76-80

Chapter 76: Go easy on him

"Little guy, Suigetsu is my companion, go easy on him later."

"Pika!"

Pikachu nodded cutely, indicating no problem.

Suigetsu was even more upset.

It might be possible to lose to Kimimaro, but it's unlikely to lose to such a small thing, right?

Pikachu enters the battle!

"Even if you're the boss's summoning beast, I won't hold back. Take this! Water Style: Water Gun Technique!"

The water flow condensed into water bullets, shot out from Suigetsu's right index finger, three consecutive shots!

Bang bang bang!

Both the speed and quantity were not comparable to the level two years ago.

Suigetsu had indeed improved a lot.

"Little guy, Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail instantly turned into the color of steel, emitting a white light at the same time.

Clang clang clang!

The three water bullets were easily broken by Pikachu's tail.

"What?"

Suigetsu was stunned, he didn't expect Pikachu's tail to be so hard.

The Water Gun Technique he released could shatter rocks.

It was actually blocked just like that?

"Quick Attack!"

Kimimaro gave another command before Suigetsu could react.

Pikachu got on all fours, its speed soared!

Golden lightning appeared on its body.

The speed surprised Suigetsu.

"Oh no!"

Such high speed, and with that strange golden lightning on its body, Suigetsu had a very bad feeling in his heart.

Pikachu leaped!

Headbutt!

Thump!

Pikachu's head, with golden lightning, hit Suigetsu's chest solidly.

A numbing sensation instantly covered his entire body.

"Little guy, one hundred thousand... no, Thunderbolt!"

"Pika Pika Pikachu!"

The golden lightning intensified, and Suigetsu's screams immediately came out.

"Ah!"

Suigetsu's whole body felt terrible.

His body went limp on the ground, like a salted fish that had lost its dream.

"Pika?"

Pikachu landed, looking at Suigetsu in confusion.

It didn't quite understand why the opponent became like this after just one electric shock.

"Come back, little guy."

Hearing Kimimaro's command, Pikachu quickly returned to his shoulder.

Jugo glanced at Pikachu in surprise.

He didn't expect such a small thing to be able to unleash such terrifying lightning power.

Suigetsu was really unlucky to encounter this guy.

"Get up, Suigetsu. That attack just now, at most, made you feel a little pain, don't play dead."

Kimimaro said, looking at Suigetsu who was lying on the ground.

"Boss, don't bother me, I'm contemplating life. A small summoning beast abused me, I'm so miserable."

Tears welled up in Suigetsu's eyes, he was already doubting life.

"Pikachu is good at Lightning Release, which happens to be your weakness, it's not surprising that you lost. Speaking of which, you know your weakness is Lightning Release, yet you didn't strengthen your resistance in this area, have you slacked off in your training these two years?"

"I don't want to increase my Lightning Release resistance by being struck by lightning. Besides, you weren't around, boss, and no one in the Sound Village could use Lightning Release."

"Do you need Lightning Release to be struck by lightning? Isn't the electric current enough for you?"

"Boss... that would really kill someone."

Suigetsu looked pitiful.

"Alright. I'm back now, so let Pikachu train with you for a while to help you strengthen your resistance in this area, otherwise you'll be in trouble when you encounter Lightning Release experts in the future."

"Don't, boss."

Suigetsu looked at the cute yellow creature on Kimimaro's shoulder with some fear.

The shadow Pikachu cast on him was no less than Kimimaro's.

"You have to. Don't you want to leave the village? When you pass Pikachu's test, I'll take you to participate in Konoha's Joint Chunin Exams."

Suigetsu's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"Alright! Then let's do it! Let the lightning come even more fiercely!"

Suigetsu had an expression of 'if I don't go to hell, who will'.

"Seeing your determination, I'm relieved. Little guy, I'll leave this guy to you."

"Pika!"

The joyful training of Suigetsu and Pikachu began.

Kimimaro took Jugo back to the room, then he turned around and punched Jugo.

The fist hit his chest, Jugo didn't move at all, just looked at Kimimaro in confusion.

Kimimaro smiled slightly and said, "It seems that you haven't slacked off these two years. Your physical fitness has improved a lot."

