Shoo——!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
An emergency flare shot up from the center of Konoha's main camp, slowly rising into the sky before bursting open and forming three thick trails of red smoke.
The flare climbed high enough to rise above the fog, ensuring the distress signal would not be obscured.
Hearing the piercing whistle of the flare, Biwa Juzo stretched his limbs and said, "Orochimaru, Konoha has sent their distress signal. We can play around a little longer before pulling back."
Their assigned mission was to attack and destroy Konoha's outpost.
Originally, Iwagakure had planned to wait until reinforcements arrived before engaging Konoha directly, using Akatsuki as an unexpected trump card to keep Konoha spread thin.
However, Konoha's early offensive pressured Kitsuchi, who decided to deploy Akatsuki prematurely in hopes of relieving some pressure on Iwagakure's main forces.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru licked his lips and replied, "Then let's finish this fast!"
Yet it was Aozora—not Orochimaru—who made the first move.
Shhhiu! Shhhiu! Shhhiu!—
Aozora's hands moved like shadows, unleashing a storm of shuriken that rained rapidly toward Orochimaru.
"Such childish tricks!"
Orochimaru sneered, his boneless body twisting effortlessly left and right, dodging every blade hurled by Aozora.
Before he could continue mocking, however, a dark figure came rushing straight at him.
"What speed!"
A flicker of excitement lit up Orochimaru's eyes. He hadn't expected someone as young as Aozora to not only awaken the Three Tomoe but also move this fast.
Since the fight at Heiya gambling house, he'd been obsessed with the Uchiha kekkei genkai.
He knew getting hold of a fully matured Shisui's body would be nearly impossible, and regular Uchiha just wouldn't cut it. It had left him stuck for days.
Now, faced with such a youthful and promising vessel, Orochimaru's heart burned with desire.
"Let me test your worth and see if you're lucky enough to become my new container!"
With curiosity in mind, Orochimaru refrained from blocking Aozora's approach with jutsu like Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, allowing him to close the distance freely.
Under the perception of his Three Tomoe, Aozora saw the lust gleaming in Orochimaru's eyes and immediately understood his intentions.
"Want to test me? Then I'll play along for now."
Rather than immediately using Yakton or throwing knives, Aozora chose not to reveal his full hand. He knew Orochimaru was hard to deal with—showing all his cards too soon might simply give Orochimaru another chance to escape by shedding his skin like a snake. Since Orochimaru wanted to test him, prolonging the battle a bit wouldn't hurt.
Chakra erupted beneath his feet, and Aozora shot forward like an arrow cutting through the mist, instantly closing in on Orochimaru.
He slashed with his right hand—a kunai carving an arc straight toward Orochimaru's neck.
The angle Aozora chose was flawless; not even an average person would have had time to react. But Orochimaru's body was no longer truly human.
His neck twisted sideways like a broken joint, evading effortlessly, while a blur of movement from beneath his black cloak—a kick almost invisible to the naked eye—came swinging back at him. But then again, Aozora's eyes were no longer exactly human either.
Aozora instantly lifted his knee upon sensing the treacherous attack, blocking Orochimaru's offensive path with his right leg.
Boom!
Their legs collided with a thunderous impact.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement as he felt the immense power surging through his thigh.
To him, the most important quality of a vessel was possessing extraordinary talent in ninjutsu. Even an ordinary Sharingan could significantly aid his studies of techniques—that was one reason why he coveted the Sharingan.
Secondly, the body needed to be strong and full of vitality. If it lacked sufficient strength, it wouldn't withstand his secret jutsu's modifications, resulting in a major decline in power after reincarnation.
Aozora had already demonstrated these excellent qualities as a potential vessel.
Let me see just how strong your body is—and how powerful your taijutsu can get!
Boom! Boom! Boom!——
For a moment, the two figures fiercely fought on top of the giant serpent, exchanging furious blows and kicks.
With Aozora's physical prowess and astonishing perceptiveness, even Might Guy without the Eight Gates would gain no advantage against him in battle.
Yet against Orochimaru, Aozora couldn't seize the upper hand.
Even with his superior Three Tomoe Sharingan for prediction, Aozora's taijutsu remained at the level of "striking after defense."
But faced with Orochimaru's bizarre, modified physique, Aozora's anticipations repeatedly failed.
If he hadn't sensed that Orochimaru was holding back slightly, Aozora would've already withdrawn and unleashed some ninjutsu.
As Aozora and Orochimaru engaged in fierce combat, Inabi and the others charged toward Biwa Juzo.
Seeing the three rush at him, Biwa Juzo's expression turned sour, as though he'd tasted something bitter.
Konoha ninjas must've gone toxic or something!
Back then, when they were part of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist roaming around bullying weaker opponents, a rough-looking guy in spandex didn't hesitate to engage them directly.
