"Kyūbi, I recall that when you use your full strength, you can stand upright and fight like a human, right?"
Not far from the border between the Land of Bears and the Land of Demons, Orochimaru gazed at a cave shrouded in chilling natural energy and suddenly asked the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails paused, then nodded hesitantly. "I can, but..."
"Even if I stand up to fight, besides my physical strength and the Tailed Beast Bomb, I have no other means of attack. Let alone using ninjutsu like a human."
Orochimaru nodded gently, indicating understanding, and reached into his sleeve to draw out the Void Sword.
"Yes, I am aware of that."
"Try it out and see if fighting with this feels natural."
The Nine-Tails' eyes lit up. It immediately mobilized the immense chakra within its body, instantly making its form more slender and proportionate, and stood erect before Orochimaru.
Catching the Kusanagi sword Orochimaru handed over, the Nine-Tails swung it around a few times haphazardly. Feeling the sword as an extension of its own limb, its tail began to sway uncontrollably.
"Not bad, not bad!"
"Orochimaru, you're actually willing to give your treasured divine weapon to me?"
"It should have been this way long ago!"
"I've been running around with you, always seeing you reap benefits while I got nothing."
"This Void Sword is just right to compensate for my losses, ha ha..."
Orochimaru's eyes twitched twice as he snatched the Void Sword back from the Nine-Tails.
"You must be out of your mind!"
"I'm just lending it to you for one use. What will I use if I give it to you?"
The Nine-Tails looked at its empty palm and let out a long sigh.
"Alas..."
"I knew it, Orochimaru, you never considered me a friend!"
Orochimaru's face darkened as he pushed the Kusanagi sword back into the Nine-Tails' hand.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Since I acquired this weapon, besides Tsunade, you are the first one qualified to wield it."
"Your strength is sufficient; having a divine weapon or not makes little difference to you."
"It's just that the space in Ryūchidō is not that large. To avoid affecting your combat effectiveness, you can use it for now!"
The divine sword, lost and now found, even if only temporarily, and being compared to Tsunade by Orochimaru, was enough to make the Nine-Tails quite pleased.
"Alright then!"
"If I had known you were preparing this, I would have found someone to learn a few sword techniques from. That kid Hatake Sakumo's skill is passable. When we get back, I'll learn a few moves from him."
"Right, I'm using your sword, what are you using?"
"Are you using the Dust Release directly?"
Orochimaru shook his head, formed the hand seals for a summoning jutsu, and summoned Manda.
"Bang!"
"Lord Orochimaru, is there something your subordinate needs..."
Manda's voice, a mix of respect and joy, emerged from the smoke. Its massive tongue flicked as its head poked out from the mist. Before it could finish its fawning words, it saw the Nine-Tails standing before it, sword in hand.
"This... this is..."
"Lord Orochimaru, the enemy's chakra is too powerful, your subordinate may not be a match!"
The Nine-Tails was stunned by these words. It then grinned wickedly at Manda and swung the Kusanagi sword, making a motion as if to strike.
"Kusanagi sword?"
"Lord Orochimaru, why does this fox have your weapon?"
"Could it be?"
Orochimaru finally remembered that these two giant beasts were meeting for the first time and chuckled, shaking his head as he jumped down from Manda's head.
"No need to be nervous. Kyūbi is just like you, my partner!"
Manda's tension eased, and it immediately flashed Orochimaru a sycophantic look.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru, to be able to sign a summoning contract with such a powerful senior!"
Having buttered up both of them, the Nine-Tails cheerfully walked up to Manda and swaggered as it patted its nose.
"Hmm, you're quite the flatterer. It seems there are some sensible individuals in Ryūchidō!"
"In that case, perhaps I won't have to kill all the snakes in Ryūchidō!"
Manda was startled.
"Kill all the snakes in Ryūchidō?"
"Senior, what do you mean by that?"
Orochimaru glared at the Nine-Tails, gently stroked Manda's scales, and slowly said,
"Manda, I summoned you because I need the Kusanagi sword from your tail."
"Then, you will guard the cave entrance and prevent any snake from Ryūchidō from escaping into the ninja world until I emerge."
"Do you understand?"
Manda froze, suddenly understanding Orochimaru's plan, and its body began to tremble.
"Lord, you..."
"You intend to..."
Orochimaru waved his hand gently.
"Your strength is insufficient to survive combat at that level."
"Just do as I say, do you understand?"
Confirming its suspicions, Manda's head retracted, and it coiled its body into a spiral, leaving only a segment of its tail exposed to Orochimaru.
"Lord, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is in my tail. You can take it out yourself with the Void Sword!"
"It's just that..."
Manda's muffled voice echoed from its coiled form.
"Your subordinate hopes that Lord will emerge safely from Ryūchidō and then entrust the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi back to your subordinate for safekeeping!"
"You..."
Orochimaru chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, I've received your sentiment!"
"Kyūbi, break open Manda's tail."
"Heh heh, watch my swordsmanship!"
The Nine-Tails grinned and unceremoniously swung its sword towards Manda's tail.
"Screech!"
"Clang!"
The blade instantly cut a large gash in Manda's tail. Manda grunted, its body involuntarily spasming.
"Tsk, found it with just one strike?"
The Nine-Tails looked disappointed at not being able to continue its downward swing, retracting the Kusanagi sword.
Manda shivered. If it weren't for the Nine-Tails' strength, with its violent nature, it would have likely cursed out loud.
"Alright, stop messing around!"
Orochimaru glared at the Nine-Tails, showing contempt for the unrepentant creature.
He extended his entire arm into the wound, fumbled around, and finally gripped the hilt of the Kusanagi sword accurately. With a strong pull, as Manda's muscles quivered uncontrollably, he yanked out the second Kusanagi sword.
The divine weapon, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, discovered by Susanoo after slaying the Yamata no Orochi in mythology.
The blade was entirely white, less than a meter long, with a blade shape resembling an iris leaf. The decoration on the hilt was also different from the plain appearance of Orochimaru's Void Sword; the hilt of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi resembled the bone joint of some creature.
Heavy and hard.
Orochimaru swung it around a couple of times; it felt quite comfortable.
Not forgetting Manda's bleeding wound, Orochimaru held the sword in his left hand, his right arm surging with chakra. After shaking off the clinging snake blood, he gently pressed it onto the sword mark left by the Nine-Tails.
The Yin-Yang Release-powered Sage Art, under Orochimaru's immense control over cells, healed the wound, large enough to fit a person, in a short while.
Gently patting Manda's tail twice as a gesture of comfort, Orochimaru sheathed the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in his ninja tool pouch and gave the Nine-Tails a look.
"Let's go in!"