Sand gathers, immense Chakra surges from the small body, instantly turning into a giant.
The gold sand, which could rival the desert and even dominate it, suddenly falls to a disadvantage. The Fourth Kazekage Rasa, standing on a golden cloud, is forced to retreat again and again.
When controlled by Gaara, just by brute force, he was already a little monster capable of casually slaughtering Jonin and exchanging blows with Kage-level strong fighters. Let alone the One-Tail Shukaku.
This creature has the least amount of Chakra among the Tailed Beasts, but it has spent the longest time with ninjas over a thousand years.
Besides the instinct of magnetic release, it has even learned quite a bit of Ninjutsu. In terms of experience and combat power, it's not at the bottom among the Tailed Beasts.
"Hahaha, you won't send me back this time!"
Arrogant and shrill laughter, along with the strong wind, instantly spreads through Sunagakure Village. Countless villagers widen their eyes, staring in horror at the source of the sound.
Having experienced Tailed Beasts breaking free from seals many times, they naturally know whose voice it is.
"May heaven bless us, Kazekage-sama must quickly reseal Shukaku."
Rasa, who is being looked forward to by everyone, is indeed feeling the pressure.
Not only the pressure from Shukaku breaking free from the seal, but also from the Konoha group behind him.
Having fought Shukaku so many times, the Fourth Kazekage naturally does not fear the opponent. Even if he faces Shukaku alone now, he will not fail. The winner between the two will inevitably be him.
But without the Sunagakure Anbu to hold them back, this battle is bound to be prolonged, and the casualties and losses will be increased several or even tens of times.
Thinking of the already tight village finances, the Fourth Kazekage grits his teeth and begins to desperately exert his Chakra.
The gold sand, under his control, becomes even more violent and entangles the One-Tail Shukaku. For a short time, it even gains the upper hand against Shukaku.
At the edge of the battlefield, witnessing Rasa's suddenly surging power, Granny Chiyo knows he is starting to fight with all his might. Looking at Orochimaru, who is leisurely and unhurriedly treating Yashamaru, she feels even more hatred.
Orochimaru stands there, doing nothing, yet forcing them to stay and unable to support the Kazekage.
Even if Rasa's body is overdrawn and his combat power is greatly reduced, they in Sunagakure cannot say anything, and have no reason to fly into a rage.
This move is truly vicious.
"Orochimaru, if you want to help us treat Yashamaru, the village has well-equipped medical rooms."
Granny Chiyo looks at Orochimaru and says coldly, "If not, hand him over to us and go to where you belong. Your current behavior is truly despicable."
As she speaks, her fingers move, and she assumes a fighting stance, showing that she is ready to fight if words fail.
Granny Chiyo knows she is no match for Orochimaru, but considering the current situation of the ninja world, Konoha will not easily fall out with Sunagakure Village.
The other Sunagakure Anbu are also indignant, their gazes towards the Konoha group becoming increasingly unfriendly.
"Tch, the poison master of Sunagakure has the nerve to call others despicable. Tsunade would probably laugh her head off if she were here."
Orochimaru pulls at the corner of his mouth, stands up, looks around, and an invisible pressure spreads out. All the Sunagakure Anbu he sees clench their weapons.
Being on Sunagakure Village's home turf, with the Kazekage's advisor and many companions... but none of this gives them a sufficient sense of security.
Seeing their reaction, Orochimaru smiles with satisfaction, his confidence in the purpose of his trip growing.
When Granny Chiyo is at a loss, unsure whether to break ties, Orochimaru withdraws his menacing aura and turns his gaze to Rasa, who is fighting Shukaku. The corners of his lips curve slightly.
"This time I'm here for business. It would be bad if the transaction person were harmed."
As he speaks, his body flashes like a streak of light, heading straight for the nearby battlefield.
The speed is so great that the ninjas present, including Granny Chiyo, cannot react in time. They instinctively control their puppets to unleash an attack, but it is easily dodged. They watch in disbelief as Orochimaru approaches the battlefield.
"Orochimaru!" Granny Chiyo's eyes widen, and she lets out a roar, but it is only impotent rage.
The Sunagakure Anbu suddenly surround the Konoha ninjas, their eyes filled with fury.
But the battle, which is on the verge of erupting, has yet to break out, and the situation on the battlefield has changed dramatically.
…
Orochimaru's rapid approach is not concealed at all, and the fighting parties discover him almost immediately.
The Kazekage Rasa does not know if Orochimaru is friend or foe, and chooses to attack cautiously. The One-Tail Shukaku, however, has no such scruples and attacks everyone indiscriminately.
