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The stone steps of the mountain path led upwards to the shrine. As he walked, Orochimaru rifled through his vast library of truth, retrieving all knowledge concerning the "Four Earthly Gods."
The Four Earthly Gods… were ancient deities native to the very land of this ninja world. Unlike the celestial beings, the Ōtsutsuki, they were not gods by birth.
Be they human or non-human, through their own karma and paths, they attained divine status, wielding divine authority over different domains.
Three of these gods had already had their veils lifted.
The Shinigami, representing death and sacrifice. In life, the Shinigami was human, originally named "Jinnai," a direct descendant of the Sage of Six Paths… the oldest traceable ancestor of the Uzumaki clan. Before death, to create a forbidden technique, he sacrificed many of his clansmen. After death, his soul, fueled by immense willpower, returned from hell and became the spirit medium for the Reaper Death Seal.
Now, the Shinigami was sealed within Orochimaru, its future uncertain.
The Jashin, representing slaughter and curses. In life, Jashin was also human, their true name lost… said to be an ancestor of the Chinoike clan. Obsessed with physical immortality, they conducted mad experiments and killings, amassing fanatical followers—the Jashin cult. But even Jashin could not resist the ravages of time. After death, to perpetuate their power, they would select contractors from their believers, choosing vessels through ritual.
Now, the Ketsuryūgan, which served as Jashin's shrine, belonged to Karin. Its future was bright.
The Quetzalcoatl, symbol of power and tyranny. Its true name was "Kurobane," the first Snake King of Ryūchi Cave, possessing power rivaling the White Snake Sage. One cave could not hold two serpents. Restless with mere immortality in the sacred land, it ventured into the human world. Its monstrous, god-like power led to worship, and through absorbing faith, it became "Quetzalcoatl."
Now, the White Snake Sage had gifted Quetzalcoatl's portrait to Sasuke. But to summon it, one without faith yet possessing great power must kowtow one hundred thousand times.
So, the final seat among the Four Earthly Gods, the one associated with the Fushimi Inari Shrine now before Orochimaru's eyes, was ready to be named.
Inari Okami… symbol of wisdom and cunning. Its true name was "Misaki Inari," said to be a white fox.
A non-human like Quetzalcoatl, but without such a terrifying background.
It began as an utterly ordinary fox, just slightly cleverer than its peers. It could understand human speech, allowing it to perform acts that greatly pleased humans, becoming a pet in a noble household of ancient times.
In that era, Ninshū was already flourishing. Noble families, naturally, began recruiting those with ninjutsu talent as honored guests.
As the noble's pet, it spent its days wagging its tail and acting cute by its master's side, silently memorizing the hand seals the guests used for their jutsu. Late at night, when all was quiet and the master slept, it would use transformation jutsu to take human form… practicing the stolen techniques in the rice paddies outside the estate.
If anyone passed the fields, it would pretend to be a scarecrow to slip by. Year after year, this fox amassed powerful chakra and mastered over a thousand techniques.
Because it achieved its power amidst the inari (rice fields), it named itself "Misaki Inari."
After becoming "Inari Okami," it gained its own shrine… but it disliked ostentation. Shrines dedicated to it must be built on remote mountaintops.
If enshrined in noisy, crowded places, one would not receive its blessing; instead, misfortune would befall them.
Inari Okami liked to refer to itself as "this fox," and it despised other foxes.
It was also said that Inari Okami could possess its followers to help them avert disaster… but the price was a significant portion of their lifespan.
Because Inari Okami had too many taboos and the price was too high, the number of followers dwindled over the years. By modern times, it had almost faded from the world, and the location of its shrine was unknown to all.
That… was everything Orochimaru could find scouring the texts.
The texts did not record… what happened between "Misaki Inari" and "Inari Okami"… as if it had been deliberately erased.
Orochimaru's thoughts returned to the present.
He stopped beneath the shrine's torii gate. Through the mist, at the base of the shrine steps, stood two fox statues, one on each side.
Before the offering table hung with a large bell, a figure stood with its back to him.
He knew that Inari Okami could possess people. So, gazing at the figure's back, he asked directly, "Inari Okami, I don't recall ever offending you, do I?"
"Hee hee hee…" The laugh was sharp. "Is that so? But this fox knows very well you've had your eye on me~"
Sniff, sniff… The figure sniffed the air. "So smelly. You reek of fox too…"
As mentioned, Inari Okami liked to call itself "this fox" and despised other foxes. The Nine-Tails chakra lingering on Orochimaru disgusted it.
But disgust was just disgust. Inari Okami was clear about love and hate; it wouldn't trouble Orochimaru over something so trivial.
Also, Inari Okami disliked speaking in circles unless necessary.
It used the possessed body to offer three sticks of incense to itself. Then, it spoke plainly to Orochimaru behind it. "This fox knows well you're after me."
"This fox has an ability. Whether you're a follower or not, as long as you think about this fox, this fox knows everything."
"You've been planning to claim this fox for yourself for a long time, haven't you? Just like… you claimed the Shinigami Jinnai and the Nine-Tails demon for yourself!"
WHOOSH!
As the words fell, a wave of killing intent erupted.
The shrine surroundings instantly grew tense, every sound a potential threat.
Ding-ding-dang-dang… The bell swayed wildly in the wind, ringing incessantly.
Inari Okami knew well how to create an imposing aura.
Orochimaru began to understand. "So… you learned of my 'Four Earthly Gods' plan remotely, thinking it's better to eliminate me first rather than be claimed by me someday?"
The stone fox statues of Fushimi Inari narrowed their eyes. Spooky. They were made of stone, yet they radiated a cunning light.
The figure's voice came. "Hee hee hee, human called Orochimaru, you're quite clever. You're right. This fox has wanted to deal with you for a long time. But you're always surrounded by people. This fox finally seized the chance when you were alone and lured you here."
Orochimaru smiled. "I see. Truly worthy of the symbol of wisdom and cunning. But while you can trap me, you cannot kill me."
"Hee hee hee… Trapping you is enough, isn't it? You need to hurry back to do something for that brat Sasuke, right? Otherwise, in two weeks, he'll be dead. What to do? Oh, sorry, this fox misspoke. It took you a day to get here, so it's actually thirteen days now~."
"That is indeed troublesome…"
"Hee hee hee, realizing it's troublesome now?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed to slits. "No. What's troublesome is… this shrine, and this pitiful human you've possessed!"
BOOM!
The next instant, Orochimaru's hair flew wildly as he shot forward!
His powerful aura even scattered the mist.
The eyes of Fushimi Inari also narrowed. "Is that so… If it's troublesome, then don't bother."
It slowly turned to face Orochimaru.
He saw the true face of the human possessed by Inari Okami. Orochimaru's pupils contracted violently. His charge skidded to an abrupt halt.
That person was…!!!
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