136-140

*Chapter 136: Bird Clone Jutsu and Snake Clone Jutsu*

“Interesting! Not willing to fight here, are you?” Orochimaru watched as Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique to move outside the shop, a cold smile playing on his lips. His golden, slit-like pupils narrowed slightly when he noticed a neatly stacked pile of money on the table by the door, covering the meal cost.

If it were just the speed of the Body Flicker Technique, it wouldn't have impressed him.

However, the fact that Shisui could leave money behind while using the technique made it clear to Orochimaru that Shisui’s mastery of it surpassed his own. The Uchiha Clan... those old fools were worthless, but these younger members had some real skill.

Too bad no matter how fast the Body Flicker was, it had its range and distance limitations.

Orochimaru had avoided attacking because he didn’t want to involve Kimimaro in a messy battle. Kimimaro was an excellent vessel that Orochimaru had put great effort into finding, and if he got caught in the crossfire, Orochimaru would be heartbroken—finding a vessel of this quality wasn’t easy.

“Kimimaro, don’t get too close,” Orochimaru instructed the boy by his side.

A battle with Shisui Uchiha was bound to be anything but simple. Though Orochimaru didn’t think Shisui could escape his grasp, the Uchiha’s Sharingan and fire jutsu were indeed impressive. Plus, Shisui’s Body Flicker was formidable. Even Orochimaru’s subordinates had reported that Shisui had once fought Ryoma Aburame to a standstill—Ryoma being one of Danzo’s most trusted aides.

Despite his casual words, Orochimaru wasn’t underestimating Shisui.

As someone who had spent time within Danzo's "Root," Orochimaru was well aware of Ryoma Aburame’s strength—an opponent even Orochimaru had to handle cautiously.

“I’ll be careful, Lord Orochimaru,” the white-haired boy nodded seriously.

They left the shop together, and as they walked down the sparsely populated street, Orochimaru spotted Shisui’s black-clad figure heading toward the end of the road.

This was a coastal town.

The end of the long street led to the shore.

Under a gloomy sky, cold winds howled as waves rolled from the distant depths of the sea, crashing against the rocks and sending up white spray. The sound of distant thunder echoed, merging with the sea breeze and waves.

The scene was one of foreboding.

Shisui stood on a rock, gripping a small sword, his black cloak billowing in the wind. His red Sharingan eyes gleamed with rare battle intent. After all the chaotic recent events, his mood had been stifled and unsettled.

But now, facing Orochimaru, Konoha's traitor, there was no need to think about all the complicated issues. Shisui could focus entirely on the battle ahead, something simple and straightforward for him. In fact, he hadn't encountered an opponent worthy of his full strength in a long time, and the thrill of battle stirred his blood.

“One of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru... I hope you won’t disappoint me,” Shisui thought as he ran his fingers along the blade, watching Orochimaru approach.

"Crack!"

A wind blade sliced through the rock beneath Shisui, breaking apart the stone that had withstood countless ocean waves for centuries. Yet Shisui had already vanished before the deadly strike could even graze his cloak.

Only pitch-black crow feathers floated in the air, twirling and dancing in the wind.

Ten or so crows gathered, merging back into human form, and Shisui reappeared, standing on another rock.

This was the Bird Clone Jutsu, a special clone technique Shisui had developed in cooperation with his summoning crows. It consumed less chakra than the Shadow Clone Jutsu and was more powerful than the Water Clone Jutsu. The Bird Clone Jutsu was highly mobile and could withstand most ordinary attacks, making it difficult to defeat.

“A special clone technique using summoned creatures? It’s similar to my Snake Clone Jutsu,” thought Orochimaru. As the most brilliant and unhinged scientist since the Second Hokage, Orochimaru’s thirst for knowledge about unknown jutsu was insatiable.

His trip to Kirigakure had been driven by curiosity about the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He immediately recognized the nature of Shisui’s clone technique.

“So, that’s a clone. Where’s the real body?” Orochimaru smirked, not rushing to destroy the clone. After scanning the surroundings and noting that the only obstacles on the beach were a few coconut trees, he came to a conclusion.

“Underground, perhaps?”

Orochimaru bit his thumb, drawing blood, and slammed his hand onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Dozens of massive, house-sized brown serpents were summoned.

Orochimaru rarely summoned Manda unless dealing with large opponents like tailed beasts or the giant summons of Jiraiya or Tsunade. Manda was too arrogant and unruly, and it wasn’t about sparing the hundred sacrifices Manda demanded—it was just too troublesome. These obedient and numerous smaller serpents were far more useful.

Standing on one of the snakes’ heads, Orochimaru watched as the serpents spread out, crushing nearby trees. Some snakes dug large holes into the beach, clearly aiming to force Shisui out from underground. Orochimaru had used this tactic plenty of times during his battles with Iwa-nin; it was second nature to him.

“Impressive as always,” Shisui’s voice emerged as his head poked out from underground.

He had indeed hidden himself below, planning to launch a surprise attack. But Orochimaru had first exposed his Bird Clone Jutsu with a powerful Wind Release technique and then forced him out using the serpents. While using Earth Release techniques to move underground, Shisui couldn’t fight back.

