311-315

*Chapter 311: Reunion of Master and Disciple, The White Snake Devours the Immortal!*

The scorching sun hung high overhead.

In the high-altitude region, the intense sunlight caused the surrounding ground to crack slightly.

On a desolate plain, under the shadow cast by towering mountains,

Shinji walked alone.

His body began to groan in protest, his stomach growling incessantly after several days of intense battles with barely two proper meals to his name.

The overuse of his sage-like powers had drained his physical organs, and in this hot, arid environment, Shinji felt his mind grow hazy, his vision dim.

He was overcome with weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and fatigue—symptoms akin to low blood pressure.

At last,

He arrived at a dilapidated, desolate park,

Stopping before an old, dust-covered bench with half its wooden slats broken.

With a heavy sigh, Shinji sat down, his elbows resting on his knees, his head lowered,

Gazing at a group of ants carrying the carcass of an insect as they crawled across the lifeless earth.

Another group of ants, seemingly drawn by the scent of food, marched over in droves, mandibles snapping,

As if a battle between the two ant colonies over the corpse was inevitable.

Then—

A ninja boot came down, crushing the defending ants, the invading ants, and the insect carcass into dust underfoot.

“Well now…”

A raspy voice echoed in Shinji’s ears.

“My dear disciple, you seem a bit lost, don’t you?”

Upon hearing the raspy voice, Shinji blinked, his blurry vision gradually focusing.

“Orochimaru?”

At that moment,

A pale hand appeared before Shinji, conjuring a ripe, red apple from its palm as if by magic.

“This is an apple grown in the 2,000-meter-high mountains of the Land of Lightning. It’s very sweet.”

A young man with long black hair, purple eyeshadow extending to his nose, and blue jade-like earrings dangling from his ears stood before Shinji. His narrow golden snake-like eyes glanced down, studying the boy in front of him. Orochimaru’s raspy voice spoke again:

“I quite like it.”

Shinji hesitated for a moment, recalling that Orochimaru did indeed have a fondness for apples. Beyond apples, he also enjoyed eggs, much like a snake.

He took the apple, biting into it fiercely.

The sweet juice burst across his teeth, sliding down his throat into his stomach.

With something now in his stomach, Shinji finally felt alive again.

And being alive felt… wonderful.

At this moment, Orochimaru curiously asked:

“Does it taste good?”

“Not bad,” Shinji replied, chewing the apple and speaking with his mouth full.

“Heh.”

Orochimaru chuckled lightly, pulling another apple from his robes and tossing it to Shinji.

“Go ahead, indulge yourself!”

“All the preparations have been made, and every condition is perfectly aligned.”

“Now, let me see—”

“Once this sweet power is unleashed, how far will your winds carry you?”

Shinji looked up, glancing at his enigmatic teacher with a raised eyebrow. Rolling his eyes, he gnawed on the apple and asked, in a tone anyone could understand:

“Has the White Snake Sage been captured?”

He had come here after receiving a white snake message from Orochimaru in Ong City—an exclusive communication method between master and disciple.

Previously, during the Hell Valley battle,

The White Snake Sage had taken his heart and Zero Tails. However, Orochimaru had planted a countermeasure in Zero Tails’ body beforehand.

In the ensuing battle between the White Snake Sage, Zero Tails, and Orochimaru over the control of Zero Tails, they had vanished from Hell Valley without a trace.

Yet,

Shinji had already informed Orochimaru about the Sage Art: Projection Beyond Shadow,

And with foresight and thorough preparation, even a legendary figure like the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, might fall into Orochimaru’s trap.

Shinji had been waiting for this moment!

His abilities consumed chakra at an enormous rate. With his current reserves, he could barely sustain his powers.

Even basic combat techniques, like using Susano’o to perform ninjutsu, had been abandoned due to his chakra limitations. His strength was at best thirty percent of its full potential.

The solution to this, the key to transforming this weakness into his greatest strength,

Lay with the White Snake Sage!

The White Snake Sage sought the Dragon Vein, the vast reserves of yin-nature energy in Ryuchi Cave, and the Moon Sage Arts that corresponded to Senju Hashirama’s sage techniques.

Even if he couldn’t acquire all three, capturing the White Snake Sage itself,

And turning the ancient entity into a “tailed beast battery” within his body, would still be a massive win!

However,

To Shinji’s question,

“No,” Orochimaru shook his head.

“The White Snake Sage’s power surpasses our imagination. These ancient beings, who have lived for over a thousand years, are untouchable if they remain hidden in the Three Great Sage Regions.”

“But I must admit, as bait,Shinji, you were perfect!”

Orochimaru smirked, his raspy laughter filling the air.

“It’s already taken the bait!”

Shinji raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“In the battle between Zero Tails, myself, and the White Snake Sage over Zero Tails’ body,”

“All three of us gained something,” Orochimaru chuckled, revealing the final outcome:

“Zero Tails absorbed the White Snake Sage’s sage chakra. I acquired the forbidden knowledge of the White Snake Sage.”

“And the White Snake Sage gained control of Zero Tails’ body.”

“And that’s not all.”

“Among its manipulations, your heart, which couldn’t possibly fuse with Hashirama’s cells, has undergone a transformation!”

"It used Tsunade's necklace as a foundation, gave it life through Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation, and then used Sage Art: Distant Shadow Transfer to seize control of the Hashirama chakra within the necklace. Through this peculiar method—"

"It successfully allowed your heart to fuse with the Hashirama cells that were otherwise impossible to merge!"

