Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Kaguya Clan’s Ninja
Orochimaru silently severed the heads of several mercenaries, blood spurting as he gazed into their lifeless eyes. Orochimaru remained calm amidst the chaos.
Such is the life of a ninja, bound by their destiny.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had witnessed this scene countless times, yet it still disgusted them. This was the real world, not a manga where one could become a Hokage without taking lives!
Orochimaru sealed these heads in a scroll, and Jiraiya eagerly burned the corpses with a fire jutsu.
The billowing black smoke rose into the sky, and Nanmu wanted to say something but held his tongue.
Mucheng also woke up, aware of Orochimaru's "remarkable achievements." He was left speechless, filled with envy and shame.
While Jiraiya and Tsunade attended to the two Chunin, Orochimaru took the lead. As the strongest among them, it was an unspoken agreement.
Dianan, the timid girl, trailed behind alone, responsible for guarding the rear.
Despite some casualties during the mission, the Sannin performed exceptionally well. For them, it was a resounding success. Orochimaru began reflecting on the battle they had just experienced. They were quite close to the Land of Water and estimated it would take three or four days to return.
Although Orochimaru had previously killed a Chunin, it was still a battle. However, this time, the two ninjas Orochimaru dispatched could be described as slaughter. Regardless of the Chunin's skills, they had no chance to fight back. Orochimaru now believed that his regular combat prowess was on par with a Jōnin.
Orochimaru's trump card was his immense mental power and the sneak attacks with the Kusanagi sword. The technique of snake summoning was just the beginning.
Nevertheless, Orochimaru wasn't ready to showcase the Kusanagi sword's stealth effect just yet.
Regarding his mental power, Orochimaru encountered a significant challenge when dealing with the second-in-command named Crow. His mental power proved formidable in defending against illusions, surpassing the level of strategic planning or Sharingan techniques. Shaking his will was nearly impossible.
However, using that power for offense proved to be more challenging. Firstly, Orochimaru was not yet proficient in illusions, given his limited training time and lack of a bloodline limit. Sarutobi had yet to teach him.
Secondly, his body wasn't sufficiently strong to handle an excessive amount of power; otherwise, his brain might explode.
Therefore, aside from increasing his physical strength, Orochimaru needed to learn illusions. Illusions were like slingshots, amplifying the damage caused by mental power. The Sharingan was akin to a slingshot that used metal and more potent projectiles, while the Mangekyou Sharingan was like a gun.
At present, Orochimaru couldn't fully utilize his strength, akin to a powerful man with his fists wrapped in cotton—able to fight but weak when it came to counterattacks.
However, Orochimaru possessed an advantage. Even if a ninja skilled in defending against illusions faced an overwhelming attack of pure mental power, they would be left in a dazed state for a certain period. Orochimaru's foundation was exceptional!
Yet, when it came to physical strength, he had to rely on personal training. The talent of the White-Scaled Snake was a promising asset for the future.
The Naruto world was a paradoxical one. Ninjas within it possessed incredible power, capable of leveling entire cities with a single jutsu. Their destructive capabilities were awe-inspiring, but their bodies remained fragile. Most ninjas could be defeated with a mere touch, especially when caught off guard. It was even said that the Fourth Kazekage was slain by Orochimaru's blade. Even the existence of Uchiha Madara, though formidable, left their defenses vulnerable, shocking many.
Orochimaru, an immortal being, has a fate that Orochimaru would eventually encounter. In the original story, Orochimaru enhanced his body through cellular modifications but wasn't exceptionally powerful, possibly due to the limitations of frequently changing bodies.
However, Orochimaru, who also mastered the secret art of the soul, possessed a significant advantage. He wouldn't need to reincarnate into a deceased body unless it became necessary.
Lost in thought, Orochimaru walked with the same focus he once had while playing with his mobile phone in his previous life. Unbeknownst to him, he was being targeted.
"Be careful, someone is nearby!" Dianan suddenly exclaimed in horror. Her keen sense of smell and chakra perception were exceptional, but this would be her final contribution.
A pale bullet pierced through the center of his forehead, exiting through the back, accompanied by brain matter and skull fragments that splattered on the ground.