Despite this setback, Shisui’s fighting spirit wasn’t dampened. In fact, Orochimaru’s strength only fueled the flames of battle in his red eyes.

Yes, this is how it should be!

If the famous Sannin didn’t have real skills, it would have been disappointing.

Leaping out of the ground, Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique to instantly appear on the back of one of Orochimaru’s snakes. With his small sword in hand, he charged toward Orochimaru, who stood atop the snake’s head. Taking down the snakes one by one would be too time-consuming unless he used Susanoo, which Shisui had only tested once and didn’t intend to reveal easily. Besides, Shisui’s true strength lay in close combat.

Body Flicker was at its best in close-quarters combat.

Shisui had only used Susanoo once in a trial, unlike Itachi, who used it as a routine technique. He had been warned to keep the secret of his Mangekyō Sharingan well-guarded.

Unless absolutely necessary, Shisui had no plans to use that power here.

“Here you are,” Orochimaru’s raspy voice held a mocking tone as he saw Shisui racing along the snake’s back toward him. He waved his hand, and from his sleeve burst a dozen snakes, their sharp fangs bared as they lunged at Shisui.

This was the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, a secret technique developed by Orochimaru combining summoning and ninjutsu.

The snakes, each an independent entity with intelligence, worked in coordination—some to intimidate, others to bind, bite, or capture. The sheer complexity of this multi-layered attack often left opponents overwhelmed before they could even mount a defense, leading to a swift capture or death.

But today, Orochimaru wasn’t facing a weak opponent.

*Uchiha Style: Gale Sword*

Shisui didn’t dodge. Charging head-on with his scarlet eyes spinning, he could see and predict every movement of the snakes. Following his instincts, he swung his wind-coated blade, slashing through the serpents in a flash.

In an instant, blood splattered.

Shisui’s blade severed all thirteen snakes, their heads flying into the air as blood sprayed. But before the blood could land on him, Shisui had already formed a hand sign, and his body vanished like a mirage.

Amidst the falling snake heads, one more appeared—a human head with pale skin, purple eyeshadow, and a blue-green magatama earring. It was Orochimaru’s.

Shisui stood behind Orochimaru, gripping his small sword in a drawn-back position. He had used the Body Flicker to appear behind Orochimaru and effortlessly decapitated him with a single strike. It was so easy that Shisui couldn’t help but feel a hint of disappointment—was this all the legendary Sannin had to offer?

But that disappointment lasted less than a second.

Orochimaru’s severed neck didn’t spurt blood. Instead, dozens of snakes writhed within, making Shisui’s skin crawl. It was clear now—this was just like his Bird Clone Jutsu.

“A Snake Clone Jutsu? So where’s the real body?”

Shisui’s Sharingan spun as he searched for Orochimaru’s true form, raising his blade defensively, ready for a surprise attack from the shadows.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 137: Should Have Used Genjutsu from the Start*

Kimimaro stood on the trunk of a coconut tree crushed by a giant snake, watching the battle between Lord Orochimaru and the man known as "Shisui." Although only eight years old, technically still a child, as a ninja, he already possessed the strength to defeat an average Chūnin.

As the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan,

Kaguya Kimimaro was the final remnant of his clan's glory.

Raised among a group of battle-hungry madmen, he awakened the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) Kekkei Genkai at a young age and was trained as a weapon by his clansmen. Later, he followed Orochimaru, a person even more insane. So, it's easy to imagine what kind of values Kimimaro would develop.

Anyone who dared to treat Kimimaro as just a child would definitely suffer.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Seeing Orochimaru decapitated by Shisui's blade, Kimimaro clenched his fist. Over the past two years, Orochimaru had pampered him due to his talent and abilities, allowing him to follow Orochimaru closely. He had even brought Kimimaro along to the Land of Water, never treating him as a burden.

Kimimaro had witnessed Orochimaru's strength and knew that he couldn’t be killed so easily.

However,

This was the first time anyone had gotten so close to Orochimaru so quickly.

In the past, most enemies couldn’t even touch the hem of Orochimaru’s cloak. Orochimaru would often choose certain opponents for Kimimaro to handle. But this time, Orochimaru had told him to stay back and just watch.

Yet, seeing Orochimaru decapitated in one strike,

Kimimaro took a step forward.

...

On top of the snake’s head, Shisui had decapitated Orochimaru, but he quickly realized his attack hadn’t hit the real body. He wasn’t disappointed; rather, he had been briefly let down by Orochimaru’s seeming inadequacy. But that disappointment vanished just as fast when he realized that Orochimaru hadn’t been slain so easily.

It was only a clone—

A clone made of countless snakes.

*Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!*

Shisui formed a seal with one hand, and a blazing orange-red fireball erupted from his mouth, incinerating the snake clone made of hundreds of small snakes. The intense heat caused the massive snake beneath him to shake violently, its head swinging left and right, trying to throw Shisui off.

But such tactics had little effect on Shisui, who maintained perfect balance with ease.

