Chapter 282: Iron Sand Thunder Realm
"Such a young brat!"
Sasori's youthful appearance shocked Orochimaru.
"Huh… this isn't Sage Mode?"
Orochimaru stood atop a large tree. His vision was excellent—he could clearly see the red-haired youth hovering in the sky.
There were no markings in the boy's eyes or around them—none of the distinctive patterns that appeared when someone entered Sage Mode by absorbing natural energy.
"Right… he wasn't using senjutsu to begin with."
Orochimaru quickly realized that the opponent hadn't used any senjutsu from the start.
In his sensory perception, natural chakra was flowing continuously into the black sphere beneath the youth's feet.
"So… it must be that thing wrapped in iron sand that's absorbing the natural energy."
Orochimaru's gaze locked onto the black iron sand sphere under Sasori's feet, his eyes burning with fascination.
He didn't know that, besides the massive puppet core beneath Sasori, the smaller one embedded in Sasori's chest was also absorbing natural energy—though much more weakly.
That's because Sasori had been using the larger two-meter-wide puppet core beneath his feet to absorb and convert natural energy into chakra.
The bigger the puppet core, the more chakra it could convert and store from natural energy.
The two-meter core was the largest Sasori could construct, and it stored chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast—specifically, Shukaku.
The Third Kazekage's human puppet was fused with this massive core, giving it a chakra reserve on par with a Tailed Beast.
And because its chakra capacity was so high, the more chakra it used, the more natural energy it absorbed.
That's why Orochimaru could sense so much natural energy flowing into the massive puppet core beneath Sasori.
The smaller puppet core in Sasori's chest didn't draw Orochimaru's attention—he couldn't sense it. Had he known Sasori himself was also absorbing natural energy without issue, his obsession would've only grown.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Sea!"
In the sky, Sasori formed seals with both hands. The massive puppet core beneath him activated, flooding the ground below with powerful Magnet Release chakra.
"Hah…"
As Sasori focused, iron sand deep within the earth was drawn upward by magnetic force, quickly forming a massive sea of iron sand clouds in the sky, covering an area of three kilometers.
But he wasn't done. Sasori formed more hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Thunder's Descent!"
Crack!
Lightning burst from Sasori's body, instantly spreading across the iron sand sea above.
RUMBLE!
With the conductive nature of iron sand, the Iron Sand World Sea transformed in an instant into a sea of lightning. The terrifying roar of thunder shook the heavens.
Below, cold sweat ran down Orochimaru's face.
Years ago, when a mysterious Explosion Release user attacked the Root base and stole a test subject that could adapt to Wood Release cells, Orochimaru had managed to retrieve a vial of that subject's original cell culture.
After a year of secret research, he developed the most concentrated adaptation factors and successfully transplanted Hashirama's cells, gaining powerful Wood Release jutsu.
Orochimaru had believed that, from then on, no ninjutsu in the world could surpass his Wood Release.
But now, staring up at the thunder-filled Iron Sand cloud layer, Orochimaru, for the first time, felt that maybe Wood Release wasn't invincible after all.
"Combined Technique—Iron Sand Thunder Realm!"
High above, Sasori didn't stop. With the Iron Sand World Sea and Thunder's Descent completed, he unleashed a combined Magnet Release and Lightning Release jutsu.
BOOM!
CRACK!
A massive lightning bolt crashed down at Orochimaru with terrifying speed—too fast for him to react. The bolt struck him and split him in two before stabbing deep into the earth.
Yes—stabbed into the earth.
The massive bolt of lightning didn't vanish. The blue-white current remained, like a superheated blade embedded deep in the ground.
"Dead?"
"No."
Sasori turned his gaze beside the lightning. Orochimaru emerged from the branch of a large tree.
The body that had been split by lightning was now revealed to be a wooden clone.
After sensing the ominous power of the Iron Sand World Sea and its thunder, Orochimaru had immediately created a Wood Clone and hidden his real body in a tree.
