Chapter 136

In Konoha, there is a saying that circulates, not very widely, but among the upper echelons of the ninja, it has sunk deeply into their hearts.

That is, once Kaito stands above the sky, that's when he is the most dangerous!

Among the upper ninja of Konoha, they basically have acknowledged that Kaito must possess a terrifying ability - the power of flight.

And when this flying ability is combined with Kaito's unpredictable and divine blade art descending from the sky, everything becomes unimaginably more dangerous!

Firstly, dozens of members of the Root were directly slaughtered by him, then in full view of everyone, he used that enormous titan, swinging his ninja blade, to massacre Danzo and his Root members.

All of this has left a profound impression on the ninjas of Konoha, especially the upper echelons.

They don't know where Kaito learned his blade art, but that graceful and elegant blade dance has been deeply engraved in their minds!

If they saw the scene unfolding now, they wouldn't even need to see Kaito's face to guess the rough picture of this blade art.

They might even think of Kaito, after all, this style of blade art is too iconic!

While Orochimaru has intelligence from Konoha, his informants are basically not high-ranking ninjas, so what he understands is not particularly abundant.

However, his perception of danger is very, very high, and almost in an instant, chakra within Orochimaru begins to surge.

But Kaito's ninja blade is already swinging, the blue chakra wind blades fluttering in the sky, relentlessly aiming for Orochimaru!

Orochimaru looks serious, then he uses a bizarre backward flip to evade the oncoming blade dance.

However, Kaito's blade dance is too fast, and those terrifying wind blades are too dense.

Even if Orochimaru reacts swiftly enough, moves quickly enough, his body still inevitably gets slashed viciously by Kaito.

After all, he is now in mid-air, where such harm can't be avoided.

However, Kaito isn't using Sharingan to assist him at this moment, so he naturally cannot perform the most exquisite Waterfowl Dance, thus it isn't surprising that his most lethal attack was dodged.

"Orochimaru, this guy, is just too disgusting, isn't he?"

Orochimaru's body is like a snake, continually twisting, completely disregarding human anatomy, as if he has no bones at all.

It's clear that this guy has certainly completed some so-called soft body modification; otherwise, how could a normal person perform such extreme body twisting?

But regardless, Orochimaru, with this significant twisting, did indeed avoid Kaito's fatal attack.

And when Kaito's onslaught ended, Orochimaru immediately seized the gap, furiously counterattacking Kaito!

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!"

The ringing sound of metal colliding echoed continuously, with Kaito and Orochimaru's weapons constantly clashing.

Their offenses were faster, more ruthless, and trickier with each exchange.

Orochimaru's face remained serious. Although he was interested in the swordsmanship of the opponent in front of him, he hadn't anticipated that this fellow's technique would be so eccentric!

"Transforming Wind Release chakra into a physical form and merging it with the swordsmanship, such a technique is indeed rare, but also powerfully sufficient."

Orochimaru muttered to himself. Although he didn't specialize in swordsmanship, he was confident he wouldn't fall short in this area.

But now, he found himself in the unusual position of being pushed back, which inevitably demanded his full attention.

No wonder this fellow, knowing who he was up against, still chose to confront him alone without assistance. He really did possess both the confidence and capability!

"When did the ninja world give rise to such a fellow, and by the looks of it, probably part of some organization as well.

Who exactly are these people? Such skill should not remain unknown."

Orochimaru mumbled under his breath. However, he soon shrugged it off, he could just interrogate them after the battle, right?

After all, he was not planning to continue simply comparing swordsmanship with his adversary. He was a qualified ninja, not a samurai obsolete by the currents of time!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

While parrying a ferocious attack from Kaito, Orochimaru used an eerie body twist to get close to him. His left hand, transforming into several long snakes, launched towards Kaito.

Kaito remained tranquil, the ninja sword in his hand slightly deviating, carrying a dreadful blade straight towards Orochimaru's left hand!

"Bang!"

The collision of the ninja sword and snake heads caused Orochimaru's long snakes to dissipate into smoke.

As their figures crossed, Orochimaru suddenly stalled, a fatal pause.

