--- Diablo's POV ---
"I fought and followed him from timeline to timelines... From simulated worlds to parallel worlds... I didn't give up since I had the feeling, that he may have the clue to Rimuru-sama's whereabouts."
I explained to my liege.
I know her feelings right now.
Sadness and disappointment.
"By the time I arrive at this world... Rimuru-sama had once again suffered from the feeling of losing someone. I wasn't able to stop that from happening so---"
"You revived Kabuto?" My liege completed my sentence.
"That is correct," I responded.
She became silent... I could feel her emotions, but she won't show it on her face. The golden eyes that she shut hides the hollowness of her sadness, but the wavelength of her magicules was enough for me to understand.
By the time she opened her eyes... "So what now? Tempest, I was supposed to be in that place... Right?"
"Yes..."
"Then... Take me back."
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--- Orochimaru's POV ---
The Root's leftovers were given orders by Accelerator-kun.
They are currently making their way to Konoha. The Kages of the great villages seems to have made their entrance to Konoha too.
They are plotting to work together.
My plan is simple... Show up after both sides were weakened, Put them back into their place, calm Accelerator-kun, then take Rimuru back.
As simple as that.
*BOOOM*
It has started.
"Die, lad!" That was the voice of a man engulfed in lightning. Specifically, the Kage of cloud, striking Accelerator-kun with his speed.
At first, it actually went like a normal meeting. All the Kages were present along with Accelerator-kun and his subordinates who entered the room last.
Minato-kun seems to be able to hold the meeting smoothly, he was able to ease Accelerator-kun and the others with his words.
But the problem is the Raikage.
Well, that's a given, I was amused Accelerator-kun was able to withstand his threats for a good 5 minutes...
Well, in the end, he blew everything up.
The attacks that were delivered to him reflected onto the Kages, and the entire building collapsed. A war between the kages and Root breaks out afterward.
Well, Minato was an exception.
He merely takes a seat and watches the show as much to the other Kages' dismay. It was a bit surprising for figuring it out though... That's right.
Minato-kun is on our side.
That was the exact reason for such a scenario to happen.
"Well, it looks like keeping a leash on all of you should've been a better choice after all."
I announced my words with the technique of telepathy that I invented a few years ago. Responding to that, they looked up towards debris, the huge wall that is now a badly shaped pillar had me standing on top of it.
That threat caught their attention.
"You're-!!!"
"Impossible!!"
"Your head was presented by that evil goddess... I saw it with my own eyes when she came to my village, how!?"
Such were the responses of the Kages.
Ah... I can never forget this feeling.
I began to change when I took Rimuru under my wings.
Losing the Hokage position to Minato was no longer a problem on that point.
I wanted immortality.
These threads of ambiguous fate we call "life" Was holding me back from learning everything.
The truth of this world... I desired to know it.
But looking at her state... "Then let me ask you this, is there a meaning in the act of 'living'??"
[A/N: Rimuru's words from chapter 1]
A complete opposite of myself... I knew it. I knew... That she already knows a part about it, the truth of this world.
Why do we living beings able to manipulate and use Chakra, Why does such a principle of "hand seals" Allows us to use a technique easier, Why the tailed beast existed, Why does the concept of everything was as they are right now?
I want to know it.
I desired to understand it.
But before I knew it, while I was immersed myself in her mysteries... I came to care for her.
That's exactly why... She won't die today, or any time soon.
"Don't you know that white snakes symbolize rebirth?" To everyone who gapped in my direction, I sternly stated while looking at the dumbfounded Accelerator.
But after a while...
The place was surrounded by my subordinates. Naruto-Kun, Satsuki-chan, and even Karin-chan were also present.
The Root has almost every otherworlders and missing nins, as well as famous killers as their members. Throughout the year, Rimuru has not only gathered the otherworlders but also as many tailed beasts as she could.
Due to that, we had 3 Jinchuuriki on our side.
By that time, Accelerator bowed down to me. I summoned Manda, the boss summon of Ryuichi cave and while standing on top of his head, I look at the familiar figure among the crowd.
"It's been a while... Jiraiya."
"Orochimaru...!!"
Now that I noticed, Tsunade was also among them.
"I'm going to say this once, so listen up closely... Touch a single strand of my daughter's hair, and I shall make your life a living hell. No one can escape the flame. This world... Shall burns in hell!"
"You—!!" At first... The tsuchikage was about to open his mouth. However...
"Heyyyy~~! It's been a while, Orochimaru~!" That was Jiraiya. No, I anticipated this kind of response.
Everyone else was dumbfounded by the carefree remarks of my spiky white-haired old friend. I couldn't be more embarrassed.
"....I will ask all of you to return Rimuru to me-" (Orochimaru)
"OIIIIIIIIIIII~~ Orochimaru~! I heard you stopped your shady experiments and adopt a daughter? Are you really Orochimaru??? Oiiiiii" (Jiraiya)
....This guy...
"If I hear any more rants about Rimuru's Execution I will---" (Orochimaru)
"OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!"
