Chapter 149: Arrival at the Uchiha Itachi Star System

...

Orochimaru departed, leaving behind the legend of a mysterious, wealthy benefactor that became the talk of the town among all concerned parties.

And the affair continued to escalate. On every planet Orochimaru passed through, all communication devices would automatically fly away, and subsequently, a massive sum of money would be deposited into the corporate accounts of their respective owners.

Aside from the somewhat aggressive method the mysterious benefactor used to collect the items, there were no other conflicts.

Everything was paid for in full.

People's attention was entirely focused on this mysterious tycoon. Just how much wealth did he possess? And what was his purpose in collecting communication devices?

No one knew.

On the illusions network, major events unfolded continuously. The peace talks between the universe of the Six Paths and the universe of the Otsutsuki clan had reached their final stages.

This conference commanded the attention of the entire world.

Even the wildly popular "Uchiha Itachi" incident was overshadowed, and the buzz surrounding the mysterious benefactor's exploits quickly faded.

People were far more eager to know how the universe of the Sage of Six Paths and the Otsutsuki universe would achieve peace, how they would develop, and how it would ultimately affect their daily lives.

This was the focal point of their attention.

However, no definitive news had emerged just yet.

During this period, after traversing numerous spatial gates, Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng finally arrived at the galaxy where Uchiha Itachi resided.

This territory belonged to Uchiha Itachi and was known as the Red Galaxy.

Standing in the expanse of space, Orochimaru surveyed the surroundings. Red cosmic energy winds could be seen drifting everywhere throughout the entire system, making it abundantly clear why it earned the name "Red."

Tore Yasheng said respectfully, "Lord Orochimaru, we only need to find the primary star of this galaxy—a planet named after Uchiha—and we will find Uchiha Itachi."

Orochimaru nodded. The planet Uchiha was where Uchiha Itachi resided for long stretches, which was why it was named "Uchiha."

"Let's go."

...

There were countless people who came from afar, drawn by reputation, desperately hoping to catch even a glimpse of Uchiha Itachi.

Ordinarily, Uchiha Itachi was as elusive as a dragon, seeing his tail but never his head; people could only catch sight of him on forums.

Now, with Uchiha Itachi restricted to the Red Star Region and his movements confined to a smaller area, vast crowds were rushing toward the Red Star Region.

Astute merchants recognized this as a prime business opportunity and brought along spatial gates to set up shop.

"Direct passage to the Uchiha main planet! Limited to three slots. Transport straight into the Uchiha main star, safe and reliable, only requires three habitable planets in exchange..."

"Two transfers, cheap rates! Need four more people, we depart as soon as the group is full!"

"Step right up, step right up! Are you heading to the Uchiha main planet too? This portal of mine can take you to the planet closest to the main star, and you can make your own way from there..."

"..."

This was a barren planet, yet it was extraordinarily bustling, entirely dedicated to the business of spatial teleportation.

With people coming and going in a ceaseless stream, the number of individuals who had traveled far and wide hoping to see Uchiha Itachi was truly staggering.

The moment Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng descended onto the planet, a crowd of peddlers swarmed around them.

Tore Yasheng drove them away. As a member of the Snake-Head clan, he belonged to a higher race, and ordinary people dared not provoke him.

The space around them quickly cleared.

"Lord Orochimaru, shall I go find a peddler?" Tore Yasheng asked, looking toward Orochimaru.

He wanted to find a merchant who could transport them directly to the Uchiha main planet.

Nodding, Orochimaru said, "Go ahead, find one that departs immediately."

"Understood!"

Receiving his orders, Tore Yasheng went to search for a merchant. After wandering around for a bit, he brought back a fellow tribesman from the Snake-Head clan—and this particular Snake-Head clansman possessed a pair of Blood Dragon Eyes!

The Blood Dragon Eyes were a kekkei genkai belonging to the Chinoike clan, a rival race of the Uchiha. To encounter someone with Blood Dragon Eyes within Uchiha Itachi's territory was quite astonishing.

Orochimaru lingered his gaze on the Snake-Head clansman's eyes for a moment longer.

Noticing Orochimaru's gaze, Tore Yasheng introduced him, "This is Tore Yiye, a member of my clan. His eyes are a type known as Blood Dragon Eyes, originating from the long-extinct Earth.

"It is said that the clan represented by these eyes maintained friendly relations with the Uchiha clan for generations, treating each other like family."

