Djinn studied the creature closely and couldn't help blurting out, "There are still monsters like this in the ninja world?"
Sure, there were strange beings—like the thousand-year-old snake spirits, slugs of unfathomable size, and toads that could predict the future—but even so, he never expected to encounter something like this here.
Snakes, slugs, and toads, no matter how extraordinary, were still evolved from natural creatures. But this… this kappa felt entirely different—like something pulled from folklore rather than biology. It was a being that didn't belong in the natural order.
"You know what it is?" Orochimaru asked, watching the creature.
Before Djinn could respond, the kappa suddenly lashed out—its long, sticky tongue shot forward like an arrow, aimed straight at Orochimaru. Instinctively, it had targeted the most dangerous presence among them.
Boom!
A stone wall rose instantly to intercept the tongue, but the moment they collided, a massive hole was blown through it.
"This thing's strength… it's no less than an elite jōnin," Orochimaru said, landing on a tree branch, hands forming seals. "Looks like I'll have to take this more seriously."
The earth surged beneath the kappa, trying to swallow it whole, but despite its odd proportions and stubby limbs, the creature's agility was startling. It weaved through the shifting terrain, making a beeline for the lake.
"You're not going anywhere."
Orochimaru flicked his hand, manipulating the water itself. A slap of murky lake water shaped like a giant hand came crashing down on the kappa.
Boom!
The kappa was slammed back to shore, skidding into the mud. Earthen restraints burst from the ground and clamped around its limbs, pinning it in place.
"Gahhhhhh!"
The creature howled and struggled, but the bindings held. Then, as Orochimaru approached, it lashed out again—its crimson tongue darting from its beaklike mouth.
Thud!
A second stone wall formed midair, catching the tongue mid-swing and instantly transforming into another shackle, yanking it taut and immobilizing the creature completely.
"What is this thing?" Hyuga Hiashi asked, now recovered from his earlier injury. He stared at the kappa with unease. "It's like something out of a ghost story."
Orochimaru glanced at Djinn, curious. Earlier, Djinn had called it a "kappa"—which meant he might know something.
"Don't look at me like that," Djinn said, raising his hands. "I've only heard of kappas in stories. They're supposed to be legendary monsters. But if this is real… does that mean actual monsters exist in the ninja world?"
"Some do," Orochimaru answered seriously. "To the west of Iwagakure lies the Land of Demons. They have a special profession there—priestesses—who are highly respected."
"I remember that," Djinn said thoughtfully. "Weren't those priestesses supposed to drive away evil spirits?"
"Exactly," Orochimaru said. "It always sounded like superstition to me, but now…"
He looked back at the restrained kappa, its wild eyes still glaring. "I'm starting to believe it might not have been nonsense after all."
"But if there are priestesses to fight monsters, shouldn't the presence of monsters be common knowledge?"
"Not anymore," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. "Stories of monsters all but disappeared after the Warring States era. The priestess lineage has dwindled too. As far as I know, only one family remains—essentially ruling the Land of Demons like a noble clan."
"And their sealing arts," he added, "are said to rival even the Uzumaki clan's."
Djinn frowned. "Still… if there haven't been monsters for over a century, why are they reappearing now?"
"They never disappeared," Orochimaru said calmly. "They've likely always been here—just undetectable."
He gestured toward the kappa. "If I hadn't been in Sage Mode, I wouldn't have sensed it at all. It has no chakra signature—completely invisible to most ninjas."
He turned to look at the Bliss Box, half-submerged in the water again. "I suspect it was drawn out by that."
He narrowed his eyes. "The box is leaking chakra."
"It makes sense," Djinn nodded. "If the Box of Bliss really was stable, Kusa wouldn't need to collect chakra manually to activate it."
"True. Maybe it's like a fuel tank—it can't run without chakra."
"In any case," Orochimaru said, "we can test it."
He motioned to Hyuga Hiashi. "Send word to the old man. Tell him to send Yamato. I have something for him."
"Yes, sir." Hiashi vanished into the distance.
Moments later, Yamato arrived. "Lord Orochimaru," he greeted.
"Use Wood Release. Try to absorb the chakra leaking from the Bliss Box," Orochimaru instructed. "But don't use your own body—grow external plants instead."
"Yes, my lord."
Yamato activated his Wood Release. Trees sprouted and vines slithered toward the box. As their roots latched on, the plants darkened—green leaves turning black, trunks turning tar-colored. They twisted violently, lashing at everything around them.
Yamato quickly released his jutsu and retreated.
"That chakra… it's interfering with my control."
"That confirms it," Orochimaru muttered, watching the chaos. "The Box of Bliss is leaking."
That, in itself, was valuable information. If they could purge the chakra, the box could be stabilized.
"Keep absorbing it."
Yamato obeyed. More vines were summoned—not from his body, but the earth. They clung to the box, and the vegetation began to fight among themselves, a natural selection driven by corrupted chakra. The stronger vines devoured the weaker ones, turning the area into a frenzy of writhing black limbs.
Then, the box seemed to push back—vines lashed toward the humans, viewing them as threats.
"Retreat!"
Orochimaru pulled everyone, kappa included, to safety. He watched the plants closely.
"So much energy… enough to give these things a will of their own."
The chakra stored inside was on par with a tailed beast. He wondered how far this unnatural evolution could go.
But eventually, he lost interest.
"They're not going to transform into anything more. Just violent weeds."
He entered Sage Mode and cast a blazing Fire Release.
The cursed plants burned, hissing as they withered into ash. When they were finally gone, he turned to Yamato. "Try again."
This time, Wood Release couldn't absorb a thing.
"It's either depleted," Orochimaru said, "or sealed again."
He turned to finish the job—sealing the Bliss Box and hiding it at the lakebed beneath a protective barrier.
"Now, what about this creature?"
He turned back to the bound kappa.
"Too dangerous to release… and too bizarre to ignore."
"Konoha doesn't have a circus," Dengjin joked, "but we do have experts. Let the priestess from the Land of Demons deal with it."
Orochimaru nodded. "A wise idea. There may be more like it. We can't ignore that possibility."
He turned to Hiashi. "Tell the Hokage. This is not a minor matter."
"I'll deliver the message," Hiashi said, then departed with the captured kappa and several subordinates.
To Orochimaru, the kappa and the Bliss Box were intriguing side projects—but his real focus remained elsewhere.
He turned to Yamato. "You're free to go now. Unless... is there something else?"
Yamato hesitated. "There is, actually. Kakashi was captured in the previous battle. He seems… down. I also have a Sharingan, and I was wondering…"
"You want to give him one?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "You're generous. But this has nothing to do with Sharingan."
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