Ever since the seawater had surged in, Orochimaru hadn't lifted a finger.
He simply stood beside Manda, watching as Kazuyama Gekkō crushed Sasori of the Red Sand in a one-sided battle.
It wasn't that Sasori wasn't strong. But against this disaster-class Water Release, he couldn't stir up so much as a ripple—because even the waves themselves were being toyed with by his opponent.
A puppeteer lives and dies by his puppets; all his techniques are channeled through them.
Sasori was an elite among puppeteers, but that strength was both his rise and his downfall. With puppets, he was a master. Without them, just another apprentice.
In the battle in the Land of Rivers, he had already lost many puppets, and those that remained were caught up in Nagato's Chibaku Tensei.
Now, counting even the Third Kazekage puppet, he had barely more than a dozen left.
For an opponent like that, Kazuyama Gekkō used the simplest, most effective approach.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Water Release: Umbrella of the Heavens!"
"Water Release: Giant of the Waves!"
"Water Release: Fang Cage!"
With a seal, the Shadow Clone split into three, each clone alongside the original weaving hand signs and unleashing jutsu in unison.
The Qingluo Treasure Umbrella anchored the field. Towering wave-giants rose from the surface, one after another, while spiraling water tornadoes whirled at their flanks.
The crashing tide left Sasori of the Red Sand dumbstruck.
Fragile puppets against towering giants of the sea—how was he supposed to fight that?
Even his poisoned weapons were useless against the torrents.
Only the Iron Sand of the Third Kazekage managed to hold out a little longer, but it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
From the moment the sea swelled to Sasori's defeat, barely two minutes had passed.
Submerged beneath the waves, Sasori was sealed within a water prison conjured by one of Kazuyama Gekkō's shadow clones.
Orochimaru stared blankly at the scene. His earlier assessment of Kazuyama Gekkō's power had been completely, utterly wrong.
This wild, overwhelming Water Release brought to mind another man—Konoha's Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
The one who had truly turned Water Release into a sea itself, whose mastery of the art was unmatched.
"Hmph. Just a puppet user. You really thought you were something?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that thing in your chest is your core, isn't it?"
"So you didn't even go all the way. Still left yourself a chakra core as your engine. Hmph. Idiot."
Trapped inside the water prison, Sasori would've been fuming smoke from every orifice—if he had orifices left. But as a puppet, there was nothing to vent.
As the battle ended, the seawater slowly ebbed away. The flood had stripped the snow clean off the land, baring the soil beneath.
"Sensei, what do you think?"
"Interested? That's a chakra core. Take it back—see if you can build me a robot."
Kazuyama Gekkō hadn't forgotten Orochimaru's gift for mechanics. He intended to use it—get himself a robot out of the deal.
"Who taught you those Water Release techniques?"
"What?"
Instead of humoring him, Orochimaru's curiosity fixated on Kazuyama Gekkō's water jutsu.
Several in a row—jutsu he'd never seen before.
The colossal umbrella, the ocean giants, the swirling waterspouts… none of them belonged to Konoha's archives.
For someone like Orochimaru, who had racked his brains studying jutsu his whole life, the unknown was irresistible.
"Water Release?"
"Let me think. Some I learned in Kumogakure, some in Kirigakure."
Orochimaru's expression soured. So every mission this brat had gone on, he'd been aiming at specific targets—stealing people, stealing techniques.
Effective. Very effective.
"…Fine. Your power has already surpassed mine."
"Just the scale of that Water Release alone—an ordinary Kage wouldn't stand a chance."
"Heheheh… who would've thought. For my disciple to surpass me."
A thought crossed his mind—Jiraiya, and Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze.
Now the Fourth Hokage had surpassed his own teacher, and rumor had it Jiraiya even chased after Minato to learn jutsu.
"Tch. Isn't that just how it goes?"
"The waves of the river push forward, the old ones crash on the shore."
"Sensei, let me tell you something. You haven't even seen my boy yet. Have you ever met a one-year-old with a Kekkei Genkai?"
Seeing Orochimaru lost in his musings, Kazuyama Gekkō decided to stoke the fire—make him see that times were moving forward, and that science was what he should pursue.
"Your brat, Michihito Gekkō?"
"He's already awakened a Kekkei Genkai? Scorch Release? Transparent Release? Or Crystal Release?"
Kazuyama Gekkō's and Pakura's Kekkei Genkai were both well known to Orochimaru, and either was outstanding in its own right.
But to awaken one at a year old—that was far too soon. Which only meant Michihito Gekkō's talent was extraordinary.
"Scorch Release. That's why I've been thinking about having a second child."
"My incredible Transparent Release has to be passed down somehow!"
"The title of 'Konoha's Ghost' needs an heir!"
Kazuyama Gekkō sighed. He couldn't help but feel disappointed that his son hadn't inherited his Transparent Release, overshadowed instead by Pakura's bloodline.
For someone as fiercely competitive as Kazuyama Gekkō, that stung deeply.
Which meant lately, Pakura had been exhausted.
"Heheheheh. Your title, indeed."
"That's why, Sensei, I think you ought to focus more on science. Look at this guy—just with puppet modifications, he's built himself countless stand-ins."
Kazuyama Gekkō shifted the conversation once again toward science, even pointing to Sasori of the Red Sand as an example.
"Digging into ninjutsu will never compare to the possibilities of scientific research."
"Take your forbidden jutsu, for example—Impure World Reincarnation, and that other Reincarnation Technique."
"If you keep investing in this, live longer, research more… Sensei, you could become the greatest scientist this world has ever seen."
"When that day comes… tch tch… you research, I'll fight. Together we'll sweep away everything."
Kazuyama Gekkō's mind was already running wild, picturing a mechanized army marching forth, trampling over Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, one Madara, two Madaras.
Flatten them all! Let them die!
Watching Kazuyama Gekkō lost in fantasy, Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle.
Research, hm…
Yes, that was indeed what he loved. His two great forbidden techniques were already on track.
But the cost of research was steep.
"Enough. Let's deal with this one first."
"Channeling everything into the core as its power source… hm. Not a bad idea."
Orochimaru's gaze fell on the chest of Sasori of the Red Sand. The latter glared back furiously—though it hardly made a difference anymore.