Chapter 28 – Combat Training (Part 2)
The clash just now had been little more than a warm-up—for both Nan and Orochimaru.
A ninja's true strength isn't determined by their strongest technique, but rather by their weakest.
Without using his Divine Speed Technique, Nan's taijutsu was only about chūnin level. So against someone like Orochimaru, he hadn't been able to demonstrate much of his full power.
But now… things were about to change.
Once he activated the Divine Speed, Nan's overall strength would leap to the level of a jōnin, and not just an average one—an elite jōnin.
Even someone as powerful as Orochimaru wouldn't be able to easily overpower him.
Nan's eyes sharpened with focus as he unleashed his self-created Divine Speed Technique.
A surge of chakra burst around him, forming a wild vortex of energy.
Sparks of electricity crackled across his body like lightning dancing in a storm.
Orochimaru watched with a glint of intrigue.
"This technique… it looks vaguely like the Third Raikage's Lightning Armor. Where did he learn this?"
But there was no time for him to linger on that thought.
The moment Nan completed his activation, he exploded forward, accelerating with shocking speed toward Orochimaru.
He had learned taijutsu from both Master Chen and Might Guy, and now he was going to use that close-combat style to push his advantage.
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly.
"He's gotten this fast?"
Nan's sudden charge was too fierce to block head-on.
Even Orochimaru didn't want to take it directly.
He instantly backed off, attempting to dodge the attack.
But Orochimaru wasn't a speed-based fighter, and he'd been caught off guard by Nan's explosive acceleration.
Before he could create enough distance, Nan had already closed the gap, forcing him into hand-to-hand combat.
Left with no choice, Orochimaru had to respond with taijutsu—an area he wasn't particularly skilled in.
The two began exchanging a flurry of blows at close range.
With his Divine Speed active, Nan's strength had been significantly enhanced.
Orochimaru, not being a taijutsu specialist, couldn't suppress Nan.
Instead, the battle reached a stalemate.
From the sidelines, Anko and Hayate were completely stunned.
They could hardly believe what they were seeing:
A boy barely six years old was actually holding his own in close combat against Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin and their jōnin instructor.
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After clashing with Nan for some time, Orochimaru realized he couldn't overpower him in close quarters.
"Time to switch tactics."
He waited for a brief opening in Nan's offense and used a Substitution Jutsu to create distance.
Then, Orochimaru performed a new set of hand seals—
"Summoning Jutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands – Myriad Snake Array!"
Suddenly, the ground around Nan erupted as countless snakes burst forth, lunging to attack from all directions.
Nan dodged swiftly, but the sheer number of snakes made it nearly impossible to avoid them all.
In moments, he was surrounded and constricted on all sides.
Forced to retreat from his Divine Speed state, Nan quickly formed three shadow clones.
Then, together with his clones, he wove hand signs and unleashed:
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Flames surged out in all directions, engulfing the attacking snakes and clearing the battlefield around him in a blaze of heat.
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Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
Even his massive-area summon technique had been neutralized by Nan's Fire Release.
He then switched to precision attacks, targeting Nan with several single-target jutsu.
But with his Divine Speed reactivated, Nan evaded them all effortlessly.
Orochimaru began to realize just how troublesome Nan was turning out to be.
With the Sharingan and a unique speed-enhancing ninjutsu, Nan was a dangerous opponent even for someone like him.
Unlike Orochimaru—who had no kekkei genkai and no overwhelming natural ability—Nan had a bloodline limit, top-tier chakra control, powerful fire techniques, medical ninjutsu, and blinding speed.
Orochimaru often relied on his experience and unpredictability to win battles.
But against someone with the insight of the Sharingan, even that advantage was mostly neutralized.
Nan's reaction speed and awareness were razor-sharp.
The way he moved, the precision of his techniques… Orochimaru had to admit—this didn't feel like fighting a fresh genin.
"This kid doesn't fight like a rookie. He fights like a battle-hardened jōnin."
If Orochimaru didn't start using some of his real strength, he might not win this battle.
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But after all, this was still just a combat drill—not a life-and-death battle.
Using high-level, highly destructive jutsu would be inappropriate. If things got out of control, they wouldn't be able to clean up the mess.
Orochimaru hesitated. For the first time, he wasn't sure how to deal with Nan.
