"Swallow me?"
Seiryū looked up at Manda. He was no stranger to this summoning beast.
At that arrogant threat, a cold smile tugged at his lips.
"A mere beast dares talk about swallowing me?"
"In front of me, you do not even have the power to fight back."
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
Seiryū formed a seal with one hand.
Golden light flared in an instant, locking onto different points along Manda's massive body and completely restricting its movement.
A heartbeat later, the golden chains behind Seiryū shot forward.
They sharpened into arrow-like points and pierced through Manda's immobilized body.
"Aaaah!"
The golden chains tore through its flesh. Blood sprayed everywhere, and Manda let out a shrill, agonized scream.
With a body that large, Manda was nothing more than a living target in front of someone like Seiryū, who specialized in sealing techniques.
Let alone a mere summoning beast, even the Nine-Tails, the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, would be restrained by his sealing arts.
His sealing techniques were practically made to counter massive creatures.
"Die."
Seiryū's voice was ice-cold.
He controlled the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan orbs suspended from the golden chains and slammed them down onto the immobilized Manda.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
One Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan after another crashed down, shaking the entire area.
The power of the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan was terrifying. Even a Tailed Beast would be sent flying by it.
Manda, sealed in place and unable to resist, could only take the full force of the attacks with its body.
"Aaaah, damn it!"
Under the relentless bombardment, Manda screamed again and again.
Its body was left mangled, torn open so badly that bone showed beneath the shredded flesh.
Blood poured out in great quantities, dyeing the ground red.
Manda's aura weakened rapidly.
Fortunately for it, its body was incredibly tough, and its vitality was just as monstrous.
Although its bones were broken and its injuries were severe, it still had not died.
Seeing Manda survive a full round of attacks, Seiryū sighed.
"As expected of a cold-blooded creature. Your vitality really is stubborn."
It was annoyingly durable.
"Remember this, human. Next time, I will swallow you whole!"
Manda lay limp on the ground. The pain tearing through its body made it glare viciously at Seiryū.
Its killing intent was chilling, as if it wanted to devour him alive.
"And Orochimaru, you damn bastard. You actually made me fight a monster like this. Next time, I'll kill you too!"
Manda was furious with Orochimaru as well.
If Orochimaru had not summoned it, it would never have ended up in such a miserable state.
It had not expected to be defeated so quickly either.
It had only just appeared. Not even a few seconds had passed, yet after a single round of attacks, it was already severely injured.
"Next time?"
A cold smile appeared on Seiryū's lips.
"You think you are leaving here alive?"
Bound by his Rikujōkōrō and locked down by Fullbring: Heaven's Chain, did this snake really think it could cancel the summoning and escape back to Ryūchi Cave?
"Hm? This is... damn it!"
Manda soon realized the problem.
It tried to release the Summoning Technique and return to Ryūchi Cave.
But it could not.
A human-like look of panic and fear appeared on the giant snake's face.
"Rasengan are simple. If one is not enough, use a few more. If that still is not enough, use a stronger one."
Seiryū stared at the terrified Manda and gave a cold smile.
A deep hum filled the air.
Heat waves spread outward in an instant, causing the surrounding temperature to spike.
At the tip of one golden chain, a Rasengan resembling a swirling vortex of flames began to form.
The waves of heat were coming from it.
Sage Art: Fire Style: Ultra-Big Ball Great Flame Rasengan!
This Rasengan, developed by Jiraiya and infused with Fire Style chakra nature, finally revealed its power.
Boom!
Roar!
Under Seiryū's control, the golden chain drove the Great Flame Rasengan, more than ten meters wide, straight down onto Manda's head.
The blazing vortex roared violently. Flames surged into the sky, turning the area into a scorching furnace.
"Aaaah!"
Manda's screams rang out again, shrill and hoarse enough to make anyone's blood run cold.
The pain of being burned down to the bone made its massive body thrash wildly.
It even tore apart the Rikujōkōrō that had locked down its body.
But it could not break free from the incredibly tough golden chains piercing through its flesh.
The chains clashed against each other, producing a harsh metallic rattle.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Great Flame Rasengan continued pressing down.
Its high-speed rotation shredded Manda's head bit by bit, while the flames burned what remained into nothing.
Boom!
With one final roar, the Great Flame Rasengan released all its power and exploded like a bomb.
Flames raged in every direction, and the surrounding temperature spiked once more.
When the chaos finally settled, only a headless snake corpse remained in the clearing.
Manda was dead.
Swish!
After dealing with Manda, Seiryū's gaze swept toward a certain spot.
With a thought, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared elsewhere.