Upon hearing this, Shinji couldn’t help but feel shocked.

Previously, after subduing the Nine-Tails and being hospitalized in Konoha during his unconscious state, Orochimaru had attempted to implant Hashirama cells into his body. However, the rejection reactions were so severe that even with current medical ninjutsu techniques—and Tsunade personally assisting—they couldn’t succeed.

Even though Shinji possessed immortality, the body of a tailed beast, Forbidden Art: Physical Rebirth, and combat instincts ingrained at the cellular level—his own cells, which were comparable to Hashirama cells in strength, still couldn’t overcome the rejection. Without resolving this, the two equally powerful cells couldn’t fuse. Instead, they would exhaust their vitality and die off.

In the current shinobi world, the only person capable of successfully fusing Hashirama cells was Uchiha Madara, who had mastered the White Zetsu body through his Impersonation Technique.

But now, the White Snake Sage had somehow recreated the "Impersonation Technique" in a roundabout way and completed the fusion of Hashirama cells with Shinji’s heart!

Sage Art: Distant Shadow Transfer had such an effect!

No, more accurately—Sage Art: Distant Shadow Transfer itself was a technique that usurped a host’s abilities by impersonating them. It rivaled White Zetsu’s Impersonation Technique as a bizarre sage art, the ultimate product of the White Snake Sage’s thousand-year research to ascend as a true dragon!

But Shinji quickly furrowed his brow, extracting another key piece of information from Orochimaru’s words.

"The White Snake Sage has gained control of the Zero-Tails?"

"It expelled you from the Zero-Tails’ body? Orochimaru, did the clone you planted within the Zero-Tails die, allowing you to learn all this?"

Hearing this, Orochimaru nodded calmly.

"Correct."

"However, knowledge is power!"

"I now understand what the White Snake Sage intends to do and the ritual and technique it plans to use to ascend the Dragon Gate and become a true sage."

At this point, Orochimaru narrowed his golden serpent eyes, speaking in a hoarse and sinister tone:

"Next, the White Snake Sage only needs to perform its ritual on the night of July 15, during the Ghost Festival. That night, when the Gates of Hell open, the celestial dog devours the moon, and the coldest night falls over the entire shinobi world, it will hold the ceremony at the Roran Dragon Vein in the Land of Wind to usurp the dragon’s body."

"If successful, it might become the legendary Sage Dragon!"

"As for us—"

"We only need to wait for the moment the White Snake Sage devours the Dragon Vein."

"Then, have the Zero-Tails perform Sage Art: Distant Shadow Transfer to devour the White Snake Sage."

"Finally—"

"You will devour the Zero-Tails, taking everything from the White Snake Sage!!"

At this, Shinji couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, abruptly interrupting Orochimaru’s somewhat far-fetched idea.

"You want the Zero-Tails to perform Sage Art? Orochimaru-sensei, with all due respect, the Zero-Tails doesn’t even recognize written characters, and you expect it to master sage arts?"

Not to mention, the Zero-Tails is currently inside the White Snake Sage’s body. During the short window of time it can act, you expect me to teach that dumb snake how to perform sage arts?

I’m not Naruto—this isn’t a situation where a fist bump and some chakra sharing will instantaneously awaken a divine technique! How do you expect me to teach it?

"Heh heh heh..." Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, his golden snake eyes narrowing as he gave Shinji a cold glance.

"That’s your problem to solve."

"I’m only responsible for providing a viable plan."

"After all, pursuing the truth always comes with risks."

Seeing Orochimaru’s attitude, Shinji was dumbfounded. This only confirmed one thing: Orochimaru had no idea how to resolve this issue either.

Even ignoring this point, how was he supposed to devour the Zero-Tails? His current proficiency in sealing arts was far from sufficient to perform techniques like the Eight Trigrams Seal or the Four Symbols Seal to seal a tailed beast.

Was he supposed to call in Minato to slap the Zero-Tails back into his body with the Eight Trigrams Seal?

For a moment, Shinji felt completely at a loss.

Orochimaru merely cast a glance at Shinji’s troubled and distressed expression before continuing:

"Devouring the White Snake Sage is just the first step."

"To truly achieve the body of a sage and claim the Dragon Vein, you’ll need to travel to Ryuchi Cave and steal all its natural energy under the noses of the three sage serpents serving the White Snake Sage!"

"Only then, by merging the Dragon Vein’s yang energy with Ryuchi Cave’s yin energy to reach a state of harmony, can you ascend to perfection!"

"Only then will you have the chance to become stronger than the legendary dragon who once dominated the shinobi world, stronger than the Rabbit Goddess herself!"

For some reason, Orochimaru suddenly looked skyward, his gaze fixed on the yet-to-rise moon, and cryptically remarked:

"Ji, the world we see seems to be far more dangerous than we ever imagined."

Looking at Orochimaru’s enigmatic expression, as if deep in thought, Shinji felt his heart skip a beat.

Just now, he was certain he heard Orochimaru mention the term "Rabbit Goddess."

The deity associated with that title could only refer to the fabled celestial being—the progenitor of calamity in the shinobi world, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!

After Orochimaru claimed that he had obtained "forbidden knowledge" from the White Snake Sage,

At this moment, Orochimaru,

Perhaps, already knew many hidden secrets of the ninja world!

The only thing limiting such a scientific madman was his perspective!

