Chapter 217 – Fierce Battle (Part 2)
Orochimaru's knowledge of Imai Kenta's circumstances had been nothing more than a coincidence.
Back then, Orochimaru had been searching within Konoha for a suitable location to construct one of his secret laboratories. Among the sites he scouted was the very forest where Imai Kenta often trained.
Kenta's sensory perception was indeed sharp, but for someone like Orochimaru, concealing his presence was hardly a challenge. By chance, however, he stumbled upon the boy and immediately sensed that Kenta was far from ordinary.
Curiosity piqued, Orochimaru used his influence to conduct an investigation. The official reports were underwhelming—Kenta was supposedly just a civilian-born ninja. He had no clan to support him, no elite training, and his grades at the Academy had been mediocre. When the Second Ninja War broke out, he had been "forced" into early graduation and thrown onto the battlefield, where his record remained unremarkable.
Someone like that should have never caught Orochimaru's attention.
But having personally witnessed Kenta's training, he knew better. This boy was no ordinary shinobi.
Digging deeper, Orochimaru uncovered traces of a forgotten truth: Kenta's family, decades ago, had been anything but ordinary. Yet because of certain political policies, they had been reduced to obscurity, forced into decline.
Orochimaru had chosen to bury this discovery. He never intended to share it with Hiruzen. He knew all too well the state of Konoha, and he could only regret that he would never again witness the brilliance of that clan.
As for Kenta, Orochimaru simply pretended ignorance—as though sparing the boy's life was his way of leaving a sliver of remembrance for a fallen family.
But now, that boy had grown strong enough to stand as his opponent.
Orochimaru found the irony almost amusing. Sometimes, even the most ingenious playwrights could not conjure such a twisted story.
"Then let me see for myself," Orochimaru hissed, his golden, slit-pupiled eyes narrowing, "what kind of measure the most promising member of your clan—aside from her—truly possesses!"
This time, Orochimaru got serious.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
With a casual movement, he deflected Kenta's fierce strike. His body twisted unnaturally as he closed in, his left hand transforming into several serpents that lashed toward the boy.
Kenta stayed calm. His blade tilted with precision, its edge stabbing straight for Orochimaru's hand.
Clang! Blade met fangs, and the snakes dissipated into smoke.
The two figures passed one another in a blur. Orochimaru's body suddenly froze for the briefest fraction of a second. That pause was almost imperceptible—but enough to shift the rhythm.
His chakra-forged sword glowed a deep blue as it lunged directly toward Kenta's abdomen.
Boom!
The blade pierced nothing but smoke. What remained was a pile of wooden planks.
A flawless Substitution Jutsu.
Even so, Kenta wasn't unscathed. Landing on a tree branch, he glanced at his arm where a thin line of blood trickled down. Orochimaru's inhuman body coordination had grazed him despite his perfect timing.
But to Kenta, such a wound was nothing. He steadied his breathing, eyes locked on Orochimaru, blade ready to strike again.
"Interesting," Orochimaru licked his lips, voice dripping with amusement. "Kenta-kun, a talent like you is truly satisfying. But the game has only just begun… are you ready?"
"You're as terrifying as expected, Orochimaru-sama," Kenta finally spoke, his focus unbroken. "But haven't you noticed? Someone else is already here."
"Oh?" Orochimaru paused briefly, then seemed to sense something. "The Police Force? Reinforcements? You really think a few of them can deal with me?"
"Whether they can or not doesn't matter," Kenta replied calmly. "What matters is that I'm safe now."
"I know Uchiha Kei too well. That man would never allow himself to be cornered. On the surface, it looked like only the two of us came here, but I knew he wouldn't be so reckless."
Indeed, Kenta knew Kei perfectly. There was no way that man would march alone into enemy territory.
Though some circumstances had forced them into this confrontation, Kenta wasn't foolish. He had chosen to fight Orochimaru precisely because he knew Kei wouldn't leave him unsupported.
He had no illusions about defeating Orochimaru, nor was he here to test his limits. His real reason was simple—he wanted no part of that underground laboratory. If it collapsed, he'd be finished.
"That's why," Kenta muttered, glancing at the dark entrance to the lab, "the people he called in won't be ordinary. After all… they're here to face you."
He sighed. "And let's be honest, Orochimaru-sama… Kei's 'ten minutes' was nonsense. If he makes it out in twenty, I'll be impressed. Which means your laboratory will probably be stripped clean by the time he's done."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "How fascinating. You really do understand your captain. The bond between you two is… unusual. Very well then, I suppose I'll have to speed things up."