Nan's speed and agility left Orochimaru at a disadvantage, but Nan also couldn't do anything decisive against someone as seasoned and cunning as Orochimaru.
The fight was turning into a prolonged war of attrition.
While the Divine Speed Mode didn't consume much chakra, Nan's overall chakra reserves were only about average jōnin level.
Compared to Kage-tier Orochimaru, he was clearly outmatched in stamina.
Soon, Nan began to pant for breath.
Orochimaru noticed the shift.
"Ah… right. He's just a six-year-old kid."
Even though Nan fought like a skilled veteran jōnin, Orochimaru had momentarily forgotten his actual age—and the physical limits that came with it.
Once Nan's stamina declined, that would be Orochimaru's chance to win.
As the fight dragged on, Nan began to feel the toll.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was still in peak condition.
Nan understood the truth: the only reason he'd lasted this long was because of his Sharingan's keen insight and his Kamui-enhanced speed and reflexes.
But once his chakra dropped too low to sustain Divine Speed, it would be game over.
He had only one shot left—to unleash his most powerful move in this state and end the battle decisively.
He steadied his breathing, grounded his stance, and gathered all his remaining strength for a final strike.
Orochimaru sensed the shift in Nan's aura.
"What is he up to?"
He had seen the Dragon God of Leaf technique before, but didn't immediately connect the dots.
Nan shouted:
"Dragon God of Leaf!"
In the next instant, his entire body began spinning at blinding speed.
A fierce whirlwind rose around his legs, forming the image of a dragon rising from the earth—glaring down at Orochimaru with overwhelming might.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
"The Dragon God of Leaf?! How did he learn that?"
He had fought alongside Master Chen before and had witnessed the devastating power of this taijutsu technique firsthand.
He knew that if he misjudged the next moment, he might actually lose this fight.
Anko and Hayate, who had already been keeping their distance, saw Nan unleash such a terrifying move and immediately retreated even farther—terrified of getting caught in the blast.
Nan's Dragon God of Leaf was fully charged.
With a thunderous cry, he launched a kick that whipped up a powerful vortex of sand and dust, roaring like a divine beast as it surged toward Orochimaru.
Faced with such a monstrous attack, Orochimaru didn't dare take it lightly.
He rapidly formed hand seals and slammed both palms to the ground:
"Triple Rashōmon!"
Three massive, demonic gates erupted from the earth—each towering high and layered in sequence—to block the incoming strike.
The whirlwind dragon crashed into the first gate, and with a loud explosion, shattered through it almost instantly.
It struck the second gate next. This one held stronger, forcing the dragon into a momentary stalemate.
But after a few seconds of violent struggle, the dragon broke through the second gate as well.
However, by the time it hit the third gate, the Dragon God of Leaf had lost too much momentum.
It smashed into the final barrier… and finally dissipated.
Nan collapsed to one knee, chakra nearly depleted.
His Divine Speed deactivated as he gasped for air.
Seeing that his ultimate technique failed to fully destroy Orochimaru's Triple Rashōmon, Nan felt a pang of regret.
"My strength still isn't enough… If Master Chen had used it himself, maybe he could've broken through all three gates."
Even so, Orochimaru was shocked.
The Triple Rashōmon was derived from the First Hokage's legendary Fivefold Rashōmon and was among the most formidable defensive techniques in the shinobi world.
Yet a six-year-old had just blown through two layers of it.
"That Dragon God technique… and that strange blend of ninjutsu and taijutsu… where the hell did he learn all this?" Orochimaru couldn't comprehend it.
At last, the combat drill was over.
Nan had exhausted nearly all his chakra.
Orochimaru still had stamina left—but no intention of pressing the fight.
Nan raised his hand in surrender.
"Lord Orochimaru, you're incredible. I gave it everything I had, but I couldn't land a single hit. Looks like I still have a lot to learn from you."
Orochimaru, hearing Nan's words, slowly suppressed the shock still lingering in his heart.
He had originally expected Nan to be chūnin-level at best.
But what he saw today was a boy who had already reached, if not surpassed, elite jōnin strength in certain areas.
That final technique—Dragon God of Leaf—was strong enough to threaten even some of the village's top jōnin.
What Orochimaru didn't know—what he couldn't even begin to imagine—was that Nan's true potential had already surpassed his own.
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