151-155

Chapter 151: A Savage Beatdown for Kaizang! You've Awakened a Lion!  

As Shinji slammed his palm onto the ground, 

the Curse Mark of Heaven significantly enhanced his bodily control. With just a single hand seal, chakra was guided along predetermined paths, forming a network that unleashed powerful ninjutsu.  

Intricate patterns of a massive technique spread outward, and in an instant, a pale red barrier rose from the ground!  

The desert trembled violently! 

A colossal red wall lifted the sand, 

locking Shinji and Kaizang firmly within the barrier.  

Kaizang abruptly halted, furrowing his white eyebrows deeply as he scanned his surroundings.  

Approaching the edge of the barrier, he swung out his hand, unleashing a Wind Release: Blade of Wind that slashed against the barrier.  

The razor-sharp wind blade cut smoothly through the barrier, creating a neat opening that immediately shot outward!  

However, the opening quickly regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye, sealing seamlessly shut.  

“A regenerative barrier technique from Uzushio Village? I thought it was stolen by Kumogakure... Seems the Uchiha have also dipped their hands into this,” Kaizang murmured, his white eyebrows tightening in thought. 

“My full-power Wind Release can cut through it, but it’ll take some time.”  

He let out a sudden breath, his previously calm eyes turning cold as he glared at the younger ninja, whose body was partially covered in ominous black patterns and who now grinned menacingly.  

It was clear Shinji wouldn’t give him the time he needed. 

Sigh.  

Kaizang suddenly straightened his posture, rolling his shoulders as his gaze sharpened. 

He tilted his chin upward, looking down at Shinji with disdain, and spoke in a flat tone:  

“I’m an old man who’s long retired from killing. 

But you, brat, insist on courting death. Very well, I’ll play with you.” 

“Don’t worry—it won’t take long.”  

[Warning! The Sand Elder and Suna’s Supreme Commander, Kaizang, harbors deadly intent toward you.]  

As the old man stood upright, 

Shinji was stunned to realize that the seemingly frail, short elder was anything but.  

After shedding his outer robe and baring his upper body, Kaizang revealed a towering height of nearly six feet. His muscles were chiseled and well-defined, with a pair of pecs that rivaled even Shinnō’s infamous “dancing” chest muscles.  

What in the world is this body doing on a shriveled old man?! 

Shinji’s brow twitched as he suppressed his shock. Without hesitation, he drew the Kusanagi Sword, forming the "Serpent" hand seal.  

Flames instantly coated the blade, transforming it into a blazing sword of fire.  

Without a word, 

a deafening sonic boom erupted from his surroundings as Shinji vanished from sight!  

Charging forward like a speeding train, he leaped high into the air when close enough, swinging the flaming blade with all his might in a diagonal slash aimed directly at Kaizang’s neck!  

The fiery arc illuminated the crimson Sharingan in Shinji’s eyes, which radiated nothing but pure killing intent.  

Unlike him, whose resilience bordered on immortality, most shinobi were high-attack but low-defense. If this strike landed, it would undoubtedly be fatal!  

However, 

Kaizang’s face remained calm. Instead of panicking, he casually drew two kunai from his robe and exhaled a golden gust of wind.  

Wind Release: Vacuum Blade enchanted the kunai, extending them into wind-infused swords.  

The weapons clashed mid-air as sword met kunai! 

Clang!  

Sparks and flames erupted upon impact! 

Kaizang countered with a powerful kick aimed at Shinji’s abdomen.  

Twisting his waist, Shinji dodged mid-air, using the momentum to launch an upward slash at Kaizang’s back.  

Kaizang smirked coldly, dodging the attack with a flip while throwing the wind-enhanced kunai at Shinji mid-air. Seizing the opening, he grabbed a handful of Shinji’s hair and ruthlessly slammed him toward the ground.  

Shinji furrowed his brow in surprise—this old man was a master of taijutsu as well!  

Previously, Shinji might have been helpless, trapped mid-air and skewered by the cunningly thrown kunai, then pummeled into the ground by his hair.  

But now, 

with the Curse Mark of Heaven amplifying his control over his body, the mastery of swordsmanship and taijutsu gained during his infiltration of Suna’s forces, and the near-cheating advantage of the Sharingan’s 360-degree infrared vision,  

he was a completely different fighter!  

