Yahiko watched the fight unfold before him—
a strangely beautiful clash.
Ice—layer after layer, shattering and reforming.
Crystal—facet after facet, blooming like frozen glass.
Yet his brow remained tightly furrowed, his expression grave.
"Elder, what's wrong?" Karin asked, noticing the change in his face. "Is Haku in danger?"
"…It doesn't flow right," Yahiko muttered.
The next instant, a crushing wave of chakra surged outward from him.
Within a hundred-meter radius, the air temperature plummeted. The battlefield seemed to freeze over in an instant. Haku—who had been on the verge of losing ground—suddenly stabilized, the pressure easing his struggle.
Karin quickly dragged Kimimaro farther back.
Right now, Yahiko felt less like a man and more like a walking glacier.
"Elder…" Karin whispered, staring at him. "You suddenly got… cold."
Yahiko shot her a look, then glanced up at the sky.
Two snowflakes drifted down.
"Snow…" he murmured. "Only two flakes? Looks like I still can't affect the weather on a large scale. Not strong enough yet."
"…Snow?" Karin blinked. "Isn't it almost May?"
"This is divine power," Kimimaro said reverently, eyes shining.
"I suppose it qualifies," Orochimaru's voice chimed in as he appeared nearby. "You've grown stronger again, senior."
Yahiko nodded. After boosting his medical skill, his chakra control had improved significantly. Before, manipulating elemental chakra finely enough to influence the environment like this would have been impossible.
"You showed up fast," Yahiko said lightly. "Worried I might go too far?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "You're free to deal with them however you wish. I was just concerned you might destroy Sound Village again. Rebuilding isn't cheap—and convincing the Land of Rice Fields' daimyo to fund it isn't easy."
"Convincing?" Yahiko smirked. "That doesn't sound like you. You usually just take what you want."
"If I did that," Orochimaru replied calmly, "the fact that a former Konoha rogue ninja founded a village here would become common knowledge."
"You're afraid Jiraiya will come looking for you."
Orochimaru didn't respond.
Instead, he said, "Very few people in Sound Village know I'm the leader. Cleaning up after your… sonic outburst earlier took quite some time."
Yahiko coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
"Kimimaro can join in. Taijutsu only—no Shikotsumyaku."
While he and Orochimaru had been talking, half of Haku's Demonic Ice Mirrors had shattered again. Talent-wise, Haku clearly surpassed Guren, but age and experience still mattered. Even with Yahiko's chilling pressure, Haku could only stall.
Karin and Kimimaro entered the fight as instructed.
Jirobo and Tayuya tried to assist—but were taken out almost instantly.
Karin flicked her wrist. A storm of kunai filled the air in front of Jirobo, turning his charge into a panicked retreat. At the last second, a crystal shield snapped into place, saving him from being riddled with steel.
Tayuya fared even worse. Her sound-based genjutsu had no effect on Kimimaro's ironclad will. He kicked her away effortlessly.
The battle shifted into a three-on-one.
Jirobo and Tayuya tried to rejoin repeatedly—only to be sent flying again.
"The Crystal Release girl isn't bad," Yahiko observed. "But if this keeps up, she'll die. You don't care?"
Orochimaru licked his lips. "If she dies here, it only means she wasn't strong enough."
Yahiko shook his head with a grin.
"She clearly admires you—and she's not bad-looking either. Ever thought about finding a partner? You're not getting any younger."
He was matchmaking again—even Orochimaru wasn't spared.
"And the Kaguya child's devotion to you is different?" Orochimaru countered.
Yahiko's face darkened instantly.
So he really doesn't care about gender at all…
Before the exchange could escalate, the fight came to a halt.
Not because someone had fallen—but because Haku dispelled the ice mirrors, revealing Orochimaru standing nearby.
Guren, Jirobo, and Tayuya froze.
Kimimaro and the others also stopped, turning toward Yahiko for instructions.
The three Sound ninja rushed over and dropped to one knee in unison.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
The synchronization was so perfect that Yahiko nearly laughed.
Orochimaru really did have an emperor vibe.
"Lord Orochimaru…" Guren asked, still glaring at Yahiko. "Is this man truly your guest?"
Even now, she clearly held a grudge.
Orochimaru didn't answer her. He looked to Yahiko instead.
Yahiko smiled.
"This time, Kimimaro's treatment succeeded thanks to your help. She's capable—keep her. I'd feel bad wrecking your forces when I'm the one asking favors."
He added casually, "I heard she came looking for me because someone named Zaku stirred things up. You might want to look into that."
Orochimaru tilted his head. "Zaku is currently in my laboratory."
The three Sound ninja went pale, stealing glances at Yahiko.
This would've been the perfect moment for a dramatic identity reveal—but Orochimaru waved them away first.
Yahiko exhaled, shooting Karin a look as she snickered.
"Kimimaro should fully recover in about two weeks," Yahiko said. "Your research library helped a lot. I owe you one."
"God," Kimimaro said earnestly, eyes shining.
Orochimaru didn't foolishly ask for Yahiko's blood. Instead, he said, "You mentioned earlier… Danzo is dead?"
When Yahiko nodded, Orochimaru continued,
"I attempted Edo Tensei. It failed."
Yahiko's expression changed instantly.
If Edo Tensei failed, it meant Danzo's soul was either sealed—or completely erased.
"Not many people can do that," Yahiko muttered. "Rinnegan…?"
He sighed. "So Danzo fell into their hands. Poetic justice, I suppose."
The thought troubled him briefly—but he soon relaxed.
As long as his strength remained overwhelming, his enemies would only dare act in the shadows.
For now, Kimimaro's recovery came first.
After that—creating his own taijutsu style and passing it down to the next generation.
But before that…
He needed a sparring partner.
"Orochimaru," Yahiko said calmly, "are Madara's cells ready? If not, summon Hashirama and Tobirama. I feel like chatting—and throwing a few punches."
Orochimaru nodded.
"I'll make the preparations."
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