Chapter 36: Flying Thunder God, Second Stage!
In the dim underground space, the smoke from the Summoning Technique gradually dissipated.
Orochimaru stood atop Manda’s head, his upright golden snake pupils gleaming with cold light as he looked toward ‘Shura’, who had calmly retreated to create distance after landing a successful strike, his eyes surging with complex emotions.
It was a mix of humiliation from being toyed with, dread of the unknown power, and furious rage at having his bottom line touched.
“Don’t say a hundred, even a thousand, I’ll get them for you!” Orochimaru’s hoarse voice carried deep killing intent.
Having been toyed with twice by ‘Shura’, Orochimaru was thoroughly enraged!
“Hmph hmph, those are your words!” Manda roared, its massive body crushing against the rock wall, gravel raining down like a storm, its tail launching an assault toward Menma on the opposite side!
Menma looked up at the giant snake nearly touching the cave ceiling, his brows slightly furrowing.
“With such a huge body type, is it trying to bring down the cave?” Menma muttered to himself, knowing he needed to end this quickly.
Orochimaru could escape directly to Ryuchi Cave using reverse summoning if he couldn’t win, but if Manda collapsed this cave, burying the Iburi Clan would pain Menma.
After all, he had already regarded this clan capable of smoke transformation as his own private property.
“Then, use this move.” Menma took out several specially made kunai in his left hand, while his right hand began condensing a ‘Small Spiraling Ring’.
Unlike the ‘Spiral Ring’ that was the size of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, this ‘Small Spiraling Ring’ was only about the size of a fist, but the extremely compressed dark chakra inside and the ring of Wind Release Chakra wrapped around the outside had an energy density that was chilling!
This was an enhanced version of the Spiral Ring that Menma had developed in the ‘Limited Tsukuyomi’ world.
The ‘Spiral Ring’ was like the initial Rasengan; by extremely compressing it, it formed the enhanced ‘Small Spiraling Ring’, and continuing with extreme compression ultimately created the ‘Great Spiraling Ring’ comparable to Almighty Push.
As Manda’s giant tail tore through the air in a sweeping attack, the kunai turned into silver streaks shooting toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, standing atop Manda’s head, merely shifted his body slightly to dodge these kunai, a few strands of black hair stirred by the strong wind they created.
At the same time, his hands began forming hand seals, preparing to unleash ninjutsu for an attack.
Even if he couldn’t kill ‘Shura’, he had to completely destroy this cave! Make the Iburi Clan that betrayed him pay a bloody cost!
However, just as Orochimaru’s hands were forming seals, Manda’s tail swept across the ground, but ‘Shura’s figure vanished.
An invisible killing intent assaulted from behind Orochimaru!
“What!” His battle instinct, honed from years of life-and-death experiences, made his muscles tense all over.
But it was already too late—
Boom—!!!
The Small Spiraling Ring smashed viciously into Orochimaru’s waist, the darkness energy compressed to the extreme exploding at his waist.
Orochimaru, already injured, had half his waist torn apart by the dark chakra and Wind Release Chakra, the pain like being bitten by a wild beast!
Menma, who suddenly appeared behind Orochimaru, gripped a specially made kunai in his left hand, and the Small Spiraling Ring in his right hand struck down Orochimaru along with Manda.
Rumble—
Manda let out a pained hiss, its massive head slammed into the ground by the shockwave, the deep pit it created cracking like a spiderweb.
Orochimaru’s Summoning Technique was dispelled.
“Cough…” After Manda disappeared, Orochimaru was smashed into the deep pit.
But immediately after, this body nearly split in two began to dissolve, a pale white arm extending from Orochimaru’s mouth, quickly breaking free from it to reveal another Orochimaru.
As the newly shed body fully emerged, mucus-covered fingers brushed aside the wet long hair, revealing the snake pupils below burning with thirst for knowledge and killing intent.
‘Great Snake Substitute Technique’, one of Orochimaru’s signature ninjutsu.