Although the halt lasted less than a fraction of a second, it was just enough to miss Kaito!

The long sword, radiating a deep blue chakra, pointed directly at Kaito's abdomen.

"Bang!"

Kaito's body instantly transformed into a puff of smoke, with only a few wooden planks landing on the ground.

Orochimaru's body coordination was terrifying. A sudden pause in rapid movement followed by an attack - many would not be able to react at all.

But Kaito did. Despite not activating his Sharingan, his reflexes, having been enhanced by the 'Dark Scythe' and the 'Ascension' stage, were unbelievably fast. The moment he detected the danger, he used a substitution technique.

Landing steadily on a tree, Kaito glanced at his own arm, where there was a notch cut open by the blade.

While it hadn't wounded him, it had indeed cut open his clothing.

After all, Orochimaru's grotesque and exaggerated body coordination, combined with his ghostly power, would likely injure anyone in his path.

Kaito's close brush with the blade, merely slicing through his sleeve, already indicated his quick response. He took a deep breath, locking his gaze on Orochimaru, ready to attack at any moment.

"Interesting, your swordsmanship is truly fascinating. I admit, when it comes to pure swordsmanship, I am not your equal,"

Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze fixed on Kaito as he said softly with a chuckle.

"Unfortunately, a man I knew who was exceptionally skilled with the sword is already dead. Otherwise, you might have become friends."

"You're referring to Sakumo Hatake, aren't you?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow. He hadn't anticipated such high praise from Orochimaru for his swordsmanship. This brought him a measure of happiness.

However, as an enemy, and since he could not reveal his ties to the Leaf, he had to maintain his poise.

"Pity indeed. I heard he committed suicide due to certain rumors, was such a man of weak will as you described?"

"I don't know how you perceive it, but as a witness to that incident, I can responsibly tell you, Sakumo Hatake is not as you imagine."

Whether it was because the conversation had turned to familiar people and events, Orochimaru also became somewhat sentimental for a moment.

"He was simply a loser forced into political strife. He appeared kind, but was inherently proud.

He couldn't bear baseless accusations against him, so he chose an extreme way to express his will.

Though it seems foolish, as he bore the sentiment of a so-called samurai, but it's the age of the ninja now."

As Orochimaru paused slightly, Kaito's expression under the mask became somewhat enigmatic.

He didn't expect Orochimaru to hold such high regard for Sakumo Hatake. It even seemed like the two had a good relationship in the past.

Sadly, Kaito was unaware of these matters, given his late arrival in this timeline. But he wondered if Orochimaru's empathy was sparked by Sakumo's story? After all, Orochimaru himself was also a casualty of political struggle.

"Alright, our digression ends here. It's time to conclude some unfinished business."

Orochimaru shook his head and refocused his gaze on Kaito. In that moment, he broke into a laugh.

"The game has just begun. Are you ready?"

For Orochimaru, this fight might just be a game, for he had the skill and the confidence!

"Ninja Art: Many Snake Array!" As his words ended, Orochimaru began forming hand signs.

With a slap of his hands on the ground, a summoning seal quickly emerged. Several snakes crawled out of the seal, rapidly moving towards Kaito.

Kaito was ever vigilant, his ninja sword swiftly moving, slicing down countless snakeheads.

Those triangular-headed, stench-ridden snakes - Kaito knew at a glance they were all venomous.

If bitten by these snakes, even with his robust healing abilities, he'd be forced to kneel. Fortunately, he wasn't excessively fearful. Before crossing over, as a southern native, the province where he resided harbored nearly all the poisonous snakes found in the nation. Hence, his reaction to the serpents, though uncomfortable, wasn't frantic.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, wasn't idle. Seizing the moment, he closed in on Kaito, his long sword thrusting towards him. Kaito responded immediately, raising his blade to parry Orochimaru's strike, but the sheer number of snakes he faced was overwhelming!

To evade these venomous vipers' attacks, Kaito needed to constantly twist his body and swing his blade, which left no room for him to employ any Ninjutsu. Orochimaru seized this opportunity, spinning around to aim a kick at Kaito's belly.