Shinji found it hard to imagine what Orochimaru would do once he learned the complete truth about the ninja world—that above the myths, sages, and ninjas,

there was still a clan known as the Ōtsutsuki!

What would Orochimaru do then?

Shaking his head vigorously to dispel these distant thoughts, Shinji turned to Orochimaru, furrowing his brow as he asked:

“Yin-Yang unification?”

“What does that mean, and how should it be achieved?”

Hearing this question, Orochimaru let out a raspy chuckle.

“Heh heh.”

“Ji,”

“That is what I have prepared for you—a land of ascension!”

Orochimaru’s deep golden snake-like eyes glimmered as he spoke, enunciating each word solemnly:

“Island Turtle!”

Hearing these words,

Shinji’s pupils suddenly contracted!

From Hell Valley until now, all the scattered pieces of information connected, forming a complete chain of logic!

So that’s how it is!

So that’s how it is!

No wonder, on that night in Hell Valley, after he sent out a distress signal, Orochimaru delayed in responding.

No wonder, later on, he learned from Sasori that Orochimaru had attacked the Hidden Cloud Village that very night, launching the Cloud Collapse Plan.

No wonder, just a day ago, the young A chose to retreat from his doorstep and rush to another location for emergency support.

It all made sense now.

Everything was part of Orochimaru’s plan.

What Orochimaru had been scheming all along was the Island Turtle!

And the Island Turtle—

A colossal ancient turtle whose shell resembled a massive island. On its back were various natural terrains and self-contained ecosystems. It was known for being the place where jinchūriki could train to become perfect hosts and fully control their tailed beasts!

However, if one ignored its significance for jinchūriki, and traced its history back to ancient times,

The island’s true waterfall, its training grounds, and its mysterious spiritual domain—who were they originally built for, before the emergence of ninjas? What kind of beings were they designed to serve?

Shinji’s heart trembled as a clear answer began to surface.

“Without a doubt,”

“The Island Turtle served those supernatural beings who only existed in history—the very essence of this world—”

“Sages!”

Shinji took a deep breath, raising his palm. His gaze fixed on the countless specks of natural energy visible only to him, which continuously converged into his hand.

Then, suppressing the shock in his heart, he slightly lifted his head to look at Orochimaru and asked:

“Orochimaru-sensei, have you already obtained the Island Turtle?”

Orochimaru nodded, his raspy voice responding:

“Yes.”

“Though it’s a bit early, it’s better to prepare in advance and avoid trouble later.”

After obtaining the Island Turtle and conducting an investigation,

Orochimaru concluded that the Island Turtle was of little use before mastering the Yin-Yang forces of the sages. While it was a site for jinchūriki to perfect their bond with tailed beasts, Shinji no longer had a tailed beast, so it wasn’t immediately useful.

Upon hearing Orochimaru’s answer, Shinji’s heart stirred. He asked aloud:

“Can I go to the Island Turtle?”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 312: Human Sage Arts and Orochimaru’s Gift

Shinji always had a question:

Are the Sage Arts passed down by the three great sacred lands of the ninja world truly suitable for humans?

Setting aside the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest, which never explicitly appeared in the original work, the remaining Ryūchi Cave Sage Art and Mount Myōboku Sage Art both have noticeable side effects—either turning into a snake or a toad.

The grotesque statues of failed transformations piled up in Mount Myōboku's back mountains and Ryūchi Cave’s underground chambers prove one thing: countless people have come to the three sacred lands seeking Sage Arts, only to fail miserably on the path to becoming a sage.

Additionally, the Sage Arts of these two sacred lands bear distinct animalistic traits. When training remains incomplete—or perhaps when it reaches a different kind of completion—practitioners exhibit animal-like features on their faces and bodies.

For instance, Jiraiya's toad sage visage and Kabuto's horns and snake tail are external manifestations of such Sage Arts.

These Sage Arts, visually speaking, seem to push humans toward genetic mutations resembling animals.

However, through a series of coincidences, after integrating Ryūchi Cave's natural energy into his eyes, causing a mutation, and later absorbing pure natural energy into his body during the battle in Yunming Inner City, Shinji developed a physique similar to Jūgo's "Sage Transformation."

Moreover, he achieved the "Sage Mode," having suppressed and eliminated its side effects.

This power is entirely different from the Curse Mark Stage 2 Snake Sage Mode.

During his brief experience with it, Shinji felt deep within that compared to the Snake Sage Mode, this pure utilization of natural energy was far more compatible with his body—more suited for human use.

If Snake Sage Mode involves genetic modification to grant humans the traits and powers of snakes, then using pure natural energy is about unlocking hidden potential within the human body without altering its structure, unleashing incredible power instead!

- Lifting weapons weighing tens of tons with bare hands,

- Breaking through speeds of Mach 8.8 into the hypersonic range,

- Dramatically enhanced physical coordination,

- Even the five senses of his "Mind's Eye" were amplified exponentially.

In human form, Shinji defeated two tailed beast hosts in just 30 seconds.

Such power might sound absurd. After all, even Hashirama required the True Thousand Hands and the Buddha Statue to subdue the full-powered Nine-Tails in battle.

Shinji, however, brought a Tailed Beast to submission with just two solid punches.

Perhaps, this is the kind of Sage Art that humans are truly meant to master!

But this human-compatible Sage Art has an entry barrier so high that even Shinji found it astonishing.

The prerequisites for obtaining such power include:

1. A body resilient enough to endure the erosion of natural energy—like Shinji's immortal body, Tailed Beast-like constitution, or the forbidden technique of flesh regeneration.