As Kaizang’s grip tightened, Shinji decisively severed his own hair with his flaming blade. He thrust the Kusanagi Sword into the ground, using the taut wire attached to it to perform a gymnastic mid-air spin. Evading the kunai, he landed gracefully and retaliated with a ferocious punch.  

Twisting his body for maximum power, he launched a crushing blow directly at Kaizang’s wrinkled face! 

Thwack!  

The punch struck Kaizang’s jaw with brutal force, dislocating it with a sharp crack and sending two of his few remaining teeth flying!  

Kaizang let out a pained cry as saliva sprayed from his mouth. His pupils contracted in shock.  

He hadn’t anticipated that this brat would have such exceptional control over his body—or that his taijutsu would be so refined!  

According to the intelligence from the Land of Hot Water, this kid had been beaten senseless in close combat by Kirigakure ninjas. 

His taijutsu was supposed to be subpar!  

Kaizang, who prided himself as Suna’s “Boxing King,” 

never expected the tables to turn like this.  

He had planned to overwhelm the boy with his hidden taijutsu skills, delivering a devastating lesson from an elder pugilist.  

But instead... 

"This brat’s taijutsu actually surpasses mine!"  

Shinji stared at his own fist in shock, his eyes flashing with excitement.  

The visceral satisfaction of landing punches, as if destroying an old man's healthcare card, nearly brought him to tears of joy!  

For so long, he'd been on the receiving end of beatings from the older generation. When had he ever experienced such exhilaration?  

Instinctively, a gleam of ferocity flashed in Shinji’s eyes.  

Before Ebizo could react, Shinji clenched his fists, stepped forward, and drove his foot between Ebizo’s legs. With a twist of his ankle, he tripped Ebizo. As the old man sensed something was amiss and tried to steady himself, Shinji suddenly launched a rising dragon punch into the air. Following up, he brought down a wild elbow strike squarely into Ebizo’s face, smashing him so hard that blood streamed from his seven orifices, leaving him momentarily incapable of fighting back.  

Next, with Ebizo’s horrified gaze fixed on him, Shinji roared and unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks:  

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!!"  

A left hook to the head followed by a left uppercut to the abdomen sent Ebizo flying. Spinning midair, Shinji delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that slammed Ebizo to the ground. A scorpion-tail kick to the chest sent the old man soaring again, followed by a flurry of straight punches to the face. Violent knee strikes pummeled his abdomen, transitioning seamlessly into a lion combo attack with slashing whip kicks.  

Ebizo, overwhelmed, could only raise his arms in a desperate attempt to block the onslaught. His bloodied face grimaced in agony as he struggled to withstand the storm of fists and kicks.  

Then came a devastating kick to the chest. The force of the blow sent Ebizo reeling, his body curling up like a shrimp!  

A murderous glint flashed in Shinji’s eyes.  

With a flick of his fingers, he manipulated the threads attached to the Kusanagi sword buried in the sandy ground. The blade lifted sharply, its edge gleaming coldly.  

Grabbing Ebizo by the head, Shinji forced him downwards, pressing his skull toward the blade.  

It was clear—he intended to pierce Ebizo’s head and his own hand in one swift, lethal motion, ending the life of this marathon-running old man once and for all!  

At that moment,  

The dazzling blade of the Kusanagi sword, its cold brilliance piercingly sharp, snapped Ebizo out of his daze.  

Realizing the danger, Ebizo’s eyes widened in shock, his aged, wrinkled face trembling uncontrollably.  

"Impossible!"  

"How could I die here?!"  

His face contorted with rage as he stared down the blade tip before him, his bulging eyes crossing.  

Regaining his composure, Ebizo immediately clasped his hands together and shouted with trembling fury:  

"Brat, you’ve awakened the lion of the sands!"  

In the next instant,  

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"  

"Wind Style: Turbulent Air Dance!"  

Ebizo raised his palms and pushed against the ground. A terrifying gust of wind erupted from his hands, lifting both fighters high into the air. They shot upward with incredible speed!  

As the initial wind began to wane, Ebizo’s eyes hardened. With a furious roar, he unleashed another explosive blast of chaotic wind currents!  

