Hearing Orochimaru repeatedly mention that he was acting on behalf of Naruto Uzumaki, Ryoma Aburame felt a surge of disdain.
"Orochimaru, once so proud and untouchable, when did you stoop to becoming the lackey of that brat?" Ryoma sneered. "Naruto Uzumaki may be strong, but his strength is merely that of an individual. No matter how powerful one person is, they can never surpass the collective. Overwhelming numbers represent absolute power—this is my ninja creed!"
He continued, "Think about it. Why does the Hokage bow to the Daimyo? Because the Hokage is merely the leader of a few thousand ninjas, while the Daimyo is the ruler of millions. The difference is clear!"
"Quantity is power!"
Ryoma's voice grew fervent, his fists clenching with excitement. "I have a grand ambition—one that even Lord Danzo wouldn't dare dream of. I will make ninjas, this small and exclusive group, the dominant force in the world!"
He turned his sharp gaze to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, if you and I join forces, this ambition can become a reality. With your knowledge and jutsu, you can help me overcome the weakness of my poisonous insects, which cannot survive long in the air."
Ryoma's face twisted with madness. "Then, I can bring the entire world under my control! Isn't the truth you seek ultimately about conquering everything?"
Orochimaru shook his head, his golden slit eyes filled with disdain. "Ryoma, your vision is so narrow that even speaking with you feels like a waste of time."
"Hmph." Ryoma chuckled darkly. "What a shame. It seems I'll have to use force to make you submit. Naruto Uzumaki made a grave mistake. If he had come personally, I'd have no choice but to flee. But he sent you instead. Isn't this just handing me victory on a silver platter?"
His voice turned venomous. "I swear, once this battle is over, he'll never find me again. I'll hide to the ends of the earth and kill everyone he holds dear from the shadows!"
Orochimaru coldly formed hand seals. "Naruto-kun is far too busy to waste his precious time on a minor character like you."
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"A minor character? Perhaps," Ryoma sneered, extending his palm## Chapter 258: The Fall of ROOT
Upon hearing Orochimaru repeatedly claim that his actions were for "Lord Naruto," Ryoma Aburame felt a surge of irritation.
"Orochimaru, the once-proud genius... When did you degrade yourself into the lapdog of that brat? Uzumaki Naruto may be strong—I'll admit that—but his strength is merely that of an individual. No matter how powerful one person is, they can never surpass the collective. Absolute numbers are absolute power. That is my ninja creed!"
Ryoma's voice grew more fervent. "Think about it. Why does the Hokage bow to the Daimyo? Because the Hokage is merely the leader of a few thousand shinobi, while the Daimyo is the ruler of millions. The hierarchy is clear!"
"So, numbers are power!"
Ryoma clenched his fist, his face alight with manic ambition. "I have a dream, one that even Lord Danzo dared not entertain—to make shinobi, this marginal group, the dominant force in the world!"
He turned to Orochimaru with a fiery gaze. "Orochimaru, if you and I join forces, this dream can become reality. With your knowledge and jutsu, you can help me overcome the limitations of my poisonous insects, which cannot survive long in the air."
"Imagine it: a world where all of humanity is under my control!"
"Isn't the truth you seek essentially about conquering everything?"
Orochimaru, unmoved, shook his head slowly. "Ryoma, your vision is far too narrow. Conversing with you feels like a waste of time."
Ryoma chuckled darkly. "What a pity. I suppose I'll have to use force to bring you to heel. Uzumaki Naruto made a grave mistake. If he had come himself, I might have had no choice but to flee. But instead, he sent you. This is practically a gift to me!"
His expression twisted with malice. "I swear, after this battle, Naruto will never find me again. I'll hide in the farthest corners of the earth and kill everyone he holds dear, one by one!"
Orochimaru coldly formed hand seals. "Lord Naruto is far too busy to waste his precious time on a small fry like you."
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Small fry, you say? Perhaps..."
Ryoma extended his palm, revealing a peculiar curse mark that began to glow.
Whoosh!
The incoming gale was immediately absorbed into the mark, and Ryoma's chakra surged.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. "Hmm? Could it be... Dark Release?"
Dark Release, a Kekkei Genkai originating from the Land of Demons, allows its user to absorb their opponent's jutsu and convert it into chakra stored within their body.
Ryoma smirked confidently. "Since I've mastered the Kiroya Bud Technique, why not use it to expand my abilities? Orochimaru, your jutsu are useless against me!"
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes gleamed. "And what about living ninjutsu?"
He extended his hand.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
From Orochimaru's sleeve, venomous snakes slithered forth, coiling toward Ryoma.
Ryoma sneered, allowing the snakes to wrap around him.
But then, the snakes were encased in dark red crystals and shattered with a sharp crack!
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed sharply. "That ability..."
Ryoma spoke with a chilling tone. "A woman named Guren—she was your subordinate once, wasn't she?"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted in an instant. His neck elongated unnaturally, and from his mouth, he spat out the legendary Kusanagi Sword, aiming directly at Ryoma's feet.
"Hahahahaha!" Ryoma laughed maniacally as he evaded the strike, forming hand seals.
"Magnet Release: Field of Flowing Magnetism!"
Crackle!
Electric arcs shot from Ryoma's palms, creating a powerful magnetic field that wrenched the Kusanagi Sword from the ground. The magnetic pull dragged Orochimaru's head closer as well.