Reacting swiftly, Orochimaru turned his head, his senses heightened. He could perceive six or seven bullets whizzing through the air.
"Dodge!" Orochimaru hoarsely shouted.
Tsunade and Mucheng reacted quickly, swiftly dropping to the ground as the bullets flew silently over their heads. In their wake, the trees displayed inconspicuous yet menacing holes!
Jiraiya attempted to protect himself by hardening his hair, but Orochimaru knew it wouldn't be enough. It was useless!
"Get out of the way, you bastard!" Orochimaru roared, kicking Jiraiya with his foot, blood dripping from his hair-covered feet.
One bullet collided with a stone, shattering it into small pieces.
"Hmm...!" Jiraiya, lying on the ground, witnessed this and broke into a cold sweat.
Two more bullets were aimed at Nanmu, and unless he evaded, his life would be lost!
Orochimaru snorted coldly, channeling his surging mental energy into a focused stream, intercepting the bullet directly!
What kind of bullet was this? It resembled a phalanx!
As it cut through the flesh like a knife through butter, it encountered resistance but persisted in its trajectory. The two bullets grazed each other, visibly creating a white ripple in the air!
"That kid is incredibly powerful!" one of the bodyguards trailing behind exclaimed, looking at Orochimaru as if he had seen a ghost. The other ninja wore a grave expression, observing the direction from which the bullet had been fired. A man covered in thorns sprinted toward Orochimaru.
"We're prepared to act at any moment!"
Gradually, the bullet slowed down and deviated from its original path. Nanmu desperately avoided a potentially fatal blow to the heart but suffered a shoulder wound, causing blood to spurt out.
"Ah!" Nanmu let out a miserable howl, now rendered completely incapacitated.
Emerging from the bushes, a figure cloaked in a lavender robe chuckled, his eyes fixed on the protruding bones. But these bones were unlike ordinary ones—they were harder than metal!
"That's right! One of you brats is dead, huh? It seems I have to take matters into my own hands. Such pitiful creatures, why did you hide earlier? I'll make your lives worse than death! Hahaha!"
The individual who appeared laughed maniacally, but no one dared to respond. They could sense a potent chakra emanating from him—he was a Jōnin!
Tsunade clenched her fists, a trace of fear visible on her usually composed face. Jiraiya, typically unreliable, stood silently before her.
Mucheng picked up his weapon, still ready to fight. Nanmu's face turned ashen as he leaned against a tree, not uttering a single word.
Orochimaru stared at the man in the lavender robe with cold eyes, his gaze filled with a murderous intent. He had been careless, and it was the members of the timid girl's bugs that had discovered the enemy first.
"You belong to the Kaguya clan. Why are you attacking us?" Orochimaru asked, although deep down, he knew he was speaking nonsense.
The Kaguya clan had been driven out of their homeland and forced to seek refuge in the Land of Water, their blood staining its rivers in the first great battle they faced. They suffered significant losses. Later, Uchiha and Senju formed an alliance to establish Konoha, and the Kaguya clan became one of the three major clans of the Mist.
Only a little over a decade had passed since the Five Great Shinobi Nations were established. When the children of that era grew up and saw the forehead protectors of Konoha, they couldn't help but feel a deep envy and resentment toward their enemies.
Attempting to reason with the Kaguya clan's battle maniacs was a futile endeavor—a foolish move on Orochimaru's part!
"Aha, indeed! It's a shame, though; you're still going to die! Back then, you shameless beings exiled us overseas. Have you forgotten so soon?" The Kaguya ninja pulled a bone knife from his arm, its cold glint catching the light. "I was on a mission today when I spotted smoke in the woods. Curiosity got the best of me. It turns out it's the scum of Konoha! Excellent, very excellent. But it would be even better if you died, hahaha!"
The Kaguya ninja laughed maniacally, his eyes fixed on Orochimaru. This kid was not ordinary. He possessed the intuition of a Jōnin!
Jiraiya felt a bitter taste in his mouth—this was his own doing!
Typically, ninja cremated their fallen comrades discreetly. It wouldn't be as conspicuous as a signal smoke.
*****
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