Still, Kaito's reactions were quick. Despite his force-field blocking the brunt of the attack, he twisted his body and leaped backward instantly.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Although Orochimaru missed his mark, he didn't pause for a moment. Accompanied by a mad rush of chakra, countless venomous snakes slithered out from his sleeves, too many to count. Kaito promptly wielded his blade in defense. Landing from a spin, he immediately slayed two snakes.

However, Orochimaru seemed to shadow him closely, following up with another kick. But this time, Kaito appeared prepared. Orochimaru's kick only sent a log flying, while Kaito himself stood calmly atop a tree.

Orochimaru slightly raised his head, looking toward Kaito. His nonchalant demeanor seemed to communicate to Kaito that he hadn't yet started playing seriously!

"Truly a treacherously dangerous fellow."

Kaito murmured to himself. Although he had determined that Orochimaru was easy to handle, it was on the premise of using Genjutsu. Without the foundation of Genjutsu, Orochimaru's strength was indeed formidable. His overall ability, if not top-notch, wasn't far off.

Such an opponent was indeed a rare find for Kaito because finding a suitable rival at this point was somewhat challenging. Strictly speaking, both Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui were not inferior to him, even surpassing him in the use of the Mangekyo. However, would they go all out against him, considering that Kaito was the Uchiha clan leader?

The arrival of Orochimaru somewhat filled Kaito's demand for a worthy adversary. Especially after so many rounds of strengthening and upgrading his body, Kaito wanted to gauge his strength without the Sharingan.

Kaito truly dreaded the day he might lose his Sharingan, rendering him incapable of even basic combat. Look at Madara, who could beat the living daylights out of Sasuke even without his eyes, let alone without the Sharingan!

Kaito had always considered this former clan leader as his goal and idol. What he could achieve, Kaito naturally aspired to as well.

"Orochimaru has begun to use Ninjutsu. I cannot hold back any longer and, if necessary, I'll have to control him with the Sharingan!" Kaito was confident that Orochimaru was rather discreet.

Even if he discovered Kaito's secret, he wouldn't divulge anything when unable to confront Kaito directly. After all, Orochimaru was always a practical person. Even if he desired to use this information against Kaito, he would seriously consider the consequences.

At worst, he would try to seek some benefits.

With this in mind, Kaito quickly sprang into action. He plunged his Ninja blade into the ground and rapidly formed hand seals. In an instant, his Ninjutsu was complete!

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

Kaito's hand-sealing was extraordinarily fast, barely revealing the hand-seal steps. A Ninjutsu was performed directly by him.

Three roaring fire dragons spewed from his mouth, the raging flames heading straight for Orochimaru.

This time, he opted not for the signature black flame he employed during combat with Fugaku, but ordinary fire. Yet, even so, due to his robust chakra, the Ninjutsu he unleashed was incredibly massive!

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Seeing the fire release, Orochimaru didn't hesitate to form hand seals of his own, although the scale of the technique made him inwardly marvel.

Fire release was not an uncommon Ninjutsu, his teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi was a master of it.

But normal people wouldn't use Ninjutsu like this. Witnessing such a large-scale fire release, Orochimaru could deduce two things.

Firstly, the man before him was going all out, for such a usage of Ninjutsu would exhaust a normal ninja.

Secondly, this guy was not only adept at swordsmanship, but his Ninjutsu was also nothing to scoff at!

Such a scale of Ninjutsu might just be a standard battle mode for him, and if that was the case, the level of difficulty for this mission was going to rise.

"Boom!"

When the raging fire dragon collided with the earth wall constructed by Orochimaru, a dull sound echoed across the plain.

Orochimaru swiftly retreated, for his Earth Release couldn't withstand such a Fire Release, and what was most fatal was that the opponent had released three fire dragons simultaneously!

"It seems I must take this more seriously..."

Orochimaru contemplated internally, then his body accelerated once more.

Two colossal fire dragons roared towards him, but he pierced through one with his sword as though it was weightless!

Identifying the weak point of Ninjutsu in an instant was something Kaito could only achieve with the aid of Sharingan, but Orochimaru accomplished this solely through his understanding of Ninjutsu!

