Chapter 136 Kaguya Neko: This is perfect for Chief Uehara as materials!

"Shikotsumyaku, Dance of the Larch!"

Kaguya Neko bypassed the venomous snake and approached Orochimaru.

A blade descended.

Orochimaru drew the Sword of Kusanagi to block.

However, as soon as the two collided, Orochimaru's expression changed suddenly.

"This, isn't right!"

"The power increase, isn't it supposed to be intermittent?"

Orochimaru had just observed the ability of the Dragon-Bone.

But Kaguya Neko's use of the Dragon-Bone wasn't limited to just one method.

The Dragon-Bone's ability is to absorb the force from the last collision and then stack it when used again.

When facing Kaguya En initially, Neko had already thought of a second way to use it.

That is, to absorb the force of the first collision, but not to release it in the second collision, instead retaining it until the third collision, making the enemy misjudge.

Thus, injuring the enemy.

Now, Kaguya Neko was using the third method.

That is, colliding with the Dragon-Bone himself to store energy. So, there was no need to collide with the enemy.

He could directly double his own strength.

The unexpected force from Kaguya Neko caused Orochimaru to lose grip on the Sword of Kusanagi, which flew out of his hand.

Kaguya Neko took another step forward.

A white bone had already pierced Orochimaru's body.

"Substitution Jutsu!"

A puff of white smoke exploded.

Orochimaru's figure appeared in another location, the part Kaguya Neko hit turned into a log. However, Orochimaru was not unscathed.

A bloody hole appeared on his body, bleeding profusely.

"Kaguya Neko!"

Orochimaru gave Kaguya Neko a deep look, turned around, and left without looking back.

Kaguya Neko chased for a couple of steps, realizing he couldn't catch up, and stopped.

He returned to the previous location and picked up the Sword of Kusanagi that had fallen to the ground.

"This ninjato, apart from being sharp and hard, doesn't seem to have any other abilities."

"It's far inferior to Chief Uehara's Zanpakuto."

"But, perhaps it can be used as raw material for forging a Zanpakuto."

...

After Orochimaru had left, he turned around and glanced back in the direction of Kaguya Neko.

"Kaguya Neko..."

"As soon as we met, he immediately tried to kill me, even after I proposed those terms, he didn't stop."

"What exactly is his deal?"

If Kaguya Neko had spoken a few more words, Orochimaru might have been able to judge better.

But in this situation, Orochimaru couldn't make a judgment.

If Kaguya Neko were still a loyal ninja of the Hidden Mist Village, why not take this opportunity to try to gather some information about Konoha from him?

But if Kaguya Neko were a genuine rogue ninja, why be so ruthless towards him?

Why would a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village have such great hatred towards him?

Does he have a reason to kill me at all costs? Orochimaru couldn't understand.

"This guy is simply a madman."

Orochimaru frowned.

"It seems that if I want to obtain information about the Zanpakuto from Kaguya Neko, I'll have to defeat him and use the Yamanaka clan's ninja techniques to extract the information."

"But Kaguya Neko's strength is formidable."

"Dragon-Bone, combined with the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai."

"Whether in defense or offense, Kaguya Neko has almost no weaknesses."

"A highly versatile Taijutsu ninja."

"Capturing him is very difficult."

"It's like dealing with an irritable hedgehog."

"In a real fight to the end, even without Manda, I might still be Kaguya Neko's match."

"But it will certainly come at a great cost."

Orochimaru squinted his eyes.

"I need more manpower."

Orochimaru didn't want to wait until next time. As a seasoned ninja, Orochimaru understood well that delay could lead to changes. If too much time passed, things could shift. For instance, Kaguya Neko might gain more allies. Alternatively, he might completely disappear, making him impossible to locate. These were all concerns Orochimaru needed to address. Therefore, he wanted to defeat Kaguya Neko as soon as possible.

Orochimaru arrived at a small shop.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

As Orochimaru walked in, the shopkeeper immediately greeted him.

On the surface, he was the proprietor of a small shop, but in reality, he was a ninja from Konoha.

"How many nearby ninjas can be summoned in half a day?"

"Half a day?"

The middle-aged man pondered for a moment and said, "Orochimaru-sama, in half a day, I'm afraid we can only gather four or five people."

Orochimaru frowned.

"What about a full day?"

"We can gather a dozen or so people in a day."