In his hands, what would normally require intricate hand signs to execute Wind Style techniques seemed like a mere flick of the wrist.  

The roaring gales launched both combatants diagonally skyward like cannonballs, slamming into a barrier high above. The impact caused the barrier to bulge before bouncing them back.  

Using this moment, Ebizo broke free from Shinji’s grip. Midair, he spun around and glared at the younger fighter with a feral grin.  

A sinister smile curled on his lips as he quickly formed hand signs.  

Raising his palms, he aimed at Shinji, who was now suspended midair with nowhere to dodge.  

With a thunderous shout, he bellowed:  

"Compound Ninjutsu: Wind Style: Thousand-Faced Blades of the Gale!"  

Violent winds swirled around Ebizo, converging, rising, compressing, creating a vacuum, and erupting with deafening roars.  

Finally,  

The winds transformed into countless invisible blades!  

Seeing this, Shinji’s scalp tingled with unease.  

Just from the name alone, he could recognize it—  

The Wind Style: Blade of the Gale was the very A-rank Wind Style technique that had nearly killed Aburame Ryoma moments ago!  

Invisible, colorless, and possessing terrifying penetrative power!  

As for the other technique, Shinji had heard of it as well.  

The Wind Style: Thousand Faces of the Gale was an advanced version of the Wind Style: Wind Cutter. It created thousands of tiny wind blades to attack the target. Although individually weak, their density made them overwhelming.  

But when Thousand Faces of the Gale combined with Blade of the Gale,  

It became the Compound Ninjutsu: Wind Style: Thousand-Faced Blades of the Gale!  

This technique’s power, range, and complexity far exceeded the realm of A-rank ninjutsu!  

Ebizo—this unassuming old man—  

Had mastered an S-rank compound Wind Style technique formed by combining extreme Wind Style jutsu!  

In an instant, Shinji couldn’t help but take a sharp breath. His crimson snake-like pupils contracted violently.  

(End of Chapter) 

Chapter 152: Fierce Battle! The Night of Roaring Wind Blades!

A violent gale surged towards the heavens as Elder Ebizo unleashed his ninjutsu.

From a human perspective, one could only feel the relentless winds converging toward Ebizo's center,

hiding a killing intent beneath their chaotic dance.

A chilling dread crawled up one’s spine, yet the exact moment this deadly attack would strike—or from which direction it might come—remained an enigma.

But within the infrared vision of his serpent-like Sharingan,

Shinji could clearly see the formation of Wind Release: Blades of Wind within the gale.

Invisible and colorless, concealed in the wind, yet they carried a piercing force no less potent than tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds!

In the next instant,

as Ebizo’s hands formed the final “Tatsu” seal,

the countless wind blades suddenly froze in midair!

In a flash, they hurtled toward Shinji like a storm,

dense and unrelenting, like a torrential downpour.

Every drop in this rain was sharper than the sharpest knife in existence!

“Damn it!”

Shinji’s eyes widened, his scalp tingling with fear as his mind went blank. Suspended midair, with nowhere to dodge, he became a living target for the barrage!

Gritting his teeth, he formed the same “Tatsu” seal with his left hand.

“Wind Release: Sky-Severing Wave!”

He raised his palm toward the sky, releasing a powerful gust of compressed air and ultrasonic waves that roared upward, propelling him downward toward the ground in a freefall!

But it seemed to be a futile effort.

Under Ebizo’s control, the wind blades curved unnaturally in midair, trailing him like unshakable phantoms before continuing their pursuit!

As he plummeted toward the ground,

Shinji’s mind raced, realizing that this wasn’t a sustainable solution.

While he possessed numerous Fire Release techniques, and Fire Release typically held an advantage over Wind Release,

it depended on the user. Given Ebizo’s mastery of Wind Release and the extreme, transformative nature of the Wind Blade technique,

ordinary Fire Release jutsu would only be mercilessly pierced!

To counter this move, he needed an equally refined and extreme Fire Release jutsu!

With that thought,

Shinji’s serpent-like eyes burned with madness.

He ceased his wind-based counterattack midair, twisting his body to face the torrent of wind blades.

Hooking his finger,

he summoned the Kusanagi Sword from the ground below, which spun toward him in a rapid arc.