And he didn't pause at all. After dealing with one fire dragon, he simply flipped and leapt backward, effortlessly dodging the other fire dragon's ambush. His movements were so deft, the enormous fire dragons merely props in his elegant performance.

Kaito wouldn't let him show off like this. As Orochimaru evaded, Kaito completed his hand seals once more.

And the chakra he erupted this time caused Orochimaru's expression to change in the distance.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

The violent Fire Release, as though it wanted to obliterate everything, exploded suddenly. In that instant, the entire plain seemed to be engulfed by the roaring flames!

"Ninjutsu: Triple Rashomon!"

Faced with such an aggressive Fire Release, even Orochimaru had to immediately employ his strongest defensive Ninjutsu.

Looking at the sea of fire in the sky, Orochimaru furrowed his brow. Even he wouldn't dare approach this level of Fire Release lightly.

But this technique made Orochimaru involuntarily think of a certain clan.

Although Fire Release was a commonplace skill to some extent, achieving such a degree of Fire Release required not only sufficient personal strength but also a strong technique!

There were few in the ninja world who could reach this level with Fire Release.

However, in Konoha, there was a clan whose Fire Release could reach this level, and that was the illustrious Uchiha!

"Is he an Uchiha?"

Staring at the figure cloaked in black and even wearing a mask, especially those eyes, Orochimaru pondered internally.

But he couldn't make a judgement at the moment, because this guy hadn't used Sharingan from beginning to end!

A man of such caliber who hadn't used Sharingan and displayed exceptional swordsmanship left him feeling like he was on the verge of an answer but simultaneously far from it.

"Boom!"

While he was deep in thought, the sea of fire crashed into his Triple Rashomon.

In a split second, his Triple Rashomon was covered by the flames, and the thick smoke shot up into the sky. His Triple Rashomon began to shatter at that very moment...

...

"Captain, what's going on?"

From a distance, a member of the Iwagakure squad, watching the sea of flames in front of them, couldn't help but ask.

Not just him, many Iwagakure ninjas who were ordered to take over the defensive area were left utterly baffled and puzzled at this moment.

A fire of this scale would require at least dozens of ninjas proficient in Fire Release to execute together, and their abilities mustn't be subpar.

But the issue was that they were heading to Hoshigakure's defensive area. Did Hoshigakure have the capacity to gather so many ninjas capable of powerful Fire Release?

Obviously, they believed this to be impossible. If it were Sunagakure, it might be plausible, so could it be a large Sunagakure force had arrived?

But as soon as this thought crossed their minds, they shook their heads. The front line in the Land of Bears was not short; if Sunagakure mobilized all forces, they would surely receive intel.

In such a scenario, any gap in Sunagakure's defense would be exploited by them; they couldn't be so foolish.

As for reallocating troops for reinforcement, let's not joke about that!

Everyone knew just how poor Sunagakure was. Even though Rasa was skilled in Magnet Release Gold Dust, and used this technique to create a lot of gold for exchange, their harsh climate left them incapable of cultivation. They relied on external purchases for all their food and even water.

When you factor in the money required for military equipment, and the Daimyo of the Wind Country, who didn't intend to reveal much due to Sunagakure's wartime failure, even bleeding Rasa dry wouldn't be enough to support them!

Fortunately, they occupied a part of the Land of Rivers, which alleviated their predicament. But who was on the other side of the Land of Rivers?

It was Konoha, the village that had defeated Sunagakure in three wars, forcing them into an alliance!

Don't be fooled by the alliance between the two villages; everyone knew it was unreliable. Otherwise, why would Konoha maintain such a high level of military presence in the Land of Rivers?

"I don't know the specifics either, but I fear this won't be simple."

The captain shook his head, gazing at the sea of fire with a solemn expression before sighing and speaking.

"Let's wait and see. If there's no resolution in the end, we'll leave quickly. Hmph, I've always said these mercenary ninjas are unreliable!"

Just as the captain finished speaking, he suddenly froze.

Not just him, but the expressions of the Iwagakure ninjas behind him also became grave.