As Shisui searched for Orochimaru’s real body, the giant snake beneath him suddenly froze. Shisui’s scarlet Sharingan eyes pierced through the snake’s flesh, detecting an unusual chakra fluctuation. His pupils contracted as he instantly leaped into the air, holding his small sword defensively in front of him.

In the next moment,

A flash of cold light shot out from within the snake’s body.

A sharp metallic clang rang out, and Shisui was hurled upward as if struck by a hammer. His small sword snapped in half, and the bright, razor-sharp light barely missed him, grazing his cheek before soaring into the sky. With his Sharingan’s dynamic vision, he even saw the fine hairs sliced off his face.

Shisui formed a seal with his left hand, using the Body Flicker Technique to land on a rock below. From there, he could clearly see a sharp blade that had pierced the snake’s head from below, nearly impaling Shisui along with it. The sword was indeed deadly sharp.

Looking at the broken sword in his hand—his beloved blade of many years,

It had shattered in just one strike.

That razor-sharp sword, double-edged, had severed his own in half.

*Boom!*

Orochimaru undid the Summoning Jutsu, sending the dead snake back to Ryūchi Cave as a corpse. The other snakes burrowing underground were also dismissed. As the giant snake vanished, Shisui saw Orochimaru, who had emerged with a snake in his mouth, and the long sword that had just extended was quickly retracted into the snake’s mouth. Orochimaru then closed his mouth, swallowing the snake again.

This series of actions made Shisui frown in disgust.

It was revolting. But setting aside the disgusting part, Orochimaru’s skills were indeed worthy of his title as one of the Legendary Sannin. His bizarre and unpredictable techniques were proving troublesome for Shisui.

"So, Shisui-kun, are you done? Didn’t you say you were going to capture me and take me back to Konoha? Just standing there won’t get me to the Leaf Village prison," Orochimaru taunted, standing on a rock with a smile. "Since you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you."

Orochimaru mocked Shisui, once again opening his mouth and summoning another sword from a snake. This time, unlike the previous double-edged sword, it was a single-edged katana.

Shisui remained calm, making no unnecessary movements, his scarlet eyes focused on Orochimaru as he quickly approached, katana in hand.

The reason Shisui hadn’t moved was that there were three Orochimarus approaching him.

After summoning the katana, Orochimaru had used a clone technique, making it difficult to discern which was the real one.

*Whoosh!*

Orochimaru suddenly flung his katana like a kunai. Shisui frowned but swiftly deflected the three thrown blades with his broken sword. Two of the blades turned into white smoke upon impact, revealing them as fake like shadow clones.

The only real katana plunged into the waves behind Shisui and vanished.

At the same time,

The three Orochimarus racing towards the shore suddenly stopped, their hands completing seals as they moved. They inhaled deeply, and then a barrage of wind bullets shot at Shisui, leaving crater-sized holes in the rocks behind him and turning the ocean’s surface into a honeycomb of holes.

If it weren’t for Shisui’s impressive Body Flicker Technique, he would have been riddled with holes by the onslaught.

*Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!*

Though only a C-rank Wind Release technique, both Wind and Fire techniques were known for their devastating power. And when used by one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, such destruction was to be expected. This attack was just an appetizer; the real show was yet to come!

What followed was a symphony of techniques: Water Release, Lightning Release, Fire Release, Earth Release, and Wind Release. The five elemental nature transformations flowed effortlessly from Orochimaru and his two clones, ravaging the rocky shore until only a few isolated rocks remained standing in the sea.

Those rocks were far from the shore.

Shisui glanced around. Was Orochimaru forcing him into the sea? But what would that accomplish? Any ninja with even a year or two of mission experience could use the basic water-walking technique.

Or was there something he was missing?

As Shisui pondered, Orochimaru and his clones sprinted across the water towards him, prompting Shisui to dismiss his doubts and grip his broken sword tighter. He still had kunai in his pouch, but being accustomed to using a sword, he didn’t switch out the broken blade.

In terms of length, his broken sword wasn’t much longer than a kunai.

And for the upcoming battle,

It seemed his sword wouldn’t be of much use. The red in Shisui’s eyes deepened, the three black tomoe not yet morphing, but his visual prowess had already surpassed the standard three-tomoe Sharingan.

Orochimaru reached the rocks again,

Launching a Snake Hand Strike once more, clearly a feint. Meanwhile, his two clones flanked from both sides, one manipulating the sea with a Water Release, the other slashing the rock beneath Shisui with *Wind Release: Vacuum Wave*.

“You’re not the real one,”

Leaping into the air, Shisui saw the Orochimaru in front of him disintegrate into a mass of snakes under his *Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique*. After destroying the first clone, Shisui turned to the left, using another Genjutsu on the second Orochimaru, who also dissolved into snakes.

“And neither are you.”

The final Orochimaru on the right, the one using Water Release, was also a clone.

Still another fake.

In the next second,

Shisui felt a hand grab his ankle from beneath the water. Orochimaru's neck stretched like a giraffe’s, his mouth opening wide, ready to perform his snake-sword trick once more. But this time, with his legs immobilized, Shisui had no way to use the Body Flicker Technique to escape.

And that wasn’t all.

