The tension in the casino was palpable, so thick it could be cut with a kunai. Gojo Satoru's icy smile was a promise of imminent violence, and the energy emanating from him made even the most hardened gamblers tremble and hide under the tables.
Orochimaru, despite his boldness, felt a pang of genuine fear. This was not a man he could manipulate or underestimate.
"Shizune?" Tsunade repeated, her voice trembling with fury. "Where have you got her, you filthy snake?"
"She's... safe, for now," Orochimaru replied, trying to maintain his composure, but his voice sounded a bit higher than usual.
Gojo's pressure was overwhelming. "I repeat, Tsunade. If you heal me, you will free her. It's a very simple offer."
Naruto, who until a few moments ago had been wrapped up in his own anger against Tsunade, felt a chill at Gojo's tone. He had rarely seen his sensei so serious. It was a veiled threat, but the weight of his words was immense. Jiraiya, for his part, stood on guard, his eyes narrowed.
He knew Orochimaru was dangerous, but the magnitude of Gojo's power was something he could barely comprehend.
"Offers, threats..." Gojo slowly straightened, his figure growing more imposing. "I don't think you understand, Orochimaru. I'm not asking. I'm demanding." The distortion in the air around him grew more pronounced. "I'm going to give you one last chance. Tell me where Shizune is."
Orochimaru took a step back, his snake-like eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, looking for a way out. He knew he couldn't face Gojo directly, not without his arms and with this monster from nowhere.
The information he had gathered about Gojo hadn't prepared him for the magnitude of his power. It was like standing before a law of nature, not a mere ninja.
"You wouldn't dare," Orochimaru hissed, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Oh yeah?" Gojo smiled, and this time, there was not a hint of humor. "You see, I'm on vacation. And I don't appreciate my vacation being interrupted by petty dictators who kidnap innocent people. Besides, I have an important mission to accomplish, and you're interrupting me. And that really bothers me."
With a movement that was almost imperceptible, Gojo vanished from his spot and reappeared directly in front of Orochimaru. The Sannin had no time to react. Gojo grabbed him by the collar of his kimono, lifting him effortlessly off the ground, his feet dangling in the air. It wasn't the strength of the grip that frightened Orochimaru, but the feeling of Infinity surrounding him, preventing him from moving, breathing, or thinking. It was as if space itself had turned against him.
""I'll ask you again," Gojo said, his voice now a deadly whisper that echoed directly in Orochimaru's mind. "Tell me where Shizune is."
Orochimaru gasped, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't summon, he couldn't attack. He was completely at Gojo's mercy. Pure, cold, primal fear surged through him.
"In... in a cave... outside the city..." he managed to stammer out, terror contorting his face. "A sealing jutsu... on the wall..."
Gojo nodded slowly, a look of mild disappointment on his face. "Ah, well. That was less fun than I expected." You could have said that earlier, you know?"
He released Orochimaru, who fell to the ground with a thud, coughing and clutching his throat, completely humiliated.
"Jiraiya, Naruto," Gojo said, turning to them with his usual lightness, as if he'd just had a trivial conversation instead of terrorizing one of the most dangerous ninjas in the world. "Orochimaru has been keeping Shizune in a cave. The address is..." Gojo gave them precise coordinates, extracted from Orochimaru's mind with his "six eyes."
"Go ahead and free her. I'll take care of our friend here."
Naruto, still coming to terms with what he had just seen, nodded quickly. Jiraiya, though impressed and a little afraid of Gojo's power, regained his composure.
"Good. Naruto, let's go." He turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade, you should come too. Shizune needs you."
Tsunade, who had been watching the scene with a mixture of horror and amazement, nodded, her face serious. Orochimaru's humiliation at Gojo's hands was something she had never imagined.
This man's power was unparalleled.
As Jiraiya, Naruto, and Tsunade hurried out of the casino to find Shizune, Gojo knelt beside Orochimaru, who was still recovering on the ground.
"Now, over your arms..." Gojo said, his voice returning to its casual tone. "I could get rid of you right here. But he tells me you're an important, if annoying, piece of the plot. So, instead of breaking up with you, I'll give you a little incentive to never bother my friends again." And, more importantly, so you don't interfere with my mission."
Gojo extended his hand, and a swirling red sphere of energy began to form in his palm: a miniature red lapse. The energy was so dense that the air around him began to vibrate and distort.
"This is just a little demonstration. Next time, it won't be a demonstration," Gojo said with a reassuring smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Consider this a... warning. And if you kidnap anyone or threaten Konoha again, I will hunt you down, no matter where you hide, and I will make you regret ever being born."
Gojo dispelled the red lapse. Orochimaru looked at him, his eyes trembling. The humiliation in his body was nothing compared to the fear he now felt. It was the first time in a long time that Orochimaru felt like he wasn't the one in control of the situation, that he wasn't the predator.
"Now, go," Gojo said, gesturing toward the casino exit. "And I advise you to find a solution to your arm problems that doesn't involve upsetting important people."
Orochimaru dragged himself out of the casino, his pride wounded and his will temporarily broken. Gojo stood up, adjusted his blindfold, and sighed.
"Well, that was a bit of an unnecessary detour," he muttered to himself. "Now, hope the Blond and the Sannin don't kill each other before I can ask him to be Hokage. Diplomacy isn't my strong suit, after all."