Chapter 252: The Price of the Past
However, as Orochimaru's gaze swept over Naruto's Wood Clone and sensed the final hidden trick Urashiki was attempting to launch from within his severed head, the smile on her face gradually faded, and her brow furrowed imperceptibly.
This scene was all too familiar.
Orochimaru recalled her own embarrassing experience not long ago when she had tried to move against Naruto.
At that time, she had confidently prepared to brand Naruto with a Cursed Seal, only to discover that the opponent had merely sent a Shadow Clone to deal with her; his Main Body hadn't put itself at risk at all!
That carefully laid plan had completely fallen through, becoming something of a minor laughingstock.
Looking at the frenzied 'declaration' of Urashiki's head and the hidden energy surging toward the Wood Clone, Orochimaru could instantly deduce Urashiki's intention.
Before dying, he was attempting to forcibly strike his mark into this 'Naruto's' body, paving the way for a future revival or Possession.
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled back into a cold, slightly mocking arc as she spoke slowly and deliberately to Urashiki's head, which was rapidly losing vitality yet still maintained a distorted expression:
"What a pity, Your Excellency. What you 'hit' was nothing more than a Wood Clone.
This Clone will soon dissipate on its own, and along with any 'little gifts' you might have bestowed, it will vanish into nothingness."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the perception range of Urashiki's remaining consciousness.
The twisted, excited smile on Urashiki's head suddenly froze like a wax statue being flash-frozen.
Then, the expression began to change rapidly—from frozen triumph to a crack of shock, and finally to a completely shattered distortion of disbelief, fury, and ultimate despair... His final trump card, the hope he thought would turn the tables, had actually... fallen flat on a mere Clone?!
Watching Urashiki's spectacular and dramatic 'emotional collapse,' Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle lowly, her laughter filled with the delight of a researcher seeing ideal Materials about to fall into her hands.
Humans cannot even fully empathize with their past selves. How could one expect to empathize with a strange 'outlier' who suffered a similar fate?
To her, Urashiki's struggles, despair, and the failure of his final gambit were merely interesting observation samples.
And this corpse, containing infinite secrets, was about to become her most precious research material.
This fact alone was enough to make Orochimaru feel immense pleasure and satisfaction.
Just then, another powerful presence rapidly approached.
Poof!
A puff of white smoke dissipated, and Jiraiya—with the Two Great Immortals Shima and Fukasaku standing on his shoulders and distinct markings appearing on his face—had finally activated Sage Mode and arrived late.
"You're late again."
Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya.
"It couldn't be helped. During the Konoha Crush Plan, I saw your giant snakes from far away, so I started accumulating senjutsu chakra on the way. But this time was too sudden, and it was resolved too quickly."
Jiraiya scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.
"Facing an enemy that even Naruto felt required serious preparation, I was cautious and wanted to join the battle in my most perfect Sage Mode state! Hahahaha!"
He tried to hide his regret at not being able to help with a boisterous laugh, but Orochimaru wasn't buying it at all.
"Since you don't plan on switching bodies or being revived by Edo Tensei in the future, you should drink less alcohol. Don't die so fast that you become an eyesore."
Orochimaru looked at Urashiki's corpse, which was being burned by Amaterasu, feeling a bit pained for the body.
She looked at Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya, I remember you know the Fire Sealing Technique. Seal this fire, quickly!"
Jiraiya nodded, performed hand Seals, and then tore off a piece of his clothing to use as a medium to Seal the Amaterasu inside.
"I'll compensate you with a new one later."
After Orochimaru pulled out the Yaso Magatsukiri, she released a white snake to swallow Urashiki's corpse. After greeting Naruto, she left without looking back.
——————————
By evening, the barrier of the Heaven and Earth Sealing Place was finally opened.
During the day, Naruto and the Second Hokage sent out a large number of Clones to erase the memories of the Konoha Village residents regarding this incident.
Except for a few people in Hidden Leaf Village, no one would remember this event.
This fundamentally prevented the news from leaking out.
After all, Otsutsuki Isshiki was still alive. Although he wasn't causing trouble now, there was no guarantee he wouldn't come out to stir things up once he learned Hidden Leaf Village had the strength to kill an Otsutsuki.
Naruto didn't want to face Isshiki yet; that guy's combat experience was not something Urashiki could compare to.
Urashiki had appeared too quickly this time, and since Karasuki needed to locate the original world, Boruto and Adult Sasuke had not yet left.
After Adult Sasuke's presence was discovered, the Sasuke family of this world rushed over.
"Sasuke..."
Mikoto's voice choked up slightly as she looked up at Adult Sasuke's face, which was much more mature, cold, and weather-beaten than her current son's.
"You have already awakened the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and possess such great power... yet you still lost a hand..."
Her fingertips gently brushed over Adult Sasuke's right side, as if she could feel the countless brutal battles he had experienced through his skin.
"It seems in the future... you have suffered a lot as well."
Mikoto's voice was full of maternal love and sighs; she didn't ask for the reason, only felt pure heartache.
"Ahem..."
Adult Sasuke cleared his throat somewhat uncomfortably.
He was a bit embarrassed, not because he had encountered some incredibly powerful enemy.
This hand was lost in the 'final duel' between him and Naruto after completely dealing with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—a duel that decided the future path of the Ninja World and settled all the grievances between them.
That battle had no schemes and no outsiders; it was just him and Naruto. Both had given their all, wagering their respective ideals, bonds, and even their lives.
He had used Chidori, and Naruto had used Rasengan.
The two ultimate strikes representing their respective paths and power collided violently above the Valley of the End.
The result was... mutual destruction.
In the violent energy explosion, their attacks not only canceled each other out, but the dissipating energy completely vaporized the arms they used for the techniques into a bloody mist, leaving not a single piece of intact tissue behind.
It was 'mutual dismemberment' in the truest sense; that battle was tragic and pure.
Although the two reconciled later, Adult Sasuke found this kind of hot-blooded youthful history to be... quite embarrassing.
As for not using a prosthetic limb... Adult Sasuke had his own considerations.
To him, this severed arm was not just a scar, but a reminder and a witness.
It constantly reminded him of that decisive battle with Naruto, of the stray path he had once taken and his eventual return, and of that unbreakable bond and peace exchanged at the cost of blood and pain.
It was a self-chosen form of 'remembrance.'
"Just some... prices of the past."
Adult Sasuke eventually only responded to Mikoto's concern in a low, vague voice, without offering a detailed explanation.
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