"Chōmei, you have to keep an eye on things for me at all times. I don't want to die young."
"Relax, I got this. If anything goes wrong, I'll just slap a Tailed Beast cloak on you!"
With that, the operation to break through the restrictions resumed—this time, even more extreme than before.
The security measures on the research lab's door were getting downright ridiculous. Poison gas? Explosions? Kazuyama could deal with that. But what if a barrier activated and suddenly summoned a giant toad?
And when that toad opened its mouth—dear god, it was packed with poisonous insects.
Kazuyama's voice cracked in sheer terror.
But that was just the warm-up. As one of Konoha's three great evils, Orochimaru truly took "toxic" to a whole new level.
Poisonous insects? Poisonous toads? Child's play.
One restriction involved a sealed box. The moment Kazuyama opened it—bam!—it was packed with venomous snakes. Not just any snakes, either. These were modified to self-destruct.
One after another, they exploded, their toxic blood spraying everywhere. The overwhelming stench hit Kazuyama like a brick wall, and for a second, he nearly vomited up last night's dinner.
"Orochimaru, you're ruthless!"
"What the hell is this?!"
"Your whole damn family is cursed!!!"
Kazuyama snapped, staring at the small hut now drenched in poisonous blood and the mangled corpses of venomous insects.
Meanwhile, the defensive forces of Konoha and Sunagakure's vanguard clashed for the first time.
Despite having fewer than 80 men left, Sasori was furious. Fueled by rage, he led his troops straight into Konoha's camp, launching an all-out assault.
For a while, a relentless storm of ninjutsu engulfed the battlefield. But Sasori wasn't here just to fight—he was here for Orochimaru.
As Konoha's commander-in-chief, Orochimaru wasn't one to sit back and take hits. The moment the first wave of attacks subsided, he launched a counteroffensive.
Whether he underestimated Sunagakure or simply didn't care, he brought only 50 men with him.
The moment Sasori spotted Orochimaru, his fury boiled over.
"You bastard! You absolute bastard!"
"Die!"
The crimson-haired teenager wasted no time, unleashing three puppets that immediately surrounded Orochimaru. Poisoned needles and toxic gas filled the air, streaking toward him in a deadly assault.
"Heh heh heh… Chiyo's grandson, is that right?"
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
With a flick of his wrist, Orochimaru summoned a writhing swarm of snakes, sending them crashing into the puppets.
As the serpents tore through their formation, Sasori involuntarily shuddered. He had come to loathe snakes.
"Damn snakes! Die!"
Boom!
Another puppet appeared beside Sasori. The moment it emerged, it raised its hands and unleashed a massive pillar of fire, instantly blocking Orochimaru's incoming jutsu.
"High-temperature flames?"
"Interesting..."
Kazuyama, so this is Chiyo's grandson? His strength isn't bad at all.
Orochimaru couldn't help but stick out his tongue, much like a snake sensing its prey.
The sight utterly disgusted Sasori, making him recoil as if he had just witnessed a snake flicking its tongue.
"Aaaargh! You bastard, I'll kill you!"
"Die!"
The flames intensified, surging toward Orochimaru once more.
Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback by Sasori's sudden outburst but quickly sidestepped the attack.
"This kid... is he insane? Why's he freaking out like this?"
"Ah, whatever. Crazy or not, he's the enemy. If he dies, all the better."
Summoning Technique!
In the next instant, a colossal snake materialized on the battlefield.
The real fight had just begun!
…
The scene shifted back to Kazuyama.
From day to night, he had finally broken through all the restrictions and opened the door to the research room.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"My clothes! My pants!"
"Why is the fire so big?!"
Staring at the ruins of the house, Kazuyama was dumbfounded.
The final restriction had ignited the entire place, and for a moment, he stood there in a daze.
Thanks to Chōmei's protection, he had escaped with only his clothes and pants burned away. Now, he stood there in nothing but his underwear and the package slung across his body.
Fortunately, the package had thermal insulation. Otherwise, he would have lost everything.
At first, he hadn't quite understood why Orochimaru had set up so many inhumane restrictions—especially the last one, which seemed downright self-serving.
But the moment he opened the research room door, everything became clear.
The room was empty.
The petri dishes, the original specimens—gone. Only a table and a few scrolls remained.
"Damn it! Why?! That bastard! Did he move house?!"
"Where is everything?! Where are the petri dishes?! Where are all the anatomical specimens?! They're all gone!"
"Arrrgh! Orochimaru, you're ruthless!"
No wonder he had been allowed into the lab. No wonder the number of restrictions had been reduced to just over fifty.
So this was what had been waiting for him?
That final restriction… it hadn't been a test at all.
Orochimaru: Hehehehe… Otherwise, why would I let you into my research lab…?
Kazuyama's eye twitched as he picked up a scroll from the table. The moment he did, a trap activated—the dreaded "Smells Too Good to Be Safe" rule…
But this wasn't just any scroll.
It was a treasure.
Because written on it was a single word—"Dragon."
Unrolling it, he was met with something far beyond his expectations—the Ryūchi Cave Contract.
Ryūchi Cave… one of Three Big Unexplored "Sage" Regions…
Chōmei sensed Kazuyama's emotions through their connection, and for a brief moment, curiosity flickered within him.
Sages? Had Kazuyama just mentioned Sages? Was he referring to that kind of Sage?
"Sages? What kind of Sages? Like the old man from the Six Paths?"
Kazuyama shook his head. "Not exactly, Chōmei. Have you heard of Gamamaru?"
Chōmei paused, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I haven't."
"Gamamaru was a toad who mastered Senjutsu even before the Sage of Six Paths," Kazuyama explained.
"And this scroll," he said, holding it up, "represents a snake that wields Senjutsu, just like Gamamaru."
Chōmei was stunned. A toad who had mastered Senjutsu before the Sage of Six Paths?
Holy cow—is that even possible?
Kazuyama thought: Of course it's real. The Sage of Six Paths himself learned Senjutsu from Gamamaru.
He glanced down at the scroll in his hands, his expression serious. "This contract for Ryūchi Cave is priceless, but their selection process is brutal. Without an overwhelming obsession with power, you can't even pass their trials. It's a double-edged sword. If used correctly, it can obliterate your enemies. But if mishandled, it's a death sentence."
"Orochimaru is leaving the choice to me—whether to pursue this power or walk away from it…"
"As for the other scroll... it's about how to wield the Kusanagi sword-style Kenjutsu." He sighed, his tone dismissive. "Too bad I have zero interest in Kenjutsu. And even less in spitting it everywhere."
Kazuyama smirked, as if addressing someone unseen. "Yeah, I'm talking about you, Orochimaru. My dear Sensei."
He couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Orochimaru's signature techniques—spit snakes, spit swords, spit snakes that spit swords!
And now, he's even spitting himself out. At this rate, Kazuyama thought, it wouldn't be long before Orochimaru's next horrifying evolution: a snake spitting him out!
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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