Behind him,

A katana glinted as it rose from the water, flying towards Shisui’s back with deadly intent.

“Got you.”

Orochimaru’s smile twisted, but the voice wasn’t his. With his mouth occupied by the snake-sword trick, he couldn’t speak. It was Shisui who had spoken. Orochimaru looked down at the nearly piercing sword, but there was no fear on Shisui’s face. In that instant, Orochimaru lost sight of Shisui’s expression; his vision was filled with endless crimson.

“Caw—caw—”

The sound of crows echoed in the sky.

After being silent for a long time, the crows suddenly swooped down with loud caws, knocking away the katana aimed at Shisui’s back. The katana, now off-angle, pierced through Shisui’s shoulder. A burst of blood sprayed out, but in the end, it didn’t take Shisui’s life.

The elaborate calculations between the two finally came to a close. The final result... Shisui claimed a narrow victory. He used his injury as the price to seize the chance to capture Orochimaru’s true body, subduing him with genjutsu. But as he looked at the immobilized Orochimaru, Shisui’s expression grew strange.

"Orochimaru's resistance to genjutsu is this low?"

If I had known earlier,

I would have used genjutsu from the start.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 138: Unexpected Turn of Events*

The crimson eyes resembled a deep, blood-red abyss. Orochimaru turned his gaze, catching a glimpse of massive metal wedges embedded in his body, which had emerged from the sea. He knew clearly that this was an illusion, a mere fabrication, but he still couldn’t feel control over his own body.

His consciousness was limited to thought alone; his body refused to follow his will.

Those metal wedges carried an overwhelming force, completely suppressing his mental control over his body, making any form of resistance impossible. Orochimaru was puzzled—he had sparred with the Uchiha clan's experts before. Was the three-tomoe Sharingan truly this powerful?

Given his abilities, it didn’t make sense to be subdued so easily. While his strength didn’t lie in illusions, he had put in a lot of effort to study ways to counter them, even sparring with Uchiha elites twice to test his methods. And they had worked.

Was it that Shisui’s illusion was just too strong? Or was there something wrong with him?

"What incredible and beautiful ocular power! I can't believe I fell for this Golden Binding illusion."

Though he maintained the stance of the Snake Sword in his mouth, Orochimaru couldn’t speak. But his thoughts remained unrestricted, racing with unprecedented excitement, even overshadowing his fear of death!

"So, this is the power of the Sharingan?"

"What a beautiful and powerful force this is!"

To achieve eternal life, Orochimaru needed vessels—bodies that could carry his soul and serve as tools for his immortality. And now, he realized there was no more perfect vessel than the Uchiha. The Sharingan, with its beauty and power, was utterly captivating.

Even though his "Living Corpse Reincarnation" technique had its drawbacks, making his soul vulnerable, that didn’t mean just anyone could control him with illusions. His own flaws couldn't hide the sheer strength of the Sharingan!

Curse those old, wasted Uchihas who never fully realized the power of their Sharingan, leaving him to misjudge the clan's potential. Now he understood, though it was a bit late.

"Your consciousness has a flaw."

Shisui, staring at Orochimaru, his crimson eyes seemed to pierce through him.

"Your consciousness and body aren’t in sync... Is this a forbidden technique? Forbidden techniques are called such because they’re double-edged swords—they harm both the user and the enemy." This wasn’t spoken to Orochimaru but rather a reminder to Shisui himself, reflecting on how indulging in forbidden techniques often brought unseen consequences.

Orochimaru became a living example for Shisui, teaching him a vivid lesson.

As Shisui spoke, he transferred the half-broken blade from his right hand to his left. His right shoulder had been pierced by Orochimaru’s hidden sword from the sea, leaving his arm unable to move. He would have to finish Orochimaru with his left hand. Any talk of sending Orochimaru to the Leaf Village’s prison was just empty words meant to deceive.

Capturing such a dangerous rogue ninja alive was far too troublesome.

Shisui didn’t like using Kotoamatsukami’s power to cleanse and alter people’s minds, especially after noticing that Orochimaru’s mental state had large issues, likely due to his obsession with forbidden techniques. Rather than take the risk of escorting him back to the village, it would be easier to finish him off here.

After all, killing someone like Orochimaru, who was full of crimes, wasn’t an issue.

So, Shisui swiftly slashed at Orochimaru's unnaturally long, pale neck. To ensure Orochimaru wouldn’t break free from the illusion, Shisui didn’t enhance his blade with Wind Release chakra, which could have increased its cutting power.

There are two ways to break illusions.

For non-ocular techniques, disrupting one's internal chakra flow could break the illusion. But for ocular techniques like this, someone else had to disturb the chakra flow.

If Shisui had wrapped his blade in Wind Release chakra, it would have helped Orochimaru break free of the bindings.

And that wasn’t something Shisui wanted to see.

However, just as Shisui’s blade was about to touch Orochimaru’s neck, he heard a "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound from afar. Hidden by the wind and waves, Shisui only noticed it once it was close. His crimson eyes glowed brighter, increasing the suppression of Orochimaru's consciousness. His blade accelerated toward Orochimaru’s neck.

In the next second, blood splattered.

