The two of them, Orochimaru and Miroku, ascended the tall steps and stood side by side before the altar sealing the power of Gashadokuro.
Orochimaru gazed at the cold, purple, serpent-like chakra swirling above the altar and solemnly instructed, "Wait a moment, I need to make some preparations!"
Miroku cast a curious glance at Orochimaru, not questioning what preparations were needed, and simply nodded gently.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru rapidly formed hand seals for a summoning jutsu and pressed them directly onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu - Kurama!"
With a "boom," a large cloud of smoke dissipated, and the Nine-Tails, looking bewildered and with a chicken drumstick in its mouth, was immediately summoned.
"Hey! Orochimaru, what’s the meaning of calling an elder without so much as a word? Can’t you see I’m in the middle of eating?"
Orochimaru gently patted Kurama’s back. "The food you’re eating is all bought with my money. Stop complaining; I have important business with you!"
Kurama swallowed the chicken drumstick in one gulp, smacking its lips with a hint of lingering satisfaction. Its gaze swept over Miroku, and it immediately let out a lewd chuckle.
"What important business?"
"It's not impossible to ask this old man for help, but from now on, you have to give me some pocket money every day, or else..."
"I’ll tell everyone you snuck out to meet a lover behind Tsunade's back!"
Miroku's face instantly flushed crimson from the loose-lipped fox’s words. She stole a glance at Orochimaru, and upon meeting his rather captivating vertical pupils, her head drooped shyly.
Orochimaru was momentarily stunned by Miroku's reaction, and then, with a hint of annoyance, he slapped Kurama. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Didn't I tell you before that we're here to help the Land of Demons deal with the threat of Gashadokuro?"
Kurama scratched its head and waved its paw dismissively. "Just a joke, what are you so worked up about!"
"Your little girl hasn't said anything, and I see she's quite willing!"
Miroku's face was so red it looked like it could bleed, and she stammered an explanation, "No, I..."
"I am a shrine maiden and cannot go to Konoha with Lord Orochimaru!"
Seeing Miroku's state, Orochimaru suddenly had a bad premonition. This girl was only a few years older than Minato and the others...
"You talk too much!"
With another forceful slap to Kurama, Orochimaru hastily changed the subject. "Quickly summon your three little attendants to watch over those children from the shadows. When Gashadokuro's power erupts later, the undead army beneath the Land of Demons might awaken, and I fear they might not be able to handle it."
Seeing that Orochimaru was genuinely angry, Kurama immediately dropped its teasing.
With a series of cracking sounds of knuckles being broken, the three Snake Sages from Ryūchi Cave stood gracefully before Orochimaru.
"Great Sage!"
Orochimaru nodded gently, explained his concerns to the three Snake Sages, and added, "Just conceal yourselves. Only reveal yourselves when they are in danger. Go!"
"Yes!"
The three Snake Sages respectfully acknowledged the command. They cast a glance at Miroku, who resembled a small flower bud, and a flicker of disdain flashed in their eyes. Their figures blurred, and they vanished from the altar into thin air.
After the three Snake Sages departed, Orochimaru calmly glanced at Miroku, who seemed a little dejected. "Open the seal!"
"I will first help you resolve the soul and power of Gashadokuro that were sealed here, and then I will take you to the Land of Swamps to destroy Gashadokuro's physical body!"
Miroku bit her lip, glancing at Orochimaru with a somewhat unnatural expression, and nodded gently.
The lingering thoughts that had arisen from Kurama's teasing, after seeing the charming appearance of the three Snake Sages from Ryūchi Cave, left Miroku with a mix of emotions. So much so that when Orochimaru explained the details about Gashadokuro, she didn't immediately react to why he knew so much.
Composing herself, Miroku took off the bell from her chest and slowly placed it in the center of the altar. "Forces of Yin and Yang that roam the world, in the name of this shrine maiden, I implore you, open the seal before me!"
