After splitting up with Naruto, Yang Tao headed toward the Land of Wind with Zabuza and Haku.
"I have no idea where Orochimaru is right now. Our best bet is to wait near the Kazekage."
"Sir, Orochimaru is one of the Legendary Sannin, and he's not easy to deal with. Plus, he can use Edo Tensei to summon past Hokage at any time. We can't let our guard down," Zabuza warned, having read the Konoha Crush plan and gained a deeper understanding of Orochimaru's strength.
Yang Tao smiled confidently. "Don't worry, I've got teammates! We'll be fine."
As they walked, Yang Tao kept looking around curiously. This was his first time in the Naruto world, and everything felt new to him. After three days, they finally reached the border of the Land of Wind.
"We finally made it!" Yang Tao looked at the vast desert, the wind carrying sand across the sky. This was his first time seeing such a landscape. The deserts in his world never looked like this.
"No wonder Sunagakure is always so poor and keeps trying to invade the Land of Fire. Their environment is just terrible." He recalled how, in the story, Sunagakure would constantly provoke Konoha. It seemed like they were trying to shift internal struggles into external conflicts. Otherwise, with how poor they were, he couldn't imagine how they even survived.
"Sir, should we continue toward Sunagakure?" Zabuza asked. Despite traveling for days, he still looked energetic, thanks to Yang Tao's support.
"Yeah, let's go. We don't know when Orochimaru will make his move. The Chunin Exams were just announced in Konoha." Naruto had only just returned to the village, and news came in that the Chunin Exams would start in a week.
Suddenly, Yang Tao's eyes lit up. "Wait a second! I've been searching everywhere, and now he just appears in front of me?" His minimap had just detected Orochimaru's presence, catching him off guard.
He had been thinking about heading straight to Konoha to hunt down Orochimaru, but luck was on his side.
"Zabuza! Haku! Get ready—Orochimaru is heading straight for us!"
The two of them immediately prepared for battle, keeping a close eye on the direction Yang Tao pointed out.
Soon, two figures appeared in the distance. The man in front was wearing a ceremonial robe and a hat, looking just like the Kazekage.
If the minimap hadn't revealed his true identity, no one would have believed it was Orochimaru. That meant the Fourth Kazekage had already been killed.
"Stop them!"
The moment Yang Tao gave the order, Haku attacked, sending a barrage of senbon flying toward Orochimaru and his companion.
The two dodged quickly and landed a short distance away.
"Who are you, and what business do you have in my Land of Wind?" Orochimaru asked, using the Kazekage's voice.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just heard that the Fourth Kazekage's Magnet Release is unmatched, and I came to learn from him," Yang Tao said with an admiring look.
Orochimaru: "…"
Magnet Release? He didn't know how to use that. He had just buried the Fourth Kazekage, and now someone had come looking for him? What kind of bad luck was this?
"I have important matters to attend to today. Step aside," Orochimaru said, his face hidden under the hat.
"Oh? So the Fourth Kazekage is too busy?" Yang Tao smirked. "Then, I wonder if the great Orochimaru has time?"
Before the words even finished, Orochimaru lunged forward. He was now certain—these people had come specifically for him. But how did they know his identity? How did they know his exact movements?
He had no choice. He had to strike first.
Yang Tao watched as Orochimaru charged straight at him. With just a thought, he equipped his quantum suit.
Orochimaru pulled out a long sword and thrust it directly at Yang Tao. Seeing the strange armor suddenly appear on Yang Tao's body, he didn't stop and continued his attack.
Clang!
Orochimaru's sword struck an invisible barrier and couldn't pierce any further.
Coughing up blood, Orochimaru quickly retreated from Yang Tao.
"You actually dared to fight me in close combat when I have a thorns enchantment? Gotta say, that takes guts!" Yang Tao looked at Orochimaru's miserable state, feeling speechless.
Orochimaru, however, had insane regeneration. In just a moment, he had recovered.
He didn't feel any counterforce from his attack—his body was simply damaged from within. The sensation was impossible to describe.
Watching Yang Tao cautiously, Orochimaru said in a low voice, "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"
Attacking first and asking questions later? This guy is ruthless!
"I need your help. But from the way you're acting, you don't seem very cooperative," Yang Tao stated his purpose.
How do you know I won't help if you don't ask first?
Orochimaru asked curiously, "Oh? What exactly do you need me to do? Must be something big if you went through all this trouble to find me."
"I did come here specifically for you, but to be fair, you ran into me yourself."
Orochimaru: "..."
Yang Tao continued, "It's simple. I need you to bring some people back to life."
Since this wasn't the later-stage Orochimaru, he didn't believe such a thing was possible.
"You've got the wrong person. I don't have the ability to revive others."
"I know you don't—yet. But follow me, and I'll teach you how."
Orochimaru didn't believe a word of it and assumed this was just an excuse to control him. "Step aside. I have no intention of becoming your enemy."
Yang Tao sighed. "Looks like I'll have to beat you into submission before we can talk."
Zabuza, standing nearby, felt like he was getting dragged into this for no reason.
"Edo Tensei!" Orochimaru didn't hesitate and immediately activated the technique.
As three coffins slowly rose from the ground, Yang Tao remained completely unfazed.
"Oh? The past Hokage, huh? Then I'll summon someone too!"
Yang Tao took a deep breath and shouted, "Come forth, Whitebeard!"
The space suddenly split open, and a giant over six meters tall stepped out, wielding a massive naginata.
As they had already discussed in the chat group, Whitebeard teleported straight in.
"Hahaha! So this is Naruto's world?"
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