"I say, what's the purpose of you guys bringing us here?"
Just as Lin Yu and Orochimaru's conversation was getting increasingly bizarre, the older Ghost Lantern Mangetsu finally couldn't help but speak. If he let them continue, he was afraid his younger brother Suigetsu would be led astray!
Lin Yu glanced at Orochimaru suspiciously and asked, "Didn't you tell them?"
"I've never been good at explaining," Orochimaru said, taking a step back, indicating that the stage was now for the younger generation.
"What did he tell you?"
Lin Yu pointed at Orochimaru and then examined Ghost Lantern Mangetsu, with his white hair, white eyes, and white collar – truly very white.
Ghost Lantern Mangetsu stepped in front of his younger brother and Kimimaro. He glanced at the Third Mizukage sitting like a puppet on a string and said,
"He said that Mizukage-sama saw our potential and wanted to train us in secret."
"That seems to be fine. You can think of it that way,"
Lin Yu continued, "Except that the one you'll be obeying is no longer Mizukage, but me!"
The complexions of the Ghost Lantern brothers changed. The younger Ghost Lantern Suigetsu blurted out, "What a joke! We are from the Mist Village, how can we not obey Mizukage-sama's orders?"
Ghost Lantern Mangetsu initially thought Lin Yu was testing them, but he noticed that the Fourth Mizukage sitting beside them hadn't even blinked from beginning to end.
This was very abnormal. Were they acting that hard? Wouldn't their eyes get dry?
Could it be… Mizukage-sama has been controlled?!
Ghost Lantern Mangetsu suddenly thought of this terrifying possibility and then looked at the people standing around.
A female Sand Shinobi with a large bump on her head, and a headband with a slash mark, clearly a rogue ninja.
A person wearing a spiral mask and a black robe with red clouds. Just sitting there, they exuded a heavy sense of oppression. This person was extremely powerful!
Then there was Orochimaru, who brought them here and looked like a crazy snake. Of everyone present, only this red-haired youth seemed normal.
"Who are you people?"
"Us?"
Lin Yu patted Kimimaro's head beside him. This little guy was truly calm.
"Isn't it obvious? We are enemies of the Hidden Mist Village!"
The Ghost Lantern brothers immediately adopted a fighting stance. Of course, only Mangetsu had combat power. Suigetsu, who was about Naruto's age, was not much of a threat.
Kimimaro, however, made no move. He continued to stare at Lin Yu, his eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of admiration.
He had been imprisoned by the Kaguya clan since he was young, treated as a human shield and weapon, and he didn't have much affection for the Kaguya clan.
He had initially felt great goodwill towards Orochimaru for saving him, but it seemed Orochimaru had only "saved" him on the orders of the red-haired youth in front of him.
Kimimaro instantly transferred his gratitude from Orochimaru to Lin Yu, and it grew even stronger.
"What? Do you two think you can fight us?"
Ghost Lantern Suigetsu was the first to lower his hands and whispered in his brother's ear, "Brother, why don't we surrender? A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him!"
"Suigetsu, how can you have such little ambition?"
Ghost Lantern Mangetsu was very displeased with his timid brother. Keep such thoughts to yourself; why would you say them out loud and weaken your own resolve while boosting the enemy's morale?
"Brother, I'm still young and don't want to die!"
"Your younger brother is more sensible."
Lin Yu looked at Kimimaro and asked, "What about you?"
"I am willing to follow you, sir!" Kimimaro lowered his head, concealing the fervor in his eyes.
"Good eye!"
Lin Yu knew Kimimaro's background. He hadn't had a good life in his clan; it was quite miserable, even worse than Gaara's situation.
Gaara at least had a father who was the Kazekage. Kimimaro had nothing. Orochimaru's appearance was a ray of light in his life, although that ray of light seemed to have shifted to Lin Yu.
"Brother, let's surrender. Even the Kazekage isn't their match. We're just two small shrimps to them."
Although Lin Yu was curious how Suigetsu, at such a young age, knew so many words, given Suigetsu's timid and glib personality in the future, such a statement was not surprising.
Lin Yu stepped forward and said, "Then the two of you..."
"Brother, now!"
Ghost Lantern Suigetsu flickered and instantly transformed into a puddle of water that wrapped around Lin Yu's feet. His hands tightly grasped Lin Yu's thighs. Now all he had to do was wait for his brother to aim the Water Release: Water Iron Cannon at Lin Yu's head, and then...
Huh? Where's brother?
Ghost Lantern Suigetsu saw the atmosphere in the office suddenly quiet down. He quickly condensed his head and looked at his brother.
Ghost Lantern Mangetsu's white pupils were filled with panic and fear. It wasn't that he didn't want to cooperate with his brother, but he truly couldn't.
Just as his brother made his move, the masked man, who had been sitting beside them, opened a pair of blood-red eyes and looked at him. An unimaginable pressure descended upon him, rendering him immobile.
Obito, merely by the pressure of his Sharingan, could suppress Ghost Lantern Mangetsu. This showed how much Obito had improved over the years. This was the power of having two Mangekyo Sharingan at the start!
"What are you, doing?"
A rather cold voice reached Ghost Lantern Suigetsu's ears, causing the previously baring-toothed Ghost Lantern Suigetsu to immediately put on a friendly smile and flatter, "I am... polishing your shoes!"
"Yes! Polishing your shoes. See, the surface of your shoes is dirty. I'll clean them for you with Water Release!"
Lin Yu was rendered speechless by Ghost Lantern Suigetsu's actions. This guy was a talent!
"Alright, I'll give you one last chance. Join us, or be forced to join."
The Ghost Lantern brothers looked at each other. Was there even a choice?
"We choose to join."
Lin Yu sat back down in the Mizukage's seat. Lin Yu didn't place much importance on the Ghost Lantern brothers or Pakura, but they had learned a lot. If they didn't choose to join, Lin Yu wouldn't be merciful.
What Lin Yu valued most was Kimimaro, a genius in the truest sense, and loyal!
However, his illness was a problem. Even Orochimaru couldn't cure it. Perhaps it was a Bloodline Limit.
But if it was a Bloodline Limit, it would be simple. A burn with the Undying Nether Flame would eliminate any Bloodline Limit.
However, there was another possibility: the Shikotsumyaku was a degenerated form of the Ketsuryugan. The more the Shikotsumyaku was developed to its extreme, the more its characteristic of instant death upon touch would manifest.
Although Kimimaro's body had strong self-healing abilities, he hadn't even reached the level of Sage Body, let alone the Rinne Sharingan. He simply couldn't control the Shikotsumyaku, which had already revealed a trace of the Ketsuryugan's characteristics. In essence, the stronger Kimimaro's strength became, the closer he was to death.
Although this was far-fetched, Kaguya Otsutsuki and the Kaguya clan had no relation. Who could say for sure about matters in the ninja world?
Perhaps one of the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki or Hagoromo inherited the weakened form of the Ketsuryugan and established the Kaguya clan!
Lin Yu actually believed the latter possibility was greater. Otherwise, with Orochimaru's research capabilities, he wouldn't have been unable to cure Kimimaro. Bloodline Limits were difficult to cure, but if Orochimaru wanted someone to live, he had many ways to keep them alive. This was the way of research!
The biggest possibility was that Kimimaro was unwilling to be treated, or rather, unwilling to have his strength regress, unwilling to become Orochimaru's discarded pawn, and willingly sought death.