Chapter 204

Orochimaru wasn't sure, but his gaze shifted to behind Kaito and Shisui.

Both of them were guarding a girl, which surprised Orochimaru.

Without saying more, anyone teaming up with Kaito and Shisui mustn't be insignificant.

"Really intriguing, the Rinnegan, huh?"

Kaito seemed to see through Orochimaru's intentions, looking at him with a slight smile.

As someone who had traversed realms, how could he be shocked by such information? 

If anything truly startled him for a moment, it was the existence of Hiruko.

Sadly for Orochimaru, he didn't seize that chance to strike, which meant he lost another opportunity to catch Kaito off guard.

For most people, news of the Rinnegan would be startling, but for Kaito, it was quite mundane.

"Is Chief Kaito aware of Rinnegan?" Orochimaru furrowed his brows, finding Kaito hard to gauge.

"I'm not aware, but I'm not surprised either," Kaito responded, playfully eyeing Orochimaru. He continued, "After all, anyone worthy of Orochimaru-sama's attention can't be simple. Judging by your actions, I believe you have one primary interest in him: to study him. This means he possesses something truly remarkable to captivate you. It turns out that it's none other than the legendary Rinnegan."

"To think that the one who understands me best would be Chief Kaito," Orochimaru's golden serpentine eyes locked onto Kaito, taking a moment before he chuckled, "Since Chief Kaito knows so much about me, I assume you also know what I intend to do?"

"Of course. While we might not have any specific issues between us, our positions make us adversaries," Kaito calmly stated, his chakra also beginning to stir.

"You have this determination, as do I, so..."

"So..."

Suddenly, Orochimaru's chakra began to rise rapidly, its intense force making it hard to breathe.

But at that moment, a figure appeared behind Orochimaru as fast as lightning, swiftly drawing a sharp ninja blade, aiming straight for Orochimaru's neck!

Orochimaru's focus was impeccable, and he twisted his body in an uncanny manner, dodging the strike.

He realized he was a bit unlucky this time. Not only did he encounter Kaito, but he also faced the Body Flicker Technique.

Under the watchful eyes of these two, one careless move would mean more than just a simple mishap!

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

Seeing Shisui make his move, Kaito didn't hesitate and launched a Fire Release technique directly at Orochimaru.

Shisui's speed was showcased once more. The moment Kaito unleashed his technique, Shisui had already used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat to a safe distance.

Seeing this, Orochimaru didn't seem intent on evading. However, his chakra was already gathering.

As the fire dragon was about to strike Orochimaru, both Kaito and Shisui simultaneously turned their heads to the side.

In the direction they were looking, Orochimaru was already standing on a tree, with one hand forming a seal.

"Truly deserving of the Sharingan. Under those eyes, no secret remains hidden."

Orochimaru licked his lips, but his hand movements did not slow down.

His chakra quickly gathered, and the next moment he slammed one hand onto the ground.

"Ninjutsu: Serpent Array Technique!"

Countless foul-smelling venomous snakes were summoned by Orochimaru, swiftly slithering towards Kaito and the others.

Kaito was forming hand seals, preparing to unleash a Fire Release, but he quickly paused.

Releasing a Fire Release now to burn the snakes would create a blind spot in his vision. This would provide Orochimaru the perfect opportunity to take advantage of such a blind spot for his next move.

"It's that damn Hashirama Senju again. Can't he teach something good?"

In his mind, Kaito swore that anytime he saw anyone using ninjutsu to create a visual disparity to deal with the Sharingan, the first person he thought of was Hashirama Senju!

Whether this guy deserves the blame or not, he indeed has earned Kaito's resentment.

Even though blocking was also a good option, it allowed Orochimaru to safely release the Edo Tensei.

But being maneuvered this way, Kaito was still somewhat displeased at heart.

However, Shisui didn't think so much about it. Although he wondered why Kaito suddenly stopped, seeing the increasingly close venomous snakes, he still acted.

This scene made Kaito's eyes shine slightly, but soon he pretended to shake his head and sighed, looking at Shisui.

"Nice Fire Release, but it's better not to do it next time," Kaito shook his head slightly.

"What happened?" Shisui was somewhat puzzled, but the next second his face changed slightly.

