"Hehehe…"
Orochimaru let out a pleased chuckle, golden snake-like eyes gleaming with obsession and fervor.
"The result before us couldn't be clearer—"
He spread his arms wide, as if embracing some invisible law of the universe, his tone nearly reverent.
"We have met again."
"In a place far removed from our original paths—somewhere that should have been impossible."
"This… is fate's guidance. A pull we cannot escape, no matter how we struggle against it."
He used their very actions as proof of fate's existence.
Didn't you say you didn't believe in it?
We both resisted. We both changed direction.
And yet—
Here we stand, face to face.
Karin opened her mouth to argue, only to realize she had nothing to say.
She scratched her vivid red hair, her small face twisted in frustration.
There was no obvious flaw in his logic.
Being cornered by reason like this left her deeply irritated—and oddly helpless.
Watching her struggle to respond, Orochimaru smiled inwardly.
Still just a child. Far too easy.
He extended his hand again. This time, his voice grew gentler, almost philosophical—like a sage guiding a lost lamb.
"Everyone who appears in this world has their moment… and their meaning."
His hoarse voice echoed through the empty valley.
"Our meeting now is part of that unseen design. Let me guide you. Let me help you understand your power—and the 'truth' of this world."
He paused deliberately, allowing his words to sink in.
"As for what path you choose afterward… that will be yours alone."
Finally, he dangled the most tempting promise of all.
"Come, Karin. This time, I will nurture you properly."
Karin studied his seemingly sincere expression—those shining, eager eyes.
Then she considered her current situation.
She had no particular goal. No destination.
…Fine.
She made up her mind.
I don't have anything better to do right now. I'll follow him and see.
And she set a condition for herself:
I can leave anytime.
If he dares lie to me… or annoy me…
A faint, icy killing intent flickered deep in her crimson eyes.
Then I'll just kill him.
In her simple yet dangerous way of thinking, this was a transaction she could end at any moment—one in which she held absolute authority over life and death.
After weighing it briefly, Karin finally nodded.
She placed her small hand—one that concealed terrifying power—into his pale, cold palm.
"Fine," she said flatly, almost as if granting him a favor. "I'll go with you—for now."
"Hehehe… welcome."
Orochimaru clasped her hand, savoring the boundless potential—and danger—contained within it.
"Oh? Before that… allow me to test your power."
His eyes burned with curiosity.
He had seen hints of it in the sky projection, but without experiencing it firsthand, it still felt unbelievable.
Faced with such a reckless request, Karin had no reason to refuse.
"Sure."
There was no warning. No elaborate movement.
She simply clenched her seemingly delicate fist—and drove it straight into Orochimaru's chest.
The motion was so fast it left only an afterimage.
BOOM—!!!
A dull, devastating impact echoed like a heavy object smashing ripe fruit.
Orochimaru didn't even have time to fully register shock.
His body shot backward as if struck by an invisible meteor, crashing violently into the cliff behind him.
Crack—! Rumble!
The solid rock caved inward, spiderweb fractures spreading across the stone.
From the chest upward, Orochimaru's torso was nearly obliterated—bones shattered, flesh mangled beyond recognition.
By any ordinary standard, he was dead.
Karin lowered her fist and casually shook it, though no blood clung to it.
Her expression remained cold.
No pride. No pity.
She simply stared at the grotesque "corpse" embedded in the cliffside.
Sure enough—
After only a few breaths, something unnatural occurred.
Orochimaru's shattered mouth stretched open at an impossible angle, widening grotesquely beyond human anatomy.
Then—
From within that gaping maw, a new Orochimaru began to crawl out, slick with mucus—like a serpent shedding its skin.
The reborn Orochimaru straightened slowly, cracking his neck with a soft snap.
He glanced down at the ruined husk of his former body.
There was no fear in his eyes.
Only burning excitement.
"Fascinating… truly fascinating!"
His voice carried a damp, slippery texture from the grotesque rebirth, but his obsession was unmistakable.
"That power… utterly domineering! Pure physical force to the extreme—no chakra fluctuations, no external energy release… This is a miracle that shouldn't exist in a living being!"
He looked at Karin as though she were the rarest treasure in existence.
Meanwhile, Karin watched him crawl from his own mouth with open disgust.
Her small face twisted in revulsion.
"You're disgusting."
Orochimaru merely chuckled.
"For the pursuit of truth and immortality, such things are trivial. Your power… is worth far more sacrifice."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me—how did you obtain it?"
"Of course," Karin replied without hesitation.
Her expression shifted to one of eerie devotion.
"The Lord of Demons granted me this power."
"To repay the Lord of Demons, I will cleanse this filthy world."
Orochimaru's golden pupils contracted sharply.
Excitement surged within them.
He paid no mind to her talk of "cleansing the world."
What mattered was the key phrase she had spoken—
"The Lord of Demons."
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