The moment Miroku's incantation fell, the altar began to vibrate slowly. A mysterious power emanated from the bell, and a powerful, unknown energy fluctuation seemed to faintly appear in the void.
Orochimaru suddenly felt a chilling sensation. The Sage Mode chakra within his body surged wildly, and his Dark Sight was pushed to its absolute limit. Yet, he found nothing! However, that sense of suppression from a higher tier did not disappear; instead, it became increasingly terrifying with the vibration of the altar before him.
Beside him, Kurama suddenly raised its head, looking at the void above the altar with shocked eyes, and murmured, "Orochimaru, channel Yin-Yang Release power into your eyes, and you won't believe what this old man is seeing!"
"This little girl, she's remarkable!"
Orochimaru was startled, and an unbelievable thought suddenly surged into his mind. "Could it be..."
The Yin-Yang Release power within his body was immediately mobilized by Orochimaru. To avoid interfering with the flow of Yin-Yang Release, Orochimaru even retreated from Sage Mode.
Chaos-colored Yin-Yang chakra flowed within his eyes, and the world before Orochimaru instantly transformed. Wisps of Yin-Yang Release power converged from the void above the altar, slowly condensing into a vague figure. White hair cascaded down his shoulders, two short horns grew from his forehead, and his brow bore a single, round eye covered in red markings, while his actual eyes were the purple Rinnegan, just like Nagato's. He sat suspended in the air, with nine black Truth-Seeking Orbs slowly rotating beneath him...
"This... this is actually a soul projection of the Sage of Six Paths..."
"How is this possible!"
Orochimaru's pupils instantly contracted, his face filled with disbelief.
Kurama looked up, a faint glimmer of moisture appearing in its eyes. "Old man..."
The moment the Sage of Six Paths' projection gazed upon them, the surrounding space seemed to be frozen. Miroku lowered her head, her devout expression fixed. The Gashadokuro chakra overflowing from the altar seemed to have encountered its natural enemy, frantically retracting back into the seal, showing no movement for a long time.
In the deathly silence, Orochimaru clearly saw the Sage of Six Paths slightly tilt his head and flash a comforting smile at Kurama.
Kurama trembled, and two tears rolled from its eyes, falling to the ground with a plop.
"Kurama, have you found a companion who understands the existence of Tailed Beasts?"
Kurama let out a sob, its form shifting. Before this elder, who was like a father, it reverted to its juvenile form.
"Old man..."
A flicker of nostalgia crossed the Sage of Six Paths' eyes. He gently nodded at Kurama. "It's good that someone is finally looking after you for me!"
Kurama extended its small paw, attempting to touch the elder floating in mid-air.
"This is merely a soul projection of mine; I cannot play with you as before." The Sage of Six Paths shook his head and turned his gaze to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru’s throat bobbed, and he instinctively took a step back.
"There's no need to be nervous!" Seeing Orochimaru's extreme tension due to his appearance, the Sage of Six Paths stroked his beard and let out a hearty laugh. "Orochimaru, the child who breaks predetermined fate, I have always been watching you."
"Thanks to you, I have finally understood the truth that my mother concealed back then. Thank you!"
Sweat beaded on Orochimaru's forehead. He shook his head with difficulty, wanting to say something, but found his throat incredibly dry. He opened his mouth, but ultimately, nothing came out.
"As you can see, I no longer belong to the world of the living. I have emerged from the Pure Land in response to the shrine maiden's summons this time, not only to help you break Gashadokuro's seal but also to impart one more message!"
Orochimaru's eyes flickered, and he slowly nodded. "I am aware of the Eye of the Moon Plan. I know you have your own counter-measures against the plan devised by my half-brother. Therefore, Orochimaru, proceed as you wish!"
"Ultimately, the ninja world must rely on children like you who dare to step out of hardship."
The Sage of Six Paths spoke with earnestness, sighed softly, and slowly faded from Orochimaru and Kurama's sight.
It was time to end the thousand-year cycle of his two troublesome sons!