Even now, what emerged wasn't the real Orochimaru.
He was being cautious. This combined jutsu was too fast and too destructive for him to take any chances.
"A lightning strike wielded by a body of iron sand…"
"Combining Magnet Release and Lightning Release like this… not bad, kid."
Hidden within the tree roots, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with admiration. Using the conductive properties of iron sand, Sasori had forged a technique that delivered lightning-powered iron strikes with blinding speed and deadly force.
If he hadn't taken precautions, he really would've been split in half and killed.
"As expected of one of the Sannin. His battle instincts are sharp."
High above, Sasori too admired Orochimaru's skill and experience.
"Killing him won't be so easy after all."
"But unlike him… my chakra is limitless. What about yours?"
Sasori smirked inwardly and shouted, "Combined Technique—Ten Thousand Thunder Strikes!"
RUMBLE…!
In an instant, countless bolts of lightning-infused iron sand rained down like divine punishment.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
This time, Orochimaru was prepared. He poured his vast reserves of Wood Release chakra into the ground, summoning a forest of towering trees to meet the oncoming thunderstorm.
Crackle!
BOOM!
This time, the trees were no match. Upon contact, the lightning-charged iron sand ripped through the forest, spearing into the earth below.
In a flash, Orochimaru's mighty forest was torn apart, and the land was covered in streaks of blue-white thunder and iron—a hellscape of electrified destruction.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Back behind the cliff in the forest, the eight Konoha shinobi who had come with Orochimaru had already been shocked when he first unleashed Wood Release.
They couldn't believe Orochimaru had mastered the First Hokage's legendary technique!
But they had retreated nonetheless.
Orochimaru's Deep Forest Emergence was too vast—it had engulfed their entire position.
Originally, they thought with such a powerful technique, Orochimaru had the battle won.
But then… they saw the electrified hell left behind. Even Wood Release had been defeated.
"Hurry! Support Lord Orochimaru!"
Without time to think, they rushed forward. No matter how powerful the enemy, they couldn't abandon their commander.
"Leave—now!"
A large, grayish-brown snake suddenly burst from the earth in front of them. From its gaping mouth, Orochimaru's slime-covered head emerged.
He quickly barked orders at the eight shinobi.
They ignored the disgusting sight and immediately followed the snake's retreat path into the distance.
"Did he die?"
Sasori peered below, unsure whether Orochimaru had survived.
His sensory perception was poor. He didn't know that Orochimaru had escaped via the summoned snake and regrouped with his comrades.
After waiting a moment and still seeing no sign of Orochimaru's corpse, Sasori wasn't sure if he'd been reduced to pieces or simply buried among the shattered earth and stone.
"Forget it."
"If he's not dead, we'll meet again."
Sasori dispelled the lightning field. The iron sand spears, shaped like bolts of lightning, dissolved and fell, blanketing the earth in black iron dust.
He flew toward the direction of his fellow Sand shinobi.
He had a feeling Orochimaru hadn't died—but that didn't matter. He had already proven the strength of the Puppet Core.
Next time they fought, Orochimaru wouldn't be his match either.
Iron Sand Thunder Realm was only the first of his combined jutsu. There were several more he hadn't even developed yet.
Once completed—and paired with the Puppet Core's Tailed Beast-level chakra reserves—
In the ninja world… perhaps only the Fourth Hokage could defeat him outright.
So Sasori thought.
He recalled the battle where he had slain the Third Kazekage.
The barrier Li Yao's Wind Release clone had used back then—an invisible shield immune to all of the Kazekage's attacks—was an absolute defense Sasori couldn't imagine anyone breaking.
At the same time, the terrifying Wind Release slashes that could cut through Tailed Beast Bombs—Sasori couldn't think of any defense that could withstand them.
"Monster…"
He couldn't help but mutter inwardly.
To possess absolute defense and absolute offense simultaneously—anyone who fought Li Yao's Wind Release clone would despair at such monstrous abilities.
The Fourth Mizukage Yagura had certainly felt that way.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997