"You felt it, right? This guy is just using Fire Release to obstruct our vision."

Kaito patted Shisui on the shoulder, speaking softly.

"After all, the Sharingan is not the Byakugan; it doesn't possess the ability to see through."

During the conversation, a strong scent of burning distress was spreading continuously.

The venomous snakes were continuously struggling and writhing under Shisui's Fire Release, but eventually, they couldn't escape being completely burnt.

Black smoke was rising continuously, but the flames were also slowly receding.

After the flames, two faint silhouettes appeared, changing the expressions of Kaito and Shisui instantly.

Kaito was happy at heart at this moment, while Shisui's face was incomparably angry, because these two people were Hashirama and Tobirama Senju!

"It seems we are in some trouble."

Kaito, controlling his emotions, whispered to Shisui.

"I'm giving you a task: protect Yaneko and ensure her safety. Also, depending on the situation, be ready to retreat. Do you understand?"

"Kaito, you should handle this."

Shisui shook his head, his eyes filled with anger as he stared at the two figures. But before he could finish speaking, Kaito interrupted him.

"My power is stronger than yours. Plus, I possess space-time ninjutsu, which gives me the ability to escape."

Kaito's hand was already resting on his ninja blade, leaving no room for Shisui to argue.

"Furthermore, I am the leader of the Uchiha clan. Are you telling me you won't even follow my orders?"

The usually stoic Hashirama Senju blinked suddenly, as if realizing he was back in the world of the living. Glancing at his brother Tobirama beside him, he remarked, "It seems something has happened again."

Tobirama, arms crossed, didn't acknowledge his elder brother. Instead, his gaze settled on Orochimaru. With a dismissive snort, he said, "It's you again, brat. Growing ever bolder, aren't you?"

"Although I didn't wish to disturb the two of you, the troubles I've encountered are too significant."

Orochimaru licked his lips, appearing relaxed, but in reality, he was on high alert. The bodies he'd provided for Hashirama and Tobirama were top-notch. Even though he had employed new techniques, these two remained highly dangerous.

"It's the same person – the leader of the Uchiha clan, the one who once defeated you."

"Hmph, I didn't need you to tell me that."

Tobirama didn't offer Orochimaru a pleasant look, but his gaze inadvertently shifted to Kaito. From the moment he awakened, he noticed Kaito's presence. He hadn't forgotten how badly he fared against Kaito the last time they met.

Even if the current situation seemed somewhat improved, he could sense his own powers had increased considerably. 

However, dealing with Kaito remained a formidable challenge. After all, Kaito also mastered space-time ninjutsu!

Moreover, he noticed that Kaito seemed to have grown considerably.

Especially in the realm of Yang Release, this guy's progress completely contradicts what he understood about the Uchiha.

According to his previous research and findings, the Uchiha shouldn't possibly possess such a powerful Yang Release.

Even if this guy had cells from his elder brother within him, the growth shouldn't be so significant. This truly felt odd to him.

"But now, I can use the Flying Thunder God Technique. If I collaborate with big brother..."

Tobirama looked at his elder brother, Hashirama, feeling a slight headache.

He knew well that his elder brother harbored little animosity towards Uchiha Kaito.

Especially since his brother believed that the dead should not interfere in the affairs of the living, which made things even more complicated.

Tobirama never hid his disdain for the Uchiha, although his reign had been fair to them.

But that's because there hadn't been an individual like Uchiha Madara in the clan. Now that he had emerged, how could he remain so benevolent?

"Unexpectedly, it's the two Hokage lords again?"

At this moment, Kaito, holding his ninja blade, had quietly approached.

"It's quite surprising and disappointing, because once again, both of you are in a controlled state."

"Indeed, it's embarrassing, but we can't do much about it."

Hashirama spread his hands with a playful grin, sighing with resignation.

"How wonderful it would be if the world had fewer conflicts."

"Indeed, at least then we wouldn't have to face wars."

Kaito chuckled nonchalantly. However, his words changed the expressions of both Hashirama and Tobirama.

"War?" Tobirama immediately inquired, "What's happening? Another war has erupted?"

"Yes, the Kamizuru (Ōnoki Clan), you should be aware of them. It's their war, ignited against us, because their son was killed."

//

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