Shisui had decapitated Orochimaru once more. But unlike the snake clone before, this time, real blood spurted from Orochimaru's neck. Yet, Shisui’s face showed no joy—only frustration and regret, for Orochimaru’s falling head bore ten small holes.

Ten bone fragments had deeply embedded themselves in Orochimaru’s body.

Before Shisui could slice off Orochimaru's head, these chakra-infused bones had already pierced his neck, disrupting the chakra flow that the ocular power had bound.

In that instant, the long snake in Orochimaru’s mouth retracted its sword, and at the same time, a small white snake slithered out from his mouth. By the time Shisui decapitated him, the small snake had slipped into the sea.

"Did he escape?"

Shisui, with blood still dripping from his blade, scanned the area. There were no traces of Orochimaru, only his decapitated body and head, now dissolving into ash-like residue swallowed by the waves. Apart from the sword still stuck in Shisui’s shoulder, all that remained was a lone child standing on the beach.

Orochimaru had already fled.

"The Sannin... they’re really hard to kill!" Shisui muttered, shaking his head as the blood dripped from his blade. The crows circling in the sky cawed, then merged back into Shisui’s bird clone. It cautiously pulled the sword from Shisui’s shoulder.

Then, with practiced ease, the clone stopped the bleeding and bandaged the wound. However, the injury was too severe for a mere bandage to restore full mobility. Shisui's right arm would be unable to perform strenuous actions for a while, making him realize that his mission to find the Six Paths tools was likely a failure.

If Orochimaru returned, capturing his true form would not be easy. Shisui might have to use the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Additionally, he had another question. Just as Orochimaru had asked him earlier, Shisui was also curious—what was Orochimaru doing in this remote part of the Land of Water? His instincts told him that Orochimaru’s objective was closely tied to his own.

Shisui’s gaze fell upon the child standing on the beach, who was now in a fighting stance.

"Are you going to fight me?" Shisui asked as he slowly approached, maintaining a safe distance.

The ten bloody holes in Orochimaru’s neck were still fresh in his mind. That level of power was dangerous, even for him. If he wasn’t careful, even he could suffer, especially since the boy appeared to be only seven or eight years old.

But Shisui had fought on the battlefield when he was that age too.

So, he wouldn’t underestimate the child.

"I won’t let you chase after Lord Orochimaru."

From the boy’s palms, elbows, shoulders, and knees, sharp white bones protruded. He looked like a small weapon of war, his intense and fierce killing intent proving that he was more than just a pretty face.

And from the boy's words, it seemed he had chosen to stay behind to cover Orochimaru’s escape.

If not for the boy’s interference, Orochimaru might not have broken free of Shisui’s illusion, and there might have been a real chance to kill him. After witnessing Orochimaru’s bizarre techniques, Shisui couldn’t be 100% sure of killing him anymore.

But no matter what, the boy’s loyalty was truly admirable.

However, Orochimaru hadn’t thought to take this child with him when he fled.

Shisui, still holding the broken blade in his left hand, didn’t attack. He glanced at the boy, and their gazes locked—his crimson eyes met the boy’s determined stare.

"Illusion: Dragon Sleep Technique."

The boy, Kimimaro, who had immature mental fortitude, had no resistance against Shisui’s genjutsu.

The bones receded into his body, and Kimimaro collapsed onto the beach, falling into a deep sleep. Shisui’s bird clone carefully picked up the child, possibly the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan. The Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit, like the Sharingan, was one of the rarest abilities in the shinobi world.

Though the Kaguya clan had long been dormant, Shisui had done his homework before coming to the Land of Water.

"Let’s see what Orochimaru has been up to here."

Enduring the pain in his shoulder, Shisui’s clone pried open Kimimaro’s eyelids, and Shisui projected his ocular power into the boy’s defenseless mind. Perhaps because of his young age or his role as Orochimaru’s potential vessel, Kimimaro’s mind wasn’t protected by any seals or traps.

This made Shisui’s work easier.

It didn't take too long.

In that limited set of memories, Shisui saw the dark image of Kimimaro being raised as a weapon by his clan. He saw Kimimaro being manipulated by Orochimaru and leaving the Land of Water with him. Shisui also discovered several locations of Orochimaru's hideouts, but unfortunately, most of this information was probably useless.

Given Orochimaru’s experience and caution, nine times out of ten, the hideouts Kimimaro knew about were likely abandoned by now.

Skipping past the memories of Orochimaru’s bases, Shisui saw Orochimaru’s true purpose for coming to the Land of Water this time: he was after the corpses of the two once-great lights of the Cloud Village. Orochimaru indeed found the bodies of the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, and swept away any other valuable-looking corpses along with them.

Shisui’s instincts, unfortunately, proved correct.

His mission had essentially become impossible to complete.

Unless he could kill Orochimaru and take everything back. But missing this chance meant hunting down Orochimaru again would be no easy task.

"Orochimaru... sigh!"

Shisui reached up to touch his injured shoulder and sighed, "What rotten luck!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 139: The Crow, White Bones, White Snake, and White

Shisui walked back into the diner, which was still open for business, passing through the curtain. The young girl who greeted customers froze mid-sentence, her “Welcome!” caught in her throat. Seeing this bloodied customer who had returned, she turned pale with fear.

