Several hours later, in the Second World, at the Shinobi Alliance base in the Kannabi Bridge district—an experimental facility.
"When are you actually leaving?" x3
Three nearly identical Orochimaru spoke in the same tone.
They were truly annoyed by the visitor. When Link first arrived, the Second and Fourth versions of Orochimaru found it a bit novel; but the Main World one had a bad premonition.
Sure enough, once he came, during their experiments, this brat kept chattering away, asking this and that. When they were discussing experimental data, this brat would interject random whimsical remarks or incomprehensible dark jokes. When they summarized results, the brat was casually messing with their test subjects—
They put up with it for several hours and finally had enough.
Of course, they felt uneasy about telling him to get lost, for a very simple reason: they couldn't beat him. Even the three of them together couldn't.
The Alliance's rules could restrain 99% of shinobi across the four connected worlds, and the remaining outliers were mindful of the rules themselves. The one exception was the short, petty, and extremely inquisitive little brat in front of them—someone with both fists and background to match.
"Huh, that's all it takes to make me unwelcome?"
Link sat on top of a computer desk, two short legs dangling in the air, speaking with a casual tone: "You three are too stingy."
Anger! x3
All three Orochimaru harbored the same fury. In the past, they themselves lorded over weaker test subjects as they pleased, so now they tasted what it was like to be at someone else's mercy. The Orochimaru from the Main World forced a smile and said:
"What do you want so you'll leave?"
"Oh."
Link withdrew the mischievous smile on his face and replied lightly,
"Soon."
Before they could react, the Eight Gates Shadow—lying in wait while Link acted like he was fooling around—stood up and swooped in to seize the three. The fastest to respond was the Main World Orochimaru, who immediately entered Sage Mode. Yet before he could do anything, a hand imprinted with Five Elements Unseal was pressed onto him.
Fwip!
Due to the massive natural energy unleashed by the Five Elements Unseal, in a flash he not only lost Sage Mode but also began having his chakra forcibly purged—colored motes scattering off his body.
Thump!
He was pinned to the floor by an Eight Gates Shadow, and Utakata affixed a prepared sealing scroll—Lion's Closing Howl—onto him.
The other two—who had completed their "Original Body Cell" transplants—lagged a split second behind.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Link, having canceled his Shadow Clone Technique, unleashed a wave of Palm Sage jutsu, smacking them both left and right.
Seeing the sealing technique hold down the Main World Orochimaru, the other two realized the "child's" actual purpose: settling accounts.
But what could they do?
One of them, the Fourth World Orochimaru, had extensively modified his body by "coming from the future." Facing a formidable foe, he opened his trump card, Eight Branches Technique, to gamble. Yet in the blink of an eye, the Shadows piled onto him, and Utakata used another scroll to seal. That ended everything.
The Second World Orochimaru, who'd been at war in the Third Shinobi World War just half a year prior, had less blood on his hands. His strength lagged the other two's even after the Original Body Cell transplant. Especially with the enemy's Sage chakra to suppress him, and seeing the other two versions instantly fold, he lost the nerve to resist.
"It has nothing to do with you, just stand aside."
Link waved him off, not even taking out a third Lion's Closing Howl scroll. Afterward, he slowly walked up in front of the Main World Orochimaru and said:
"Hello."
He wore a smile devoid of warmth.
No matter how much time passed or how strong he grew, he still remembered the day—he'd practically risked his life, and Sensei Nara Shio almost died—fighting Orochimaru for the first time.
"We can still be of use."
The Fourth World Orochimaru, half his huge snake form destroyed by the Eight Gates Shadows, hissed hoarsely, "The biological computer is about to succeed, and once it's connected to the Network—"
Crack!
One of the Eight Gates Shadows elbowed him. The giant serpent fangs stabbed into his own mouth, blood spurting.
"No point babbling."
The Main World Orochimaru was calmer and accepted his fate quickly. He lifted his gaze from under the sealing technique:
"I figured this day would come, but not this soon."
"Given I at least contributed to the Alliance, why not just have me transmigrate (be reborn) into another world?"
Even though it looked like he cooperated with Senju Tobirama, the entire time he'd been monitored. Leaving the facility would trigger a record. He was sure Link, that petty brat, wouldn't let him off.
His original plan was to steal the Scroll of World-Travel or to escape, but after the Kaguya incident, Tobirama was extremely vigilant. There had been no chance.
After seeing what happened to the two Madara, he knew that the best outcome was just to be sent away—hence he'd done his best to show loyalty to the Alliance and awaited the day Link would come.
"No problem," Link said, snapping his fingers. Utakata handed over the prepared Edo Tensei scroll.
In a flash, the original Orochimaru's body was enveloped by inky curse patterns. Link's expression calmed, his tone flat:
"Farewell."
"No, I hope we never meet again."
The Main World Orochimaru forced a relieved smile. His spirit felt as if a great burden had been lifted. While the soul peeled away from his body, he muttered out a string of codes:
"The bio-computer is done, sealed in my personal computer. It's in an encrypted file on the desktop."
He had no intention of encountering Link in another world—he might just die again. Or worse, he wouldn't even get another chance at transmigration.
As the jutsu took hold, Orochimaru's soul vanished; his limp body still breathed but was effectively comatose. If not put into a medical apparatus, in due time it would perish.
"I can too—"
"No. You cannot."
Link casually signaled a Shadow to kill the Fourth World Orochimaru on the spot.
He had no interest in giving that one a chance—he was useless, only full of vile cunning. After the head-lopping, the Network ID was blacklisted so that he'd remain forever in the Pure Land.
The Second World Orochimaru, watching the entire scene with sweat breaking out on his forehead, fretted that the kid might kill him on a whim too.
"Rest assured—it's not about you."
Link glanced at him. After the Shadows and Utakata finished cleaning up the scene, Link left.
~~~
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