He now stood in front of Yamato, the Wood Style shinobi.
Looking at Orochimaru, a smile tugged at Seiryū's lips.
"You seem even more cold-blooded than a snake, Orochimaru. You do not care about your own summoning beast at all?"
The moment Manda's movements were sealed, Orochimaru had already acted.
His lower body transformed into a snake tail, and he rushed toward Yamato's position.
But it was useless.
Seiryū knew the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Flying Thunder God..."
Watching Seiryū suddenly appear beside the Wood Style test subject, Orochimaru's gaze grew even more solemn.
Even so, his movements did not stop.
His lower body remained transformed into a snake tail, allowing him to move with terrifying speed.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Just how many types of Ninjutsu did this boy know?
The strongest genius.
Perhaps, aside from a select few, everyone else had greatly underestimated Seiryū's talent.
He had killed Manda far too easily.
The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques were indeed a natural counter to summons like Manda.
Of course, that was not the only reason.
Seiryū's own strength had also exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.
"You know the technique. Good. I wonder whether you have a way to deal with it."
As Seiryū spoke, he controlled Fullbring: Heaven's Chain and launched another attack at the incoming Orochimaru.
The golden chains lashed out in a dense barrage, like a raging storm.
They were difficult to dodge, and every strike tore through the air with a sharp crack.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, formed a seal, and spat out a powerful gale, knocking aside the incoming chains.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
His attack did not stop.
Orochimaru formed another seal, and venomous snakes shot out from his sleeves.
Their fangs snapped as they hissed and lunged toward Seiryū.
Seiryū stood where he was, unmoved.
He simply controlled the golden chains and whipped them forward.
The chains smashed the incoming snakes apart one after another, scattering flesh and blood across the ground.
"Your strength is beyond what I imagined. To possess such power at your age, you truly are an unprecedented genius."
Orochimaru's serpentine body slithered forward at high speed. A cold smile remained on his face as he formed a seal with one hand.
"But do not underestimate me, Seiryū-kun."
"Evil Snake Wrist Explosion!"
"Sensory Ninjutsu is one of my strong points too."
Seiryū leaped away from the spot.
"You did not think I failed to notice the poisonous snake beneath my feet, did you?"
The instant he moved, a grayish-green giant snake burst out from the ground where he had been standing.
Its body suddenly swelled, then exploded like an ignited explosive tag.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rang out.
Flesh and blood scattered with the blast wave, but it had no real effect on Seiryū, who had already dodged.
"Against a member of the Uzumaki Clan who awakened Kagura Mind's Eye, I never expected that sort of attack to hit."
Orochimaru gave a sinister laugh.
"But one must always try."
Then he opened his mouth and spat out a black snake.
The black snake opened its jaws as well, and the tip of a long sword emerged from its mouth.
Chi!
In the next instant, the sword flashed white.
Its blade extended rapidly, stabbing toward Seiryū at a speed nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"The Kusanagi Sword, huh?"
The incoming blade was captured by Seiryū's Vollständig: Heavenly Eye.
For an instant, time seemed to slow, allowing him to clearly track its path.
Seiryū opened the five fingers of his right hand.
A thicker golden chain extended from his palm.
Its tip sharpened into an arrowhead and stabbed straight toward the incoming sword.
Clang!
The chain tip and sword tip collided head-on.
Point against point.
The sound of metal clashing rang through the air as sparks scattered in every direction.
Then both were knocked off course, their original trajectories forced aside.
"Attack, defense, technique casting, sealing... A Kekkei Genkai with so many functions at once."
A burning light shone in Orochimaru's eyes.
"I am becoming more and more interested in this ability of yours, Seiryū-kun."
His desire to explore this unknown Kekkei Genkai had reached its peak.
A special ability like this was completely unprecedented.
It fascinated him.
The black snake twisting from Orochimaru's mouth suddenly writhed.
The Kusanagi Sword, which had been knocked aside, stretched again with the snake's movement and slashed horizontally toward Seiryū from a strange, vicious angle.
The blade cut through the air with a sharp hiss.
Heavy and powerful, this strike was more than enough to cut through steel.
Pa!
Seiryū simply raised his hand to block.
Purple Dragon Vein Chakra flowed over his arm, transforming into a claw.
He caught the incoming Kusanagi Sword in his hand, stopping it cold.
Then his Chakra surged.
Gripping the Kusanagi Sword, Seiryū exerted a sudden burst of force and lifted Orochimaru directly into the air.
Then he smashed him heavily into the ground.
Boom!
The earth cracked and caved in around the impact.
Chi, chi, chi!