"Then make it a day. Go now and have them come as soon as possible."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

The middle-aged man left immediately.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru went to a dark corner to treat his injuries.

As a "scientist," Orochimaru also dabbled in Medical Ninjutsu.

While not as proficient as Tsunade, it was akin to Soma applying Body Modification Techniques to healing.

What Orochimaru didn't know was that not long after he escaped from Kaguya Neko, a figure arrived swiftly before Kaguya Neko. Clad in black attire and wearing a mask.

"Kaguya Neko, I come under Genji-sama's orders."

"Elder Genji?"

"Yes."

"What does Elder Genji want?"

Kaguya Neko's eyes flickered.

The ANBU ninja said, "Genji-sama has ordered that you approach Konoha ninjas opportunistically, gather Konoha intelligence, and seek out Konoha's hidden top-level ninja."

"Konoha's hidden top-level ninja?"

Kaguya Neko furrowed his brow.

"Besides Sarutobi Hiruzen, Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, who else qualifies as Konoha's top-level ninja?"

The ANBU ninja shook his head.

"Exactly because we don't know, that's why Genji-sama requires you to investigate. Genji-sama says that the disappearance of the Third Mizukage-sama is related to Konoha ninjas and was caused by Konoha ninjas."

"The current intelligence we have gathered is that one person possesses both Wood Release and Sharingan, another person has Chakra absorption and Ninjutsu absorption techniques, a third person excels in using Explosive Tags, and the fourth person uses gravity and repulsion as their primary means of attack."

"The strength of these four individuals is extremely formidable, surpassing that of elite Jonin."

Kaguya Neko was stunned.

The information spoken by the ANBU ninja was too much, too significant.

It overwhelmed Kaguya Neko for a moment.

The ANBU ninja continued, "Genji-sama says this concerns the survival of the Hidden Mist Village. Konoha has hidden too much strength; there must be a major conspiracy. We must obtain relevant intelligence from Konoha."

"Otherwise, the Hidden Mist Village will face a great crisis."

"As for the Kaguya Clan, Genji-sama tells Kaguya Neko not to worry. As long as he is here, there will be no problem."

Kaguya Neko fell silent for a moment.

He looked up.

"So, Mizukage-sama's disappearance is actually linked to this?"

"If that's the case, then I might have just missed an opportunity not long ago."

The ANBU ninja paused, then asked instinctively, "What opportunity?"

"Not long ago, one of Konoha's Three Sannin, Orochimaru, came looking for me, but I ignored him and drove him away."

ANBU Ninja: "..."

"Alright, I understand. Reply to Elder Genji that I will do my utmost to obtain it."

"Okay."

"By the way, take this back and give it to Chief Uehara."

With that, Kaguya Neko handed over the Sword of Kusanagi.

The ANBU Ninja took it.

Then, with a flash, he departed.

Once outside the range of the Land of Hot Water,

The ANBU Ninja removed the mask revealing a delicate face of a female ninja. Approximately fifteen or sixteen years old with long tangerine-colored hair.

"Kaguya Neko's strength has already grown to the point where he can even drive off Orochimaru?"

"This is different from what Genji-sensei told me."

Terumi Mei looked towards the direction of the Land of Water.

"Could it be because of the Ninjato?"

"Zanpakuto..."

"He's really something."

"Chief Uehara's age should be similar to mine."

"To be able to create so many powerful Ninjato, it's truly incredible."

"How did he manage to do it?"

Terumi Mei had immense confidence in herself.

From birth, she possessed two great Kekkei Genkai: Lava Release and Boil Release.

Not only within the Hidden Mist Village, but throughout the entire ninja world, this was exceptionally rare.

Moreover, Terumi Mei received elite education from a young age.

Her situation was different from other young ninjas in the Hidden Mist Village.

If Hoshigaki Kisame was a genius who stood out among ordinary young ninjas,

then Terumi Mei started out already standing in the position of a genius.

Terumi Mei acknowledged Hoshigaki Kisame's talent and strength,

but she didn't think Kisame could surpass her. She saw herself as number one.

In terms of the entire history of the Hidden Mist Village,

Terumi Mei was confident that as long as she continued to grow, she would undoubtedly become one of the strongest ninjas in the history of the Hidden Mist Village.

Among peers, Terumi Mei looked down on everyone.

However, Uehara Soma's appearance made Terumi Mei lose this confidence.

