Iwagakure's main camp.
Hyuga Hisashii stood beside Shikaku, shaking his head back and forth like a radar.
Suddenly he noticed something strange in the sky behind them. He immediately said, "Lord Shikaku, the rear camp is under attack! It's an A-level threat!"
Shikaku turned around and saw the red-tinted clouds on the distant horizon. His expression darkened.
He didn't issue orders right away. Instead, he climbed to a vantage point and observed the battlefield from all angles. Then he joined his hands in front of him, squatting slightly as he analyzed the situation.
There had to be a reason behind this attack. Given Iwagakure's current precarious state, it was likely a plan by Iwagakure itself—to force Konoha's retreat…
Judging from the signal, this was already the highest threat level. There were no large ninja groups nearby, so the attackers must be an elite team or a powerful Kage-level expert…
Under the current circumstances, if they weren't ready to suffer heavy casualties, there would be no way to break through Iwagakure's main camp…
If they didn't fall back, Konoha's main camp could fall, especially if the medical ninja inside were killed. That would sharply increase the casualty rate along the northwest border…
Thoughts raced through Shikaku's mind as he carefully weighed each option.
After a short while, Shikaku gave the order to withdraw. Soon, Konoha's messenger ninja spread his command across the battlefield.
"Retreat! Rear units become front units, front units become rear units—fall back!"
"Lower-ranked genin retreat first, mid-to-high-ranking ninja and jonin cover our withdrawal! Withdraw in an orderly fashion!"
Kitsuchi watched the scene unfold. He realized Akatsuki had successfully attacked Konoha's main camp. A flash of satisfaction briefly appeared on his face before he quickly led Iwagakure's elite ninja to harass and intercept the retreating Konoha forces, unwilling to let them escape easily.
However, Shikaku had anticipated this. Konoha's mid-to-high-ranking ninja remained at the frontline, effectively containing Iwagakure's counterattacks.
Once the lower-ranked genin evacuated the main camp, the experienced ninja each demonstrated their signature techniques, showing the classic scene of *Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea — Each Showing Their Own Might*, withdrawing calmly and in perfect order.
Kitsuchi gritted his teeth as he watched the Konoha forces slowly pull back. He said, "Akatsuchi, you're in charge of defending the main camp. Han, Shu, follow me with the demolition squad!"
Currently, Iwagakure lacked manpower. Chasing recklessly after Konoha's retreating forces would leave them vulnerable to counterattacks.
Still, Kitsuchi wasn't willing to let Konoha's returning ranks reach safety unharmed.
Fugaku was the last Konoha ninja to evacuate the camp. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he soon arrived beside Shikaku and asked, "Shikaku, what happened?"
He also realized breaching Iwagakure's main camp today was unlikely, but believed there was still a chance to deal significant damage during this opportunity.
Shikaku replied seriously, "Someone has attacked our rear camp. Judging from the distress signal, our camp has already been breached."
"What?" Fugaku exclaimed in shock and anger, "How is that possible? All Iwagakure ninja are here!"
Shikaku said, "I suspect Roshi. Only a Kage-level expert like him could break through Konoha's defenses."
Upon hearing this, Fugaku immediately responded, "Then I'll leave the troops to you and Shibi. I'm taking Joushou Fuyukawa and Shoto Narayama to reinforce the camp."
Besides the medical ninja and strategic supplies stored in the main camp, there were also his cherished junior comrades, which deeply worried Fugaku.
As the frontline commander, Fugaku hadn't forgotten about the other Konoha ninja either.
That's why he only took two relatively average Jonin with him, leaving elites like Shibi Aburame behind.
Shikaku noticed Fugaku's urgency. After a brief pause, he nodded and said, "Lord Fugaku, be careful! We'll return as soon as possible!"
"Alright!"
Before his voice even faded, Fugaku and the two men behind him instantly vanished into black shadows.
...
Combat isn't about hosting guests, writing an essay, or doing embroidery—it can't be elegant, calm, refined, polite, kind, respectful, or modest.
Battle is a brutal act—a violent moment when one person kills another.
Therefore, in Aozora's eyes, combat doesn't need an impressive display—as long as the result gives him what he needs.
Aozora approaches real battle very differently from casual sparring.
During sparring, he tries out all his abilities while testing the opponent's strength comprehensively.
But in actual combat, Aozora is incredibly boring.
He especially likes hiding his power to make them underestimate him, then suddenly striking with his ultimate move for a fatal blow.
This method worked well at first—he used it exactly when killing his first Jonin opponent, and now he faces Orochimaru the same way.
Of course, such tactics can't last forever. As his military achievements grow more glorious and his reputation spreads wider, ambushing enemies secretly becomes increasingly difficult.
However, today, his youthful face still managed to lower Orochimaru's guard.
Watching the impatient Orochimaru rushing forward to offer his head, Aozora opened his mouth wide.
[Fire Release - Great Fireball Technique!]