“Why… do you know the Flying Thunder God Technique!” Orochimaru’s voice trembled with excitement, his tongue tip unconsciously licking his lips.
He recalled all the Konoha ninja over and over, from the already deceased Second Hokage Tobirama Senju to Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and even Minato’s several guards.
But none matched the ninja before his eyes.
It was as if ‘Shura’ had appeared out of thin air!
If not for Orochimaru’s combat instincts prompting him to prepare the ‘Great Snake Substitute Technique’ in advance, that previous terrifying ninjutsu would likely have broken his waist.
‘Flying Thunder God Technique… and that ninjutsu so similar to Rasengan…’ Orochimaru’s nose twitched slightly, wiping the blood from his mouth, he actually thought of Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, who had died three years ago on the Night of the Nine-Tails!
‘Could it be Minato Namikaze… no… impossible… I personally saw Minato and Kushina’s corpses being buried…’ Sweat beaded on Orochimaru’s forehead.
During the Nine-Tails Attack, Orochimaru was still part of Konoha High Council, and he attended the Fourth Hokage couple’s burial ceremony afterward.
With his years of research on the human body, Minato and Kushina’s corpses were absolutely unmistakable.
Moreover… he had later taken some of Minato Namikaze’s cellular tissue.
All the clues Orochimaru knew could not explain this person’s origins.
But at least one thing Orochimaru was certain of: the other was definitely a Konoha ninja!
At this moment in the underground space, Shinigami and the maiden had already sent away the Iburi Clan, leaving only Menma and Orochimaru on the field.
“Is this it?” Menma’s footsteps echoed in the silent cave.
Under the dim light, ‘Shura’ slowly walked toward Orochimaru from the dissipating smoke, each step intensifying the invisible pressure.
Even Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, felt a sense of oppression coming at him.
This crisis involuntarily reminded him of the battle against Hanzo of the Salamander during the Second Great Ninja War!
Meanwhile, Menma was pondering how to make Orochimaru serve him.
Orochimaru’s research ability was undoubtedly the strongest in the entire Ninja World, but Orochimaru had his own pride and wouldn’t easily submit to others.
Even facing Nagato with the Rinnegan, Orochimaru dared to covet those ‘God’s Eye’.
When facing Itachi Uchiha’s Sharingan, Orochimaru had all sorts of schemes.
Making Orochimaru submit was no small feat.
With Menma’s current strength, completely controlling Orochimaru was impossible, unless he could obtain Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan.
However…
Menma casually paced around Orochimaru.
In the deep pit, Orochimaru clutched his wound, his snake pupils filled with venomous glare, staring deathly at ‘Shura’ like a venomous snake.
“I advise you to use Impure World Reincarnation less.” Menma’s low voice slowly said.
As for how ‘Shura’ knew the secret of the ‘Impure World Reincarnation Technique’, Orochimaru was first shocked, then his pale face twitched strangely.
“No… you can’t possibly know… Impure World Reincarnation…” Laughter squeezed from deep in his throat, Orochimaru’s fingers covering half his face spasming with agitation.
Impure World Reincarnation, the forbidden jutsu developed by Orochimaru that he had never used, was his ultimate secret in pursuing immortality.
Orochimaru was confident he had never revealed this jutsu to anyone!
“Interesting… too interesting…” Orochimaru clutched his injured abdomen with one hand, covering half his face with the other, his left eye visible through the gaps filled with madness.
“Attacking Konoha, attacking Cloud Village, claiming to be Danzō, ninjutsu extremely similar to Rasengan, knows Flying Thunder God Technique, can precisely intercept my escape route, knows about the Hashirama Cells in my possession, and knows about Impure World Reincarnation that I’ve never used…”
“I understand.” Suddenly, the laughter stopped, Orochimaru lowered his hand, his expression becoming exceptionally clear-headed.
“You’re a Konoha ninja! But you’re not a Konoha ninja from this era!”
Orochimaru slowly straightened up, looking at the mysterious masked man before him, ecstatic as if discovering a new continent.
He shouted: “You’re from the future… right? Shura!!!”
Menma: Ha?
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