He’s a ninja.

This customer is a ruthless, heartless ninja!

The girl’s heart filled with dread. The Mist Ninja had a terrible reputation in the Land of Water, known for their cold-blooded methods. It wasn’t much better than how the Uchiha clan was once treated in Konoha. Especially in remote areas like this, ninja, not just Mist Ninja, were demonized.

They were seen as ruthless, merciless killers who enjoyed eating children… That was all the girl knew.

Terrified, she stood frozen like a rabbit caught in a tiger’s jaws, trembling uncontrollably.

“The stir-fried udon I ordered hasn’t gone cold, has it?” Shisui sat back down at his previous seat, placing the unconscious Kimimaro, who was still under genjutsu, across two chairs. “Could you please bring my udon quickly if it’s ready?”

Shisui flashed a gentle smile.

He knew he looked frightening, covered in blood after his battle with Orochimaru, but he was hungry, tired, and in pain. Plus, he had Kimimaro to deal with now. All he wanted was a hot meal and some soup to soothe his aching body.

The girl, still pale, nodded stiffly in response to Shisui’s smile.

She moved mechanically into the kitchen. After about ten seconds, an elderly man with white hair and a slight hunch came out with a tray. On it were steaming stir-fried udon, red bean soup with mochi, grilled pork, and fried chicken.

“Please enjoy your meal,” the old man said, his attitude extremely respectful.

“I’ll leave town once I finish eating,” Shisui said, understanding why the old man was so deferential. He had encountered similar situations on missions before. Rather than trying to explain that he wasn’t a bad person, that he had no ill intentions, or that he just wanted to eat, it was more effective to simply assure them he’d be leaving soon.

The old man bowed silently and backed away.

Shisui sighed softly and turned his attention to his long-awaited meal.

Kimimaro, still lying on the chairs, let out a faint groan. His eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened, revealing confused green irises. After a few seconds, his memories returned, and he saw Shisui eating the red bean soup across from him.

Kimimaro bolted upright, his hands producing sharp bones from his palms.

But before he could strike, Shisui calmly looked up and, without any visible sign of preparation, activated the *Kotoamatsukami*, freezing Kimimaro in place. Shisui swallowed his bite of mochi and spoke.

“If you want to keep sleeping, I can guarantee you’ll dream for a very long time. But if you don’t want that, put away those bones of yours. The choice is yours.”

With that, Shisui released the genjutsu and returned to eating.

Kimimaro didn’t move. The phantom pain from the genjutsu lingered, but that wasn’t what stopped him. He had no desire to sleep again, and he knew that this man who had defeated Orochimaru was far beyond his ability to fight.

His earlier attack had been a reflex, an instinct.

Kimimaro didn’t understand the concept of a reflex, but he knew his thoughts. His sharp mind had quickly concluded that this opponent was invincible, and as Orochimaru’s chosen vessel, he couldn’t afford to risk his life.

So, Kimimaro sat down quietly across from Shisui. He stared intently as Shisui ate, his serious gaze making Shisui uncomfortable. His table manners while eating the mochi soup weren’t exactly graceful, and now he had an audience...

“Are you hungry?” Shisui asked.

“No. I ate earlier,” Kimimaro replied quickly.

Since he couldn’t fight, Kimimaro decided to try another approach. He would befriend Shisui and wait for an opportunity to escape. His plan, though simple, was the best he could come up with as a child who had never received proper education.

“Alright then. Just wait a bit. We’ll head out once I’m done,” Shisui said.

He didn’t dislike Kimimaro. After reading his memories, he understood that Kimimaro wasn’t insane—just a child who had been abused by his clan and led astray by Orochimaru.

Shisui had also learned from Kimimaro’s memories about Orochimaru’s experiments and his obsession with immortality. Orochimaru’s technique was one that transferred his soul into another’s body.

A forbidden technique among forbidden techniques.

Realizing this, Shisui decided to take Kimimaro with him.

Killing him wasn’t an option. While Kimimaro had killed people, they were all other ninjas, and it had always been under orders. Shisui didn’t blame him for that.

The world was cruel, forcing people to live in such ways.

Letting Kimimaro return to Orochimaru, only to be used as a vessel, was worse than taking him along. Shisui figured he could hand Kimimaro over to his clan’s leader, Fugaku, who would know how to handle a child like him.

Shisui had his plan, but how it would play out remained to be seen.

“Where are we going?” Kimimaro asked.

“The Hidden Mist Village,” Shisui answered between bites of mochi.

---

“Crack!!”

As the silver lightning disappeared, the deafening roar of thunder echoed across the sky. It was as if the gods were angry, and after a morning of dark clouds, the heavens finally opened up, releasing a torrential downpour. The raindrops were as large as soybeans and stung when they hit the skin.

A young girl in ill-fitting clothes hurried through the storm back to her home.

Her home was an abandoned, rundown shack in the corner of the village. The roof had a hole in it, but there was a small, dry corner that served as her “bed”—really just a pile of old cotton and cardboard.

