If they were to truly fight to the end, even if Orochimaru used all his trump cards, he would be no match for Kushina.
Kushina still had the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Sage Mode, Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and a combination of all three as her trump cards.
In this state, Kushina was already at the pinnacle of the ninja world. Even if Uchiha Madara were revived, she could still fight him head-on for a while.
However, it would also be very difficult for Kushina to kill Orochimaru. His life-preserving abilities were too strong.
One had won, but not completely; the other had lost, but not completely.
When the two of them returned from the devastated forest, the way Yakushi Kabuto, Kimimaro, and the other Otogakure ninja looked at them was one of utter awe!
Especially Kimimaro and the other Otogakure ninja. They had already been brainwashed by Orochimaru, and seeing him so powerful, they almost regarded him as a god.
The two returned to the Otogakure building. The damaged building had already been preliminarily repaired, and the group went straight to the banquet hall.
The five of them took their seats as host and guests and began to enjoy the food, which could barely be called a delicacy.
Orochimaru knew that Kageyama Kogetsu was a picky eater, so he had specially invited famous chefs from the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water.
The chefs of Otogakure were not good because Orochimaru didn't care about the taste of food. As long as it could fill his stomach and provide energy for life activities, it was enough.
As the leader goes, so do the followers. This led to the low standards for food throughout Otogakure. Some ruthless individuals even used nutrient supplements instead of food.
Among the ninja villages, Konoha was considered to have a relatively relaxed atmosphere, with less intense competition and less strict rules.
Although Otogakure was not as cruel as Kirigakure, it was not uncommon for people to die in training, sparring, and experiments.
The relationship between the Otogakure ninja could be seen from the trio of Dosu, Zaku, and Kin who participated in the Chunin Exams in the original story. There was some camaraderie, but very little.
In fact, the situation in Otogakure was the norm for ninja villages. Konoha and Kumogakure were a bit more warm, Sunagakure and Kirigakure were a bit more cruel, and Iwagakure was in between.
After the meal, Kageyama Kogetsu and Kushina did not stay long and left directly, still taking their time on the way back.
Before the two of them returned to Konoha, the statement issued by Otogakure had already reached the headquarters of Konoha and other major powers.
Konoha was very satisfied with their actions and let them return to the village at a leisurely pace.
The other powers, especially Kumogakure and Iwagakure, were very displeased.
Konoha and Sunagakure were allies, and now they had a little brother. Kusagakure was leaning towards Konoha, and their relationship with Amegakure was also alright. It was truly unsettling!
However, now was not the time to start a Great Ninja War. Kumogakure and Iwagakure did not dare to make any major moves and chose to secretly send people to stir up trouble and destroy relationships.
But it was hard to say how effective it would be. The powers that had survived in the ninja world until now were not fools...
Obito's group also received the relevant intelligence through White Zetsu.
Although it was a bit of a headache, they didn't feel that things were out of control. They were, however, quite impressed with Orochimaru's strength and listed him as one of their monitoring targets.
...
Returning to Konoha, Kageyama Kogetsu took a two-day leave and quietly came to Otogakure again.
Since Kageyama Kogetsu did not hide his chakra fluctuations, Orochimaru, who was conducting an experiment, was startled...
Orochimaru was only in charge of the general direction of Otogakure's management. Specific matters were handled by Kimimaro, Yakushi Kabuto, and others.
"I say, can't you knock on the door when you come?" Orochimaru was a little speechless.
"Haha... you're not one to follow the rules when you make an entrance either, always crawling out of a snake's mouth," Kageyama Kogetsu laughed loudly.
"Forget it. What do you want from me?" Orochimaru said as he continued his experiment.
"I have two projects I need you to research. The experimental funds are unlimited, as long as you can get them done for me," Kageyama Kogetsu said, getting straight to the point.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's interest was immediately piqued. He stopped his experiment and turned around. "What projects?"
"The first project is to research a way for ordinary people to cultivate chakra."
Although chakra is a combination of physical and spiritual energy, in this world, not all ordinary people have the aptitude to become ninja.
Orochimaru frowned, confused. "What are you trying to do?"
"Benefit all of humanity, or harm all of humanity?"
After a moment of thought, Kageyama Kogetsu smiled, "Half and half."
This statement made Orochimaru even more confused.
"What about the second project?"
Kageyama Kogetsu said in a deep voice, "Research a currency that can store chakra for a long time. You can experiment with various materials such as gold, silver, and copper."
"If you encounter any problems, just tell me. I'll solve them if I can. If I can't, I'll find a way to solve them."
After hearing about the two projects, Orochimaru thought for a moment and then smiled, "Although I don't know what you're planning to do, I can see that your ambition is terrifyingly large."
Kageyama Kogetsu was noncommittal. "So, are you taking them or not?"
Orochimaru beamed, "Of course I'm taking them. How can I not participate in such interesting things?"
"It's just that these two projects are not easy. I'm not sure when they'll be successful."
Kageyama Kogetsu said with a blank expression, "Alright, you're not satisfied even with ample funding. Just say what you want."
Orochimaru smiled smugly, "Heh heh... I have to thank you for the inspiration, Kogetsu-kun. When funds are lacking, I just go and pull a secret job, so I'm not really short of money."
"Hmph... so I've shot myself in the foot."
"Hey, not at all, not at all. Didn't I not charge you a single penny for the things you wanted later on?"
"You provide the start-up funds for these two projects, and I won't ask you for money later either."
"Alright then. What do you want?"
"You should know what I want, Kogetsu-kun," Orochimaru said meaningfully.
An idea sparked in Kageyama Kogetsu's mind. He said in a deep voice, "Alright. If I see a glimmer of success in these two projects, I'll give you some of my personal intelligence materials for you to research."
"Don't worry. These two projects are listed as my main research projects. I will definitely do my best," Orochimaru said with a broad smile.
"That's for the best."
"Don't make me wait too long. It would be best to get them done within five years, and no more than ten years at most," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a serious expression.
"I can't guarantee it, but I will do my best to meet your requirements," Orochimaru said with a serious expression.
"Alright, I'll be going now."
"Mm."
...
Land of Birds. On a mountain path between hills, two figures were walking slowly...
Kageyama Kogetsu tore through space and descended. After confirming that no White Zetsu were following the two of them, he landed in front of them from a high altitude.
Seeing the person, Pakura was slightly stunned, then quickly ran over, a broad smile on her face as she looked at Kageyama Kogetsu.
Kageyama Kogetsu smiled and nodded, then looked at Kakuzu. "Long time no see. How have you been?"
Kakuzu said in a deep voice, "Same as always, very fulfilling. You've come at a good time."
"I have something to report to you."
Kageyama Kogetsu smiled, "If it's not urgent, we can talk about it when we go to eat later."
"The various bird dishes in the Land of Birds are quite good. Let's go and try them together."
The two of them naturally had no objections and followed Kageyama Kogetsu to the nearest town, where they found the restaurant with the best reputation.
In a private room, the three of them ate various bird dishes, their cups clinking as they chatted casually. The atmosphere was very good.
After a few rounds of drinks and several courses of food, Kakuzu put down his wine glass and got to the point.
"I mainly want to report to you on the development of the believers."
Kakuzu called the ninja who shared Kageyama Kogetsu's ideals "believers."
Kageyama Kogetsu was a little embarrassed. In the past, when he came to see Pakura, he rarely asked about related matters.
"Speak. I'm listening..."
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