The Hoshikage of Star Ninja Village, despite being over eighty years old, was a seasoned veteran.
Having witnessed Orochimaru's overwhelming power, he knew better than to engage in direct conflict. With this in mind, he quickly decided to escort the three visitors deeper into the village, making every effort to keep the situation calm.
Orochimaru, unconcerned by the Hoshikage's cautious hospitality, followed along leisurely, chatting with the old man as if they were old friends. The atmosphere seed surprisingly relaxed and harmonious as they walked.
anwhile, the Hoshi-nin left behind took the opportunity to check on their fallen comrades. Upon confirming that their injuries were minor and their lives were not in danger, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. At least he had no intent to kill."
"Yeah… but what was that power just now? It felt far stronger than anything we've ever seen."
"Terrifying..."
The star ninjas exchanged nervous glances. Having experienced Orochimaru's Susanoo firsthand, they couldn't deny the truth in his words.
Their treasured star, their pride as a village, seed insignificant in comparison to the strength of the larger nations.
The sheer presence of Orochimaru's abilities made them realize how outmatched they were, let alone the strength of the hidden villages beyond their reach.
In reality, Orochimaru had been careful not to inflict serious harm. After all, he wasn't here to create unnecessary conflict, and doing so would only make things difficult.
For him, senseless killing served no purpose.
---
The Mysterious Peacock thod, which allowed users to transform chakra into animal-like forms, relied on a special teorite housed within Star Ninja Village.
Under the guidance of the Third Hoshikage, Orochimaru and his companions arrived at the crater where the teorite had landed centuries ago.
At the center of the crater was a small building that served as the village's training ground.
When Orochimaru opened the door, he found five or six young ninjas practicing around a platform in the middle of the room. At the center of the platform rested the teorite. Among the group, two of the practitioners were girls.
"Is this the star?" Orochimaru asked, his tone calm and detached. "Hoshikage-sama, I'll need so ti alone."
It was clear he wanted to examine the teorite without interference.
The Third Hoshikage hesitated for a mont before sighing in resignation. He called out to the young ninjas inside.
"Everyone leave the room for now. Suspend your training for a while."
"Why?"
"What's going on, Lord Hoshikage?"
"Don't ask. Just leave imdiately!" the old man barked, his tone heavy with exasperation.
The young ninjas exchanged confused glances but obeyed, walking out of the room reluctantly.
Orochimaru wasted no ti. He stepped up to the platform and sat down. Pulling out a pouch, he tossed a stack of money, 100,000 ryo to the Hoshikage.
"This is for your cooperation," he said simply. "And I'll need a copy of your training thod as well."
The old man smiled weakly as he accepted the paynt. Despite his age and experience, he was powerless to resist Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru had handled his subordinates with minimal effort. What choice did he have?
Once the Hoshikage left the room, Orochimaru picked up the teorite in his hand and examined it closely.
"Lord Orochimaru, what exactly is this?" Kabuto asked curiously, his eyes fixed on the teorite.
Kabuto wasn't as intrigued by Orochimaru's combat prowess as he was by his intellect. He admired how Orochimaru seed to know everything, even about a place he'd never visited before.
"This is the star they use for training," Orochimaru explained casually. "It's said to have fallen from the sky about two hundred years ago."
He began recounting the information he had gathered.
The teorite contained a fragnt of the Ten-Tails' chakra. As an extraterrestrial object, it was also highly radioactive.
These two factors made it extrely dangerous. Ordinary ninjas couldn't handle prolonged exposure to the star. Those who attempted to train near it often faced dire consequences, lifelong disability or even death.
"To think the ninjas of Star Village still practice with this..." Orochimaru muttered. "They're either incredibly stubborn or utterly reckless. Do they really think the Ten-Tails' chakra is sothing they can control?"
As Orochimaru spoke, i crossed her arms and scoffed. "The Ten-Tails? What a load of nonsense. Since when was there such a thing? The strongest tailed beast has always been the Nine-Tails of Konoha. Where are you even getting this from? Did you just make it up?"
Hearing her skepticism, Orochimaru smirked. "Ignorance isn't a cri. But when you treat your ignorance as fact, that's when you look like a fool."
He turned to her with an amused glint in his eyes. "Kirigakure is so isolated from the rest of the world. I doubt you've even heard of the Rinnegan, let alone the Ten-Tails."
"The Rinnegan? You an the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?" Terumi i frowned. "Those are just myths, aren't they?"
"Oh, you've at least heard of them," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. "Myth or not, you'll find out soon enough."
Too impatient to explain further, Orochimaru dismissed the conversation and refocused on the teorite.
Not long after, the Third Hoshikage returned with a written copy of the training thod. Orochimaru scanned through it briefly and understood it imdiately.
"The chakra in the body can be altered by the star's influence?" he mused aloud. "Kabuto, stand guard."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied promptly.
---
While Orochimaru was engrossed in studying the teorite, events were unfolding back in Konoha.
After deliberation among Konoha's leadership, they had reluctantly decided to approve Orochimaru's request. Their goal was to minimize casualties in the ninja world, and with peace treaties signed with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, their options were limited.
For now, Konoha maintained a hostile stance only toward the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water.
---
Knock, knock, knock!
A firm knock sounded at the Hokage's office door.
"Co in!" Tsunade called out.
The door opened, and Hiruzen entered, followed by Konoha's two advisers and a young man.
"Old man, what brings you here?" Tsunade asked curiously.
Hiruzen gestured toward the young man. "I've brought soone for you to et. You should know him, right?"
Tsunade's eyes shifted to the figure standing behind the group.
The young man wore a black, short-sleeved Uchiha uniform. His short, neatly kept hair frad sharp, intelligent eyes. A sword rested on his back.
When Hiruzen introduced him, the young man stepped forward.
Tsunade smiled. "Of course. Uchiha Shisui, also known as 'Shisui of the Body Flicker.' A genius ninja who played a key role in the last war. What's this about?"
"His eyes," Hiruzen said calmly, "may be the key to stopping Orochimaru."
***
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