2. The ability to orderly circulate natural energy within the body, similar to chakra.

3. Possessing a unique mutated ocular bloodline capable of seeing and independently absorbing natural energy.

Missing even one of these conditions makes it almost impossible to achieve.

In other words, through a mix of luck and force, Shinji tamed the violent natural energy and touched the realm of the true sages of ancient times—or perhaps a domain no one had ever reached before.

Now the question arises:

Can this power be refined even further?

---

In a desolate and barren park

“You want to go to Turtle Island?”

Hearing Shinji’s words, Orochimaru appeared slightly surprised.

“Yes, I have a feeling that something on Turtle Island might be useful to me,” Shinji replied.

“After all, in five days, I’m going to crash the Five Kage Summit and face the Third Raikage head-on.”

Shinji’s expression turned serious.

“Although I’ve gained some new powers, my overall strength is still significantly weaker than before I lost Zero Tails. The last battle revealed too much information, giving the Third Raikage ample preparation. Defeating him the same way again is almost impossible.”

He glanced at his hand holding half an apple.

His Sharingan eyes glowed crimson, and the three tomoe began spinning slowly.

The world before him seemed to shift into slow motion—reduced to 0.5x, 0.25x, and finally 0.125x speed. Everything around him became crystal clear.

Particles of natural energy gathered and fused into his hand, threading through the gaps in his muscles, burrowing into the fascia and bones, eventually merging with the bone marrow. Branching into countless filaments, they integrated seamlessly with marrow cells.

During this repetitive process:

- The strength in his hand gradually increased,

- The fatigue in his body slowly faded away.

“If I can enhance this ability on Turtle Island, even extending my ‘Sage Mode’ by just ten more seconds, I’ll be able to accomplish much more.”

Such thoughts ran through Shinji’s mind.

Assassinating the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning wouldn't just mean facing the Third Raikage alone. Once the news spreads, the Daimyos of other nations will undoubtedly demand their respective shinobi villages send their best warriors. The resulting chaos would be unimaginable—potentially even more dangerous than Sasuke's future rampage at the Five Kage Summit.

However, Shinji wasn’t particularly keen on having others risk their lives for his sake, not even those like the Akatsuki members or Onyajou Homura, who had already resolved to fight alongside him.

If possible,

he preferred to take on the Five Great Nations by himself!

“Haha.”

Hearing Shinji's words, Orochimaru glanced at him with great interest, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

“As expected, you've gained new power, haven’t you?”

Although Orochimaru had been attacking Kumogakure's Turtle Island during the battle at Yunming City, he had a general idea of what had transpired.

Especially impressive were the brand-new abilities Shinji had displayed:

The flaming skeletal structure, the giant skeletal warrior, and, at the final critical moment, the sheer overwhelming power that turned the tide of the battle, even defeating two jinchūriki in one fell swoop.

“The former must be the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan's unique abilities, but there’s something unusual about these eyes. And the latter...”

Orochimaru squinted, pondering for a moment before revealing a confident smile. In his raspy voice, he said:

“So, that’s what’s been troubling you?”

“I see now.”

With that, Orochimaru turned around and began walking toward an area outside Yunming City. As he walked, the corners of his lips curled into a sly smile, and he chuckled hoarsely:

“Let me give you a gift, then!”

“Shinji, follow me.”

“A gift?”

Shinji was momentarily stunned, caught off guard. He quickly scrambled to his feet and trailed behind Orochimaru like a shadow.

A gift from Orochimaru?

Bringing him intel on the White Snake Sage and the whereabouts of Zero Tails had already been an incredible surprise. He hadn’t expected Orochimaru to have another gift for him.

What could it be this time?

Following Orochimaru, they passed through an abandoned park, desolate and devoid of life.

As they neared the residential district of Yunming City, Orochimaru tossed a straw hat to Shinji and put one on himself. Once disguised, the two navigated through the city's intricate streets, weaving between varying elevations, steep peaks, and countless suspension bridges.

Before long,

they climbed atop the low outer walls of the city and leapt down into a hidden cave nestled in the surrounding mountains.

Upon entering the cave, Shinji found it to be a completely different world.

Smooth, neatly carved walls lined with steel panels, embedded with glowing sensor lights, and enormous pipes of unknown purpose stretching across the space.

It felt as though they had suddenly left the ancient Showa era and stepped into the modern, futuristic Reiwa period.

This was, without a doubt, a secret research facility.

Standing in front of a massive steel door, teacher and student exchanged no words.

“—Click!”

The door to the research facility opened.

Shinji looked up curiously, his eyes scanning the laboratory hidden behind the massive door.

The next moment, his pupils contracted sharply.

He saw it—

A colossal entity submerged in formalin!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 313: The Horn of the Eight-Tails, A Secret Decision*

Staring at the object in front of him, immersed in formalin or some other unknown liquid, Shinji couldn’t help but look astonished.

“This is...”

“That’s right,” Orochimaru curled his lips into a sinister smile, his raspy voice echoing eerily, “This is the Eight-Tails!”

Silently, Shinji added to Orochimaru’s statement in his mind:

“The horn of the Eight-Tails.”

Though he knew Orochimaru possessed some tissue samples of the Eight-Tails, seeing this relic—something that shouldn’t exist in this era—left Shinji deeply baffled.

