Seeing the child tightly bound by his Snake Hands, Orochimaru finally let out a sigh of relief. He had finally captured his target!
Orochimaru approached slowly, his voice calm yet tinged with curiosity.
"Kid, don't misunderstand. I'm really just here to find someone. I have a disciple named Shime… huh? Why is sand falling off your face…?"
Orochimaru immediately realized something was off. What he had captured wasn't a child at all—it was clearly a puppet!
Just as he was about to retreat, his vision went dark. The "Black Ant" puppet had somehow advanced on him without his notice, opened its abdominal mechanism, and trapped Orochimaru tightly within!
"Haha, captured successfully! Not bad, right? Let me introduce you to something: the humanoid puppet you just grabbed is my very own design—Crow! Fooled you, didn't I? Haha!"
A child's arrogant laughter echoed from outside the puppet.
Orochimaru tried to smash through the sturdy wooden walls. However, the confined space inside the "Black Ant" left him unable to raise his hands. It was clear that the designer had intentionally created it this way to prevent captives from forming hand seals. Of course, for someone like Orochimaru, who could use Snake Hands, this wasn't much of an issue. But why bother arguing with a child?
"Kid, I—"
"Shut up! If you don't want to die, stay quiet and come with me to the Suna Guard Department for interrogation!"
Going to the Suna Guard Department wasn't a big deal. After all, Konoha and Sunagakure were allies now. Any misunderstandings could be cleared up there.
But on second thought—absolutely not! Being captured by a mere child from Sunagakure? His reputation would be utterly ruined…
"Wind Release: Wind Blade Technique!"
Suddenly, the abdomen of the Black Ant puppet was torn open. Orochimaru burst free and immediately countered with another Hidden Shadow Snake Hands technique. This time, he firmly ensnared the child.
Orochimaru glanced sideways at the child, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. The snakes in his hands hissed and flicked their tongues menacingly, some even opening their jaws wide, ready to bite the child.
At that moment, a high-pitched whoosh cut through the air. A high-speed spinning yellow shuriken tore through the scene, shredding Orochimaru's Snake Hands entirely. Hundreds of severed snake heads writhed and thrashed on the ground, blood pooling everywhere.
The shuriken embedded itself deeply into the stone wall before instantly transforming into a pile of yellow sand. The child, now free, fell heavily to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Amitabha, peace be with you. Esteemed one, please quell your wrath. Why lower yourself to contend with a mere child?"
Orochimaru looked up and saw a tall, thin monk stepping out of the shadows.
"Master Bunpuku!"
The child scurried behind the monk like a frightened rabbit.
The monk, with kind eyes and a gentle smile, patted the child's head.
"Sasori, why are you so mischievous? Had I not been meditating nearby, the esteemed guest might have inadvertently harmed you. Now, quickly apologize to him."
"Come, come! Eat up! Orochimaru, my brother, don't hold back. These are all Sunagakure specialties. Have a taste!"
Jinghang, ever the hospitable host, enthusiastically urged Orochimaru to dig in.
Sunagakure's cuisine largely featured grilled dishes. The table was laden with roasted lamb legs, grilled chicken, skewered meat, grilled kidneys… a sumptuous spread that filled the air with tantalizing aromas. Clearly, Jinghang spared no effort in this reception.
Orochimaru, however, seemed uninterested in the feast before him. He sat coldly, his expression unreadable.
Noticing the awkward silence, Jinghang shot a glance at Tsunade, who immediately picked up the bottle of sake and poured a cup for Orochimaru. Jinghang followed suit, raising his own cup.
"Orochimaru, my brother, we've crossed paths on the battlefield before. I've always admired your skills. We were once adversaries, but now that Sunagakure and Konoha are allies, we're all friends. Come, let's drink to that!"
With that, he downed his cup in one gulp.
Orochimaru glanced at Jinghang, then at the cup in his hand. Since the toast had been elevated to a matter of political alliance, he couldn't refuse. He picked up his cup and drank.
"Good! This second cup is a toast to your journey. Despite the hardships of travel, you came all this way to visit your injured disciple. That speaks of loyalty and compassion. I respect that deeply. Come, let's drink!"
Jinghang tilted his head back and drained his cup again.
Well, now it was a matter of loyalty and compassion. Orochimaru couldn't very well refuse that either. He drank again.
"And this third cup is to calm your nerves, Orochimaru, my brother. You've been startled, haven't you?"
Jinghang grabbed the bottle from Tsunade and personally refilled Orochimaru's cup.
Hmm? Now, that was an interesting choice of words.
Orochimaru picked up the cup but didn't drink immediately. Instead, he said slowly, "Sunagakure truly is extraordinary. Even a child here possesses such strength. Your village is indeed full of hidden talents."
Jinghang, however, wasn't fazed by the subtle jab. He poured himself another drink and said with a smile, "Ah, it's actually quite embarrassing. That child—Sasori of the Red Sand—is my adopted son and the grandson of Elder Chiyo. That boy is incorrigibly mischievous, spoiled beyond measure by his grandmother. If I don't discipline him every three days, he'll tear the roof off. It's my failure as a father. Wait here—I'll go give him a good beating and bring him over to apologize."
He made a show of getting up to leave.
"Ah, no need for that. No need," Orochimaru quickly interjected.
The last thing he wanted was for the child to be brought over to apologize, which would only make it seem like he, an adult, had bullied a child.
Jinghang laughed heartily. "Orochimaru, my brother, you are truly magnanimous. Alright, let's put this matter behind us. It's all in the drink!"
He downed another cup.
Orochimaru forced a wry smile and had no choice but to finish his own drink as well.
Jinghang was clearly in high spirits. "Sasori really did a great job. I was wondering how to give Orochimaru a little challenge, and that boy pulled off this stunt. Brilliant! I'll have to reward him with an extra drumstick later."
But the atmosphere at the table grew quiet again.
Tsunade leaned in and whispered to Orochimaru, "It's a Sunagakure custom. If the guest doesn't eat after three cups of sake, the host won't start eating either. It's considered rude."
Orochimaru sighed. He glanced at the table, then picked up a skewer of grilled meat.
Seeing this, Jinghang beamed and grabbed a grilled kidney, tossing two more skewers into Orochimaru's bowl.
"Here, here! This one's good—tender and nourishing!"
Orochimaru slowly finished the skewer.
"How is Shime? Is he alright?" he asked.
Jinghang, busy chewing on the kidney, gestured towards Tsunade to answer on his behalf.
"His vital signs are stable, but he's very weak. He's currently being kept in a nutrient solution and is only conscious for about two hours a day," Tsunade explained.
"Oh! May I see him?" Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
"Of course, but not today," Jinghang replied, having swallowed his food.
"It's already late. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally take you to him."
"What method did you use to treat him?" Orochimaru turned to Tsunade.
"Organ transplantation. The idea came from you," she replied.
"That's… incredible. Where did you even find so many organs in such a short time? And to match them, suppress rejection—"
"Orochimaru, my brother, don't be so impatient," Jinghang interrupted with a smile, picking up another lamb leg.
"Tomorrow, all your questions will be answered. I even have a gift prepared for you!"
"Oh? You're really willing to…" Orochimaru's eyes were filled with doubt, but Jinghang cut him off.
"Orochimaru, my brother, didn't I say earlier? We're friends. And for friends, I'll tell you everything, holding nothing back."
Orochimaru looked at Jinghang, then at Tsunade, who gave him a slight nod.
Picking up a skewer of grilled kidney, Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"I must say, I'm growing quite eager for tomorrow."