo's downfall and the destruction of Root, Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi had vanished overnight.
With his almost cruel rationality, he would never leave behind anything that could bring disaster upon himself.
Orochimaru understood clearly.
Even if he had a decent personal relationship with Arisu, even if Arisu tolerated his unconventional research, the people of Konoha would never forgive a rogue ninja whose hands were stained with blood.
When that time came, in order to calm public anger, Arisu might not hesitate to sacrifice him.
Arisu slowly closed his eyes. Chakra around his body fluctuated slightly, and in an instant, he returned to his usual gentle appearance as "Konoha's Arisu."
He opened his eyes, and fine golden patterns flashed within his pupils. The terrain and chakra fluctuations within a thousand miles were all visible to him.
A moment later, Arisu locked onto the depths of the Land of Sound.
By now, Orochimaru had already established the Hidden Sound Village.
And Orochimaru had already been gathering large numbers of orphans and test subjects.
Inside the underground laboratory, eerie green lights reflected off cold glass containers. Various organs and tissues floated inside nutrient fluid.
Orochimaru stood before the workbench, focused on recording data. His signature long tongue occasionally licked the corner of his mouth, and his eyes shone with obsession for immortality.
"You're deeply absorbed in your research, Orochimaru."
A calm voice suddenly sounded beside his ear without warning, as if a ghost had whispered next to him.
"!"
The hand holding Orochimaru's pen suddenly stopped.
Kabuto Yakushi trembled all over, nearly dropping the culture dish in his hand.
The two of them turned around almost at the same time, their movements stiff like puppets.
They saw Arisu standing with his back to them, casually picking up a glass bottle containing unknown tissue from a shelf and examining it under the light as if he were simply an old friend dropping by.
Yet the terrifying pressure leaking from him unintentionally, enough to crush the entire laboratory, made the air itself freeze.
"So it's Arisu-kun. What a rare guest."
Orochimaru quickly hid the panic in his eyes and forced out his usual strange smile. His tongue once again licked the corner of his mouth as he tried to conceal the turmoil inside.
"I wasn't able to attend your son Mangetsu's full-month celebration with Lady Tsunade. What a pity...", Orochimaru spoke regretfully.
Kabuto Yakushi stood behind Orochimaru. His fingertips trembled slightly, and his heart pounded violently.
The man before him was recognized as Konoha's strongest.
One of the "Two Lights of Konoha" alongside Sakumo Hatake.
The ruthless figure who had uprooted the deeply entrenched Root organization and even removed the Hokage in one stroke.
The first person in Konoha history who dared to depose a Hokage and establish a new one.
"What is your purpose for coming here?"
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes were full of caution.
Arisu calmly returned the glass bottle to the shelf.
He slowly turned around and extended a hand toward Orochimaru, palm facing upward, looking completely at ease.
"I came to invite you."
"I want you to come with me."
Arisu stretched out his hand in invitation, extending an olive branch to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru slowly shook his head, his tone carrying unquestionable certainty.
"Arisu-kun, if you've come to persuade me to return to Konoha and serve the village again, then there's no need to continue."
"Return to Konoha and serve Konoha?"
"You're mistaken. Not Konoha."
"Me. You will serve me alone."
A meaningful smile appeared on Arisu's lips as he shook his head.
Orochimaru's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
His long tongue slowly licked the corner of his mouth, and a trace of curiosity and amusement flashed in his snake eyes.
"Oh? How interesting."
"The long-tested believer of the Will of Fire, Konoha's Arisu-kun, is now planning to cast aside the village and establish his own faction?"
Orochimaru deliberately drew out his words, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Beside him, Kabuto Yakushi had already quietly moved to Orochimaru's side. His right hand rested silently on the ninja tool pouch at his waist, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He stared fixedly at every movement Arisu made, even keeping his breathing as quiet as possible.
As long as the other party showed the slightest unusual movement...
He would launch an attack immediately and buy enough time for Lord Orochimaru to escape.