The object, submerged in a massive glass cylinder filled with an unknown liquid, was indeed the horn of the Eight-Tails. It had been severed years ago when a young A dealt a blow during one of the Eight-Tails’ rampages. However, this horn wasn’t from the same instance.

This specific horn of the Eight-Tails was a fragment collected by Orochimaru. At that time, he had cast an illusion on the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Kirābī, orchestrating an Eight-Tails rampage. Under the cover of chaos, Orochimaru secretly obtained a small sample of the Eight-Tails’ horn.

Using that sample, Orochimaru had cultivated a full-sized horn of the Eight-Tails.

Standing nearly three meters tall, the horn exuded an overwhelming chakra reserve far beyond what the Zero-Tails could ever contain.

What puzzled Shinji even more was that this horn wasn’t supposed to exist until the outbreak of the Fourth Shinobi World War. At that time, it had been cultivated under the guidance of Kabuto Yakushi, who had inherited Orochimaru’s cutting-edge biotechnology.

In this era, however, such a feat shouldn’t have been possible. At best, the sample should have been a mere finger-sized fragment—not something cultivated to this scale so quickly!

At this moment, Orochimaru, noticing Shinji’s bewildered gaze, began to explain:

“Do you remember the day I gave you the scroll for Curse Mark training?”

Shinji thought back, then looked up in shock.

“You mean—”

“The iterative Hashirama cells used on the Zero-Tails can also be applied to the Eight-Tails?”

The day Orochimaru handed him the Experimental Record and Methods for Suppressing the Heaven Curse Mark was the same night the Nine-Tails had been subdued. Back then, Orochimaru had mentioned some issues with the Hashirama cell experiments. He had attempted over 300 times to fuse the cells with Shinji’s DNA, but every attempt ended in failure.

However, this led to another breakthrough: the development of a technique using the 30th iteration of Hashirama cells to temporarily enhance the Zero-Tails. This technology had been successfully employed three days prior, during the Hell Valley operation against the White Snake Sage. It had caused the Zero-Tails to temporarily surge in power, even managing to contest the White Snake Sage for control of its body.

Now, this same technology had been applied to the sample from the Eight-Tails’ horn.

“The technique still has some flaws,” Orochimaru admitted, “but in the short term, using this sample as a substitute for a tailed beast by sealing it into your body should replicate about half the power of the real Eight-Tails.”

“It should work without any issues.”

“Additionally, as long as the Eight-Tails is alive, you can treat this as a one-time consumable. Once its chakra is depleted, it will dissipate. All you need to do is retrieve a small amount of powdered sample, and there will be no lingering concerns.”

“As for the damage caused by extracting the sample, for someone like you, it’s almost negligible.”

With his arms crossed, Orochimaru gazed up at the massive horn in the tank. His raspy laughter filled the room.

“With power like this,” he said, “you’ll have more than enough to wreak havoc at the Five Kage Summit!”

Shinji nodded in realization. His face lit up with joy as he eagerly approached the glass tank, pressing his hands against it. He breathed on the glass, fogging it up as he admired the treasure inside.

His current chakra reserves felt pitifully small compared to the lavish arsenal of abilities he possessed. It was like driving a Ferrari Enzo capable of reaching 280 mph but being stuck in traffic, crawling along in first gear.

Just as he was lamenting his lack of an outlet for his power, Orochimaru had presented him with this “Violent Supercar DLC”!

Looking at the tantalizing object in the tank, Shinji couldn’t help but chuckle sinisterly.

“Keh keh keh... What a treasure!”

He’d never gone into battle with such abundant resources before. This would be the kind of fight where he could utterly crush everyone in his path!

Orochimaru, seeing the excitement on Shinji’s face, let a faint smile cross his own. But soon, his expression was replaced with a shadow of deep greed and unease.

After casting one final glance at the massive horn, Orochimaru turned and walked heavily toward the depths of the lab.

From a distance, his voice echoed back to Shinji:

“There’s a revised route for the Turtle Island drift on the table. Seal the Eight-Tails sample, and if you want to take a look, go ahead.”

“Before the Ghost Festival arrives, do everything you can to grow stronger.”

“Shinji.”

Orochimaru disappeared quickly, leaving the lab in silence.

For a moment, Shinji stood alone, chuckling to himself. But then, as he stared at the massive horn of the Eight-Tails, his brows furrowed. A sudden thought struck him.

If what Orochimaru said was true—

If just a small sample of the Eight-Tails, combined with the endless supply of Hashirama cells, could be used to cultivate a full-sized horn—

And if such materials could be sealed into a person’s body to function as a tailed beast substitute without lasting harm—

Didn’t that mean...

Orochimaru might already possess the capability to mass-produce jinchūriki?

---

On the other side,

inside City,

beneath an abandoned church with a style reminiscent of Eastern Orthodox architecture,

in the broken and dilapidated chapel,

a small figure draped in a black robe stood before a headless statue, accompanied by two figures prostrated beneath it, silently offering prayers.

Upon closer inspection,

the two figures lying prostrate beneath the headless statue had lifeless eyes. They had only recently died, with gaping, transparent holes in their chests, as though pierced by a spear.

At that moment, pools of blood were slowly spreading across the ground.

The small figure before the statue grimaced in pain as they pulled a pitch-black spear from their chest. They collapsed to the ground, wiping blood from the corner of their mouth.

A look of agony flickered in their eyes as they recalled the intelligence they had extracted from the two deceased Cloud Village ninjas.

“Shinji.”

“That idiot… he’s still alive!”

