"I have to say, Kazuyama, your ideas always manage to shake my nerves in the worst ways."
"How twisted do you have to be to come up with something like this?"
"Dumping a nest of snakes and an insect infestation right in their homeland..."
Chōmei was so stunned that he couldn't even find the right words. He could only sum up Kazuyama in the simplest terms:
Despicable. Evil. Not even human.
"Hmph, Iwagakure loves war, don't they? So setting fire to their home turf isn't such a big deal."
"Tagorihime, what do you think?"
"What kind of snakes should we raise on this mountain?"
"They need to be highly aggressive and extremely venomous."
To effectively cripple the Land of Earth's transportation, Kazuyama had even considered releasing massive anacondas. Unfortunately, those were far too conspicuous.
After all, Orochimaru's reputation was well-known, and his summoned creatures were giant snakes. If enormous serpents suddenly appeared within the Land of Earth, Iwagakure wouldn't even need to investigate—they'd know exactly who was behind it.
"There are plenty of options. The snakes of Ryūchi Cave, having been bathed in natural energy, have much lower habitat requirements."
"This place may not seem ideal, but there's enough life here to sustain them. Let me think..."
"What about Many-banded krait snakes? They're well-suited for hilly environments and have extremely potent venom."
Oh, now that was an idea.
The Many-banded krait was among the deadliest. Its venom contained neurotoxins capable of rapidly shutting down the nervous system, leading to paralysis—or death.
"Perfect. But will releasing them all at once cause any issues?"
"Should I scatter them, or release them in clusters?"
Kazuyama was meticulous—he needed this plan to work. The last thing he wanted was for the snakes to spread too thin or worse, start killing each other before they even encountered their intended targets.
Tagorihime caught his concern and chuckled, her tone brimming with confidence.
"Relax. Even if you dump a hundred or two hundred of them in the same spot, they won't turn on each other."
"Do you think the snakes of Ryūchi Cave are ordinary?"
"They've been strengthened by natural energy—they follow orders. And I'm one of the Three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave."
She said it with absolute certainty.
And why wouldn't she? Tagorihime was second only to the White Snake Sage in Ryūchi Cave. Even Yulin and Kinrin had to obey her, let alone a group of lesser snakes that hadn't even begun training in Senjutsu.
"One more thing—if I summon them with the Summoning Technique, won't they disappear when I leave?"
"What if the moment I step away, they all just slither right back to Ryūchi Cave? Then what was the point of all this?"
It was a valid concern. The Summoning Technique functioned through chakra-based contracts—if he left, the technique might break, recalling the summoned creatures.
Hearing this, Tagorihime smiled knowingly and offered an elegant solution.
"That's easy. Carve the summoning formula into the ground and inject chakra into it. This will create a one-way summoning seal."
"Once you leave, just destroy the formula, and the summoning will remain active."
"The snakes will stay put."
Now that was expertise.
A true Snake Princess—an expert in raising and controlling serpents.
Kazuyama felt reassured.
"Alright then, help me arrange it. I'll summon them now."
"Go ahead."
With Tagorihime's approval, Kazuyama began carving the summoning formula into the ground. Once it was complete, he activated the Summoning Technique.
With a loud bang, white smoke billowed through the forest.
Hundreds of Many-banded krait snakes slithered into view.
They varied in size—some barely a meter long, while others stretched over three meters.
For a normal Many-banded krait snake, the average length ranged from 0.6 to 1.2 meters. But the ones from Ryūchi Cave had long surpassed that limit.
A three-meter-long silver-ringed snake, paired with its deadly neurotoxin?
Kazuyama couldn't help but grin wider.
As the snakes settled, they initially appeared restless. But the moment Tagorihime released a faint pulse of natural energy, they all froze.
Recognizing her aura, they immediately fell into order.
After all, this was the Snake Princess.
"Starting today, this mountain is your new home."
"This is your territory, and I give you permission to attack anyone who enters."
"Understood?"
As she spoke, Tagorihime's human-like face faded, revealing her true serpentine features—cold and ruthless.
"Remember my words. You may attack anyone who enters this area, but you must not harm your own kind."
"That's all. If you understand, disperse."
At her command, the snakes scattered in all directions. Within moments, not a single one remained in sight.
"That's it?"
"What else? Just wait and enjoy the show."
"Heh, fair enough. So, Tagorihime, shall we move to the next location?"
"...Since we're already out here, might as well."
Kazuyama wasted no time. Spreading his wings, he took off, while Tagorihime floated into the air with effortless grace. Unlike him, she didn't need wings—her Senjutsu granted her the ability to hover freely.
Before long, they arrived at another valley.
This, too, was a key route through the Land of Earth.
But this time, Kazuyama didn't summon any snakes. Instead, he slowly walked down the hillside, scanning the surroundings.
"Kazuyama, what are you looking at? Not summoning more snakes?"
Kazuyama shook his head with a grin. He never intended to rely solely on snakes.
From the very beginning, he planned to unleash both snakes and an insect infestation.
"The trees here are dense, and the soil looks fertile."
"I'm thinking of triggering a large-scale insect plague in this area."
Hearing the word plague, Tagorihime raised an eyebrow.
"You're a Jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails, the so-called king of insects."
"But I've never heard of the Seven-Tails being able to control bugs."
Not only was Tagorihime unaware—Kazuyama himself hadn't been sure.
It was only by chance that Chōmei once mentioned, while snacking on some insects, that his Scale Powder had an attractive effect on ordinary bugs. Any insect that consumed it would instinctively follow his will.
That was when Kazuyama realized Chōmei had this hidden ability all along.
"Chōmei, it's your turn. Help me release some Scale Powder."
"Let's see if we can lure in something useful."
Chōmei let out a mischievous chuckle. Without a word, he began channeling chakra, preparing to spread his Scale Powder.
He had a little surprise in store for Kazuyama.