Grasping the hilt mid-flight, Shinji pressed the sword’s pommel to his heart, igniting a blazing inferno fueled by his own spirit!

“RAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Pouring every ounce of his chakra into Fire Release: Chakra Mode,

he infused this fiery force entirely into the Kusanagi Sword.

Unlike his usual techniques—unleashing dragon flames, shaping the blade into a massive greatsword, or extending the fire blade at will—

this flame, born from his soul and controlled with absolute precision,

was fully compressed onto the sword’s blade. Not a flicker escaped its surface!

The blade glowed an incandescent white as it absorbed the intense heat.

Boom!  

Having completed his preparation, Shinji crashed into the desert below with his back to the sky.

A massive cloud of sand erupted from the impact!

Immediately after,

the rain of wind blades descended in full force!

D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d!  

Like machine-gun fire, they blanketed the entire section of the desert where Shinji had fallen, leaving no corner untouched!

“Die, brat!”

Ebizo watched the scene with a sinister grin, roaring in triumph.

“In this rain of silent death, your short life ends here!”

The battlefield sank into a suffocating stillness.

Only the relentless patter of wind blades striking the desert remained,

accompanied by the dull, muffled sounds of penetration.

Ebizo manipulated the currents once more, reducing his descent speed as he gracefully landed on the ground.

Once he landed,

he gasped for air, beads of sweat streaming down his deeply wrinkled face.

Clearly, executing such an S-rank Wind Release took a significant toll on him.

“Hah, I really am getting old.”

“I’ve got less than half my chakra left, but it’s enough to tear through this regeneration barrier and escape.”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Ebizo waved his hand, summoning Wind Release: Turbulent Current to disperse the lingering dust cloud still raining sand.

Given the level of destruction, he doubted the brat could have survived.

After all, this wasn’t just rain—it was wind blades, sharper than any knife in existence!

Surely by now, the brat had been reduced to a pile of minced flesh.

Still, to be certain, Ebizo decided to confirm the result.

The currents swiftly expanded, pushing the dust away and revealing the scene before him.

However, staring at the scene before him,

Hanzō suddenly widened his eyes, his breathing momentarily freezing in place.

"How... how is this possible!?"

At this moment,

Amid the storm of countless wind blades pouring down from the sky onto the sandy pit,

a blood-soaked young man wielded a radiant longsword, shining like the blazing sun.

He danced through the rain, his feet stomping heavily against the gale,

charging madly toward Hanzō with relentless determination, closing the distance rapidly!

The blinding white blade traced arcs like spinning windmills, slicing through the incoming wind blades as if cutting through butter.

The shattered wind fragments exploded into swirling gusts, leaving bloodied holes riddled across the boy's body.

His crimson serpent-like pupils held no trace of humanity!

Those pitch-black vertical pupils darted sharply toward Hanzō, contracting slightly. In that fleeting moment,

the boy's expression mirrored the madness and apathy of Orochimaru himself—cold and deranged!

He resembled a blood-soaked serpent, charging to its death!

In that instant, Hanzō felt as if he were under a genjutsu. His heart skipped a beat,

as though an invisible hand had violently clenched it.

His pupils shrank as he stared in horror at Shinji, advancing through the storm.

His gaze was fixed on the boy's newly regenerated, flawless right arm.

"What is going on?!

Hanzō clearly remembered that just moments ago, this brat had no right arm!

And according to the intel he'd gathered, this kid didn’t have the ability to regenerate lost limbs!

At best, he could stitch wounds together and regenerate at an accelerated rate.

Furthermore,Shinji had just fought an intense battle and had very little chakra left.

This kind of rapid regeneration should have been impossible under such circumstances!

So, what on earth happened?!

For a moment, Hanzō felt his scalp tingle, his heart trembling as he stared at the relentless Shinji.

Despite his injuries,Shinji kept advancing and fighting, never backing down.

"Is this even human?!"

"Is this even human?!"

"I can’t let him get any closer. In terms of taijutsu, I’m no match for him!"

"I have no choice but to use this!"

Clenching his teeth, Hanzō looked at the approaching Shinji. His old face twisted in pain,

haunted by the bitter memory of being brutally beaten by this kid before. His body involuntarily shuddered.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a scroll from the pouch tied to his waist.

