Standing beside Akahoshi were his two subordinates, Night Hawk and Death Funeral. The moment they heard the name Orochimaru, both of them turned pale and staggered backward in fear.
Even among elite Jonin of the Five Great Nations, the name Orochimaru was enough to inspire dread.
"Y-you…"
Akahoshi's face went deathly white as he stared at the three figures approaching.
"How would you like them dealt with?" Orochimaru asked with a smile.
He completely ignored Akahoshi and the others, instead turning his head toward Kamizuki Gen, who stood between him and Itachi.
Akahoshi's heart pounded wildly, disbelief filling his face. To them, Orochimaru was already an untouchable legend. So what kind of existence was someone Orochimaru addressed so directly?
Holding his breath, Akahoshi slowly shifted his gaze from Orochimaru until it landed on the young man with flawless features, white bandages wrapped around his eyes, and a tall, composed figure.
"…!"
Akahoshi's eyes widened.
That person… was unbelievably young.
Even without Orochimaru's presence, that face alone would draw attention anywhere. Akahoshi stared at Kamizuki Gen, swallowing hard.
This had to be a joke.
Why would someone like this come to their tiny Hoshigakure?
A black crow suddenly burst through the paper window and flew inside, landing on Itachi's shoulder. In its beak was a round meteorite, its surface pitted and uneven, yet emitting a sinister purple aura.
Itachi glanced at the crow and said calmly, "Found it. The energy it emits has a strong corrosive nature."
"Mm, that's exactly what I came for," Gen said with a smile. "Seal it into a scroll."
Itachi nodded and took out a sealing scroll, doing as instructed.
"NO!!!"
Seeing the "Star" being sealed away, Akahoshi's heart shattered.
That meteorite was supposed to lead Hoshigakure to become the sixth great ninja village. His ambitions weren't even realized yet, and their most vital resource had been taken.
He had just killed the Third Hoshikage and was about to declare himself acting Hoshikage. Once he dealt with the traitors Natsuhiboshi and her husband, he would officially ascend the throne.
According to his plan, as long as they used the Star to cultivate ten Jonin-level ninja, Hoshigakure could rival the great villages.
But now… everything was gone.
The dream collapsed in an instant.
Gen smiled gently and said to Orochimaru, "I don't like trouble. Kill them all—so no one comes looking for revenge later."
"Hehe, understood."
Orochimaru nodded with a smile.
"N-no! My lord—take the Star! Our village will never trouble you!"
Akahoshi dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically. His two subordinates were already paralyzed with fear, unable even to beg.
Gen turned to Orochimaru with a grin. "Orochi-san, if that little 'killing your master' scene earlier were you and the Third Hokage… would you be as decisive as him?"
"Heh…"
Orochimaru formed hand seals, his eyes glinting.
"I'd do it better. I'd let the old man taste true despair."
The moment he finished—
BOOM!!!
A massive purple snake head burst from the ground, jaws wide open, fangs gleaming like blades. It swallowed Akahoshi, his two subordinates, and half of the ten-meter-tall wooden tower in one bite.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Their screams echoed briefly before being cut off.
With a heavy gulp, the giant snake vanished, reverse-summoned away, leaving behind an annoyed voice:
"Orochimaru! Don't make me eat trash like this again!!!"
A cold wind swept through the ruins.
Half the wooden tower was gone, leaving a jagged cross-section like a cake sliced clean in half.
Standing at the broken edge, the three figures looked out over the entire Hoshigakure.
The village was in chaos.
Buildings had collapsed. Flames rose into the sky. Around Orochimaru's gray serpent lay scattered bodies of weak Star ninja.
As for civilians—
Orochimaru didn't care.
Gen withdrew his perception, lowered his head slightly, his high collar covering half his face.
"Mission complete. Return."
"Understood."
Orochimaru smiled and summoned the gray serpent. The three leapt onto its head as it slithered eastward, crushing trees along the way.
Standing against the wind, Gen held the scroll sealing the Star and looked down at the ruined village.
A thought crossed his mind.
If these people kept training with that meteorite, they would eventually wipe themselves out. The radiation it contained was far too dangerous. Once it accumulated to a certain level, the entire village would probably drop dead one day.
And chakra itself was an extraterrestrial energy brought to this world by the Ōtsutsuki.
Then this meteorite—and the Peacock Mystic Art derived from it—might also originate from some alien civilization.
Maybe he would encounter it someday.
"…But that's a problem for the future."
Gen smiled faintly.
"I really am a righteous and benevolent man."
"By taking this meteorite… I've saved so many lives."
Meanwhile, on a mountain near Hoshigakure, Natsuhiboshi and her husband leapt from tree to tree, rushing back toward the village.
They had been hiding in a cave. While searching for food, they saw the village under attack and rushed back despite being hunted.
Natsuhiboshi looked anxious. She wore a vest similar to Konoha ninja gear, her figure tall and graceful. As a Jonin of Hoshigakure, she had mastered the Peacock Mystic Art—and discovered the horrifying side effects of the Star.
Her husband, Hotaruboshi, was already terminally ill from its radiation.
"Cough—cough—"
Hotaruboshi's face was pale, cold sweat dripping down as his strength faded. After a violent cough, he lost his footing and fell from the tree.
"Hotaru!!!"
Natsuhiboshi cried out, jumping down beside him.
"Don't worry about me…" he said weakly, trying to push her away. "Go find… our child…"
"We're almost there. I'll carry you back!"
Gritting her teeth, she hoisted him onto her back and continued forward.
But when they finally reached Hoshigakure—
They froze.
The village was in ruins.
Corpses of Star ninja lay everywhere.
A chill ran down their spines as they stood there, stunned.
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