Orange flames, shining like sunlight, spewed from Aozora's mouth, instantly tearing through darkness as scorching heat rapidly raised the temperature inside the giant serpent.
Orochimaru, shooting forward like a venomous snake, directly met this torrent of blazing heat—his head immediately retracted backward.
But the distance was too short, and the fire dragon moved far too fast.
At such close range, Orochimaru clearly saw the delicate scales and claws on the fire dragon, observed chakra resembling rolling magma flowing within it, and noticed the surrounding space itself distorting from intense heat.
Without any preparation or caution, the golden dragon suddenly appeared before Orochimaru's eyes, bringing endless terror and fear.
The golden dragon slammed into the monstrous serpent-like Orochimaru, instantly transforming into a blazing sea of flames—no, more like solidified flames resembling molten lava, engulfing and covering Orochimaru completely.
"Hisss-aa-ahhh!!"
Within this golden inferno, the black cloak with red clouds burned away instantly. Massive amounts of chakra surged from Orochimaru's body, wrapping around him defensively.
However, the chakra failed to block the orange flames—instantly becoming fuel for them, igniting even more fiercely.
The extreme heat caused cells on the surface of Orochimaru's skin to rapidly die, shed, and burn away. Overcome by [Infernal Flame Consumption], Orochimaru couldn't help but scream out in agony.
The firestorm surged forward, blazing a massive hole through the giant serpent's belly. Unexpectedly suffering such severe injury, the giant serpent exploded into white smoke and returned to the Summoning Realm.
Meanwhile, Biwa Juzo was being surrounded and overwhelmed by two opponents, pushed back step by step.
Assuming Orochimaru still held the advantage, even without defeating Aozora, they rushed toward the battlefield where Aozora and Orochimaru fought.
The three followed the sound of battle until they saw a Giant Serpent coiled upon the ground.
At this sight, Biwa Juzo's face lit up with joy, Tomoka Hattori was seized by fear, while Inabi's Sharingan eyes burned even redder.
They regretted letting Aozora face Orochimaru alone. Grieved for Aozora's death. Fumed at their own powerlessness.
Suddenly, something happened that left all three stunned—blazing fire as thick as a giant sword erupted from the belly of the massive serpent, piercing diagonally into the ground.
Boom!
The Giant Serpent shrieked and transformed into a large puff of white smoke!
Crash!
The flaming column struck the earth, exploding instantly and sending up a massive cloud of dust. Waves of scorching heat radiated outward, forcing the three men to retreat step by step.
With the sudden disappearance of the Giant Serpent, all constraints and supports vanished. Aozora fell gracefully from the sky, landing steadily on the ground.
Biwa Juzo and the others stared at the Orange Fireballs scattered across the ground, setting everything ablaze spontaneously, then looked again at Orochimaru, writhing in agony within the fire column, barely recognizable. They gasped in shock, stepping back instinctively.
If even a single Orange Fireball could possess such intense heat, it was unimaginable what torment awaited someone at the heart of the fire column.
At this moment, Biwa Juzo felt a flicker of relief that his opponent wasn't Orochimaru, but rather Inabi and the other two Konoha Jonin.
"Orochimaru? He actually took down Orochimaru!?" whispered Tomoka Hattori.
Even after witnessing Aozora's Great Fire Dragon Jutsu before, he never imagined Aozora could nearly kill Orochimaru—a being he viewed as something beyond mortal comprehension.
Inabi's crimson gaze softened slightly, his expression full of shock as he murmured, "Aozora… is this truly your true strength?"
Even though he had deep faith in Aozora, he couldn't help but question—was this truly Aozora's real power?
Inside the blazing fire column, Orochimaru was reduced to nothing—his body twisted into a pale, unnatural creature, half-human, half-serpent.
Even in this form, facing flames that consumed absolutely everything, he was soon charred black and collapsed onto the ground.
Seeing the lifeless monster body, completely drained of chakra, Biwa Juzo felt his blood run cold. If even Orochimaru was dead, how could he ever escape Konoha?
Tomoka Hattori stood frozen on the spot—had Orochimaru really died?
Even Inabi's face wore a stunned expression; clearly, he hadn't imagined such an outcome either.
Boom—!
As everyone froze in shock, the ground beneath Aozora suddenly shattered, and Orochimaru's head shot out like a snake striking.
Aozora reacted swiftly, jumping aside just in time to dodge, yet from Orochimaru's mouth shot forth another snake's head, which spat out a long blade. The sword immediately lengthened upon contact with wind, rapidly spanning the distance between them.
Pft!
The sharp sword pierced Aozora as easily as slicing through tofu, impaling him midair.
At the same time, a figure slowly crawled out from underground, drenched and dripping. Shaking off the water, it stood up unscathed.
"Hiss—"
Tomoka Hattori inhaled sharply at the sight, his voice trembling. "So he really is unbeatable?"