Now he was merely tagging along with Orochimaru for what should've been a simple mission, yet Konoha's ninja ignored their own rogue ninja, leaving Orochimaru to a single young opponent while sending three people to hunt him down.
Swinging his large blade to drive off Hattori Tomoka, who charged first, Biwa Juzo leaped backward and formed a single hand seal.
[Water Release — Hiding in Mist Technique!]
Vapor rose, thickening the fog until fingers held inches from one's eyes were invisible. Biwa Juzo's voice became distant and indistinct while his silhouette blurred.
Deima shouted, "This isn't ordinary mist—it's laced with faint chakra!"
Because of the chakra within the mist, Biwa Juzo—which had appeared like lamplight shining in the dark night under Byakugan vision—now resembled a fish gliding through water.
Although Haku could still detect his presence, Biwa Juzo's figure would occasionally vanish from view.
Unlike their blindness in the fog, Biwa Juzo clearly perceived every movement of his enemies through its chakra.
The battlefield had become one-sided transparency for Biwa Juzo!
"Thinking you can take me out first…" Biwa Juzo's cold voice echoed from all directions.
"You've picked the wrong target…"
"Daring to leave just a kid…"
"…to Orochimaru…"
"…are you not afraid…"
"…he'll be utterly crushed?"
Faced with three Jonin from Konoha, Biwa Juzo harbored no thoughts of direct confrontation, continuously applying psychological pressure through words, seeking the perfect opportunity to strike.
Veins bulged on Deima's temple as massive amounts of chakra surged into his Byakugan. His pupils darted rapidly left and right, scanning for abnormalities within the mist.
"Thirty meters to the left!"
Before Deima's voice had even faded, Inabi had already hurled his shuriken. And in the next instant, his figure flashed behind the weapon using Body Flicker Technique. His blazing speed created violent gusts that tore a hole through the thick fog.
Inabi felt uneasy leaving Aozora alone to face Orochimaru, so he wanted no delays—he desired nothing more than to kill Biwa Juzo as quickly as possible.
Bang! Bang! Clang! Clang!
Biwa Juzo barely blocked Inabi's kunai with his Cleaver Sword when Inabi himself appeared behind him, accurately stabbing his rear heart area with another kunai.
Without showing any sign of joy at striking Biwa Juzo, Inabi knew from the feel of the impact that this was surely a water clone.
Sure enough, the Biwa Juzo before him turned into a puddle of water in stunned disbelief.
Meanwhile, from within the thick mist, another Cleaver Sword whistled through the air straight toward Deima.
Having participated in The Great Ninja World War, Biwa Juzo understood clearly that compared to the Uchiha's Sharingan, the Byakugan posed a greater threat to him.
Eliminating this Hyuga jonin would grant him freedom of choice—whether to stay or leave. Using water clones to distract three opponents, he now focused his attack on Deima.
Once more, he caught the whistling of a blade slicing through the air—accompanied by the biting chill of its edge. Yet Deima's eyes showed no trace of despair or confusion—only coldness and determination remained.
He roared, [Eight Trigrams Palm Revolving Heaven!]
Because of sudden pressure from the Uchiha clan, Hiashi sensed danger and not only studied ancient records seeking ancestors' strengths, but also opened [Gentle Fist] Secret Jutsu previously reserved for the Main House to newly promoted young jonins.
Unlike the first attack from Biwa Juzo where he hadn't reacted in time, Deima was fully prepared this time.
The air around Deima stirred.
This wasn't caused by the sword's wind, but rather turbulent currents generated by erupting chakra surrounding his body.
Instantly, large quantities of Gentle Fist chakra spewed from Deima's body. He spun like a top with his right foot as axis, creating circular motion.
While rotating, the violent winds generated formed invisible storms, forming a hemispherical chakra barrier.
Bang!
When the Cleaver Sword struck the protective barrier, tremendous rotational force immediately deflected Biwa Juzo's blade direction.
With astonished eyes watching, Biwa Juzo's entire body shot backward like cannon fire.
Beneath Deima's feet, a three-meter radius hemispherical crater now formed centered at his position.
At the center of the crater, Deima's body continuously trembled. Strands of blood seeped from ruptured blood vessels, staining his pure white kimono red.
He'd mastered [Eight Trigrams Palm Revolving Heaven] not long ago. To completely block Biwa Juzo's attack, he exerted full strength.
Damaged chakra pathways temporarily disabled Deima from using Gentle Fist. His fighting capability had basically vanished, yet he knew he'd completed his mission.
Biwa Juzo, who had personally attempted to assassinate Deima, ended up losing more than he gained. Not only did he fail to kill Deima, but he was also forcefully repelled and slammed heavily onto the ground.
Struggling to rise, Biwa Juzo saw an already hurtling blazing fireball and several sharp wind blades flying toward him from afar.