Because they saw two figures slowly emerging from the sea of fire, and the raging flames were starting to subside at that moment...

...

The defensive strength of the Rashomon technique was quite terrifying. Even though Orochimaru's version couldn't reach the five-fold Rashomon level of Hashirama Senju, the technique's force was evident here. Despite the enveloping flames of Great Fire Annihilation under the constant infusion of Orochimaru's chakra, not a scratch was inflicted on Orochimaru!

However, Kaito's Fire Release was still very frightening. His Fire Release was so intense that the Three-fold Rashomon could hardly withstand such roasting. Merely upon the first wave of contact, the first Rashomon gate shattered, but the second layer managed to hold out for quite a while.

It completely shattered just as Kaito's Great Fire Annihilation was about to finish, and the third layer successfully blocked the remaining impact of Kaito's flames.

Orochimaru watched this scene, his brow furrowed. Although he was prepared for this intensity of Fire Release, its power exceeded his expectations.

"Could it really be an Uchiha? This kind of Fire Release should be Great Fire Annihilation unless I'm mistaken, which is the only technique that could sustain such massive destruction?"

In ninja battles, they generally don't shout out the names of their techniques. Even in anime, it's just silently yelled in their minds.

Naturally, Orochimaru didn't know what Kaito's technique was, but he increasingly felt that these two might indeed be Uchiha!

"If they are really Uchiha, why would they appear here and take up war mercenary work?

For money? They don't seem to lack it. What exactly is going on?"

Orochimaru pondered silently, but Kaito didn't give him any more time to think.

In a flash, Kaito appeared in front of him, his ninja blade tearing through the air, aiming straight for Orochimaru's head.

This speed was simply worlds apart from before. And Orochimaru instantly realized that it wasn't an issue of speed at all, because this was the power to traverse space!

"Is this the Flying Thunder God technique?"

Orochimaru, being a veteran powerhouse, knew he couldn't dodge this lethal strike. Thus, the chakra inside his body surged rapidly.

"Swish!"

The ninja blade swept past Orochimaru's neck, and then a large head flew off.

Strangely though, the body that still stood in place had no blood coming out. After Kaito's blade swept past, a new head suddenly sprouted from the cut.

This new head pushed out forcefully against the body, a brand-new body without any injuries, accompanied by disgusting slime, appeared from the cut.

Seeing this, Kaito couldn't help but frown slightly. Then he swung his ninja blade at Orochimaru again, but this time, Orochimaru reacted quickly.

His body twisted weirdly like a snake, narrowly avoiding the blade. At the same time, the long sword in his hand brutally pierced towards Kaito's chest.

What Orochimaru absolutely didn't expect was that Kaito didn't dodge or evade. When Orochimaru's sword stabbed towards his chest, a surge of azure chakra suddenly appeared, blocking his strike!

"This is....."

Seeing this, Orochimaru was slightly surprised. This kind of defensive technique formed by using chakra seemed somewhat similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode of Kumogakure?

Yet Orochimaru couldn't be bothered to think too much about it, in a blink, he had figured out a countermeasure. His left hand shot out quickly, exploding with a terrifying surge of chakra.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Countless venomous snakes suddenly emerged from his right hand, their pungent stench almost nauseating.

This close-range assault caused Kaito to raise an eyebrow, but he didn't worry about such a jutsu; after all, Kaito had numerous defensive measures up his sleeve.

This time, however, he opted to directly use Void Walking to put some distance between himself and Orochimaru. The vile smell radiating from the snakes' mouths still had Kaito somewhat concerned.

Yet before he could counter-attack after distancing himself, Orochimaru spoke up from afar, "You're using... the power of space, aren't you?"

"Quite perceptive, Lord Orochimaru. Have you already figured it out?" Kaito wasn't sure about Orochimaru's intentions, so he responded rather bluntly.

However, after he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that his words sounded a bit sarcastic.

Regardless, neither he nor Orochimaru seemed to care about such a detail, as Orochimaru continued to gaze at Kaito and slowly shook his head.

"Space Ninjutsu, a technique one won't forget after seeing it once, I wouldn't mistake it. After all, I did watch Minato Namikaze grow up.