“And not only that, he’s come to Yunming City.”

“Five days from now, an assassination of the Daimyo?”

The small figure muttered to themselves, raising the blood-stained black spear in their hand. Determination flashed in their eyes.

At that moment,

heavy footsteps echoed from outside the chapel.

A red-haired man wearing a headband with the symbol of Iwagakure, dressed in monk’s robes, and his head wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, emerged from the shadows. He glanced at the two recently deceased ninjas on the ground.

To one’s surprise, it was Roshi, who had previously been struck in the head by Shinji's devastating full-force blow!

At this moment,

he turned to look at the small figure, his bloodshot eyes revealing an indistinguishable mix of relief and madness as he spoke:

“Well done, Hidan!”

Then, casting another glance at the two dead Cloud ninjas on the ground, his gaze turned cold, and he gritted his teeth.

“Cloud ninjas again? They just won’t stop!”

Previously, Onoki had used Earth Release: Super Massive Earth Core to bring down a mountain on Yunming City, causing countless innocent casualties.

The relationship between Iwagakure and Kumogakure instantly plummeted to an all-time low.

Kumogakure, already harboring ill intentions toward Iwagakure, now set their sights directly on Roshi, who had been severely injured by Shinji, had failed to become a perfect Jinchuriki, and lacked the tailed beast’s help to recover.

The search operations from Kumogakure grew increasingly frequent,

though it was unclear whether they were after Shinji, the mysterious organization that aided his escape,

or Roshi himself.

“But it’ll all be over soon!”

Roshi bared his teeth in a feral grin, madness flashing in his eyes.

“Five days from now,”

“Shinji… and you Kumogakure scum,”

“Every single one of you will die!”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 314: The Spear of Death and the Mist's Hidden Enemy*

In a dilapidated underground chapel, Hidan listened to Roshi's murmurs, his expression tense. When Roshi turned his head and declared his intent to kill Shinji, a wave of murderous intent surged through Hidan's eyes.

Two days prior, Hidan should have been under the "imprisonment" of Mei Terumi—more accurately, her protection. However, after a second failed assassination attempt, the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning erupted in fury, deploying a significant number of Cloud Shinobi. Among them was a young A, the son of the Third Raikage.

One by one, the members of the Immortal Heretics fell before Hidan's eyes. Watching nearly everyone get captured and facing imminent execution, he had no choice but to seek help desperately. With the assistance of a few veteran Hot Spring Shinobi, he reached out to various factions, including Konoha, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure.

The plea to Sunagakure exposed his information to Sasori.

The plea to Konoha yielded no response—it sank like a stone. (Minato didn’t know Hidan and was preoccupied with coordinating with the Daimyo’s son and Kirigakure.)

The letter to Kirigakure finally reached Mei Terumi. However, before she could act, another party contacted Hidan first.

It was Iwagakure.

The terms, plans, and promises they offered sparked a glimmer of hope in Hidan—hope for peace that could spare the Land of Hot Water from war.

Thus, a day ago, Hidan disappeared from Kirigakure’s custody under mysterious circumstances with the help of Iwagakure.

Each side had its motives.

Iwagakure sought Hidan’s power.

Hidan sought the peace Iwagakure promised.

Clutching the black spear in his hand, Hidan remained silent for a moment. Even as Roshi spoke of killing his sworn brother, Shinji, Hidan suppressed the urge to kill Roshi immediately, abandon this deal, and seek out Shinji instead.

Though still a child, Hidan could no longer afford to act like one. Aside from his bond with Shinji, Hidan now bore the weight of the Land of Hot Water’s future.

This heavy burden forced him to abandon unrealistic fantasies and face harsh realities.

If it were possible, Hidan would have preferred to trust Shinji unconditionally, as he once did in the underground halls of the Cult of Jashin, pinning all his hopes on Shinji to bring a bright future to the Land of Hot Water.

But the cruel truth was this:

After the flood that engulfed the capital, the wars between Iwagakure and Kirigakure intensified on this land, forcing them to flee like stray dogs.

And Shinji, who had once vowed to protect them, fled without looking back.

No letters. No messages.

Even now, hearing that Shinji had arrived in the Land of Lightning and declared his intent to assassinate the Daimyo, Hidan had no way out. He could only close his eyes in pain.

*Shinji, you came too late!*

With that thought, Hidan raised his head, suppressing the rage and killing intent in his eyes. He spoke in a low, heavy voice:

"Don’t forget what you promised me!"

Roshi turned his head slightly, revealing a chilling smile.

"Of course!"

"The Land of Hot Water will find peace because of this. The sacrifices of the Immortal Heretics will not be in vain. And those who tormented you—the Mist and the Cloud—will pay a devastating price!"

"After all, you are our secret weapon—"

"The spear that will pierce through the indomitable shield of the Third Raikage A!"

Roshi's bloodshot eyes, filled with the anguish of witnessing Onoki's death, locked onto Hidan with a manic intensity.

"The Spear of Death!"

---

*Elsewhere...*

Having sealed the Eight-Tails’ horn in a scroll provided by Orochimaru and secured the map of Turtle Island’s drifting route, Shinji scavenged numerous supplies from the laboratory: clothing, ninja tools, food, and soldier pills.

After finally enjoying a satisfying meal, Shinji tidied himself up. He trimmed his long, unruly hair—nearly reaching his waist—to just shoulder-length to avoid it hindering combat.

