Chapter 47: Come Play

Orochimaru watched as Danzo fled, shaking his head before preparing to slip away himself.

The Curse Mark he had placed on Danzo had already been erased by Izanagi.

Still, Orochimaru had gathered enough experimental data and was ready to continue perfecting his Immortality Jutsu.

Just as he was about to fade into the shadows, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"Where are you running off to, Snake? Come play! The fight isn't over yet—the real show is just getting started."

Ren Asakura had already noticed Orochimaru.

His divine sense enveloped the entire Anbu headquarters, making it impossible for anything to escape his detection—including the figure lurking in the darkness.

From the moment Orochimaru appeared, every move he made had been watched by Ren.

Even when he helped Danzo activate Izanagi, Ren did nothing to stop him.

After all, if he accidentally got too excited and ended up playing too hard, what if he broke his new toy?

Besides, the Fourth Hokage had only told him to watch over Danzo and prevent his escape.

He never mentioned Orochimaru.

And if he didn't say it…

A brilliant smile spread across Ren Asakura's face.

"I've actually wanted to meet you for a long time. I've heard your name ever since I was a kid. Let's get to know each other—I'm Ren Asakura, the Fourth Hokage's assistant."

Ren spoke politely, as if he were simply chatting with an old friend.

Orochimaru glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then slowly shifted his gaze to the man behind it.

"You know… There aren't many people left who dare to talk to me like this."

Orochimaru's long tongue slid across his lips.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up a little! If you keep acting so cold and creepy all the time, how are you ever gonna make any friends?"

Ren was still as cheerful as ever, his warmth forming a stark contrast to Orochimaru's icy demeanor—two complete opposites.

"Friends? First, they have to be worthy. Otherwise… I don't mind killing them."

Ren gasped, feigning shock.

"Whoa, that's so mean! So, if I became your friend… would you kill me too?"

"Who knows?"

Orochimaru remained extremely wary of this mysterious newcomer.

Because from start to finish, he had never noticed how this person had managed to appear right behind him.

If this guy was an enemy, that would be terrifying.

In the darkness, countless colorful snakes slithered forward.

Each one was an Orochimaru summoning, a deadly ninjutsu creeping toward Ren.

But Ren simply patted Orochimaru's shoulder, completely unconcerned.

"Relax, relax. Friendship takes time. It's a process. Even though I already know everything about you, you don't know me yet.

You haven't even realized how insignificant you are."

"Just watch the show first."

"Once it's over… we'll have a deeper conversation."

Orochimaru instantly jumped back, assuming a combat stance, his serpent-like eyes as cold as ice.

"Come on, don't be so cold! I already told you—just sit back and enjoy the show!"

Ren Asakura ignored Orochimaru's icy gaze and gestured downward.

"Can I refuse?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his tone almost taunting.

"I'd advise against that. Sometimes… living can be far worse than dying."

Ren Asakura said this with a playful smile, but his words carried an undeniable chill.

At some point, a small snake had silently slithered toward Ren's foot.

It was an extremely venomous serpent—if it bit him, the toxins would spread instantly, shutting down his entire body.

But Ren simply lifted his foot and crushed it without a second thought.

"If you don't want to watch, fine. But why try to have a snake bite me?

I usually like to be polite first. But since you're not in the mood for a show… how about a little vacation?"

"Originally, I prepared this 'travel package' for Danzo. But don't worry—you won't die. I'll make sure of it."

"After all, isn't immortality exactly what you've always dreamed of?"

"I hope you have fun."

Ren Asakura casually snapped his fingers—and Orochimaru vanished.

Pluto was a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt—the first of its kind to be discovered.

It was the largest known object in the Kuiper Belt and the second most massive dwarf planet in the Solar System.

Because it was so far from the Sun, very little solar heat reached it.

As a result, Pluto's temperatures were extremely low.

According to a study published by the University of Arizona, Pluto's equatorial temperatures could drop to -240°C, freezing nitrogen into solid ice—just like how water freezes on Earth.

If Earth's Antarctic ice sheets expanded several times over, it would experience the same climate conditions as Pluto.

Without any protection, arriving on Pluto meant instant death—a horrifying and miserable end.

But Ren had stripped Orochimaru of death itself.

Now, trapped in the frigid wasteland, Orochimaru was forced to endure the unbearable cold—unable to die, yet unable to truly live.

This was exactly what Ren Asakura had meant:

"Sometimes, living can be far worse than dying."

"Eternal suffering… is the greatest torture."

Luo Mingfei could only offer a moment of silence for Orochimaru.

Unlucky for him—he messed with the wrong person.

Luo Mingfei hesitated for a moment before asking,

"Um… Admin, is Orochimaru really gonna be okay?"

Ren Asakura simply waved his hand dismissively.

"What are you even thinking? I'm a good person!

I know Orochimaru desires eternal life, so I took away his ability to die.

I know he's fascinated by science, so I sent him to Pluto—so he could experience his own insignificance and witness the vastness of the universe firsthand.

I really am a good person, aren't I?"

Luo Mingfei: "???"

Ren Asakura continued,

"Do you know how human civilization advances in science?

It all starts with gazing up at the stars, realizing our own insignificance, and feeling the urge to explore.

Curiosity is the driving force of progress.

As scientists push the boundaries, they uncover the mysteries of the world.

Right now, science in the Naruto world is still in its infancy. Orochimaru doesn't even realize the true path ahead of him."

"So, I simply helped him step into the cosmos, allowing him to witness the true road of scientific discovery.

I'm sure that, in the subzero temperatures of Pluto, he'll have plenty of time to calmly reflect on his journey."

At that moment, Luo Mingfei made a firm decision:

Never… under any circumstances… should he ever piss off the Admin.

Saitama absentmindedly rubbed his bald head.

"Pluto… that's pretty far from Earth, right?"

Luo Mingfei pulled out his phone.

"Lemme check… Yeah, it's really far!"

"3.225 billion kilometers away!"

Ren Asakura casually replied,

"Yep, sounds about right."

Luo Mingfei sighed, "Well, guess Orochimaru's never coming back. Honestly? Probably for the best. He's a total freak anyway."

Ren Asakura waved his hand.

"Don't say that! Orochimaru is a scientist. And we must respect scientists—

—even if he is a total creep who does illegal human experiments…"

Meanwhile, Back on the Battlefield

Down below, trees and vines intertwined, forming a giant, towering tree.

Sealed within the tree was the Fourth Hokage.

In the next instant, a kunai struck the ground.

With a flash of light, Minato Namikaze appeared.

His eyelids bore red markings, and his pupils resembled a toad's.

Sage Mode.

The Fourth Hokage had entered Sage Mode—and in a single motion, broke free from the Wood Release bindings.

Uchiha Fugaku frowned as he watched Minato appear. His tone was grim.

"Danzo… has escaped."

°°°

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