Orochimaru dodges the whip-like attack of sand and says with a smile, "Kazekage-sama, I have reached an agreement with Chiyo. How about I handle this here?"
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa is slightly stunned. But while he is still thinking about what agreement the elder advisor has reached, Orochimaru has already made his move.
Senjutsu Chakra surges into the battlefield. The fighting parties are horrified to find that both the sand and the gold sand instantly lose their control.
The battlefield falls silent for a moment. Rasa resolutely controls the remaining golden cloud beneath his feet and retreats. The One-Tail Shukaku, however, lets out an angry, even terrified, roar, "Bastard, what did you do to me?"
Orochimaru ignores him and shouts, "Shisui!"
A flash of movement breaks through the stunned Sunagakure Anbu, and in an instant, he arrives beside Orochimaru.
The two exchange a look, and Shisui immediately understands what he needs to do. He looks up at the One-Tail Shukaku, and the three tomoe in his eyes arrange themselves into a complex shuriken, suddenly flashing with an eerie red light.
The One-Tail Shukaku notices Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan and immediately knows his fate. He is filled with extreme rage, "Damn Uchiha, damn..."
His angry roar gets stuck in his throat. A Tailed Beast rampage is instantly quelled, lasting less than ten minutes from beginning to end.
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa slowly descends, glancing at the now quiet Shukaku, then at Orochimaru, who is slowly standing up. The fear in his eyes even surpasses that of Shisui, who is now controlling Shukaku.
Before understanding what he had just done, Rasa is unwilling to get too close to Orochimaru.
Swish, swish, swish...
A series of sounds of wind breaking through the air are heard. Two Konoha ninja squads are driven by Sunagakure to the center of the battlefield.
However, although they are in the relationship of besieged and besiegers, the expressions and attitudes of both sides are completely opposite. Compared to the tense and wary expressions of Sunagakure, the Konoha side appears too calm and unhurried.
Granny Chiyo narrows her eyes as she looks at the Konoha ninjas standing with Orochimaru.
If a battle were to break out, it wouldn't matter where these people were. The real trouble would be Orochimaru and that Uchiha kid. And Orochimaru is not someone who can be threatened.
Allowing these Konoha ninjas to leave now is a gesture of goodwill, a response to Orochimaru not taking advantage of the situation earlier.
Orochimaru does not look at the Konoha ninjas who have come to his side. He nods to Granny Chiyo and then waves to Shisui.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The wind howls, and the quicksand swirls. The Chakra of the One-Tail Shukaku, under Shisui's control, retracts back into Gaara's small body.
Shisui, carrying the unconscious Gaara, flashes to Orochimaru's side and quietly asks what to do next.
Although the genjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan is powerful, except for 'Kotoamatsukami,' any genjutsu can be dispelled.
Although the One-Tail Shukaku is now controlled, as long as Gaara is conscious, he can always use his own Chakra to disrupt the genjutsu's control. And the awakened Shukaku can easily break free from the broken seal.
The most important thing to do now is to hand over the One-Tail Jinchuriki to Sunagakure and reinforce the sealing jutsu.
But looking at Orochimaru's expression, Shisui has no intention of doing so at all.
Shisui is a little troubled, but at the same time, he trusts Orochimaru's judgment.
On the other side, seeing that Orochimaru is still not returning the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Kazekage Rasa and Granny Chiyo's faces become extremely grim.
Granny Chiyo's fingers move, and the puppets around her make mechanical sounds. She questions, "Orochimaru, what do you mean by this?"
A Tailed Beast that could erupt at any moment is a huge threat to any ninja village. Kirigakure placed the Three-Tails inside Nohara Rin back then, wasn't it as a bomb?
Now, Orochimaru is holding a bomb.
"Don't worry, I have no ill will towards Sunagakure."
Orochimaru licks his lips and smiles, "I am here to make a transaction. This child can be used as a prop to display the contents of the transaction."
Saying that, Orochimaru gestures to Shisui. Shisui opens Gaara's eyelids and casts genjutsu on the Jinchuriki himself.
This action causes a commotion among the Sunagakure Anbu. Granny Chiyo and Kazekage Rasa's faces become so grim they almost drip water.
Orochimaru acts as if he doesn't see it. He points to the gradually noisy ruins, and a slight grin appears on his lips.
"I have come with sincerity. I really want to conduct the transaction with you now, but it seems you have more important things to do."
Rasa's face sinks again.