Your jutsu is quite interesting though. Unlike Minato's, you don't need to use a special seal to travel through space, yet your transition is silent.

Even if there's a chakra fluctuation, it's extremely minor, hard to detect. Yet, your transition can be clearly felt by others.

Because your transition carries with it a surge and explosion of chakra, this burst could harm others but also reveals your information."

Upon saying this, Orochimaru paused, and the expression on Kaito's face, hidden under the mask, became rather peculiar.

What was Orochimaru's aim in analyzing the pros and cons of his Void Walking? Did this still look like a fight?

Kaito silently observed Orochimaru, curious about what he intended to do.

"You seem curious about why I'm saying so much, right?"

Orochimaru licked his lips, and then revealed a smirk as he continued.

"It's not a big deal, really. I'm just personally interested and curious about your Space Ninjutsu.

Of course, don't misunderstand. I don't have any ulterior motives. Knowing that you control this technique, I realize that I'm unlikely to defeat you.

Moreover, I probably guessed your hidden identity. If I'm right, you're not someone I can handle, so I don't want to continue our fight."

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Kaito's face became even more peculiar. He really didn't think he had revealed anything.

Could it be his swordsmanship?

That's unlikely. He could easily deflect any suspicions about his swordsmanship, if it came to that, he'd just say he'd had the same training.

And in this entire fight, he had never once used the Sharingan, so there was absolutely no way he could have exposed himself.

As for the Void Walk, don't make a joke of it; not many in the Leaf Village even know about it.

Right now, the only ones who probably know are Kakashi and Nara Shikaku, and they're not likely to leak this intel to Orochimaru.

Kaito felt that Orochimaru was probably bluffing. Therefore, he simply watched Orochimaru silently, waiting to see what kind of game this guy would play next.

But Kaito did not expect that when Orochimaru spoke again, his face instantly stiffened...

....

"Third Lord, should we really go and take a look?"

At the rear of the Star Ninja Village's defense zone, the Third Star Shadow brought several of his confidants. His actions naturally filled his close aides with confusion.

They had already paid the money, shouldn't they just wait for news? Why do they need to run here to check the situation?

Among them, Natsuhi was the most puzzled. As one of the few elite ninjas in the Star Ninja Village and the one who excels in the Peacock Mystical Method, she naturally had the right to ask.

"Natsuhi, I know you don't understand, but there are some things I need to confirm."

The Third Star Shadow spoke calmly. He didn't really want to explain so much, but these people behind him were the ones he trusted most, so he revealed a bit.

Kaito's aggressive approach did give the Third Star Shadow and others confidence, but too much assertiveness also filled their hearts with discontent and doubt.

His doubt was why Kaito, with their powerful abilities, would take on a mission from their small village. What was their goal?

As the leader of a village, he had to be skeptical and vigilant about everything; otherwise, his village would probably have been ruined long ago.

Moreover, he had another idea when he decided to follow this time, which was to see how powerful these outrageous guys really were.

If their power truly was formidable, they could collaborate in the long term, and he wouldn't mind giving some commission.

He had gold, but if blockaded by a major country, these things were nothing more than scrap metal. Only when they circulated would they be valuable.

Of course, he wouldn't offend such obviously powerful individuals for these items, which had little practical value for him.

Moreover, once he established relations with these individuals, he might even get what he needed through them.

If these individuals were not strong enough, he would naturally not let them go.

That act of humiliation in front of him was still fresh in his memory!

"What... what is this?"

However, when they arrived at the defense zone, they suddenly felt a strong heat spreading rapidly, which changed their expressions.

Such heat was not normal, and the temperature was excessively high.

They glanced at each other, then accelerated towards the front. Soon they noticed that all the ninjas in the defense zone were staring blankly ahead.

When their gaze shifted, they, too, were instantly stunned like those ninjas, because somehow, the area in front of the defense zone had turned into a sea of fire!

"Is this the handiwork of those two?"

The Third Star Shadow was filled with doubts. Then he recklessly rushed forward, his actions forcing Natsuhi and the other ninjas following him to set off too.