He was recounting legends about the ancient tribes of Earth, a world that had perished long ago. There were numerous legends concerning Earth scattered throughout the universe.

After all, the Sage of Six Paths originated from there, inspiring in everyone a desire to uncover the truth.

"Indeed, indeed. The Chinoike clan and the Uchiha clan shared a very amicable relationship," Tore Yiye chimed in, picking up the conversation.

"To be entirely honest with you, I am a subordinate of Lord Uchiha Itachi. I happened to be returning to the main planet and decided to seize the opportunity to conduct a bit of business. I am short of just two more passengers, and my price is more than half cheaper than the other peddlers. We leave right now."

He reeled off his pitch to attract customers.

With a slight smile, Orochimaru agreed to the transaction.

However, they claimed the Chinoike clan and the Uchiha clan were on friendly terms for generations? Treating each other like family?

What absolute nonsense!

It would be a miracle if those two clans could peacefully coexist.

Moreover, his price was actually half cheaper.

Feeling a hint of strangeness, Orochimaru nevertheless dismissed it and didn't take it to heart.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Tore Yiye led Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng to his booth, where eight other people were already waiting. Counting Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng, it made exactly ten people.

Seeing Tore Yiye return with more passengers, a frog-headed man greeted him, "Brother Yiye, you're back."

His face was wreathed in smiles, carrying a clear undertone of flattery.

Tore Yiye, as a member of the Snake-Head clan and a subordinate of Uchiha Itachi, possessed a dual status of high nobility that naturally elicited envy.

After exchanging greetings and a few words with Tore Yiye, the frog-headed man finally turned his attention to Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng. He bowed respectfully to Tore Yasheng because the latter hailed from the noble Snake-Head clan.

Yet he didn't even glance at Orochimaru, who bore no distinct racial insignia.

Orochimaru didn't mind in the least.

The frog-headed man fawned, "Brother Yiye is truly a good person. High in status, formidable in strength, yet completely devoid of arrogance. You do business just like anyone else, your prices are more than half cheaper than the others, and you're even taking us straight to the main planet. We're all getting such a bargain thanks to you."

He hovered around Tore Yiye, keeping up a steady stream of conversation, his sycophantic intentions glaringly obvious.

Tore Yiye replied modestly, "Not at all, not at all. I'm just making a bit of pocket money on the side while making things convenient for everyone."

The frog-headed man gushed, "Brother Yiye is so humble..."

"Alright, alright."

Tore Yiye interrupted, addressing the group, "We will now fly out into open space, after which I will open a spatial gate. The gate will remain stable for only a few moments, so you must enter immediately without lagging behind, understood?"

Opening a spatial gate—especially maintaining one to let others pass through—was a demanding test of strength. Tore Yiye was instructing everyone not to hesitate and to step through the moment the portal opened.

The frog-headed man took the lead, shouting, "Understood!"

They flew out into the vacuum of space. Tore Yiye transformed into a gigantic serpent, his Blood Dragon Eyes glaring fiercely as a white gateway suddenly materialized in the space before them—a spatial portal.

"Quick!" Tore Yiye shouted, putting on a convincing performance of struggling to maintain the portal.

The frog-headed man bolted inside first, followed in rapid succession by the others, leaving only Orochimaru and Tore Yasheng behind.

"Lord Orochimaru?" Tore Yasheng softly called out, looking toward him.

"Hehe."

Orochimaru chuckled softly, somewhat inexplicably, his intentions unreadable.

Yet the next moment, he took a step forward into the spatial gate and vanished.

Tore Yasheng followed closely behind, disappearing into the portal as well.

Meanwhile, Tore Yiye—who had just looked utterly exhausted from maintaining the spatial gate—instantly relaxed his expression and muttered to himself, "Another batch sent off."

He closed the spatial gate without stepping through himself, changed his appearance, and set off to swindle another group of people.

...

On a barren planet steeped in a bloody hue, Orochimaru's group materialized. The frog-headed man arrived first and immediately began to tremble with fear.

For they were standing upon a tiny island, surrounded on all sides by a boundless sea of blood.

"Where is this? Where is Brother Yiye?" Catching the pungent scent of heavy blood in the air, the frog-headed man panicked.

Orochimaru looked out over the sea of blood with an expressionless face. Deep within the crimson waters, he sensed the presence of a powerful pair of Blood Dragon Eyes currently in the midst of gestation.