Chapter 129: Calculation

"Is this the one who cried for help?" Yakushi Kabuto thought to himself, though he did not voice it.

Orochimaru remained silent, and Kimimaro certainly wouldn't speak up. Since the three leaders were quiet, the others knew better than to make a nuisance of themselves.

"Crack! Crunch!"

As Orochimaru retrieved the Star Core, the entire Undead Star began to crumble and shatter. Deprived of the core's protective energy, the planet could no longer withstand the gravitational pull of the Earth, causing it to collapse even faster.

Boom! From the perspective of space, the Undead Star broke into countless fragments, turning into a meteor shower that was absorbed by the Earth. Even the spectral green energy of the undead, still drifting in the void, was swept up in the process. The Earth grew stronger once more.

As Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the others flew toward the Earth, Astral Suigetsu’s eyes darted around, and he followed in their wake.

Karin asked guardedly, "Why are you following us?"

Astral Suigetsu replied, "Lord Orochimaru, as you all call him, saved my life. I wish to repay him!"

"Huh?" Karin didn't press further. She didn't understand the situation, and since she couldn't fathom Orochimaru’s true intentions, she decided it was best not to invite trouble.

Soon, they returned to the War Fortress on Earth. Kimimaro led a team out again; since Earth had absorbed the Undead Star and grown larger, he had to lead the work to compress the planet back to its original size. Only by increasing the Earth's density could they truly enhance its strength and improve its ability to withstand the pressure of high-speed travel.

In a small room, Orochimaru and Kabuto discussed the matter of Astral Suigetsu.

"Confirmation from the Shengang clan verifies that Astral Suigetsu is indeed of the Astral race," Kabuto stated.

Orochimaru nodded. "You’ve figured it out as well, haven't you?"

Kabuto smiled. He knew Orochimaru was referring to Astral Suigetsu’s status as a spy. Of course he had realized it; when someone tries to pose as a spy in front of an elite master of espionage, especially when suspicions were already raised, the ruse is instantly transparent. Astral Suigetsu had an ulterior motive for approaching Orochimaru.

"She claims you saved her," Kabuto continued. "Based on my understanding of you, you would normally remain indifferent. If you did save her, it must be because of her utility."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "The reason the Snake-Headed tribe's planet turned into the Undead Star was likely to provide a perfect cover for Astral Suigetsu's identity, wasn't it?"

The ones who slaughtered the Snake-Headed tribe were likely the same people standing behind her.

Kabuto nodded. "Then we can be certain that Astral Suigetsu was not sent by the Sage of Six Paths."

Because the Sage of Six Paths possessed the ability to foresee the future, he would surely have predicted that Astral Suigetsu’s identity would be exposed. There would have been no need to go through the trouble of slaughtering an entire planet just to provide a cover story. The conclusion was clear: the person behind Astral Suigetsu was not the Sage.

Orochimaru shook his head, however, and said, "No, the person behind her is indeed the Sage of Six Paths."

He explained, "Do you remember Naruto and Sasuke? They were abducted by the Sage; they are surely assisting him in his schemes."

Kabuto realized it in an instant. "Lord Orochimaru, are you suggesting that the person behind Astral Suigetsu is Naruto or Sasuke? Since Astral Suigetsu is female, it is most likely Sasuke!"

It was easy to guess. Orochimaru had only two enemies in the universe: the Sage of Six Paths and the Otsutsuki clan. The Otsutsuki clan was currently mobilizing their forces, intending to crush Orochimaru with overwhelming power; they would not bother with such petty espionage. Only the Sage of Six Paths had the motive. And if the Sage had acted personally, given his foresight, he would never have done anything useless. Thus, deducing from the Undead Star incident, it was clear that while the Sage’s faction was involved, the Sage himself did not orchestrate this specific move.

Kabuto understood immediately. He had simply not looked at it from that angle before. He nodded in agreement, "In that case, in the future the Sage foresaw, the outcome remains the same, so the process matters little."

Astral Suigetsu had failed as a spy, but in a way, she had succeeded. She failed because Orochimaru and Kabuto saw through her, but she succeeded in that they had no intention of exposing her, choosing instead to play along.

Orochimaru asked, "The Astral race and the Otsutsuki clan are adversaries, are they not?"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Yes, and a very intense one at that. Theoretically, the Astral race possesses the attribute of infinite growth, reaching immeasurable heights. Because of this, the Otsutsuki view them as a rebellious race and have hunted them down for years. There are very few left now."

Orochimaru nodded. This was within his expectations. Their goal was to find the Galactic Black Market and unite the various races of the universe to rebel against the Otsutsuki. If the Sage of Six Paths wanted to plant a spy among them, it surely had to do with the black market—or perhaps she was sent specifically to deliver information about it?

Orochimaru toyed with the spectral green energy in his hand. "The Galactic Black Market? It seems a conspiracy is waiting for us there."

Kabuto fell silent. He could imagine the greatest threat: the various factions of the Black Market had already united to deal with them. If that were the case, they would be caught in a pincer attack between the Otsutsuki and the other races. By then, there would be no place left for Earth to survive.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru said, "go and make contact with Astral Suigetsu. Our plan remains unchanged: act as though we are unaware of her true identity, proceed to the black market, contact the various races, and prepare for the final battle against the Otsutsuki."

Kabuto hesitated, but ultimately nodded. Everything they were doing was known to be a trap set by the Sage of Six Paths, so why bother? Was the result not destined to be a defeat? He felt a sense of bewilderment.

Seeing Kabuto’s hesitation, Orochimaru patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Go."

Kabuto looked at Orochimaru and gradually felt his worries subside. He did not know Orochimaru’s full plan, but he knew that Orochimaru would certainly find a way.

...

The Sage of Six Paths had joined the Otsutsuki clan. At that moment, he sat cross-legged on a desolate asteroid, filled with confusion and doubt.

Why was Orochimaru actively seeking his own demise?

In the future he had foreseen, Orochimaru almost never took action again. Although he knew Astral Suigetsu was a spy, he pretended not to. Orochimaru walked step by step into the trap they had designed, offering no resistance, and was easily defeated by their pincer attack alongside the Otsutsuki.

Why?

In the vision, Orochimaru even died! He perished under the combined might of the Sage and another high-ranking Otsutsuki. It seemed as though Orochimaru had voluntarily given up his life, dying by design.

"Is he wallowing in despair?" the Sage muttered to himself.

But he did not believe Orochimaru was such a person. He used his technique to observe the future once more, but the vision remained the same: Orochimaru’s defeat. Orochimaru had no chance of turning the tide.

"Where exactly did something go wrong?"