That's it.
"SHUT YOUR TRAP UP!/SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I wasn't the only one who got annoyed by that it seems... I saw Tsunade had her fist up, smoking in hot heat while Jiraiya passed out on the ground.
"Ow ow ow! That hurts..." (Jiraiya)
Old friend... I currently trying to announce the fourth great Ninja war right here. Would you please tone down your stupidity for once?
"Alright alright... I'll get serious. Orochimaru, at first I doubted all of this... as well as the fact that you were still alive but... For you to go that far then I guess you must really care for her. Good for you Orochimaru." He suddenly stated. With a stupid grin on his face at that. For a second, I can only stare at him wide-eyed. But then...
"I also heard she's fine if you know what I mean ehee hee hee hee~"
💢--- This trash-!!!
*Crack*
Tsunade wasn't the only one who cracked a knuckle near Jiraiya. For the first time, my killing intent explodes wildly, I feel like I want to burn this guy whom I called my old friend to crips, and then feed him to Manda, only if Manda wants it that is...
"Wait Wait Wait Wait Wait!!! I was joking!!!!" (Jiraiya)
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-Please standby-
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"Well then! We can finally rearrange the meeting~!" Somehow, somewhat... this line was voiced by the blonde spiky-haired Hokage.
Minato was silent until now, after Orochimaru calmed down, He suddenly exclaimed leading us to the current situation.
All of Orochimaru's subordinates were sent back, as well as the other Kages' subordinates.
In the plains of ruins scattered debris, they found a stone of wall remains to sit and listened closely to Minato.
The ones who are currently present are; The Tsuchikage, Raikage, Mizukage, Kazekage, Accelerator, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, myself, and finally Minato. The aides of the Kages are also present, but their names are very insignificant for me to remember.
A very strange sight indeed.
"Well, I'll just get to the point... If we were going to start a war... All of us will die. The end."
Everyone was a bit taken aback by that.
"Now then... some of us want Rimuru to die, and some of us desired her to live... that was our problem in the nutshell."
Again... his choices of words are the worst.
"Well, the reason for this meeting is to find a solution to that problem. So I propose!"
They raised an eyebrow.
"We shall let Rimuru live, but the existence of the 'Evil Goddess' shall disappear. No more, no less." With a childish smile, Minato stated thus.
In response to that, Raikage stands up. "That's just the same as sparing her, you bastard!!" He exclaimed.
"Chakra Cannon" That voice suddenly came from Minato. A calm voice that shows nothing but politeness. But even a child knows the hidden hostility behind that tone. The current Minato smiled politely in front of us. Yet the Raikage stared at him with wide eyes.
"You--!! How did you know about that... HOKAGE!?"
Chakra cannon, huh... it was a secret project that Kumo is holding right now. I know that fact, and so was Minato... but it seems like the others don't quite understand the information.
"I know things that you don't know of... probably more than you think. If I can't make a proposal then I'll use Orochimaru-san's way.... threats. If one of you decides to decline the proposal of my plan, then I'll leak all secret information regarding your villages to one another. That way, You'd be busy fighting among yourself that you won't have time to think of meddling with Rimuru's life." With a calm smile, Minato demanded everything without batting an eye.
"You--!!" (Raikage) Raikage was the first who reacted to that threat. However...
"Hokage-sama... Are you not afraid of acknowledging the four great Villages as your enemies, much as the Root does?" The current Mizugakure, asked sternly.
"Enemies? Ha ha ha ha... Four? You're mistaken, Mizukage-sama..." (Minato)
"It's three." The fifth Kazekage, Sabaaku no Gaara stated. That statement brought their attention to him.
Right... Gaara-Kun was also one of the brainwashed Otherworlders that has become Rimuru's subordinate.
"Two Kages, and the leader of the biggest criminal organization on the surface of the earth... We have many Otherworlders among us too... So? Was sparing an individual that hard? Or should we proceed with a war?"
"You... You're willing to engage in a war for such trivial reasons?"
They stared at each other for a second, and after that...
"All you need to do to stop this war... Is to promise that you won't go after an individual... Of course, you are very much welcome to try and take Konoha down before I managed to slip my tongue, but who knows~ there might at least be one of you, bearing a hidden hostility towards another? My talks about leaking your secrets are still on the line here." Minato ended with a smile.
Without my consent, the corner of my lips went up.
Just a little bit more.
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"Rimuru!?" (Kakashi)
The other Kages went home, all had pledged; to excuse all past crimes that the Rimuru had. In return, the "Evil Goddess" in the bingo book has been erased, marking the page with "diseased".
But even though one thing came after another, that doesn't explain to me why is something unexplainable happened once more.
There I stared at the empty room inside the hospital.
The room seemed to be used before, looking at the fact the sheets and blankets are not organized. Unfolded hospital gowns lay down on the floor messily. And there was no sign of the patient... The beautiful platinum blue-haired maiden that I'd like to call my daughter...
"Minato" To the student of my old friend standing behind me, I called his name...
"Where is my daughter?"
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To be continued.