When they rushed to the path in the sea of fire that seemed deliberately created, they were completely shocked by the scene in front of them...

...

"You're a member of the Uchiha clan, and you're likely the new head of the Uchiha clan, possessing the strongest eyes, right?"

Orochimaru's words were like magic, instantly freezing Kaito's expression. He never expected Orochimaru to be so perceptive.

He'd been very restrained in using his powers. So far, he had only used space ninjutsu in standard combat, but such a tactic wouldn't expose him, would it?

Kaito gazed indifferently at Orochimaru, maintaining his calm voice, he suddenly spoke.

"Oh? You actually think I'm an Uchiha, it seems Lord Orochimaru's imagination is quite extraordinary.

Have you ever seen me use the Sharingan? And if I truly had those eyes, I'm afraid Lord Orochimaru wouldn't be able to chat with me leisurely."

"Actually, I wasn't sure at first, but now I can confirm it."

Orochimaru licked his lips, even revealing a small smile at this moment.

"I initially suspected you because of your Fire Release. Fire Release is used very widely in the ninja world, but not many can reach your level.

Moreover, Fire Release that reaches that level cannot be anything ordinary. Even my former teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, did not possess such powerful techniques.

But there is a family in the ninja world that possesses it, and this family is the Uchiha!"

Saying this, Orochimaru paused for a moment, seeing that Kaito had no reaction, he continued with a laugh.

"Of course, these are not enough to make me decisive. Your answer just now completely confirmed my thoughts.

I've never said how powerful those eyes are, and the ninja world's understanding of the Sharingan is not comprehensive.

You seem to know a great deal about these eyes, which is not normal.

Although gathering information is a basic task for hired ninjas, I don't think such a secret could be obtained by just anyone!

As for your current eyes, perhaps you're using some sort of Child Pupil disguise, or perhaps you are testing me without using the Mangekyo."

Orochimaru's words made Kaito's face a little awkward. Although he felt Orochimaru's judgment was a bit far-fetched.

But on second thought, Kaito suddenly realized something, that ninjas of Orochimaru's level may not necessarily fear the Three-Tomoe Sharingan!

Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, he subconsciously accepted Orochimaru's conclusion to be about the Mangekyo, and he was well aware of the power of the Mangekyo.

"Your silence suggests that my conjecture is probably the most accurate."

Orochimaru looked at Kaito in this state, and a smile appeared on his face again.

"It seems indeed you are the renowned Uchiha Kaito from Konoha who took down Danzō Shimura!

But I'm curious, why would someone of your status come here? Could it be that you came to investigate Uchiha Itachi?"

"Some questions are better left unasked, Lord Orochimaru."

At this moment, Kaito couldn't be bothered to keep up the pretense. His voice returned to its original state, his eyes turned crimson, and his eerie chakra locked onto Orochimaru.

"I never expected Lord Orochimaru to be so sharp, to identify me just by my Fire Release.

In fact, I am curious about one thing, Lord Orochimaru, do you know that pursuing secrets you shouldn't can lead to deadly consequences?"

"I'm well aware of that, but I don't plan to tangle with you any longer."

Orochimaru replied with a raspy laugh. However, Kaito could feel this man tensing up at that moment, his chakra circulating even faster.

"Your objectives or thoughts have nothing to do with me, even if you truly want to help Star Ninja Village, it's none of my business.

I can even give you a piece of intelligence - the people from Rock Hidden Village will soon take over the base behind you."

As he said this, Orochimaru's body began to burrow into the ground, obviously having no intention of battling with Kaito.

"But the next time we meet, Chief Kaito, be prepared. I will present you with a great gift!"

With those words, Orochimaru's figure completely disappeared. His speed and stealth were so impressive that even Kaito had to admire him.

Being recognized by Orochimaru was not beyond Kaito's expectation, but being recognized not because he used Sharingan was somewhat sigh-inducing for Kaito.

"It seems I need to be more careful in the future, especially when I don't want to expose my identity."

Kaito murmured to himself, but soon he sighed again, looking at the place where Orochimaru had disappeared.

"What a pity, that's ninety million..."

//

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