Dressed in a gray undershirt beneath a black, short-sleeved, high-collared shirt, with Orochimaru's signature purple rope belt securing loose hakama-style pants, he completed the look with black ninja boots.

The only thing missing was the Uchiha clan’s emblem, which would have made the outfit stand out.

Stepping out of the secret laboratory, Shinji, now cloaked in black with a straw hat, made his way through Yunming City’s residential district. His destination: Turtle Island.

Currently adrift in the sea on an unknown route, Turtle Island remained hidden after Orochimaru took control of it.

The city of Yunming is located inland, quite a distance from the seaside. To reach Turtle Island, one must first travel to the coast.

Reaching the coast is easy; at Shinji’s speed, it would take less than two hours.

However, crossing the sea is a different matter.

Attempting to walk on water across the endless ocean is not a realistic option.

The only feasible way to reach the floating Turtle Island is by chartering a boat.

However, given that Orochimaru recently seized control of the island, the coastal waters of the Land of Lightning are far from peaceful. Losing Turtle Island would mean losing the future perfect Jinchuriki, something the Hidden Cloud Village takes very seriously. They have already taken control of all the ships along the eastern coast and are dispatching fleets to search for Turtle Island.

Under these circumstances, trying to procure a boat in the Land of Lightning and set out to sea is no small challenge.

Orochimaru managed to reach the island by traveling overland and then subdued the giant turtle with large doses of hallucinogenic pills. Therefore, he is unable to provide any assistance to Shinji in reaching the island. Moreover, it is impossible for Orochimaru, who is thousands of miles away, to control the giant turtle and have it swim to the shore to pick up Shinji.

While Shinji could hypnotize someone with his Sharingan and seize a boat to reach Turtle Island, given the strict controls and inspections of the ships, this plan would not be ideal.

Instead, seeking help from Mei Terumi seemed like a much better option.

Before long, Shinji returned to the vicinity of the abandoned Weng City and happened to run into Mei Terumi, who was looking for him.

"Borrow a boat? You want to go out to sea?"

Mei Terumi was surprised as she looked at Shinji, who had gone out for a brief stroll and somehow returned with a full set of brand-new gear. Her beautiful eyes lingered on his youthful face for a moment before she spoke in astonishment.

"A boat isn’t a problem," she said.

"But..." Mei Terumi frowned.

"The eastern coast of the Land of Lightning has been under strict control recently due to something happening there. All departing and arriving ships are subject to investigation and questioning."

"If you want to go out to sea, the only option is to depart from the Frost Country's port."

"But..." Mei Terumi looked troubled.

"But what?" Shinji raised his eyebrow curiously.

As the heir of the Terumi Clan, one of the three major families in the Hidden Mist, Mei Terumi rarely seemed troubled by such matters.

"Five days from now, another faction from the Hidden Mist, which is attending the Five Kage Summit, will also be passing through that direction," Mei Terumi said hesitantly, tightening her brow.

"Are you leaving today? Can you delay by a day?"

Shinji thought for a moment and shook his head.

Sealing the Eight-Tails' horn and verifying some of his theories and abilities required time. With the travel time included, he needed to return in five days to give the Akatsuki and others a clear answer, as well as deal with the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning.

Time was tight.

"Alright," Mei Terumi sighed, fixing her gaze on Shinji and speaking solemnly:

"In that case, you’ll need to avoid certain people."

"Specifically, the Mist Assassination Squad, which operates under the direct command of the Third Mizukage!"

"Besides Mangetsu Hozuki, there are some truly terrifying individuals in that squad."

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 315: The Opponent to Face Is... The Third Mizukage!*

At this point in time, the Village Hidden in the Mist was mired in internal conflict.

Three primary factions had emerged:

1. The Third Mizukage, leading both the Anbu and the Mist Village’s hunter-nin squads.

2. The Elder Council, headed by Genji, which included Terumi Mei and various clans with Kekkei Genkai abilities.

3. The Kirigakure faction rallying around Yagura, comprising the Chigiri (Raincut) group, which had gathered most of the commoner shinobi and Jonin squad members from the village.

Terumi Mei's arrival in the Land of Lightning was sanctioned by the Elder Council, but it did not have the official approval of the Third Mizukage, who represented Kirigakure’s official front.

Meanwhile, Suigetsu Hozuki, a former member of the hunter-nin, betrayed the village and joined the terrorist group surrounding Shinji. Now a rogue ninja, he even seemed intent on targeting the daimyo of the Land of Lightning. The blame for this act had been conveniently pinned on the Third Mizukage.

To account for this situation with his nation’s daimyo and to participate in the Five Nations Conference, the Third Mizukage dispatched members of the hunter-nin to attend the meeting. This move was also intended to send a message to Kumogakure, avoiding any rash decisions from the "barbarians," who might otherwise launch an attack on the Mist Village—especially after the Mist had just clashed with Iwagakure.

After Terumi Mei explained the chain of events, Shinji finally understood.

"I see. But... who exactly will they send?"

Among the hunter-nin of the Mist, those considered strong were collectively known as the “Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.”

As far as Shinji knew, the Seven Swordsmen served under different divisions.

For example, Fuguki Suikazan, Suigetsu Hozuki, and Kisame Hoshigaki were members of the hunter-nin squad, while Jinpachi Munashi, the wielder of the Sewing Needle sword, was part of the Mist Anbu.

