https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-685-The-Tsuchikage-Takes-the-Field/12937980/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-687-Dust-Style-World-Separation-vs-Unreachable-Infinity/12937982/
Chapter 686: Kicking the Chakra Steel Plate
Chapter 686: Kicking the Chakra Steel Plate
After the high council meeting, Orochimaru secretly set off for Six Paths City with a group of trusted Iwagakure Jonin, without even notifying Hikage, the Iwagakure representative in the city.
Orochimaru believed that this matter should be kept under wraps, the fewer people who knew, the better.
The reason was simple; Orochimaru felt that he was likely to lose.
Orochimaru did not think he was weaker than Enma, but he also did not think he was stronger. If Son Ryouka could defeat Enma, then he would likely defeat Orochimaru as well.
Since there was a high chance of losing, it was natural to try and contain the news.
It was not a glorious thing for a Kage to lose, and Orochimaru had no intention of passing on the title. Iwagakure couldn't even find a ninja to his satisfaction.
All the way into Six Paths City, Orochimaru maintained his Transformation Technique disguise, and the Iwagakure Jonin accompanying him did the same.
Upon entering the city, Orochimaru did not immediately seek out Son Ryouka but instead took a stroll around Six Paths City.
Although he had always kept an eye on Shinshu affairs, this was his first time visiting Six Paths City.
After all, he was the Fifth Mizukage and couldn't leave the village at will. He had to stay and maintain stability and oversee the village's affairs.
"These Shinshu ninjas don't seem to be in a panic at all," Orochimaru observed the Shinshu ninjas going about their duties in the city.
He wasn't just sightseeing; he was gathering intelligence, gauging the atmosphere in Six Paths City, and assessing the state of the Shinshu ninjas.
"Yellow Earth, let's go find Son Ryouka," Orochimaru said, turning to Yellow Earth, who was standing behind him.
For confidentiality, he only brought the most trustworthy ninjas, either veteran Iwagakure Anbu or Jonin he was very familiar with.
Yellow Earth nodded and led a few Iwagakure Jonin to a secluded area to release their Transformation Technique before heading to Shinshu's office building to meet with Son Ryouka.
Orochimaru would not negotiate with Son Ryouka personally; instead, Yellow Earth would convey his message.
If Son Ryouka agreed, they would choose a secret location outside Six Paths City for a friendly sparring match.
If Son Ryouka refused, Orochimaru would act as if he had never been there and return to Iwagakure with his subordinates.
Yellow Earth often served as Iwagakure's representative in dealing with Shinshu, and the Shinshu ninjas were quite familiar with him. He was able to meet with Son Ryouka smoothly and convey his request.
"You want to have a friendly sparring match with me..." Nagato Yuhiko's shadow clone made a thoughtful expression.
He knew that the friendly sparring was just a cover for gathering intelligence.
While Iwagakure's covert actions in the Rain Country might have escaped Shinshu's notice, Nagato was not only the leader of Shinshu; he was also the Hokage of Konoha.
Based on Iwagakure's actions, Nagato believed that they had some reservations about Shinshu and wanted to take action against them. Therefore, they wanted to exhaust their friendship before making their move.
"Sure, let's meet outside the city at 3 p.m.," Nagato's shadow clone agreed.
In the past, Nagato's shadow clone would not have been able to agree, and even if he did, he would not have been able to fight on the same day.
But now, with the No Limit Technique being superior to the Rasengan for long-distance travel, Nagato could quickly travel between different countries.
Since Orochimaru wanted intelligence, Nagato decided to show him what he wanted to see.
If Orochimaru was scared, he might become more compliant and bring peace to the ninja world. But if Orochimaru was not scared and instead wanted to eliminate Nagato's cover, Nagato hoped he would gather more allies, preferably enough to solve all his problems at once.
"Thank you," Yellow Earth said.
"It's no trouble. Iwagakure was very helpful when Six Paths City was first established," Nagato said with a smile.
Yellow Earth sighed and said nothing, bowing slightly to Nagato before leaving the office.
He felt ashamed that Iwagakure was plotting against Shinshu, yet Shinshu still remembered Iwagakure's past favors.
However, Yellow Earth was ultimately an Iwagakure ninja, and no matter how ashamed he felt, he did not reveal any of Iwagakure's plans to Son Ryouka.
Perhaps, from a moral standpoint, they were in the wrong, but from Iwagakure's and the Earth Country's perspective, they had done nothing wrong.
Although they had agreed to meet at 3 p.m., Orochimaru arrived at the designated location ten minutes early.
Coincidentally, Nagato also arrived at the same time with several Shinshu ninjas, including Nagato Yuhiko.
Since Orochimaru had confidentiality concerns, Nagato brought only a few people and specifically instructed them not to disclose any information.
"As expected of the legendary Shinso, just a glance from afar reveals a scholarly aura. It's true that meeting someone is better than just hearing about them," Orochimaru said with a smile.
After all, Iwagakure had taken the initiative to request the friendly sparring match with Shinshu, so they needed to maintain a friendly attitude.
Any potential fallout could be dealt with later; for now, they needed to show the stance of an ally.
Old Purple stood behind Nagato, gaping at Orochimaru's kind and gentle appearance. He had never seen Orochimaru look so benevolent before.