A blade like Kiriichimonji enabled Hoshigaki Kisame to surpass Hatake Kakashi.

The Blue Rose Sword gave Biwa Juzo the strength to rival Pakura.

The Water Dragon Possession even severed half of Manda's tail.

And then there's Kaguya Neko's Dragon-Bone.

Genji didn't tell Terumi Mei about the Skeleton Emperor in the Third Mizukage's hands.

Otherwise, Terumi Mei would have been even more shocked.

A ninja tool that can host the souls of the dead and still unleash incredibly powerful forces.

Is this even considered a ninja tool anymore?

Terumi Mei developed a strong interest in Uehara Soma.

"I wonder what kind of person Chief Uehara is."

Then, Terumi Mei thought again about the situations in the Hidden Mist Village and Konoha.

"Konoha..."

"They're hiding so deeply."

"I have to admit, given the current situation, the Hidden Mist Village is no match for Konoha."

"My Kekkei Genkai is destined to grow strong in the future."

"But it's still not enough."

"If I could obtain a Zanpakuto, what heights could my strength reach?"

...

After a day of preparation, Orochimaru gathered over a dozen Konoha ninjas.

They weren't elite, but they possessed enough skill to handle missions in a complex ninja territory like the Land of Hot Water.

Orochimaru didn't have high expectations of them.

If they could just contain Kaguya Neko, it would suffice.

"Let's go!"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

However, when Orochimaru found Kaguya Neko again, he ended up speachless.

"Orochimaru, your strength has barely earned my acknowledgment. Now, you have the qualification to speak with me. Whatever you wanted to say earlier, I didn't hear clearly. Say it again."

Orochimaru: "???"

Orochimaru, expecting a fierce battle, didn't anticipate the situation changing so quickly.

Kaguya Neko surprisingly showed no intention of attacking him.

To Orochimaru's surprise, Kaguya Neko seemed willing to engage in conversation now.

However, Kaguya Neko's attitude irritated Orochimaru greatly.

So aloof.

Too arrogant.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and cursed inwardly.

'If you want to fight, you fight.'

'If you don't want to fight, you don't.'

'Who do you think you are?'

'On what grounds?'

'I am one of the Three Sannin.'

'And you are just a renegade from Kirigakure.'

'What makes think you can adopt such a high and mighty stance?'

However, since dialogue was possible, Orochimaru Ignored these thought since he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

If a battle were to break out, Orochimaru didn't have a hundred percent certainty of defeating Kaguya Neko. There was a chance Kaguya Neko could escape, and even if Orochimaru and his team managed to kill him, there was a risk of damaging his brain during the fight, which would prevent the Yamanaka clan from extracting information from Kaguya Neko's mind.

Orochimaru prefers to pursue a hundred percent certainty and dislikes taking too many risks.

"Kaguya Neko, let's cooperate."

Kaguya Neko raised an eyebrow, surprised that Orochimaru was willing to negotiate.

This raised Kaguya Neko's estimation of Orochimaru's regard for him.

"And what reasons do you have?"

"Regarding your identity, there are only two possibilities. One, you are indeed a renegade from the almost extinct Kaguya clan. Two, you are not the real culprit and have only been burdened with this responsibility."

"In the former case, you should cooperate with me."

"Faced with enemies like Hidden Mist Village, only Konoha can protect you."

"And in the latter case, you should cooperate with me even more."

"A village that burdens you with such great responsibility and yet takes no responsibility for you has effectively betrayed you. You don't owe loyalty to a village that has betrayed you."

"Cooperate with me, and I can allow you to join Konoha. I can give you the chance to live a normal ninja life."

Kaguya Neko chuckled disdainfully.

"Sounds somewhat reasonable, but that's not enough. The conditions you're offering can also be provided by Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Rock Village. Moreover, these two ninja villages are stronger than your Konoha."

Orochimaru furrowed his brow. Kaguya Neko's statement wasn't entirely accurate. During this period, Konoha still possessed considerable strength. Konoha maintained superiority in the number of top-level ninjas. It was only in terms of mid-level ninjas that Konoha struggled slightly to keep up as the war progressed. Hence, many believed that Konoha's overall strength had declined significantly.

Orochimaru found this statement grating. 

"But..." Suddenly, Kaguya Neko changed the subject. "However, Konoha does indeed have something I want."

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