"It's fascinating… This is the Chakra Enhanced Strength, the taijutsu of the Senju clan—able to create shockwaves that burst through the air. Are you truly a surviving orphan of the Senju?"
For the first time, Orochimaru's expression grew serious.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
But his attack went in the wrong direction.
Ryoma's Darkness Technique completely blinded him. In Orochimaru's vision, the world was pitch black; not even his own hands were visible. He could only rely on instinct—
And this time, his instinct betrayed him.
Several massive, hideous snakes burst from his sleeves, striking wildly at empty air.
Only then did Orochimaru realize he had been careless. He was still injured from earlier and had assumed he could overpower this boy, capture him, and take him back to the laboratory for dissection and study—to uncover the secrets of the Senju bloodline.
He hadn't expected his target to be so troublesome.
Under the cold moonlight, the ground glowed pale white, yet to Orochimaru's darkened sight, it was still a void of blackness.
Then—he heard the sharp whistle of wind behind his head.
"Behind me—?!"
He ducked instinctively—too fast. A spike of pain shot up his back.
"Ugh—!"
Lower back strain. Blood welled from his lips.
Not good.
"Substitution Jutsu!"
Bang!
Bang!
The first blow struck the substitution log, but the second came immediately after. Orochimaru felt the violent gust of the incoming punch, close enough to sting his face.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
He retreated in a blur, his expression unreadable.
At his age… to fight with such precision and timing… This boy is a natural-born genius.
His raw speed and instincts were forcing Orochimaru—a Sannin—to take him seriously.
Orochimaru's taijutsu might not match that of a true close-combat specialist, but he was still on par with other Kage-level fighters, such as the Third Hokage. Most jōnin wouldn't last a second against him.
And yet, against a boy who had only just awakened his Kekkei Genkai, he had been pushed back.
That relentless assault earlier—those fists could have knocked out an elite jōnin in one blow.
Ryoma, on the other hand, seemed unimpressed.
This is one of the Legendary Three Sannin? He's… weaker than I expected. A bit stronger than Minato, perhaps, but not by much.
Orochimaru's performance left him disappointed.
"Come again!" Ryoma called out, still unsatisfied.
"…?!"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He had been holding back—injuries or not, he had only been using thirty percent of his true power to avoid causing too much commotion.
But this boy… was making him look like a fool.
"You really think you can mock me, boy?!"
"Kusanagi no Tsurugi…"
Orochimaru lowered his head, the gleaming blade sliding from his mouth in a hiss.
"Stop!"
A massive golden staff—Enma, the adamantine King Kong Ruyi Staff—slammed down from above, smashing into the ground between them.
The impact sent Orochimaru flying backward, crashing hard into the dirt and coughing up blood.
At the same time, Ryoma's Darkness Technique shattered, returning sight to Orochimaru's eyes.
The moment he saw the King Kong Ruyi Staff, Orochimaru retracted the Kusanagi Sword without hesitation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, dispelled Enma's transformation and stepped forward quickly.
"Ryoma, are you alright—"
But he stopped mid-sentence.
Something about the atmosphere between the two felt… wrong.
Ryoma turned his head just in time to see Orochimaru sprawled on the ground.
"What happened?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.
Orochimaru… coughing up blood?
It seems this Ryoma isn't simple.
Ryoma casually pointed at the Third Hokage. "Lord Third, it was your adamantine staff that hit him."
"Huh?" Hiruzen blinked. Was that… me?
Orochimaru wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and forced a smile. "Sensei, it's nothing. I just heard that someone had awakened the Senju clan's Kekkei Genkai, so I was curious to… test him."
"Bold!" Hiruzen's voice snapped like a whip. "Orochimaru, instead of reporting back immediately, you came here to 'test' him?"
"You truly have nerve!"
Hiruzen was furious. Not long ago, an elder—Lady Mito—had personally said that Ryoma must be brought back safely. If something had happened to him, how could Hiruzen have explained it to her?
Orochimaru had gone behind his back and tested Ryoma without permission. The Third Hokage's patience was wearing thin.
This was the same disciple he had once hoped would inherit his mantle… and yet here he was, acting recklessly.
"Ryoma," Hiruzen said firmly, "I will give you a proper explanation for Orochimaru's actions—by tomorrow."
Without another word, he turned and led Orochimaru away.
Ryoma watched them go, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Could this be the old man's doing—sending Orochimaru to test me?
No… Hiruzen was soft-hearted, but this wasn't his style. More likely, Orochimaru's curiosity had gotten the better of him.
Not that Ryoma cared. His strength was growing by the day.
At this pace, within a year he would completely fuse with the Hashirama character card and gain the full might of the First Hokage.
Besides, with Orochimaru taken away like that, he probably wouldn't be a problem in the short term.
And when Ryoma's power reached the next level… it would be his turn to pay Orochimaru a visit.
After all—Ryoma had quite a few questions about the Impure World Reincarnation.