Biting his fingertip, he performed a series of hand seals:

Boar → Dog → Rooster → Monkey → Ram!

“Summoning Puppet Technique: Kinmatsu Trio!”

Boom! Smoke erupted!

Three cold-faced puppets, cloaked in white robes with the words "Buddha," "Dharma," and "Monk," appeared on the battlefield.

Hanzō’s expression turned fierce, his face resembling the wrathful visage of a Fudo Myo-o.

"Triple Puppet Formation: Blade Dance of Chaos!"

With ten fingers manipulating chakra threads,

the three puppets sprang to life.

Clink! Clink! Clink!  

Blades extended from their arms,

and the three puppets leapt forward, rushing directly at Shinji!

Meanwhile, even as he controlled the puppets,

Hanzō had enough chakra left to perform additional hand seals.

Whirlwinds began to rise around him,

and in the blink of an eye, he stood firm like a cannon turret.

“Wind Release: Vacuum Cannon!”

“Wind Release: Wind Blade!”

“Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique!”

Countless wind blades and air projectiles shot out of his mouth, bombarding Shinji!

The storm of wind and gleaming blades filled the night,

a chaotic symphony of raging gales and piercing fragments.

At that moment,

the roar of wind blades and the fury of battle filled the stormy night.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 154: The Final Lesson! White-Scaled Serpent Barrier!*

At the border of the Land of Wind, atop the desert connecting to the Gobi Plains.

Lying on the ground, Shinji exchanged a bewildered glance with Orochimaru, who had just crawled out of a snake’s mouth. Their wide eyes locked, creating an odd stalemate.

The atmosphere grew tense and still.

“Orochimaru-sensei?!”

Shinji was utterly stunned. His chakra had run dry, and he was relying on the natural energy of Ryūchi Cave to pull him through. Yet somehow, at this critical moment, an unexpected ally had appeared.

But upon reflection, it made sense. The Cursed Seal of Heaven, also known as the Living Corpse Reincarnation Seal, was one of Orochimaru’s creations for achieving immortality, embedding fragments of his soul within it.

In the future, during Sasuke and Itachi’s epic battle, Orochimaru had once used this very technique. Seizing the opportunity as Sasuke fell into weakness, he crawled out of the seal, attempting to take over Sasuke’s body.

Yet, Shinji thought:

Something doesn’t add up. Orochimaru wouldn’t be interested in my body at this point in time.

So, why had Orochimaru emerged?

At that moment, Orochimaru stepped out of the white serpent’s mouth and onto the ground. His serpentine eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Shinji, who lay flat on his back, half his body covered in the black markings of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, having pushed himself to the brink of death.

In truth, Orochimaru hadn’t come out willingly; the natural energy within the cursed seal had forcefully expelled him.

While his original body was still alive, this version of Orochimaru was akin to a shadow clone—a safeguard to prevent the paradox of multiple Orochimarus existing simultaneously, running on one fragmented soul.

This Orochimaru’s memories were frozen at the time he had implanted the Cursed Seal of Heaven into Shinji in a dark underground cavern in the Land of Hot Water, deciding to make the boy his apprentice.

From Orochimaru’s perspective, it had only been a short while since then.

How is this kid already on the verge of death?  

Wait—already?  

Orochimaru felt a chill run down his spine. His lips tightened as silence stretched on.

Quickly, he forced himself to remain calm. He raised a hand, pressing it firmly on Shinji’s shoulder. His cold, emotionless snake-like gaze probed the chaotic energies swirling within the boy’s body.

Soon, his sharp eyes narrowed in realization, and he murmured,

“As I thought. This brat’s been using the Cursed Seal of Heaven.”

“Judging by his state, quite a lot of time must have passed. Six months? A year? My theories were correct. With this boy’s help, I must’ve completed the cursed seal by now.”

“But it’s still imperfect. It hasn’t solved the challenge of merging the cursed seal with sage chakra.”

“Fortunately, his body is resilient—sturdy enough to withstand the transformation. The natural energy couldn’t fully overcome the stabilization effect of the immortality fragment in his soul, so instead of turning him into a snake outright, it’s been slowly reshaping his body.”

