"Where are we?"
"Huh? Snow?"
"The northern kingdom?"
After the Flying Thunder God, Orochimaru stared at the drifting snowflakes and felt a little disoriented.
A snowy land could only mean the northernmost Land of Frost—or perhaps even a distant island nation across the sea. Just how far had Kazuyama Gekkō sent them this time?
"With Snake Princess's chakra support, I just flew a little farther."
"I can't believe you! Even if you use my chakra, can't you be a little more careful? Do you know how hard it is for me to gather Senjutsu chakra?"
The moment Kazuyama Gekkō explained himself, Tagitsuhime exploded in outrage. Her crimson light condensed into the form of a young girl, and she immediately grabbed his cheeks with both hands, pulling them hard as she scolded furiously:
"Where exactly do you think you're flying to?"
"From the Land of Rivers to the Land of Frost! Do you have any idea how far that is?"
"You crossed several countries in between! You little brat, I swear I'll—"
Just as her spit was about to drown him, Kazuyama Gekkō calmly raised his right hand, forming a 'seven' gesture, though he said, "Six baskets of snakeberries..."
"Next time, fly even farther. I've got chakra to spare. You could make a round trip if you wanted."
The instant she heard "six baskets of snakeberries," Tagitsuhime's tone flipped completely. Her furious glare softened into a flattering smile.
Kazuyama Gekkō couldn't help but laugh at her skilled change of expression.
"Hey, you two. Deal with the one in my stomach first."
"If he keeps stabbing, I'll lose this belly of mine!"
Manda groaned, shifting his massive body as the snow piled onto his scales, trying to soothe the pain in his abdomen.
Only then did Kazuyama Gekkō and Orochimaru remember—there was still someone left to handle.
"Spit him out."
"Oh..."
Manda cast a resentful glance at Kazuyama Gekkō before gagging violently, performing a true snake-spitting act on the spot.
Though what came out wasn't exactly a "normal person."
"Damn snake!"
"Hm?"
Inside Manda's gut, Sasori of the Red Sand had nearly lost his mind. Even as a puppet, the mucus of a snake's stomach left him disgusted beyond words.
Now that he'd been spat out, his first instinct was to cut down the serpent in front of him.
The puppet of the Third Kazekage hovered at his side. As chakra poured in, the Iron Sand rose once more.
But when Sasori looked around at his surroundings, he faltered.
Wasn't he just in the Land of Rivers? How had it turned into a white, endless expanse of snow?
"Sasori, I really didn't expect it. You actually turned yourself into a puppet."
"Don't tell me being a puppet is actually better than being human?"
Kazuyama Gekkō stood beside him, Orochimaru at his shoulder. The master and disciple regarded the figure before them—or rather, the puppet-man.
A body of wood and metal, joints creaking with every step, requiring regular upkeep... what a tiresome existence.
"Hmph! Nonsense! A snake-charmer like you could never understand the benefits of becoming a puppet!"
"Iron Sand Drizzle!"
With no words left to exchange and hatred flaring, Sasori launched his attack without hesitation.
The pristine white snowfield was instantly peppered with countless black specks, ruining the scenery.
"Am I wrong?"
"Turn yourself into a puppet? Can you even eat anymore?"
"No meat, no water, no sweets, no fish!"
"You've abandoned even life's most basic pleasures. Poor little doll."
Sasori's head throbbed from the barrage of words. To silence the chatterbox before him, he poured out even more Iron Sand, turning the sky pitch-black.
Orochimaru watched as every attack was hurled at Kazuyama Gekkō, and he quickly stepped aside, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
"Hey, sensei, that's not fair."
"I know what you really think of him."
"Let me recall... oh, right. You said this: turning your body into a puppet is downright insane."
"Once you're a puppet, there's no blood, no piss—you're not even human anymore."
Kazuyama Gekkō caught sight of Orochimaru dodging and fumed, but then a new idea struck him. Without hesitation, he unleashed another flood of barbed words.
No wonder they called Kazuyama Gekkō sharp-tongued. Who else could spew such venom without pause?
Sasori snapped. His eyes burned with fury as he glared at Orochimaru.
The latter's eyes widened—he hadn't expected his own disciple to throw him under the bus like this.
"You too, Orochimaru—you'll die!"
"Uh... Kazuyama, that's going too far..."
But the attacks were already bearing down on him. What else could he say?
Orochimaru could only lash out, unleashing countless serpents in retaliation.
This time, without Nagato around, Kazuyama Gekkō and Orochimaru pressed him two-on-one. Sasori found himself under overwhelming pressure.
Kazuyama Gekkō's style was straightforward—Crystal Release at will, transforming everything around into glittering shards, then hurling them en masse at Sasori.
The crystals clashed with the Iron Sand in midair, a storm of white against black.
As for Orochimaru, his approach was even simpler—snakes. One hand threw snakes, both hands threw snakes, and when that wasn't enough, he opened his mouth and spat them out.
His whole body was practically made of snakes.
"Tch, what a pain. Can't you just behave?"
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Finally fed up, Kazuyama Gekkō leapt into the air, fingers weaving signs in a blur. His chest swelled, and torrents of water gushed forth from his mouth.
Waves surged and crashed, drenching the battlefield in a vast flood.
Both Sasori and Orochimaru were forced to halt their attacks and leap high into the air.
The speed of the surging currents was proportional to the chakra spent, and with Tagitsuhime's support, Kazuyama Gekkō's reserves now rivaled a Tailed Beast's.
"That chakra... unbelievable..."
"The power of Senjutsu really is terrifying..."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. The Water Release before him had far surpassed the scope of ordinary ninjutsu. The sheer volume and range, sustained by chakra, was staggering.
"Hmph! Just a puppeteer... back in the day—"
"Enough talk. Come!"
"Let me shatter that pitiful confidence of yours!"
Landing atop the water's surface, Kazuyama Gekkō radiated unshakable confidence.
Sasori's face hardened. Even though the water technique hadn't been aimed to kill, it had already revealed Kazuyama Gekkō's overwhelming might.