He tried to form hand seals, but his right hand — the one that had gripped his sword during the earlier clash — was already sprained. Seeing that he couldn't perform Ninjutsu in time, he immediately stepped back to dodge.
Just as he narrowly avoided the massive fireball, he couldn't dodge the subsequent wind blades.
Puh! Puh! Puh!——
Blood sprayed out as wounds opened across Biwa Juzo's body, yet he ignored them completely.
Watching Inabi and Tomoka Hattori charging at him from both sides, Biwa Juzo's eyes turned grim.
Ping-Pong! ——!
Blades flashed repeatedly, sparks flew everywhere.
Biwa Juzo got stuck between Tomoka Hattori and Inabi, barely dodging their deadly strikes.
Meanwhile, Aozora, sensing Orochimaru's increasingly intense gaze, decided it was time to stop pushing his luck.
He instantly changed tactics, leaping into the air and delivering a heavy downward kick!
Boom! ——!
Orochimaru easily blocked Aozora's descending leg with a single arm raised overhead.
The impact of leg against arm created a thunderous boom.
Using the force from the collision, Aozora propelled himself backward and upward through the air while rapidly forming hand seals.
[Fire Release – Hokuto Flower's Crimson Claw!]
Dozens of streams of flame burst from Aozora's mouth like swallows returning to their nests, all rushing toward Orochimaru.
At the same time, Aozora flicked his hands forward, sending dozens of Kunai hidden within the flames hurtling toward Orochimaru.
Faced with the downpour of fire and the concealed Kunai, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed even more with excitement and admiration as he calmly performed hand seals.
[Water Release – Water Encampment Wall!]
The surrounding mist instantly condensed, forming a spiraling wall of water around Orochimaru.
Sizzzz—!
Puh! Puh! Puh! ——!
The flames were extinguished by the water wall, and the Kunai hidden within were deflected by its spiraling currents.
The water shield evaporated under the intense heat, and Orochimaru calmly walked out from within it. However, his expression shifted to one of astonishment in the next moment.
Before him, long, thin steel wires wove into an iron net. Aozora tightened his grip on the wire, instantly constricting the net and trapping Orochimaru inside.
[Fire Release – Dragon Fire Technique!]
With one-handed seals, Aozora spewed fierce flames from his mouth, which raced along the wires and rapidly reached Orochimaru and the giant serpent beneath him.
Sssssiiii—!
Within the flames, the giant serpent roared and writhed violently before slowly coming to stillness.
Crackling and popping as it burned, the monstrous beast melted into liquid that dripped down.
A look of surprise crossed Aozora's face. As the serpent melted away, he swiftly leapt upward.
Boom—!
But Aozora wasn't fast enough. From directly beneath him, a thick, four-man-wide serpent burst from the earth, opening its gaping maw and swallowing him whole mid-air.
Gliding down the slick throat of the serpent, Aozora slid all the way to its stomach.
Hardly standing upright when he arrived, he was immediately enveloped by viscous acidic fluids and thick fleshly arms, immobilizing his entire body except for his head.
Inside the serpent's belly, darkness reigned absolute, but with Aozora's arrival, a sinister red glow began to illuminate the gloom.
Then, Aozora spotted a half-snake, half-human figure emerging not far away.
Orochimaru's yellowish-brown vertical pupils glowed eerily in the darkness. He licked his lips and slowly approached Aozora.
"What stunning eyes you have! And such a perfect, alluring body!" Orochimaru stared at Aozora with an intense, unrestrained gaze.
Aozora had already figured out Orochimaru's intentions, but still felt an overwhelming wave of disgust he couldn't suppress upon hearing those words.
Trying to mask his dread, Aozora managed to whisper, "Orochimaru... what... what do you want to do?"
A cold glint flickered briefly in Orochimaru's eyes as his voice turned icy. "Such a flawless body, yet it contains such a cowardly soul—it truly is disappointing!"
He took slow steps toward Aozora, continuing menacingly, "Yet this broken shell of a body imprisons me—the very man who seeks the truth above all else!"
Under Orochimaru's burning gaze, Aozora broke out in a cold sweat and stammered, "What... what are you trying to do? Don't come any closer!"
"What do I intend to do? What do I intend to do?" Orochimaru echoed mockingly, thrilled by this unexpected prize, before bursting into wild, maniacal laughter.
"Young Uchiha, I crave you!"
"I want to enter your youthful body and completely possess you!"
With that, Orochimaru's neck rapidly stretched forward like a snake, lunging toward Aozora's neck with an open mouth.
Seeing the snake-like head dart toward him, Aozora didn't feel even a trace of panic—in fact, he almost found it amusing.
"He must be using his true body now that he's activated the cursed seal!"
Aozora opened his mouth wide, and instead of letting out a scream of fear, he unleashed a blazing orange flame capable of reducing everything to ash.
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