“In other words, this brat’s raw physicality alone subdued the wild natural energy of Ryūchi Cave.”

“So then…”

“The remaining challenge is how to harness this natural energy.”

Orochimaru’s gaze lingered on the battered Shinji, his mind racing as his eyes glimmered with curiosity. The boy had become an intriguing test subject.

Suddenly, a low, raspy laugh escaped Orochimaru’s lips.

“Heh heh… interesting.”

He tilted his head upward, gazing at the desert sky now filled with countless Wind Release: Thousand Faces Wind Blades raining down. His brows furrowed slightly.

“Only someone like Ebizō from Sunagakure could unleash such a potent Wind Release technique.”

Orochimaru wanted nothing more than to study the changes brought about by the cursed seal, but the overwhelming jutsu above was interfering with his research.

“Tsk, how annoying. I’ll have to leave this to my original body.”

With an irritated grunt, Orochimaru clicked his tongue. Raising his hand, he drew a portion of natural energy from Shinji’s cursed seal, exhaling deeply.

“For now…”

“I need to make sure this brat stays alive.”

His hands moved in a blur, forming intricate seals before slamming them onto the ground.

“Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!”

“Secret Technique: Serpent Body Hardening!”

In an instant, the desert ground beneath them sank. Massive amounts of sand were drawn upward under the influence of Inorganic Reincarnation, forming a colossal sand pit. The sand, transformed by the sage arts, turned into enormous serpents that twisted together, forming a cage-like wall.

Orochimaru controlled the unconscious snakes, hardening their bodies into an impenetrable barrier.

This compound jutsu, executed in mere moments, achieved both an extreme change in nature and shape.

Orochimaru was indeed a sage, though he couldn’t enter Sage Mode himself. Inorganic Reincarnation wasn’t exclusive to Yakushi Kabuto in the future. Orochimaru had long since mastered the technique, wielding it with far greater finesse. He could even forgo hand seals entirely when necessary.

During his battle with Four-Tails Naruto, Orochimaru had used this very technique to transform the Kusanagi Sword into a serpent. Unlike Kabuto’s crude use of it as a pseudo-Earth Release, Orochimaru’s mastery represented true Ryūchi Cave Sage Arts.

He could breathe life into the inorganic.

Shinji stared blankly at Orochimaru’s series of maneuvers, utterly dumbfounded by what he was witnessing. From his perspective…

Suddenly, Orochimaru let out a sinister, chilling laugh, then murmured to himself, "I need to make sure this kid stays alive."

What followed was a demonstration of his mastery as a top-tier ninja.

Watching countless iron serpents dance wildly toward the sky, Shinji was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself, Did something go wrong?  

Isn't this the moment I’m supposed to unleash my full power?  

This isn’t like playing “Bleach vs. Naruto,” and I didn’t press ‘O’ to call for backup!  

How did things end up like this?  

Orochimaru gazed calmly at the night sky, where the rain of death was violently descending. Standing with his hands behind his back, he rose to his feet.

Lying on the ground, Shinji could clearly see that as the technique was activated, a massive amount of chakra was being extracted. Sand from the ground transformed into iron serpents, which charged fiercely into the heavens.

Orochimaru's body was rapidly becoming emaciated and skeletal, his form resembling that of a desiccated corpse.

Shinji's snake-like pupils suddenly contracted sharply.

When he witnessed this horrific sight of flesh and blood dissolving, his heart clenched in panic. Stunned, he looked at Orochimaru in disbelief.

The Orochimaru emerging before him now was not the same one he had seen on the battlefield of Sunagakure in recent days—the one who had mastered the forbidden Living Corpse Reincarnation technique and had taken the first steps toward achieving immortality.

At this point in time, Orochimaru had not yet mastered the forbidden art of immortality.

This meant that by drawing such an immense amount of chakra, the Orochimaru before him could actually die!

"Wait, Orochimaru!"

"What are you doing?!"

Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, his back still turned to Shinji.

Raising his head slightly, his dim golden snake-like eyes gazed at the sky as he spoke in a calm tone:

"Shinji,"

"I don’t know what the future holds."

"However," he turned his head slightly, his dim golden eyes glancing at Shinji, a faint smirk forming on his lips as he let out a raspy laugh.