“So cold!” the girl murmured, wrapping her tattered clothes tightly around herself as she burrowed into the pile of cotton to keep warm.

At that moment, she felt something cold and slimy beneath her fingers. Being a brave child, she immediately realized she had touched a snake, likely one also seeking shelter from the rain.

Unlike most girls her age, she wasn’t afraid of cold-blooded creatures like snakes.

If it was poisonous, there was no escape. If it wasn’t... well, it could make a good meal. She was still hungry, having found no food before the rain started.

She grabbed the snake and pulled it out of the cotton.

“So beautiful!” the girl exclaimed as she held the small, snow-white snake. Her wide, dark eyes sparkled with wonder. The snake’s beauty made her hesitate; even though she was hungry, it wasn’t unbearable yet.

Besides, her name was “Haku,” which meant “white.”

After a moment of hesitation, the girl decided not to eat the snake. She placed it gently on the pile of cotton. The little snake seemed weak, lying limply, barely moving except for an occasional flick of its tail.

It looked like it hadn’t eaten in a while.

Unfortunately, the girl had no food to offer it. Her stomach was growling loudly, a reminder that she hadn’t eaten either.

As she watched the snake, she failed to notice its golden eyes, with vertical pupils, peering at her from beneath half-closed lids. The snake studied her intently, sensing that she possessed chakra—strong chakra at that.

“I’m luckier than I thought!”

The snake, which was actually Orochimaru in disguise, was pleased with its discovery. After losing Kimimaro, Orochimaru had stumbled upon another potential vessel, this girl with remarkable chakra.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 140: The Visiting Master

After two consecutive weeks of intense discussions, the higher-ups in Kirigakure finally reached a reluctant consensus. They decided to offer manpower instead of monetary or material compensation under the guise of supporting their allies. The village was truly destitute; the treasury was so empty that it could starve a rat. At this point, the only valuable resource they had left was their ninjas.

Of course, in another sense, Kirigakure still had a solid foundation. If they were willing to offer secret or forbidden jutsus, Konoha would naturally not refuse. However, the Kirigakure leaders weren't foolish enough to give away their core techniques. While losing ninjas was painful, as long as they didn’t lose everyone at once, they could always recover in time by closing their doors and focusing on repopulating their ranks on their isolated island.

In every previous ninja war, Kirigakure had entered voluntarily, never being drawn in passively. Their geographical location ensured that the other countries on the mainland wouldn't go out of their way to trouble them. As long as they stayed out of trouble themselves, they remained relatively peaceful.

“It’s finally settled.”

After the meeting concluded, Yagura Karatachi slumped onto the couch, as exhausted as if he had just fought a war.

In a sense, it had been a long battle. The Kirigakure leaders took only three days to decide on “offering a certain amount of manpower instead of monetary or material compensation,” but the following eleven days were spent arguing over how to distribute that manpower.

Everyone knew that once war broke out between Konoha and Kumogakure (the Cloud Village) or Iwagakure (the Stone Village), the manpower they offered would likely end up on the battlefield for Konoha. The clan heads were understandably reluctant to send their people to die for causes that had nothing to do with their clans’ interests, leading to fierce arguments.

Even with the Mizukage and the village elder presiding over the meeting, it was only today that they managed to reach a conclusion.

“Honestly, the final arrangement wasn’t much different from the initial one. I don’t get what all the arguing was about.” Yagura muttered, complaining as he sank deeper into the couch. If he had known the outcome earlier, he would’ve just used his authority as Mizukage to make the decision himself from the start.

“Meaningless arguments are often a necessary step towards resolution,” the elder said from the opposite couch, leaning on his snake-headed cane, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Mizukage, are you heading to negotiate with that Uchiha clan leader next?”

“Yes,” Yagura replied, halting his complaints.

With a troubled sigh, he added, “Just thinking about meeting that guy... it makes my stomach hurt.” He pressed a hand to his stomach. Every time he thought of meeting Uchiha Sougen, his stomach started acting up. Even the medical ninjas had checked him out and said there was nothing seriously wrong—just stress, advising him to relax.

But how could he relax?

As the “failing Mizukage,” the pressure on him was immense. If it weren't for the Konoha ninjas still being in the village, he might have already resigned. Their presence forced him to maintain the village’s dignity, making it impossible for him to step down just yet.

Besides, Terumi Mei, the next candidate, was a bit young and a woman, unlike Konoha’s Fourth Hokage, who had earned his fame on the battlefield. But, unlike the Fourth Hokage, Mei wasn’t a rootless civilian ninja—she had the backing of Kirigakure’s two major bloodline clans.

“Mizukage, may I accompany you this time?” the elder asked.

“You, Master?” Yagura looked over, surprised.

The Konoha ninjas had already been in Kirigakure for two weeks, yet the elder had kept his distance from them until now.

“Master, what are you planning?”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to meet that Uchiha clan leader in person, to see what kind of man he is. Also... Ao underwent surgery last night.”

“Surgery?” Yagura understood immediately.

“I see. In that case, please join me in meeting the Uchiha clan leader, Master!”

