Land of Fire.
An unknown cave.
As soon as Orochimaru spoke, an oppressive atmosphere filled the space.
Bai Ye and Tsunade remained indifferent, but Anko clenched her fists, her gaze burning with a mixture of hatred and resentment.
"Orochimaru, you already know what's been happening in Konoha," Bai Ye said nonchalantly, ignoring the weight of the moment. He casually sat down on the most comfortable-looking chair.
"That's my chair," Orochimaru remarked, his tone neutral but laced with subtle irritation.
It was a symbolic gesture, a way of asserting dominance.
Bai Ye, however, remained completely unfazed. Instead, he made a small motion with his hand, and Anko's body was suddenly pulled toward him, landing right in front of his seat.
Orochimaru's expression faltered.
What kind of technique was that?
Gravitational manipulation? Repulsion?
There had been no chakra fluctuation. Nothing detectable.
"Well, I did say I'd bring you here," Bai Ye said, grasping Anko's wrist while placing his other hand gently on her neck.
As his warm breath brushed against her skin, the Cursed Seal of Heaven reacted violently. The black markings writhed and spiraled across Anko's body, glowing ominously.
Hiss… hiss…
The energy dissipated within seconds.
Anko felt an eerie lightness flood her body. The ever-present burden, the suffocating grip of Orochimaru's influence—it was gone.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The Cursed Seal of Heaven, which the entire Konoha Sealing Corps had failed to fully suppress, had been undone with a mere touch?!
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply.
"Mr. Bai Ye, destroying someone else's precious creations without permission—shouldn't you at least give me a warning first?" Orochimaru's voice was eerily calm, but the underlying menace was unmistakable.
Bai Ye leaned back lazily. "Didn't I destroy it right in front of you? Consider that your warning."
"You—"
"Shut up."
Boom!
A sudden, crushing force bore down on Orochimaru.
In less than a second, his entire body was slammed to the ground. His limbs refused to move, his breathing grew labored—his body was completely locked in place by an invisible pressure.
"Stay put for a while," Bai Ye said indifferently. "I'll deal with you in a moment."
Orochimaru's golden eyes flickered with both fury and fascination.
The sheer force that had pinned him down—there had been no visible hand signs, no detectable surge of chakra.
It wasn't just raw power. It was something far more refined.
"You should listen to him," Tsunade said, smirking slightly. "Bai Ye only enforces Konoha's laws on those who break them within the village. Right now, we're on a business trip."
"In other words, if you behave, you won't die."
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
Tsunade tilted her head. "Then again… even the Raikage lost four limbs when he tried to resist. So don't bother."
Orochimaru's breath hitched for just a moment.
Even Raikage?
Anko, still processing what had happened to her, turned to Bai Ye with gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you."
Bai Ye chuckled. "Hold that thought. I had two reasons for doing this."
"First, you're Kurenai's good friend. Consider this a favor to her."
"Second, you said earlier that you wanted to kill Orochimaru. But at your current level, that would be impossible. So… I'll give you a chance."
"You see, Mr. Snake here doesn't seem too keen on having a proper conversation. I need him in a more cooperative state. And you're going to help with that."
"Just rough him up a bit. Don't kill him."
Bai Ye paused. "Actually… go ahead and kill him if you want. I'll just bring him back."
Tsunade sighed, shaking her head.
She understood Bai Ye's methods.
He wouldn't waste his time trying to persuade Orochimaru. If someone like Orochimaru wasn't beaten into submission first, he'd never cooperate.
The shift in Orochimaru's demeanor earlier had already made that much clear.
Clack.
Bai Ye snapped his fingers.
The crushing pressure around Orochimaru instantly lifted.
Orochimaru straightened slowly, brushing the dust off his black cloak adorned with red clouds. His gaze flickered toward Bai Ye, unreadable.
"Mr. Bai Ye, your strength is indeed remarkable…" Orochimaru said smoothly. "But do you truly believe that one of my experiments can overpower me?"
His tone carried a hint of amusement, as though the very idea was absurd.
The force that had immobilized him moments ago was terrifying—but expecting Anko to be a threat to him?
Unthinkable.
"And as for this nonsense about resurrection…" Orochimaru smirked. "You might be powerful, but I've spent decades studying immortality. Do you really expect me to believe that you can bring back the dead?"
Tsunade's voice cut through his skepticism.
"Nawaki was resurrected by him."
Orochimaru's smirk faded instantly.
Tsunade's expression was unreadable as she continued.
"Not Edo Tensei—a real resurrection."
Orochimaru's mind raced.
Impossible.
Nawaki, who had died in the Second Shinobi War?
Truly resurrected?
His sharp, analytical mind reeled at the implications.
Could it be a deception? A modified corpse?
But… Tsunade wouldn't be fooled so easily.
Could Bai Ye truly have unraveled the ultimate mystery—the reversal of death itself?
For the first time in years, Orochimaru felt something close to excitement.
Before he could even process his thoughts, however, a shadow loomed over him.
Anko.
Her eyes were filled with nothing but rage.
Before Orochimaru could react—
BAM!
A devastating punch sent him flying across the cave, crashing violently into the stone wall.
Orochimaru coughed, staggering back to his feet.
His mind reeled.
What the hell…?!
Anko's chakra levels—her raw power—this was nothing like before.
It was as if she had transformed into a human-tailed beast!
His sharp gaze flicked to Bai Ye.
What did you do to her?!
Did he implant something into her body?
Feed her something?
Enhance her with some unknown jutsu?!
Bai Ye yawned, utterly unconcerned.
"Take this outside," he said dismissively. "I don't like dark places."
Anko's power was temporary—a fleeting, artificial boost granted by Bai Ye.
Like Guy's Eight Inner Gates, it came at a cost.
But unlike the Eight Gates, Bai Ye had neutralized the side effects using the Cursed Seal's latent energy.
For now, Anko was a monster.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, was still trying to make sense of everything.
Bai Ye simply watched.
For someone like Orochimaru, words meant nothing.
Pain, however?
Pain was the universal language.
Beaten, humiliated, and broken—only then would Orochimaru truly listen.
And when that time came…
That's when the real conversation would begin.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Prince209