Aoshi's words instantly put every stationed ninja in Hōzuki Castle on edge.
Looking at the devastation surrounding them, not a single one doubted that Aoshi truly meant what he said.
If he chose to carry out a massacre, none of them could stop it.
They hurriedly made promises, again and again.
"Please give us two days, Aoshi-sama. We will immediately report this matter to our leader and ensure that you receive a satisfactory explanation."
Aoshi gave a cold snort. Still, he did not press them further.
These stationed ninjas knew nothing about the schemes of the Kusagakure elders. They were innocent.
"Then I'll give you two days."
The moment those words fell, every stationed ninja let out a breath of relief they hadn't realized they were holding.
Afterward, Aoshi and the others cleaned up the battlefield and took up temporary lodgings inside Hōzuki Castle itself.
Although it was a massive prison, it still maintained guest quarters for visiting personnel.
During the earlier battle, Kurenai and the other two had not dared to relax for even a second, their nerves stretched to the limit.
Now that everything was over, exhaustion crashed down on them all at once. They only wanted to sleep.
Yakushi Nono was in slightly better condition than the girls—but only slightly. After a quick bath, she too returned to her room and fell asleep almost immediately.
Taking advantage of the quiet, Aoshi quietly left a Shadow Clone behind.
His real body slipped away without a sound, setting off to finish off the fleeing Orochimaru.
---
At the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls, Orochimaru appeared.
Having failed to kill Hirakawa Aoshi, he naturally no longer dared to return to Konoha. That would be nothing short of walking straight into a trap.
He had no choice but to abandon the village and become a rogue ninja.
His plan was to cross the Land of Waterfalls and head toward the Land of Rice Fields, which bordered both the Land of Fire and the Land of Waterfalls.
It was a small country without a formal ninja village, but it housed several obscure shinobi clans and many rogue ninjas.
Years ago, Orochimaru had left a research base there. Now, he intended to use it as a foundation to gather an armed force completely under his control.
Perhaps… he would even build his own ninja village. That way, he would never again need to worry about research funds.
"Aoshi… once I perfect the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique, your body will be mine." As he stepped into the Land of Waterfalls, Orochimaru muttered darkly.
Originally, he had regarded Aoshi as nothing more than a promising rising star. Talented, yes—but still young.
If Orochimaru acted, it should have been effortless. Reality, however, had slapped him hard.
Complete defeat. After such meticulous preparation, he had still been forced to flee in disgrace.
Aside from his encounter with Hanzō, this was the second most humiliating moment of Orochimaru's life.
Yet it was precisely because Aoshi's performance had been so overwhelming that Orochimaru abandoned the idea of killing him outright.
Instead, he wanted Aoshi's body.
Under the original design of the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique, the body he possessed would also surrender all its knowledge and abilities.
The techniques Aoshi had already displayed were more than enough to make Orochimaru salivate.
As for his deal with Danzō? It no longer mattered.
"I'm afraid you won't get that chance." A cold voice cut through the air.
Orochimaru felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss, his entire body freezing on the spot.
He looked up. A massive flying summoned beast descended from the sky.
Standing calmly on its back was Aoshi himself.
For a brief moment, silence reigned.
Orochimaru was the first to speak. "Heh… Aoshi-kun, you surprise me yet again—tracking me this precisely."
His tone carried deep wariness. Having one's movements completely exposed was an extremely dangerous thing.
Hearing the hidden probe in his words, Aoshi merely chuckled, neither confirming nor denying anything.
He would never reveal his methods. Especially not to a dead man.
"I told you," Aoshi said coldly. "Today is the day you die, Orochimaru."
The frigid declaration echoed as Aoshi commanded the Ultimate Summoning Beast to attack.
Its colossal wings slammed downward, unleashing a violent storm.
Wind Release ninjutsu!
Orochimaru reacted instantly, forming seals and answering with his own Wind Release.
But his hastily cast technique was completely overwhelmed, scattered effortlessly by the beast's attack.
"Impossible!" Orochimaru stared in disbelief.
Summoned beasts could indeed amplify a ninja's combat power—but only the truly famous ones. Most served only auxiliary roles.
He had never seen, nor even heard of, the creature before him.
He had no way of knowing that this Ultimate Summoning Beast possessed wings from the Seven-Tails and carried a trace of Nine-Tails chakra.
Aside from the sage beasts of the Three Great Sage Regions, nothing could rival it.
Crack! Lightning burst from the horn on its head—fast, violent, and overwhelming.
Orochimaru narrowly dodged, but the bolt struck the ground, leaving behind a web of deep cracks.
Had it hit him directly, the damage would have been catastrophic.
Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!
Orochimaru spat out a torrent of serpents.
They swarmed over the Ultimate Summoning Beast like ants over an elephant, biting frantically.
With a single sweep of its wings, the beast flung them away, then followed with roaring flames that incinerated them completely.
Orochimaru never expected the snakes to win. He only needed time.
Boom! Several giant serpents appeared, each no smaller than the Ultimate Summoning Beast itself.
Manda was powerful—but far too unruly. And besides, he had only just been summoned earlier, with none of the promised sacrifices delivered.
Summoning him again now might not even earn a response.
More importantly, Orochimaru had no intention of continuing the fight.
He only wanted to buy time. But Aoshi would not allow it.
He had held back earlier only to test the Ultimate Summoning Beast's combat power.
Now that Orochimaru intended to flee, Aoshi would no longer stand idle.
Aoshi raised his right hand toward Orochimaru. A terrifying gravitational force erupted.
"What kind of technique is this?!" Caught by the invisible pull, Orochimaru's face twisted in shock.
He had never seen—nor even heard of—such a jutsu. For an instant, panic flashed through him.
He quickly steadied himself and launched an attack at Aoshi, hoping to force him to release the pull.
Aoshi gave him no chance. Black rods shot forward, piercing Orochimaru's body.
In an instant, Orochimaru's chakra was completely sealed.
Seizing the opening, Aoshi vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
Appearing in front of Orochimaru, he activated the Human Path, reading every memory—and then, without hesitation, ended his life by completely pulling out his soul.