The trouble in the Ghost Country finally came to a complete end when Orochimaru returned with Miu from the Swamp Country.
A body that was merely a shell, devoid of a soul, existing for a thousand years within a seal woven by Yin-Yang Style, was already the limit of魍魉's (Mōryō's) power.
Under the devouring darkness chakra, which had completely refined the origin of Mōryō's power, the potent physical energy of Mōryō was easily broken down and captured, then pulled into the seal within Orochimaru's body, slowly nourishing his physical strength.
Orochimaru, thick-skinned as he was, paid no mind to the peculiar glances his four disciples cast at Miu. The latter, however, was so embarrassed that she was quite flustered.
The courage she had mustered earlier to confess to Orochimaru completely vanished in front of these "juniors" who were not much younger than her. She struggled out of Orochimaru's embrace, leaping down and hiding behind him like an ostrich.
Orochimaru scanned the surrounding area with his senses but couldn't find Katsuzuhime. After inquiring with Ichishihime, he learned that Katsuzuhime had been summoned away by her main body earlier.
Thus, Orochimaru performed another summoning jutsu, bringing Katsuzuhime back from Konoha.
"Great Sage."
This snake princess bowed respectfully to Orochimaru, but her eyes held an indescribable meaning.
Although separated by a barrier, based on what she observed when Tsunade left, this oblivious Great Sage seemed to have awakened.
"What happened in Konoha?"
Orochimaru frowned, displeased with this subordinate, who was far more astute than the other two snake princesses. Among them, this seemingly obedient one did the most backbiting of her master.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's question about Konoha, Katsuzuhime glanced at him ambiguously and replied pointedly,
"Replying to Great Sage, nothing special happened in Konoha."
"It's just that Lady Tsunade asked me some questions about the Ghost Country, and then she stayed in your room for half a day."
Orochimaru's expression stiffened, and he subconsciously turned to look at Miu, who was hiding behind him.
Tsunade already knew...
After a long silence, Orochimaru waved Katsuzuhime away and, with Miu, re-entered the altar where Mōryō had been sealed.
"Lord..."
"That Lady Tsunade, is she your..."
Only when they were alone did Miu's demeanor finally return to normal.
Orochimaru looked at Miu's anxious expression and nodded gently.
"Yes!"
"I'm leaving!"
Miu's expression turned anxious, and she reached out, tugging at his clothes.
"There's no need for such pretense!"
Orochimaru gently took her hand away, his tone calm as he said,
"As I said before, my companion must be a powerful woman with an extraordinary purpose, like Tsunade."
"As for you now..."
"You are too young, too weak, and do not yet have the qualifications to be by my side."
"Stay in the Ghost Country!"
Orochimaru glanced at the dejected Miu and turned his back to her.
"Ryūchi Cave is not far from here. I will have the three snake princesses take turns guarding the Ghost Country in the future."
"Your mission is to help me guard the Undying Army beneath the Ghost Country and, without attracting the attention of any ninja forces, transfer the Undying Army from beneath the Ghost Country into the Land of Earth."
"When Konoha wages war against Iwagakure, I look forward to your performance."
"At that time, the future you yearn for will have a chance to be answered by me."
"Do you understand?"
Such heartless words, treating a country and a girl's emotions as mere bargaining chips, were likely impossible for anyone else in the ninja world besides Orochimaru to utter.
Yet, Miu's face was filled with overwhelming joy, and she nodded vigorously.
"Yes!"
"Your words are enough for me!"
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.
Perhaps feeling a pang of guilt, after a moment of deliberation, he still made a promise to her.
"I will leave you some secret ninja techniques, which can also be considered compensation for the Ghost Country."
"If you need anything else, you can have them notify me."
"That's all for now!"
...
Konoha, Senju Compound.
The day after Kushina's team returned to Konoha.
Upon witnessing Mito Uzumaki's soul being devoured by the Shinigami in front of Orochimaru and Tsunade, it was unnecessary to go to the Uzumaki clan's Namendō to find a Shinigami mask, as Orochimaru had done in the original story to deceive the Shinigami.
"You've only just mastered the Spiritualization Technique. Isn't it a bit risky to summon the Shinigami now?"
Tsunade took the grim mask, which sealed the Shinigami's soul, from behind Mito Uzumaki's memorial tablet. She rubbed it in her hand for a while, hesitant about whether to give it to her man just yet.
"Don't worry!"
Orochimaru took the mask from Tsunade's hand, patted her hand with a gentle smile, and consoled her warmly,
"If it were half my previous strength, I wouldn't be so confident."
"However, the gains from my clone in the Ghost Country have given me quite a pleasant surprise. There are still two months until the ninja school vacation, so this is the perfect time to resolve this matter."
"It will also leave enough time for Nawaki to adapt after awakening Wood Style."
As soon as Tsunade heard the words "Ghost Country," she immediately let out a soft snort.
"Hmph hmph!"
"You have a new little wife without even moving from Konoha, of course, you're pleasantly surprised!"
Orochimaru was rendered speechless, and he pinched Tsunade's cheek, pulling her pout into a smile.
"You know perfectly well I'm not talking about that!"
"The witches of the Ghost Country are involved in Konoha's strategy for the next Great Ninja War against Iwagakure. I have more important matters to attend to, and I can't personally go to the Ghost Country to control those Undying Armies."
"Stop acting up, be good."
Tsunade, with her broad-mindedness, was merely throwing a small tantrum to regulate their emotions and let Orochimaru know her feelings.
With Orochimaru's casual explanation, she immediately shifted from sulky to cheerful. She grabbed Orochimaru's hand and giggled.
Orochimaru also smiled slightly, finding that having such a companion by his side added much amusement to his otherwise scheming life.
"Alright, step back a little, I'm about to begin."
Tsunade obediently released Orochimaru's arm and quietly moved to the side, watching him sit cross-legged on the ground and then project his soul into one of the unconscious male ninjas placed within the drawn rune circle.
As for the origins of these two ninjas used as sacrifices, as long as they were not from Konoha, Tsunade didn't care where Orochimaru got them.
Although Tsunade was a medical ninja, she had long been accustomed to combat. The objects of her pity were few and far between.
Being a saintess was an almost extinct trait in the ninja world, except for those naive children.
Under Tsunade's gaze, the ninja possessed by Orochimaru's Spiritualization Technique stood up, took the Shinigami mask, and put it on.
Unsealing the Reaper Death Seal was more troublesome than simply summoning the Shinigami.
Orochimaru controlled the ninja to perform a rather comical dance in front of Tsunade, completing the preparations to summon the Shinigami, before clapping his hands together in front of him.
"Forbidden Jutsu - Reaper Death Seal - Release!"