He did not battle Shukaku for long, nor did the affected area spread too far. But a Tailed Beast is still a Tailed Beast, and how could a battle with it not inflict any damage on the village.
Rasa hesitates for a moment, waves at the Sunagakure Anbu, and commands, "Clean up the mess."
This capitulation is forced. Shukaku aside, in the previous battle, his magnetic release was completely countered by Orochimaru.
If he cannot display his strength, what is the point of turning hostile?
"Yes!"
The Sunagakure Anbu respond, but in their hearts, they feel immense humiliation. They glare at the Konoha group with anger.
Seeing this, Orochimaru smiles slightly.
…
Inside the Sunagakure Village guesthouse, the lights are brightly lit.
This place is located on the outskirts of the village and was not affected by the previous battle. On the other hand, it is also very suitable as a place for fighting. It was originally chosen specifically to guard against foreign envoys having ulterior motives.
Orochimaru sits behind the long table in the living room, with Shisui on one side and the unconscious Gaara on the other.
After the Fourth Kazekage Rasa enters, Orochimaru points to the opposite seat and says with a smile, "Kazekage-sama, please sit."
Rasa's expression is strange. Although this is Sunagakure Village, this demeanor makes it seem like he is fighting on foreign soil.
Just as he is about to speak, he is interrupted by Orochimaru.
"Are you alone, Kazekage? Chiyo and Ebizo, please come in as well."
Orochimaru shows a hint of a playful smile, "As I said, I'm not here for a fight this time, but for a transaction."
"What transaction are you talking about? Return Gaara first, otherwise, we have nothing to discuss."
Granny Chiyo and her brother Ebizo push open the door and enter. Since Orochimaru has said this much, they have no intention of hiding it any longer.
"There's no rush for that."
Orochimaru smiles, "Although Sunagakure Village is a major ninja village, in a place like the Land of Wind, information is still too limited."
Granny Chiyo's voice becomes sharp, and she says sternly, "What did you say?"
Orochimaru smiles without speaking, but a powerful aura erupts from him, startling Kazekage Rasa, who has just sat down, to jump up and form a defensive stance with gold sand.
But to their surprise, this aura is not directed at them. The Chakra surges deep into the ground.
Rasa and Chiyo exchange glances, both unsure what Orochimaru is up to. Given their caution, they obviously will not act directly without knowing the truth.
Fortunately, Orochimaru does not keep them waiting for too long. A moment later, a white figure bursts out of the ground, looking at Orochimaru in surprise and confusion.
"What is this?" The Fourth Kazekage and Chiyo look at each other, both greatly alarmed.
They had no idea that such a thing was hidden beneath Sunagakure. However, seeing its peculiar appearance, they have a vague guess, and their anger reaches its peak.
"At this point, you still think that the conflict between Konoha and Kusagakure ninjas is just between the two parties, right?"
Orochimaru says with his usual sarcastic tone, and then turns his gaze to the White Zetsu clone, smiling, "You are quite bold. Knowing my perception abilities, you still dare to get close."
"Don't think you..." The White Zetsu clone is about to say something when dense earth spikes pierce it like hundreds of needles.
"I know you are mass-produced and don't care about your lives."
Orochimaru smiles, turns his gaze to the Fourth Kazekage and Chiyo and others, and says faintly, "So, do you have the willingness to talk now?"
Kazekage Rasa and Granny Chiyo exchange glances. The latter speaks, "Is there such a thing hidden underground in Sunagakure Village?"
"I only took a cursory look. There are probably no more than this one."
Orochimaru cups his chin and smiles, "Not just in Sunagakure Village, but there are only a few in the Land of Wind. Much fewer than in the Land of Fire. I don't know why."
The Sunagakure ninjas present are already very sensitive to the hierarchy of village strength. They all hear the sarcasm in Orochimaru's words, and a flicker of anger flashes across their faces.
But in reality, Orochimaru doesn't just mean that.
According to his and the Lamp God's assumptions, the reason for the scarcity of White Zetsu clones in the Land of Wind is most likely due to the depletion of geomorphic energy. The Divine Tree's roots underground are too withered, making it not a suitable environment for them to live. If it weren't for Obito's strict orders, even this single White Zetsu might not have existed.
The atmosphere in the guesthouse hall is silent for a moment. Kazekage Rasa suddenly raises his head and says gravely, "Orochimaru, why have you come to my Sunagakure?"
"I said long ago, it's just a few transactions."
Orochimaru licks his lips, his gaze falls on Gaara, "Where should we start? How about starting with your Sunagakure Village's Jinchuriki?"
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