When Yagura and his party arrived at the Konoha delegation's residence, they encountered a small surprise. A group of kids was playing ninja games, and a dulled shuriken nearly hit the elder. Thankfully, Hozuki Mangetsu reacted quickly, swatting the shuriken away without injury, thanks to his Hydrification Technique.

But the elder’s bodyguard, Kenbei, was furious and ready to teach the kids a lesson, though Yagura stopped him.

“Mizukage, they nearly injured Master,” Kenbei said, seething with anger, clearly displeased with Yagura’s interference.

“Getting worked up over some children would only make the elder seem petty,” Yagura said, though his eyes were on the girl who had just jumped down from a nearby wall. A sense of helplessness washed over him—those two shuriken that had collided in midair, almost slipping past the guards, had been thrown by her.

The technique of throwing shuriken like that, just like Fire Style jutsu, was a signature skill of the Uchiha clan.

In theory, shuriken throwing and Fire Style jutsu weren’t particularly advanced techniques. But in the hands of the Uchiha, they transformed into something far deadlier. The ferocity of Uchiha Fire Style jutsu, capable of overpowering even Water Style techniques, was widely known. Equally famous was their uncanny shuriken manipulation technique, enhanced by their Sharingan.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa! I almost hit you,” Fujika, the girl, apologized loudly, running over with Naruto and a few other kids following behind her.

“No harm done,” the elder smiled warmly.

He waved his hand, and Kenbei, though still upset, calmed down.

“You kids shouldn’t be throwing shuriken around like that. If you want to play ninja games, go somewhere where there are no people,” Yagura scolded. Besides Fujika and Naruto, there were seven or eight other kids from the village, including a conspicuous white-haired, purple-eyed boy.

“Suigetsu, what are you doing here?” Hozuki Mangetsu asked, furrowing his brow at his younger brother’s presence in the group.

“I’m playing!” Hozuki Suigetsu shrugged nonchalantly.

Like his older brother, Mangetsu, who was considered a genius, Suigetsu was also exceptionally talented. His intelligence and quick wit from a young age made many clan heads and elders envious of the Hozuki family’s prodigy brothers. They couldn’t help but compare their own children, feeling miserable in the process.

“Aren’t you supposed to be training at home today... whatever.” Mangetsu sighed, unwilling to say more. “Do what you want, but don’t come crying to me when Dad punishes you.”

“I’ve already mastered the Water Whip technique,” Suigetsu said, forming a whip-like stream of water in his hand as he spoke.

Mangetsu rolled his eyes at his brother’s show-off attitude. Mastering the Water Whip technique was no big deal—he had learned it in half an hour when he was five. But now that he had hit a plateau in his training of the Second Mizukage’s secret techniques, the frustration of his slow progress was driving him crazy. Thinking about it, he decided to ignore his brother’s antics and focus on his duty to protect the Mizukage and the elder as they headed into the Konoha delegation’s quarters.

Mangetsu had recently joined the Mizukage’s elite guard, the Shadow Guard. While his duty was to protect the Fourth Mizukage, it also provided an opportunity to learn directly from him. He wasn’t the only one; Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi had also been recruited into the guard, as Yagura was determined to pass on as much of his knowledge as possible before he passed on.

“Mizukage, I apologize for my younger sister’s rudeness,” Uchiha Sougen said, standing at the entrance to greet Yagura.

However, his gaze was fixed on the elder, immediately recognizing the old man leaning on his cane as Kirigakure’s Master.

“No need to apologize. Kids playing around is normal,” Yagura said casually before introducing Sougen. “Uchiha clan leader, allow me to introduce Master, Kirigakure’s highest-ranking elder.”

“I had heard of you before coming to Kirigakure,” Sougen said, greeting the elder as he openly observed him.

After a moment, Sougen raised an eyebrow. “A shadow clone?”

Normally, shadow clones were hard to detect, but Sougen had noticed the subtle difference in chakra levels.

“As expected of the Uchiha clan leader, your perception is remarkable,” the elder admitted freely. “Forgive an old man’s caution, but the power of your clan’s Sharingan is intimidating, so I had no choice but to take this small precaution. I hope you don’t mind.”

At this moment, the guard standing by Elder Genji's side had no idea that what he was seeing was only a shadow clone. Even Kōkyoku Yatsura cast a surprised glance but quickly remembered his own experience and thought that Elder Genji's choice wasn’t so surprising after all.

Speaking of which…

That damned one-eyed man used illusions to control him, but didn't manage to control Elder Genji... Could it be that Elder Genji has been using a shadow clone to move around all along? That would explain why the one-eyed man never found the chance to control or even eliminate him.

He couldn't help but silently acknowledge Elder Genji's cunning. Truly, the older, the wiser! If only he had been that cautious back in the day, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable situation.

“No worries! I’m not really that interested in using illusions to control people. Besides, whether it’s the real body or a clone, as long as we can communicate, it’s all good,” Sougen said, gesturing with his hand to invite them in. Talking at the door wasn’t ideal, and even if it was just a shadow clone, Elder Genji looked quite old. Standing there talking must be exhausting.

(End of Chapter)