Thick mist swirled, making it impossible to see even one's own hand. On the fortress wall, the tension between the two sides was at a breaking point.
Mei Terumī turned her head in shock, her eyes wide as she looked at Ren Uchiha. The person across from us is one of the Sannin—Orochimaru! Even under his slight leak of killing intent, she felt her body trembling. Yet Ren not only showed no fear but even dared to snap back with such a cold tone.
Does this boy truly not know what fear is?
Ren stared at Orochimaru, his left hand on his tool pouch and his right fingertips slowly turning black. He knew that Orochimaru in this era hadn't yet perfected his "immortal" body; he still followed the "Ninjutsu Professor" path of his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Could I win? Definitely not. But can I fight? You bet your life I can!
"Heh, interesting," Orochimaru hissed, looking down at Ren. He raised his hand, preparing his Striking Shadow Snakes.
But suddenly, Orochimaru snapped his head toward the cliffs outside the castle. A massive boulder tore through the white mist, hurtling straight for his head!
Orochimaru's pupils shrunk as he unleashed Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand. Eight giant serpents wrapped around the boulder to halt its momentum, but a second boulder followed immediately! The two stones collided, crushing the snakes and smashing directly into Orochimaru, flattening him into the ground.
"Orochimaru... just died like that?" Mei gasped, staring at the "meat pancake" under the rock. No one could survive that.
"He's not that easy to kill," Ren muttered, pulling Mei back two steps.
Sure enough, a pair of hands reached out from the mouth of the "dead" Orochimaru, prying the jaws open as a fresh, slime-coated Orochimaru crawled out of his own corpse.
"Tch. Always pecking at the edge of the web, but never entering it," Orochimaru squinted toward the hole in the mist. "What a cautious lark you are, Shinnō."
At the end of the mist-tunnel, Shinnō stood on the cliff's edge. He tore off his yellow coat, revealing massive, rippling chest muscles. He beckoned Orochimaru with a finger—a pure provocation.
"Those Root failures..." Orochimaru licked his lips. "It seems I have to catch him myself." He glanced at Ren, a chilling smile saying everything and nothing at once.
He leaped from the wall, biting his thumb and slamming his palms together in mid-air. Poof! A colossal purple snake—Manda—emerged, its head rising far above the fortress walls. The massive shadow blotted out the sun.
Ren and Mei swallowed hard. Big is beautiful, and many is better! Manda slithered through the mist like a monster from a horror movie. Moments later, a massive boom echoed from the distance, followed by the pained hiss of a snake and a storm of fire and wind. The shockwaves from their battle instantly cleared the mist from the castle.
In the distance, Ren saw the Mandara no Jin (10,000 Snakes Wave)—countless grey pythons rising into the sky, snapping at a figure glowing with Saiyan-like aura.
This... is a real Kage-level battle! Ren felt his blood boil. His body was practically begging for a fight.
Suddenly, thud. A muscular figure landed on the ramparts behind them. They spun around, stunned. It was the very man currently fighting Orochimaru in the distance!
"Surprised?" Shinnō asked calmly. "This is a Shadow Clone. A bit of insurance."
Ren's brow furrowed. "Insurance? What are you talking about?"
Shinnō sneered. "In the ninja world, stealing or copying someone's secret jutsu is an act that triggers hatred equivalent to destroying a village. And yet, you dared to copy my S-rank Forbidden Jutsu right in front of my face. Should I say you're courageous... or just a moron?"
He huffed coldly. "If you hadn't jumped down to fight, I would have killed you on that cliff. If you had died below the wall, I would have taken your body for dissection. And if you had sold me out to Orochimaru just now, I would have killed you here."
"What?!" Ren's eyes widened. I missed that many chances to be killed?!
Shinnō sighed, looking at Ren's frustrated expression. "You really are a hot-headed idiot, aren't you?" He reached into his vest and tossed a yellow scroll to Ren. "Take it. If things don't work out for you with the Uchiha, find me at the ruins of the Land of Sky. Only you."
Ren caught the scroll. It was covered in cryptic seals he couldn't understand. "Wait, what is this? What the hell are you talking about?"
Shinnō's expression turned grave. "That... is the most extreme power in the ninja world. A link of all hatred and malice. A terrifying thing that devours the human heart to reveal its darkest side."
"Dark Chakra. The Zero-Tails!"