Snap!
Ryoma seized Orochimaru by the throat.
"Scorch Release: Superheated Kill!"
Fwoosh!
The temperature inside Orochimaru's body skyrocketed to hundreds of degrees.
"Aaaaargh!" Orochimaru's agonized screams echoed as his skin blistered and burned. The air filled with the acrid stench of scorched flesh.
Ryoma, however, remained cold. "Come out. As former teammates, I know how troublesome you are. You wouldn't die so easily."
Rustle!
The ground split open, and Orochimaru emerged, revealing his true form.
Ryoma's brows furrowed deeply. "So it's true..."
Orochimaru spoke in a low tone. "Dark Release, Crystal Release, Magnet Release, Scorch Release... These are the four Kekkei Genkai you've obtained through the Kiroya Bud Technique, aren't they?"
Ryoma subtly released his poisonous insects into the air, his expression unreadable. "Orochimaru, I know your abilities inside and out, but you know nothing about me as I am now. You're no match for me."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Is that so? Then why are you silently releasing your poisonous insects?"
Ryoma's face twisted. "You can see them? That's impossible!"
Orochimaru chuckled. "So it's true, then~"
"You tricked me?!" Ryoma growled.
"All's fair in war," Orochimaru replied.
Ryoma's mind raced. "Why are my insects ineffective against him? Could it be... Did he develop some kind of antidote specifically for them? With his knowledge, it's entirely possible..."
"I see now."
"No wonder he's been relentlessly pursuing me. No wonder Itachi defeated Shisui but didn't follow up—Orochimaru wanted to face me alone."
Ryoma's tone turned icy. "Do you think immunity to my insects is enough to defeat me?"
Orochimaru replied calmly. "Every jutsu has its weaknesses. The abilities you've gained through the Kiroya Bud Technique consume far more chakra than usual. Only those with immense chakra reserves can wield them effectively."
"But you, Ryoma, clearly aren't one of them. I know you once tried to transplant Hashirama's cells and nearly died. Chakra has always been your greatest weakness."
Ryoma's frustration boiled over. "What are you trying to say?!"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "I won't use any jutsu with visible chakra flows, so you won't be able to absorb anything. Go ahead and exhaust yourself with your Kekkei Genkai. Once your chakra runs out, this battle will be over."
After a long silence, Ryoma removed his sunglasses, revealing blood-red eyes with horizontal pupils resembling those of a toad.
"This," Ryoma said in a deep voice, "is the fifth Kekkei Genkai I acquired through the Kiroya Bud Technique!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened. "The Blood Dragon Eye! The eyes of the Chinoike Clan! Where did you obtain them?!"
"Moryo Castle's En," Ryoma replied coldly. "You know of him, don't you?"
Orochimaru's expression darkened. "En... He was a Chinoike, and you..."
"I didn't plan to target him initially," Ryoma admitted. "But the recent chaos in the ninja world made me feel... vulnerable. So I killed him and took his eyes."
"And now, it ends."
Blood began to seep from Ryoma's eyes as his hair stood on end—a sign of the Blood Dragon Eye's power being unleashed.
"You know these eyes surpass even the Mangekyo Sharingan in genjutsu," Ryoma said, his voice chilling.
"Genjutsu: Blood Dragon Eye!"
Thud!
"Not good!" Orochimaru's pupils contracted.
In the next instant, he was ensnared in the genjutsu.
His blood boiled as if set ablaze. The Blood Dragon Eye's genjutsu allowed the user to manipulate the victim's blood, turning them into a living bomb.
Gurgle, gurgle!
Orochimaru's body swelled grotesquely, transforming into a bloated mass of flesh.
"I'll kill you, then resurrect you with Edo Tensei to serve me!"
Ryoma's bloodstained eyes trembled as he clenched his hand.
BOOM!
Orochimaru's body exploded in a gruesome display of blood and flesh.
Panting heavily, Ryoma smirked through his exhaustion. "This is ROOT's ultimate and strongest legacy. I will bring a new revolution to the ninja world and humanity itself!"
"Oh? Is that so~?"
A raspy voice interrupted him.
Ryoma looked up in shock. The body he had destroyed earlier began to peel away, revealing countless small snakes that reformed into Orochimaru.
"What?!"
Orochimaru's smile was sinister. "This is me. I am the immortal Orochimaru."
"And as of today, ROOT is no more."
With a flick of his fingers:
"Kusanagi Sword: Sky Blade!"
The fallen Kusanagi Sword shot forward, piercing Ryoma's chest.
Shing!
Ryoma's eyes widened as blood poured from his mouth.
Whoosh! Orochimaru dashed forward, injecting a serum into Ryoma's neck.
"This is a truth serum. Now, tell me the hand seals for the Kiroya Bud Technique."
Ryoma confessed everything.
Orochimaru then plucked the Blood Dragon Eyes from Ryoma's sockets.
"Guren, En... You can rest in peace now."
He poured a specially prepared solution over Ryoma's body.
Hiss!
As smoke rose, ROOT's final and strongest member dissolved into nothingness.
ROOT was no more.
When Orochimaru finished cleaning the battlefield, Itachi Uchiha was already waiting for him.
The evening breeze brushed past as Orochimaru smiled charmingly. "Itachi-kun, let's return and report back."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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