"I'm not worthy of being called a legendary ninja in front of my senior. When my reputation as the Two-Day Scale shook the ninja world, I was still a nobody."
"Yuyu Mumu's Business Flattery.
Although he knew that Orochimaru had ulterior motives, Yuyu Mumu didn't mind, as Orochimaru would soon get his comeuppance.
'Haha, no wonder those who have heard the Shinso lectures find them so captivating. Your eloquence is impressive, and I'd even like to attend your class,' Orochimaru chuckled.
This was indeed a sincere compliment.
Although Son Ryouka's words lacked ornate language, coming from him, Orochimaru found it rather flattering.
Old Purple was speechless, realizing that he could be quite the smooth talker.
Orochimaru noticed a peculiar gaze from a Shinso ninja named Shirakawa, but he didn't pay it much mind.
If his memory served him right, this ninja was in charge of the Shinso branch in the Bird Country.
While he might hold some status within Shinso, he hadn't demonstrated much strength and was merely a mid-level Shinso elite.
Orochimaru didn't give much thought to the majority of the mid-level Shinso elites, believing they were riding on Son Ryouka's coattails and were inferior to the elites of smaller hidden villages like the Grass Hidden Village.
'Then, the next time there's a lecture, I'll invite you on behalf of Shinso,' Yuyu Mumu said.
'Yes, I'll be there next time,' Orochimaru replied.
Since its establishment, Shinso had only held two lectures, with a significant gap between them.
If Orochimaru's plan went smoothly, there wouldn't be a third lecture.
At this point, the business flattery came to a temporary halt, and both sides began preparing for battle.
'Yellow Earth, move back with the others. Be cautious of getting caught in the crossfire,' Orochimaru warned the accompanying Stone Hide Shinobi, his eyes fixed on Son Ryouka.
If he unleashed his Dust Style at full power, the range of its impact would be immense, easily endangering the spectators.
The Stone Hide Jonin, including Yellow Earth, were all too familiar with the terrifying power of Orochimaru's Dust Style and quickly retreated.
'Father, give it your all!' Yellow Earth took a deep breath, secretly gathering his chakra, and focused intently on the battlefield, ready to use his ninjutsu to protect Orochimaru at any moment.
Before coming to Shinso, Yellow Earth had volunteered to test Son Ryouka's strength in Orochimaru's stead, but Orochimaru had refused, citing his insufficient strength.
While Yellow Earth was a formidable figure in the shinobi world, he wasn't on par with Son Ryouka, who had defeated Enma.
The other Stone Hide Jonin also remained vigilant, even though Shinso and the Stone Hide Village were currently on friendly terms. Battles could always take unexpected turns.
It was better to be prepared for any eventuality; if nothing went wrong, all would be well, but if something did, they could immediately support Orochimaru.
Given the choice, the Stone Hide Jonin would rather support Son Ryouka, as his victory would mean Orochimaru's defeat.
On the other side, Nagato and the others also moved to the rear.
Yuyu Mumu had only brought four people with him, and among them, Nagato and Old Purple had witnessed Yuyu Mumu's battle with Enma, understanding the sheer terror of his strength. While Yahiko and Xuan Nan hadn't seen it firsthand, they had heard accounts from spectators and dared not underestimate the situation.
'Sparring with Son Ryouka, this time you've bitten off more than you can chew,' Old Purple said, looking at Orochimaru with a smirk of schadenfreude.
Old Purple couldn't say he hated Orochimaru, but he certainly didn't like him.
Orochimaru wasn't the sole reason Old Purple left the Stone Hide Village, but he was more than just the final straw.
Now, with the opportunity to witness Orochimaru getting beaten up, Old Purple was in high spirits.
If Son Ryouka hadn't insisted on keeping things confidential, Old Purple would have loved to grab a camera and capture some photos of Orochimaru getting pummeled.
Having witnessed how Enma was crushed by Son Ryouka, Old Purple could already imagine the extent of Orochimaru's impending defeat.
Orochimaru's opponent was not just strong; he was a force that ordinary ninjas couldn't comprehend, a strength bordering on that of a ninja god.
Yahiko's eyes were fixed on the battlefield, his gaze alternating between the two standing figures.
As a ninja himself, hearing the Shinso ninjas' enthusiastic accounts of Son Ryouka's mysterious and powerful techniques in defeating Enma piqued his curiosity.
Xuan Nan clasped her hands in front of her chest, praying silently for Son Ryouka's victory without injury.
She had heard that the Fifth Mizukage possessed a Dust Style Blood Trail Elimination, a power surpassing even Bloodline Limits, with a terrifying destructive force.
Nagato's expression remained unchanged, and he watched the battlefield with a calm demeanor.
He was the one in Shinso most aware of Yuyu Mumu's strength and knew that Yuyu Mumu would undoubtedly defeat Orochimaru.
In fact, Nagato believed he could have taken on Orochimaru himself, as his Yang Breath had significantly improved under Yuyu Mumu's guidance. In Yuyu Mumu's words, with further training, Nagato might even master the Yang Breath Chakra Mode.
Additionally, Nagato had become increasingly adept at using the Rinnegan, now capable of utilizing all its basic abilities.
PS: There's another chapter coming, but the timing is uncertain.
Xiao Ju originally intended to write it all at once, but the deadline for the full attendance line is approaching, so he had to post a portion first to maintain his full attendance record.
(End of Chapter)
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