"That title you used earlier—it wasn’t bad. ‘Teacher,’ was it? Heh."

Turning away again, Orochimaru continued, his voice flat and indifferent:

"Then let me teach you one final lesson."

"You…" Shinji's eyes widened as he stared at Orochimaru in shock, his heart tightening with confusion. For a moment, he felt as though he was back in that volcanic sea of fire, protected by the elderly Uchiha Setsuna.

Orochimaru took a deep breath, his voice returning to its cold, hoarse tone as he frowned and declared:

"Listen carefully!"

"The Cursed Seal of Heaven isn’t fully developed. I didn’t store much chakra in it, so I can’t help you kill that old bastard outside."

"But to reach the boundary of our shared dream…"

"You must save yourself."

As his voice fell, Orochimaru’s body, like a candle in the wind, was reduced to little more than a hollow shell of skin stretched over bones.

Yet, amidst the raging storm, his stance remained unwavering.

Tilting his head back slightly, he formed a final hand seal.

From his mouth, a massive white-scaled serpent suddenly erupted, charging into the sky.

Coiling its body tightly, it formed one last serpentine wall above Shinji's head.

The white-scaled serpent lowered its head, enduring the unrelenting storm of slicing wind blades that carved deep wounds into its body, sending sprays of blood flying into the air.

Its gaze locked onto Shinji.

Opening its massive mouth, it uttered a final raspy message:

"Remember, pure natural energy isn’t unusable."

"Follow your body…"

"And find the answer!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 155: Become a God, or Die!*

As Orochimaru's words fell,

Shinji’s snake-like pupils suddenly contracted.

Pure natural energy can be used?  

But how could that be possible?

For a human ninja to master Sage Techniques, the only way is to combine physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy to create Sage Chakra, allowing them to enter Sage Mode.

This is written in the formula book and is a fundamental rule of the ninja world.

And now, under such a rule, Orochimaru was telling him it could be broken?

Then, how should he go about it?

Shinji gritted his teeth, staring at the constantly crumbling serpent wall, which was being struck relentlessly by wind blades, causing loud cracks and unsteady swaying.

It was clear that this barrier wouldn’t hold much longer.

He racked his brain, desperately recalling the manga and anime he’d read in his past life, trying to find an answer. But no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t recall anything relevant in time.

Then, suddenly, Orochimaru's last words echoed in his mind:

"Follow your body and find the answer?"  

This phrase was like a ray of light, instantly making Shinji lift his head.

He couldn’t help but remember—

Back when Orochimaru imprinted the Curse Mark of Heaven on him, how did he survive it?

At that time, he had neither consciousness nor Chakra. His situation had been even worse than now. So how had he managed to endure the violent natural energy from Ryūchi Cave that was poured into his body?

At that thought, Shinji's pupils shrank sharply as he looked down at his body.

If there was one technique capable of taming such wild natural energy,

it could only be—

Forbidden Technique: Physical Metamorphosis!  

This forbidden jutsu, which burns through the body's life force and can even use the power of a Tailed Beast as compensation!

At this moment, it was as if Shinji had opened the door to a brand-new world. With his Sharingan fixed on the chaotic natural energy surging through his body, twisting his bones and flesh, he took a deep breath and suddenly held it, forcing his body to activate the Forbidden Technique: Physical Metamorphosis.  

In an instant,

the pitch-black markings that had spread over half his body and were about to consume him entirely began to twist violently.

Then, they shrank, withdrew, and retreated further!

The raging natural energy was seized by the forbidden technique, burned, and transformed into a new power!

It was like a roaring diesel engine—

shredding, colliding, igniting, compressing, exploding!

Boom!  

His heart began to beat at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary human!

Blood surged through his body, and an endless vitality, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, began to repair his frail body.

Wounds healed, his flesh reactivated, and his own Chakra was continuously refined and reinvested into the Physical Metamorphosis technique.

Shinji suddenly stood upright, propelled by the surging Chakra.

His severed right arm began to rapidly regrow flesh, bones restructured themselves, and in the blink of an eye, it had been restored up to the elbow.

But—

that seemed to be the limit. The black markings of the Curse Mark of Heaven, which had spread over his entire body, had now fully receded back to his neck, returning to their initial "Heaven's Misery Flower" form.