The thicker golden chains that had been knocked off course earlier turned back under Seiryū's control.
They shot toward Orochimaru at terrifying speed, piercing even the air itself.
This time, Orochimaru could not dodge.
The golden chains pierced through his chest, and a large amount of blood sprayed out.
"What a troublesome technique..."
With his chest pierced, blood trickled from the corner of Orochimaru's mouth.
His expression turned grave.
Not because of the injury itself.
What concerned him was the dense, ink-black sealing marks spreading from the golden chains across his body.
This was a sealing technique.
Orochimaru reacted instantly.
Chakra erupted from his body, and he bit down hard on the black snake he had spat out.
The severed flesh of the black snake wriggled.
Another snake head appeared.
Then it opened its mouth and spat out another Orochimaru.
Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique.
This was Orochimaru's personal substitution technique.
As long as he still had Chakra, even if his limbs were severed or his body was crippled, he could recover through a molting-like process.
"Hehehe..."
The soaking wet Orochimaru licked his lips and let out a hoarse laugh.
He twisted his neck, as if adjusting to his new body.
"Everyone underestimated you. I did not expect you to already possess such strength. If I had been even a moment slower, you might have sealed my Chakra."
Troublesome.
This was the first time he had felt such a thing from someone so young.
Everyone had underestimated Seiryū.
No.
More accurately, aside from those familiar with Seiryū, no one truly understood what kind of strength he possessed.
How long had it been since he graduated from the Ninja Academy?
Yet he had already become strong enough to make even Orochimaru wary.
Was it simply talent that defied common sense?
Or did he have other secrets?
As those thoughts passed through his mind, Orochimaru ran his tongue across his face.
His golden, slit-pupiled eyes fixed on Seiryū.
Then he smiled meaningfully.
"Is it your own talent... or are there other secrets hidden inside you?"
Orochimaru had seen geniuses before.
He himself was one.
But someone like Seiryū, someone unprecedented and likely impossible to replicate, had already gone beyond common sense.
"Secrets? Of course I have!"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Seiryū thought for a moment.
Then his expression turned extremely serious.
"I am the Lord of the Three Realms, the King of the World from another world, destined to become the Wickedest Pirate King and ascend as the Shinigami Soul King in Naruto. My current bounty is ten billion Berries!"
"You might not understand what ten billion Berries means, but that is all right."
In the past, Seiryū would have worried that his "talent" was too outstanding and that someone might capture him for dissection.
Because of that, he had hidden his strength and avoided revealing everything.
But now, things were different.
Seiryū had grown.
Although he was not yet invincible, had not yet made the Six Paths cry, had not become Sage Seiryū, and had not achieved the title of Lord of the Three Realms Soul King, he was no longer too worried about being targeted.
Once he found a chance to make that troublesome woman Tsunade the Fourth Hokage, the two of them would control Konoha together.
They could be called the uncrowned kings of the Ninja World.
Aside from a few special existences that could still threaten him, he no longer feared the rest.
Now, he could finally display his power openly.
"Hehehe. It seems the rumors about something being wrong with your head were true after all."
Hearing those incomprehensible words, Orochimaru merely shook his head.
Then he let out a breath.
"Forget it."
He stared at Seiryū and sighed.
"Before I even realized it, you had already surpassed me. How embarrassing."
"However, next time, I will not give up so easily. I will leave that Wood Style test subject in your care for now."
There was no need to continue fighting Seiryū.
His strength had far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.
It would be impossible to take the Wood Style shinobi from him right now.
Besides, what he and Danzō had done had already been exposed.
Later, he might not even be able to remain in Konoha.
He needed to make preparations.
There were still some necessary things he had to take away.
"Oh, right. Since you mentioned being hunted, I will tell you something interesting."
As if suddenly remembering something, Orochimaru gave an eerie smile.
"The reason the black market hunted you was because of Danzō."
"He is also very interested in you, a member of the Uzumaki Clan. As for why he demanded that you be captured alive, well... that is truly hard to guess."
Danzō had hidden the successful Wood Style test subject from him.
Clearly, he had been guarding against Orochimaru, his own partner.
That made Orochimaru very unhappy.
Since he intended to leave Konoha anyway, he did not mind causing Danzō a bit more trouble before he went.
"Then goodbye, Seiryū-kun. I look forward to our next meeting."
Orochimaru smiled.
"When that time comes, I will show you some interesting techniques."
After taking one last look at Seiryū, Orochimaru formed a seal.
Poof!
His body turned into white smoke and vanished from the area.
The Kusanagi Sword disappeared along with him.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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