Waves of power imbued with the aura of death surged forth. A fleeting light flashed across the hideous mask, and the phantom figure of the Shinigami broke free from the mask, hovering for a moment before suspending itself in the center of the runic array.
"Forbidden Jutsu - Reaper Death Seal - Release!"
In his spirit-transformed state, Orochimaru did not hesitate. He controlled the man, who had his back to the Shinigami's phantom, biting a kunai in his mouth and quickly forming the hand seals to release the Reaper Death Seal.
As soon as the hand seals were completed, the Shinigami's image instantly came to life.
Its left arm, adorned with prayer beads, bent and slowly reached out to grasp the soul of the summoner before it.
Orochimaru's mind moved, and he immediately enveloped his spiritual body with Yin-Yang Release chakra, allowing the withered hand, entwined with the aura of death, to pull the soul of this body out.
The man's soul had just escaped the body that Orochimaru had suppressed with his spirit transformation technique. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he was tethered in mid-air by the prayer beads on the Shinigami's left arm.
The man was terrified and tried to struggle with all his might, but how could the soul of an ordinary ninja possibly contend with such an uncanny existence as the Shinigami?
The Shinigami was somewhat perplexed by the human summoner's attempt to struggle after summoning it.
If he had decided to cast this forbidden jutsu, which demanded the soul as a price, why did he try to resist when his soul was being extracted?
Was it regret?
The Shinigami did not know, nor did it need to.
As goods for an equivalent exchange, this human's soul, from the moment it manifested in the material world, was already within its grasp.
Next, it only needed to wait for the human who summoned it to perform the final action of his life.
So thought the Shinigami.
"Yin-Yang Release combined with the spirit transformation technique, it really fooled the Shinigami."
"One soul for one soul, you're not really at a loss, are you?"
Orochimaru secretly found a fair and reasonable excuse for his actions, taking the short sword from his mouth with a reverse grip.
The body was connected to the original owner's soul, and under the contract of the Reaper Death Seal, the original owner's soul was also connected to the Shinigami. This meant that whatever action the body took under Orochimaru's control, the summoned Shinigami would inevitably perform the same action.
"Shing!"
With a satisfying sound of a blade slicing through flesh, the Shinigami's image also removed the short sword from its mouth and, with a ferocious expression, slashed its own lower abdomen.
It understood now. It had been deceived by this detestable human.
He intended to use its soul as a price to release the soul of that woman from before!
The spiritual body, the moment the belly was split open, drilled out of the man's body. Orochimaru's body trembled, and he stood up from the ground, clutching his slightly aching abdomen.
Yin-Yang Release chakra flowed, and Orochimaru clearly saw the Shinigami's hideous face wearing an expression of surprise. He smiled indifferently, staring at the Shinigami's injured abdomen, and softly called out.
"Grandma Mito, come out!"
As the words fell, Uzumaki Mito, who had been slumbering within the Shinigami, suddenly awoke with a sigh. Her soul drifted out of the wound on the Shinigami's abdomen.
"Orochimaru, how did you end up like this?"
"You actually used the Reaper Death Seal again, is the Leaf Village in danger?"
"Is it the Nine-Tails? Or some other powerful enemy?"
Uzumaki Mito's ethereal soul voice echoed in the room. Tsunade, filled with joy, ran to Mito's phantom soul, wanting to reach out and grasp her grandmother's soul, but her hand passed through empty air.
"Grandma, I finally see you again!"
Orochimaru smiled slightly at the somewhat exasperated Shinigami and then ignored it.
The Shinigami let out an angry soul roar, but it was powerless. As the ritual concluded, it was sealed back into the hideous mask, taking the soul that had been used as a sacrifice.
The male ninja, who had served as a tool, collapsed the moment his soul was taken by the Shinigami, his breath completely extinguished.
"Grandma, long time no see!"
Orochimaru bent down and removed the mask from the man's face, then turned and greeted Uzumaki Mito, who looked puzzled, with a smile.
"Orochimaru, you..."
"You actually deceived the Shinigami with this method? You child..."
Uzumaki Mito, who had seen much, looked at Orochimaru, who was unharmed, and then at the corpse of the unfamiliar ninja on the ground. She immediately understood what had happened.
Looking at Orochimaru with astonishment, Mito's heart was filled with awe.
Has this child grown to this extent?
With this much chakra, this aura that almost blended with the surrounding nature, it was no wonder she hadn't sensed Orochimaru's presence at first and thought he, like her, had his soul sealed by the Shinigami.
"Grandma, why are you still like this!"
Tsunade stomped on Orochimaru angrily, then looked resentfully at her own grandmother.
Uzumaki Mito blinked, then remembered that Tsunade had seemed to be greeting her earlier.
"Ah!"
"It's Tsunade!"
"Grandma was so worried about Orochimaru just now that I overlooked you..."
"You... you guys..."
Uzumaki Mito turned her gaze to Tsunade, and after a slight sensing, her eyes widened.
Her gaze flickered between Orochimaru and Tsunade. A knowing smile suddenly curved Mito's lips.
"Tsunade, you and Orochimaru actually ended up together!"
"Did you specifically call Grandma out this time to officiate your wedding?"
"Grandma is so happy!"
Tsunade immediately forgot her anger and lowered her head, her face flushed.
"Grandma, Tsunade and I's matter is just secondary."
"The main reason is that I have something I want to ask for your opinion on."
Orochimaru stepped forward, openly embraced Tsunade, shook his head at Uzumaki Mito.
Seeing the two children so intimately close, Mito's face bloomed with a smile.
"Good, good!"
"Anything is negotiable, Grandma agrees to everything you want!"
Orochimaru was not surprised by Mito's reaction at all. This old woman's final concern had always been for these younger generations. Although there was an element of using her, Orochimaru's ultimate goal was for Nawaki. He presumed that Mito would not object to what he was about to say.
"Yes, Grandma."
"I wish to use the Edo Tensei jutsu to invite First Hokage's soul out of the Pure Land."
"On one hand, I want to inform him about me and Tsunade, and on the other hand, I want to ask First Hokage for something."
Uzumaki Mito was stunned for a moment after hearing Orochimaru's request, then sighed with a hint of nostalgia.
"Alas!"
"Hashirama..."
"Grandma thought she would be able to see him in the Pure Land after she died! I didn't expect that the Shinigami's body was not connected to the Pure Land, so I haven't been able to see Hashirama and Tobirama yet."
"This is good too!"
Uzumaki Mito's face regained its smile, and she gently nodded at Orochimaru.
"Tsunade doesn't object, which means you two have discussed this."
"You told Grandma first, your filial piety is recognized, so how could I disagree?"
"Do what you must."
"Orochimaru, Grandma has always believed in you the most!"