Inabi's eyes widened. He clearly remembered that the Orochimaru inside the flames was his real body.
He quickly turned his head toward where the fire pillar had erupted. The orange flames still burned fiercely, but Orochimaru within had already turned to ash.
Under his Sharingan, he saw a crack where Orochimaru had originally stood.
He immediately knew Orochimaru had escaped using Earth Release, but he couldn't figure out why Orochimaru now looked completely unharmed.
"This is just too ridiculous! Recovering instantly from near-fatal injuries—who has such a technique?"
Biwa Juzo was overjoyed. It seemed like this mission wouldn't cost him his life after all.
"[Unsealed Technique]…[Yakton Ultimate Art]…"
"You're quite impressive, little one. You nearly killed me!"
Orochimaru's expression darkened, and his gaze turned serious.
If it weren't for his enhanced body, he'd have burned to ash with the first Great Fire Dragon Jutsu. There wouldn't even have been a chance to use his Snake Flow Substitution Jutsu.
That's why during this sudden attack, he used the Grass Cutter to impale Aozora midair.
He didn't want to face Aozora's Unsealed Yakton techniques head-on again.
Meeting Orochimaru's cold glare, Aozora called from above, "Do you think you've already won?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Aozora impaled on the Grass Cutter had already transformed into white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone? Interesting!"
A sinister grin appeared on Orochimaru's lips. He hadn't expected someone as young as Aozora to keep throwing surprises at him like this.
Originally, Shisui's body was what he had set his sights on, but after testing their skills in battle, he had switched targets to Aozora.
Even without a Mangekyou's strange power, Aozora's physical talent surpassed Shisui's. Youthful flesh held greater attraction for him.
With both hands forming seals, enormous chakra and spiritual energy radiated outward instantly, rippling through the air.
Though he possessed countless jutsu and didn't have dojutsu or kekkei genkai, Orochimaru mastered his own unique sensing technique, allowing him to perceive everything around him in an instant.
What surprised him was that Aozora seemed to have vanished entirely, not hiding anywhere nearby.
Could his target be someone else?
Orochimaru's brows knitted together. His mind raced—then clicked.
If not targeting him, then Aozora had only one possible target.
Dan!
Orochimaru immediately glanced toward Biwa Juzo far away and shouted, "Li—"
Before his voice finished, Dan suddenly felt something loosen beneath his feet.
[Earth Release – Internal Neck Severance Jutsu]!
In an instant, half his body had already sunk underground. Hurriedly, he tried to draw his blade to stab into the earth below.
Thwok! Thud!
Two sounds reached Dan's ears almost simultaneously—one of throwing knives bursting from the ground, the other of those blades piercing through his heart.
Staring at the blood continuously flowing from his chest wound, Dan felt his life force draining away. His eyes filled with bewilderment.
Gripping the broken hilt of his sword tightly, this time the blade remained intact, yet his life was ending.
For some reason, in his final moments, Biwa Juzo released the Cleaver Sword, his lifelong companion.
With no weapon in his hands, he pressed his palm against the blood pouring from his chest and murmured weakly, "So my blood is still warm… I'm more than just a killing machine…"
After speaking those words, his head dropped low, and he fell silent forever.
When Aozora sensed dozens of golden droplets suddenly appear on the Heavenly Book, confirming Biwa Juzo's death, he slowly surfaced from the earth where he stood.
At first, Aozora had only planned to spar with Orochimaru briefly. But when he saw greed gleam in Orochimaru's eyes, he instantly decided to go for the kill.
To trick Orochimaru into lowering his guard, Aozora initially avoided using any powerful ninjutsu or secret techniques—relying solely on basic Uchiha Clan jutsu.
Only when Orochimaru tried to apply the cursed seal did Aozora suddenly unleash a hand sign-free Great Fire Dragon Jutsu using Homura chakra, dealing maximum damage.
To withstand a Fire Release technique nearly at S-level head-on—any ordinary Kage-level ninja would either die or suffer critical injuries.
Yet against Orochimaru, Aozora dared not assume he was dead or severely wounded.
Anyone who knew the original story understood one thing well: though Orochimaru wasn't among the strongest in the Ninja World, his survival skills were unmatched.
If he wasn't outright the best at surviving in the Ninja World, he was certainly number one by default—no one else even came close.
Therefore, the moment he fell from the giant serpent, Aozora created a Kage Bunshin while hiding his real body beneath the soil.
Hidden underground, Aozora started formulating his next move.
If such a perfect opportunity failed to kill or seriously injure Orochimaru, then even the Flying Dagger Capable of Slaying Immortals likely wouldn't work afterward.
Since breaking through Orochimaru's defenses proved difficult, why not try a different path—rescuing their captured Jonin?
Coincidentally, Biwa Juzo had foolishly wandered too close to the battlefield between himself and Orochimaru.
A gift-wrapped opportunity like this—who wouldn't seize it?
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