Kimimaro spat a mouthful of blood, dropped to one knee, and stared at Orochimaru with dim eyes.
"Orochimaru-kakka… I'm sorry I disappointed you."
In that moment Kimimaro hated his terminal illness more than anything.
Pain wracked his body. Kabuto hurried forward and applied the Mystical Palm Technique to treat him. The treatment stabilized Kimimaro for the moment, but it was only temporary.
"It's fine, Kimimaro. You did well. Retreat."
Orochimaru's voice was cold, as if Kimimaro's life mattered very little.
Sensing the changing tide earlier, Manda had already used Reverse Summoning to return to Ryūchi Cave.
Orochimaru rose. He showed no visible wounds. Zabuza, too, was in good condition. Rasa, however — after using such a large-scale Ninjutsu — was likely exhausted, possibly hurt.
Orochimaru formed hand signs; the surrounding sand erupted and opened to the outside world.
White bones, sand, and flecks of gold dust lay everywhere. Rasa's clothes were torn; blood seeped from some places on his body.
From his earlier exertion and from keeping watch on Orochimaru and the others, Rasa's energy had been sapped. He'd suffered a number of minor injuries, and his chakra was now more than half depleted.
Orochimaru and Zabuza, by contrast, still looked fresh.
If you underestimate me, you'll pay for it.
Orochimaru lifted his head. A sword slid from his mouth — the Kusanagi, a legendary blade.
He slashed at Rasa. Though Orochimaru's swordsmanship wasn't famed, wielding the Kusanagi made each cut devastating.
Zabuza charged in at the same time. Rasa relied on his Sand Armor to take them on. Orochimaru's blade chewed into the armor.
Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō struck with crushing force. Facing both of them, Rasa was pressed back.
Orochimaru also sent out small snakes intermittently to assist.
Rasa's vision dimmed a little. Zabuza radiated a fierce, brutal energy — his Taijutsu was terrifying. Without Sand Armor, Rasa would have been far weaker than Zabuza in close combat.
"Sand Barrier!"
Rasa slammed up a barrier of sand. Instantly, a massive block of golden sand formed over Orochimaru's head, sealing the area into a tight, confined space.
It came crashing down.
Rasa allowed himself the hint of a smile, sure Orochimaru would be smashed to pieces.
When the golden dust settled, the body beneath was mangled. It was clear Orochimaru had resisted — there was still a vaguely human shape — but with wounds like that, no one should have lived.
Then Orochimaru, with a disgusting slick of fluid, burst out of that ruined husk and slithered free.
A small snake slipped from him and bit into Rasa's arm.
Rasa's face contorted in pain; he crushed the snake beneath his hand.
Weakened, he could no longer sustain the barrier.
Zabuza moved in beside Orochimaru, looked down at the faltering Rasa, then toward Orochimaru, and said with cruel approval, "As expected of a Sannin. Orochimaru — you've dealt the Fourth Kazekage a terrible blow."
"Finish it. The curtain falls now."
Orochimaru's tone was icy as he glanced at Kimimaro.
"Hahaha! If you want me dead, show me you can!" Rasa roared, eyes wild, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His arm was bruised purple. Gold dust flowed from every direction. In his fury Rasa aimed to bury himself along with Orochimaru and the others.
Orochimaru's expression hardened. Rasa really intended mutual annihilation.
This divergence from the original confrontation complicated matters. In the canonical sequence Orochimaru would have relied on Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu), but Edo Tensei demanded sacrifices — and with Zabuza present, Orochimaru had abandoned that option.
Now they stood in genuine peril.
Orochimaru possessed his own powerful survival methods — his version of the Substitution Jutsu and other self-preserving arts. He could keep himself alive; Zabuza and the others might not be so lucky.
Rasa's Ninjutsu, powered by drawing on his life force, had been elevated to a terrible, amplified level.
Just as Orochimaru seemed poised to withdraw, Rasa's frenzied voice rang out: "Be buried with me!"
Blood at his mouth, he laughed like a madman.
Death meant nothing to him; Gaara would rise and carry Sunagakure to glory. He would not fear dying for that future.
This was a desperate, all-consuming move — a Super Gold Dust Grand Funeral, an attempt to bury himself and his enemies together.
The golden sand surged from every direction, sealing off every path of escape.
"Is that all?"
Zabuza curled his lips into a mocking grin.
"Orochimaru—grab onto me!"
His body shot into the sky like a cannonball. Orochimaru seized one of his hands without hesitation. Kabuto, carrying Kimimaro, latched onto Orochimaru. The tide of gold dust roared beneath them, leaving only the heavens as a path of survival.
Together, they soared beyond the reach of the Gold Dust Grand Funeral.
The crashing sand collided in midair with a deafening impact, the explosion of gold dust rising into the clouds before scattering heavily across the ruined ground.
Zabuza landed with a heavy breath, setting Orochimaru and the others down. His chakra reserves were nearly spent.
Even after taking Rasa seriously, he hadn't expected the Kazekage to unleash such monstrous power.
The strength born in the face of death is truly terrifying.
Looking down at the battlefield—warped terrain buried under endless gold dust—Zabuza smirked faintly. Rasa likely hadn't imagined that his final technique could be countered.
Even the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, would have been swallowed whole by that jutsu; his flight was far too slow compared to Zabuza's. Rasa never expected Orochimaru's group to simply escape through the sky.
Orochimaru gazed at the devastation below, his golden eyes narrowing with intrigue.
"I didn't expect Zabuza-kun to possess such a secret flying technique."
In the shinobi world, true Flight Ninjutsu was rarer even than Space–Time techniques. To soar above the battlefield was to hold a priceless life-saving advantage. Ōnoki's so-called flight technique was only a special application of Earth Style—it wasn't true mastery of the skies.
"You flatter me," Zabuza said with a faint chuckle.
"This Ninjutsu is precious, yes—but within the organization, it's nothing more than an A-rank technique. Orochimaru-kun, if you were to join us, you could learn it with ease. In our organization, no one will force your hand."
It was a bold invitation. Naruto had valued Orochimaru highly before; Zabuza hadn't thought much of it then. But now he recognized the weight of Orochimaru's strength—especially with his capable subordinates.
Zabuza's tone grew more deliberate. "And besides… an old friend of yours has already joined us."
"Oh? And who might that be?"
Orochimaru's interest sharpened.
"Senju Hime."
The words slipped out softly.
Orochimaru's pupils narrowed in shock, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually calm face. Tsunade—joining someone else's organization?
"How unexpected… I'll give it some thought."
His lips curled into a thin smile.
Zabuza nodded, satisfied. He didn't expect a man like Orochimaru to join so easily, but for the sake of the organization's future, he was willing to try every possible angle.
...
TN:
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