"Ninja Art: Ten Thousand Snakes Formation!"
His hands blurred into seals, slamming onto the ground. A summoning array flashed, and countless serpents burst forth, surging toward Kenta like a living tide.
Kenta reacted instantly, his blade whirling in arcs of steel. Snake heads flew in all directions, severed by his strikes. One look at their triangular heads was enough to know—they were venomous.
A single bite would overwhelm even his formidable recovery.
And Orochimaru wasn't idle. Using the chaos, he slipped forward, sword in hand, and lunged at Kenta.
Kenta managed to block, but the swarming snakes forced him to twist and dodge constantly. With so many threats at once, he couldn't spare the focus to weave ninjutsu.
Orochimaru seized the opening. Twisting sharply, he drove a kick straight into Kenta's stomach.
"Hidden Shadow Multi-Snake Hands!"
As Kenta was sent flying, Orochimaru's sleeves erupted with countless serpents, a writhing storm impossible to count.
Kenta slashed desperately, severing a few as he twisted midair. Substitution saved him once more—his body replaced with a wooden log as he reappeared atop another tree, chest heaving.
Orochimaru was terrifying. His casual movements alone told Kenta that he still wasn't fighting seriously.
But Kenta felt a small measure of relief. The reinforcements he had sensed earlier were almost here.
And Orochimaru seemed to notice as well. With a faint shake of his head, he halted his assault.
Orochimaru tilted his head back, that familiar smile still lingering on his lips.
"Looks like I won't get to enjoy myself this time either. Who would've thought Uchiha Kei is valued so highly… even Uchiha Fugaku himself has come."
"Uchiha Fugaku?" Imai Kenta's expression remained calm, but inwardly he couldn't help but be shaken.
Even the head of the Uchiha clan was here. Had Uchiha Kei unknowingly become such a crucial figure within his clan?
"Well then, I suppose this is as far as it goes." Orochimaru gave a small shake of his head.
"Actually, I have a question for you. If this lab were to collapse, could you still find evidence?
Or say… if the head of the Force were to die here, what kind of storm would that set off?"
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru's seals were already complete.
The swamp spread with frightening speed, its range so vast that Kenta suspected the entire underground facility had been engulfed.
But he had no way of stopping Orochimaru—poisonous snakes were still slithering toward him in waves.
And Orochimaru didn't stop there. His hands flashed through seals once more, then slammed onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction!"
The ground trembled violently. A moment later, the earth within the swamp's domain caved in, as if burying everything in an instant.
Kenta's face went pale. He hadn't thought Orochimaru would actually do it.
That lunatic Uchiha Kei… don't tell me he really got buried down there?
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave." Orochimaru licked his lips, his body slowly sinking into the mire.
"Not as satisfying as I'd hoped, but enough for now. Let's see if your captain survives."
Kenta slashed another venomous serpent in half, gritting his teeth as he watched Orochimaru disappear.
He turned to look at the collapsed swamp that had swallowed the lab whole. A cold dread crept over him.
But then—
The swamp suddenly shook. From beneath the mire, a colossal black hand burst forth, tearing through the mud.
A towering chakra avatar with scarlet eyes dragged itself upward, shielding Uchiha Kei within its form. Not a scratch on him.
Kei's face was grim. He had expected Orochimaru to prepare contingencies, but the sheer decisiveness of his retreat was beyond even Kei's predictions.
Watching Orochimaru sink out of sight, seeing even that snake's surprised glance, Kei exhaled softly.
He knew he could do nothing more—he had to let him go.
"You alright, Captain?" Kenta leapt to Kei's side, scanning him up and down.
"I'm fine. Almost got caught off guard though." Kei nodded, sighing.
"A shame. I couldn't secure much, nor study everything. Orochimaru's decisiveness is truly terrifying."
"That's just how it is." Kenta shrugged helplessly. "What matters is that you're alive. That man… he's not someone normal shinobi can fight."
"Maybe so. But…" Kei's eyes sharpened suddenly as he turned to Kenta.
"You're from the Senju clan, aren't you?"
"You—don't talk nonsense! The Senju clan? What are you saying?"
"Nothing," Kei said flatly. He tossed a file into Kenta's hands.
"This was what the lab was experimenting on. Keep it. We're leaving."
Without another word, Kei turned and strode toward the forest's edge.
Kenta froze in place, staring at the list of research notes in his hands.
A chill seeped through his body, as though an invisible hand had gripped his spine.