The serpent-like features that had appeared on his body also silently disappeared.

The Curse Mark of Heaven continued to absorb natural energy from the air, pouring it into his body as new fuel. However, the speed had clearly slowed down!

"Not enough... It’s still far from enough!"  

"This is enough to save myself, but not to fight!"

Clutching his blazing white sword, Shinji closely monitored the flow of Chakra within his body, gritting his teeth.

While consuming the power of the Curse Mark could provide a continuous supply of Chakra to sustain the forbidden technique, his body would gradually revert to that of an ordinary human.

At this critical moment,

more than the hyper-regeneration that constantly repaired his body,

what Shinji needed was overwhelming combat power!

Even if it meant transforming into a serpent to gain abilities that came with a heavy price—infrared sensing, serpent-scale armor, serpentine agility, or accelerated adaptation—it would all be worth it!

He couldn’t let Elder Ebizo escape!

If that old man got away,

the sacrifices of Uchiha Zhenyi, Shisui, Akira Inuzuka, Root Ninja B, and Ryoma Aburame, who fought to give him this opportunity,

would all be in vain!

But—

At that moment,

as if responding to Shinji’s inner desires,

the Curse Mark of Heaven on his neck suddenly glowed!

And then—

the scene before him spun wildly.

When he opened his eyes again, Shinji found himself in an immense, shadowy serpent cave.

From a distance, faint wooden fish claps echoed in the cave,

and through the deep darkness, a towering temple stretched endlessly beyond sight.

Abruptly, a massive green serpent, its head alone almost bursting through the mountain walls, emerged from the shadows.

In Shinji’s astonished gaze,

the massive snake wriggled, and before his eyes, transformed into a stunning young woman as graceful as a flower.

The girl was dressed in a white robe, wore a golden crown, and atop the crown rested a shining golden orb.

---

She looked like a celestial being, exuding a kind of beauty as dignified and flawless as jade.

Shinji blinked, still unable to process what had just happened.

In that moment, a cold yet solemn voice rang out from the woman!

"The new summoner of Ryūchi Cave!"

"Do you seek power that surpasses humanity, that transcends everything?"

Shinji froze for a moment, raising his head to gaze at the woman standing before him. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of astonishment.

This woman—

Wasn’t she Tianxin Shinki, one of the higher-ups of Ryūchi Cave, known as the White Snake Sage’s most trusted aide?

Had he been reverse-summoned here? Or had he been trapped by this snake princess’s genjutsu, which could transform a vast empty land into the castle of Ryūchi Cave?

And what exactly was this "Heavenly Curse Mark"?

In Sasuke’s hands, wasn’t it a tool for explosive power?

But why, in his case, did it turn into a passive summoning ability?

Still, after hearing her words,

he didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

Shinji turned back to look at her, his gaze intense, his tone decisive.

"Give it to me!"

"No matter the risks, it doesn’t matter!"

"As long as it’s power, I want it all!"

Tianxin Shinki stared at the boy in front of her. Her warm, gentle eyes instantly morphed into slitted golden snake eyes, focusing on Shinji’s Sharingan, which, even without the Heavenly Curse Mark, still retained its snake-like form.

A trace of astonishment flickered across her gaze!

Someone could actually achieve a perfect fusion of natural energy with a human body?

To her knowledge, this was a feat no one had accomplished in thousands of years!

Recalling the White Snake Sage’s words, Tianxin Shinki suppressed the tremor in her heart. She silently retrieved a green cat’s-eye stone from within her robe.

Then,

she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, hissing as her tongue flicked out, circling her lips.

The youthful, disguised face she wore suddenly changed, revealing her true form as a serpent of Ryūchi Cave!

Her delicate nose transformed into a snake’s snout; her cherry lips turned into a gaping, bloodthirsty maw.

In the boundless darkness,

she stared deeply at Shinji and then let out a cold laugh.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph..."

"In that case, come and claim it."

Tianxin Shinki raised her hand, revealing a green cat’s-eye stone that glowed faintly in the darkness.

Then, her indifferent and merciless voice echoed throughout Ryūchi Cave!

"You have only one chance, human—"

"Become the sage of Ryūchi Cave, or die!"

(End of Chapter)