The remaining members—Zabuza Momochi, Jinin Akebino, Raiga Kurosuki, and Ameyuri Ringo—were under the direct command of the Third Mizukage. However, their exact affiliations—whether standard Mist shinobi, Anbu, or hunter-nin—were unclear.

“There are rumors that Fuguki Suikazan is leading the team. Others say it could be Zabuza Momochi,” Terumi Mei said, shaking her head in concern. She looked at Shinji with worry in her eyes.

“Maybe I should go with you?”

If Shinji were in his usual state, Terumi Mei wouldn’t be so worried. But in his current condition—staggering when he walked and showing signs of severe fatigue—she wasn’t sure he could even handle a fight.

Forget about battling the Mist’s forces; she was genuinely afraid he might collapse midway due to heatstroke or seasickness.

If they traveled together—ahem—she meant if she accompanied him, these problems would be much easier to manage.

But Shinji shook his head firmly.

The incident involving Orochimaru stealing Turtle Island from the Cloud Village had not yet escalated. However, once the news spread, if the Mist learned that Terumi Mei had also been to Turtle Island, there was a chance they might harbor dangerous intentions. After all, the Mist still had both the Three-Tails and Six-Tails.

Moreover, given that the incoming forces belonged to Terumi Mei’s opposition, Shinji didn’t mind helping her eliminate a few adversaries along the way.

Although he was currently in a weakened state, this was only relative. As long as the Third Mizukage himself didn’t show up, Shinji was confident that, even without using Susanoo or his Fire Release Chakra Mode, his taijutsu skills were more than sufficient to take down a few members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

“Phew.”

Seeing Shinji shake his head, Terumi Mei sighed. She looked at him, wanting to say something, but stopped herself, unsure how to begin.

She had sought him out to share her thoughts and plans, to tell him how much she had grown since returning to the village. She wanted to express how deeply his words of encouragement in the Jashin Cult’s castle had resonated with her and how they had shaped her perspective.

She even wanted to invite the now-rogue Shinji to join her faction.

But...

Was this merely an opportunistic move based on her assessment of the situation?

Or was it because she had seen his strength and developed a subconscious desire to rely on him to achieve her ambitions?

During the recent Akatsuki meeting, Terumi Mei had been closely observing Shinji. She had noticed his unwavering resolve and independent thoughts.

If she approached him as a friend but attempted to manipulate him into fighting for her dreams, would that tarnish the profound yet fleeting bond they had shared?

The intelligent emerald-eyed girl felt deeply conflicted. She longed to prove herself and to fight alongside Shinji, yet she treasured their friendship too much to risk jeopardizing it.

“There must be a way.”

“Even without relying on Shinji, if I can support him instead, I can still achieve my dream.”

At this thought, Mei Terumi swallowed back the invitation that was about to escape her lips, lowered her head dejectedly, and removed a scented sachet from her white belt, handing it over.

"At the only port in the Land of Frost, a steamship bound for the Land of Water will arrive at six in the evening. Take this token of mine and find the captain. He will prepare a one-person 'Thunder Boat' for your journey."

Shinji looked at Mei Terumi, who had suddenly become unhappy, with a puzzled expression. Unsure of what had caused the change, he scratched his head.

"Well, thank you very much."

"Um... Mei, Mei Terumi, if there's anything I can help with—"

Shinji suddenly straightened his expression, firmly placing both hands on Mei Terumi's smooth, delicate shoulders.

"You mustn't keep it to yourself. Tell me!"

"After all, we're friends!"

With that, Shinji took the sachet from Mei Terumi's hand, turned around, waved goodbye, and walked away without looking back.

"Huh?!"

Watching Shinji's retreating figure, Mei Terumi's eyes widened, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

What did he just... call me?

---

From the Land of Lightning to the port in the Land of Frost, armed with a map obtained from Orochimaru’s secret laboratory in the Land of Lightning and having previously traveled this route with Gokasho Inari and the others, Shinji quickly reached his destination.

Water transportation in the ninja world generally falls into three main categories:

1. Rowboats, as seen in the Wave Country arc of the original story.

2. Sailing ships, the most common and largest watercraft in the ninja world.

3. Steam-powered vessels, driven by steam engines.

At this point in time, only the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning possess such advanced vessels. Beyond that, the distant Sora-nin Village overseas even has aircraft carriers.

At six in the evening, just as Mei Terumi had mentioned, Shinji arrived at the dock and saw the massive, steam-breathing vessel from the Land of Water.

After meeting the captain and presenting Mei Terumi's token, the captain ordered the crew to lower a small boat from the enormous steamship.

This was a "Thunder Boat," a small electric-powered craft made in the Land of Lightning, capable of carrying 2–6 people.

Once Shinji had prepared the necessary supplies for the journey and learned how to use the compass to navigate at sea under the captain's guidance, he piloted the Thunder Boat toward Turtle Island.

---

Meanwhile, on the vast open sea, a massive steamship carrying personnel from Kirigakure on their way to the Land of Lightning was slowly approaching.

On the deck stood members of Kirigakure’s hunter-nin unit, including Fuguki Suikazan, wielding the great sword Samehada. Among them were several hunter-nin wearing Kirigakure uniforms and masks adorned with four water-ripple designs. One of them, a tall, muscular figure resembling a shark, carried a long sword at his waist.

At the forefront of the group stood a man at the edge of the deck. With long gray-white hair, a refined and handsome face, pearl-like ornaments on his head, and a habit of keeping his eyes closed, he exuded an air of authority.

This was the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure.

(End of Chapter)