Orochimaru

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The group returned safely to Tanchū Street.

Natsume glanced at Kakuzu and Sasori, who stood a short distance away, and whispered, "Ena, follow this road until you reach Tenshi's Haven Casino. My clone will meet you there."

Uzumaki Ena trembled slightly, nodded, and left with Karin in her arms. She moved cautiously, like a frightened cub—each step uncertain, perhaps due to being away from civilization for too long.

"Now, let's go meet Orochimaru," Natsume said, pointing north. "He's about a kilometer ahead."

He had deliberately chosen an open plain for their meeting, avoiding Tanchū Street, anticipating the possibility of a confrontation.

"Let's get this over with," Kakuzu muttered with a dark smile. "I've always wanted to meet one of the legendary Sannin."

More like you're eager to cash in on his bounty, Natsume thought, easily reading Kakuzu's intentions.

Kakuzu was infamous for killing even his own comrades for money, and with Orochimaru's bounty in the tens of millions of ryō, it was obvious he wouldn't pass up this opportunity.

Natsume wasn't too concerned. Even without the Cursed Seal or Edo Tensei, Orochimaru's battle experience and his ability to escape dangerous situations made him a difficult target.

Kakuzu and Sasori were formidable, but they lacked the specific abilities required to take down Orochimaru—like the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The real prize for Natsume—Hashirama's cells—was already secured. He had no interest in Orochimaru's Cursed Seal or his Immortality Jutsu. As for Edo Tensei, he could leave that research to Kabuto if needed.

"One more thing," Natsume added. "No matter what Orochimaru says, don't respond. Just focus on the deal."

He paused, raising two fingers. "I'll add an extra two hundred thousand ryō for your silence."

Kakuzu swallowed his retort and nodded quickly. "Fine by me."

When money talks, you listen, Kakuzu thought, already imagining the extra funds in his account.

A few minutes later, Orochimaru's figure appeared in the distance. Natsume stopped, watching as Kakuzu and Sasori moved forward.

"I'm just a clone, so I'll leave the fighting to you two," Natsume muttered, pulling out a pair of binoculars. Time to sit back and enjoy the show.

Kakuzu, Sasori, and Orochimaru—a match-up that reminded Natsume of the legendary Three Kingdoms warriors battling Lü Bu. Only this time, it was two Akatsuki members against one of the Sannin. He couldn't miss this.

In his past life, he had only seen shinobi battles on a screen, but now, he was about to experience one firsthand. This was a rare chance to observe some of the most skilled combatants in the shinobi world.

Orochimaru spotted Kakuzu and Sasori approaching, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes. He licked his lips, eager for the challenge of fighting such powerful adversaries.

As the two Akatsuki members stopped in front of him, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, recognizing their cloaks.

"Where's the item?" Kakuzu asked flatly. He recognized Orochimaru immediately from his bounty poster. In the past, he'd considered hunting him down, but at the time, Orochimaru's connection to Konoha made it too risky.

Now, with Orochimaru standing right in front of him, the temptation was almost irresistible. But first, he had to finish Natsume's job. The pay was too good to jeopardize his relationship with such a valuable client.

"Here it is," Orochimaru replied, producing a storage scroll. He didn't mind the exchange; the portion Natsume had requested was small, and if things went south, Orochimaru had backup plans.

Kakuzu accepted the scroll without checking it. The calm atmosphere shattered as both sides unleashed waves of killing intent.

In the shinobi world, killing intent alone could paralyze an opponent. Orochimaru had once used it to freeze Sasuke Uchiha during the Chūnin Exams, but Kakuzu's killing intent was equally menacing.

It was clear Kakuzu had survived countless battles. Orochimaru's expression turned serious.

Summoning Jutsu: Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!

A swarm of venomous snakes erupted from Orochimaru's mouth, surging across the ground and surrounding Kakuzu and Sasori.

"Not bad," Kakuzu remarked, shrugging off his Akatsuki cloak. Behind him, black tendrils emerged—his Earth Grudge Fear mode activated.

This was Kakuzu's way of showing respect. He also wanted to end the fight quickly. The mask on his right shoulder opened its mouth.

Fire Style: Searing Migraine!

A torrent of flames roared forward, reducing Orochimaru's snakes to ashes in an instant. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed—this wasn't an ordinary Fire Style technique. It was far more powerful.

Quickly, Orochimaru summoned a snake that spat out the Kusanagi Sword, sending it hurtling toward Kakuzu at blinding speed. Kakuzu extended his tendrils to block it, but the blade sliced through effortlessly.

"That's quite the weapon," Kakuzu commented, clearly impressed.

Earth Style: Earth Spear!

Kakuzu's arms turned black as he hardened them with the technique. To Orochimaru's surprise, Kakuzu caught the Kusanagi Sword between his hands.

"Impressive," Orochimaru said with a smirk. With a flick of his fingers, the sword extended, nearly impaling Kakuzu. He let go just in time, dodging to the side.

As he landed, Kakuzu's Lightning Mask opened its mouth.

Lightning Style: False Darkness!

A spear of lightning shot toward Orochimaru, striking him dead-on and exploding on impact.

"Did we get him?" Kakuzu asked, watching the smoke.

Suddenly, a snake wrapped around his waist, and Orochimaru appeared behind him, swinging the Kusanagi Sword.

Kakuzu's body dissolved into water—just a clone. The real Kakuzu stood a distance away, his Wind Mask already prepared.

Wind Style: Pressure Damage!

The wind orb expanded rapidly, detonating with immense force and engulfing Orochimaru in the blast.

"Did he escape again?" Kakuzu frowned. Orochimaru's survival instincts were impressive. Most shinobi would have fallen by now.

Orochimaru, breathing heavily, realized this was one of the toughest battles he had faced since Hanzo of the Salamander. And Sasori hadn't even entered the fray yet.

The Sannin's eyes darted between Kakuzu and Sasori, evaluating their strength. A shinobi who could use all five elemental natures? A puppeteer with deadly poisons?

"Too slow," Sasori finally spoke, raising his arm. A dozen barrels extended from his puppet body, each aimed at Orochimaru.

Kakuzu instinctively backed away as the barrels unleashed a barrage of poison-tipped needles.

Orochimaru reacted instantly, shedding his skin with the Oral Rebirth technique. The needles embedded themselves in his discarded body, which dissolved into a puddle.

"Impressive toxins," Orochimaru remarked, eyeing the remains of his former body. Even with his expertise, he could tell that Sasori's poisons were on another level.

Defeating these two wouldn't be easy. He needed to reconsider his strategy.

One thought lingered in Orochimaru's mind: If Kakuzu and Sasori are this strong, just how powerful is Natsume, their leader?

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