"I didn't dare forget your words. After two years of training, the interval between the Cursed Seal's rampages has become longer and longer. Every time it's about to rampage, the power you left in my mind also stops me. But I feel like I've reached my limit.

Whether it's my physical refinement or the help of that cool power, I've reached my limit. Maybe this is the extent to which I can control the Cursed Seal's power, actually, this current state is not bad."

"Satisfied so easily? Then wouldn't my two years of effort be wasted?"

Kimimaro laughed.

"You found a way to completely control the Cursed Seal?"

A look of surprise appeared on Jugo's face.

"Yes. Although it's only theoretical, it should be fine. After using this method, you'll never fall into a rampage state again. But for the next three years, you won't be able to use the Cursed Seal's power. You can only rely on your own strength to fight.

But after three years, you should be able to completely control the Cursed Seal's power. At that time, the Cursed Seal's power within you will far exceed that of the Sound Four."

"As long as it can prevent me from rampaging, I don't care if I can't use the Cursed Seal's power for three years, or even lose it forever."

Jugo didn't value power, he cared more about his mental state.

In his rampaging state, he completely lost himself.

That feeling was unbearable for him.

"Good. In that case, let's start the treatment now."

"Okay!"

Under Kimimaro's command, Jugo sat cross-legged on the ground.

The Silent Barrier opened, covering the entire room.

Both Kimimaro and Jugo calmed down.

This was the best time for treatment!

A golden light appeared on Kimimaro's hand bones.

The Hand of God, perfectly controlling the chakra in his hand!

Kimimaro placed his right hand on Jugo's head.

"Jugo, follow the guidance of my chakra and let your chakra flow to the designated location."

Telepathy activated!

His voice sounded in Jugo's mind.

Jugo immediately felt the guiding chakra from Kimimaro's right hand.

This chakra surged into his limbs and bones, giving him a warm feeling.

He urged his own chakra to follow it.

Soon, this chakra circulated through his meridians and finally returned to his heart.

Like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea!

At this moment, black runes appeared on Jugo's body.

The Cursed Seal's power manifested!

Jugo's body began to tremble.

This was a precursor to a rampage!

(End of chapter)

Chapter 77: Curse Seal

Black runes instantly covered his entire body, and changes began to appear on Jugo's skin.

"If this continues, the power of the cursed seal within Jugo will completely erupt, turning him into a rampaging monster."

Kimimaro frowned slightly, and immediately activated his telepathy.

"Jugo, hold on, or all our efforts will be in vain."

Kimimaro's voice resounded in Jugo's mind once again. Jugo's body swayed slightly, obviously trying his best to restrain the power of the cursed seal, but it wasn't enough.

"Still not working?"

Kimimaro didn't hesitate, and immediately activated the power of the Calm Card, retracting the originally arranged Calm Barrier, transforming into a girl in black clothes who appeared beside him.

This was the true form of the Calm Card.

The girl in black extended her right hand and placed it on Kimimaro's hand.

Then, she placed the index finger of her left hand on her lips, making a silencing gesture.

Instantly, a powerful sense of coolness surged into Jugo's mind through Kimimaro's right hand.

Jugo's monstrous appearance disappeared, and the black runes on his body also receded.

"The Calm Card is still effective."

Kimimaro was delighted, and then the Calm Card girl transformed into a stream of light and disappeared.

The next moment, a black勾玉 appeared on Jugo's chest.

That was the mark of a successful seal!

But Jugo was covered in sweat and looked extremely weak.

"Did... Did it work?"

Jugo asked uncertainly.

"It worked."

Kimimaro gave him a positive answer.

"That's... That's great."

Jugo's right hand clenched slightly, but it no longer had the surging power from before.

If the original power was ten, then the current power was only one.

However, Jugo didn't feel sad, but instead was very happy.

Because he could feel that the beast within him that would occasionally go berserk had been completely locked in a cage.

And this cage was the black 勾玉 that appeared on his chest.

With this beast locked in the cage, most of his power was also taken away.

Of course, that power was only the power of the cursed seal.

The physical strength he had cultivated over the years was still there.

With this strength alone, he could still hold his own among his peers.

"I call this seal the Curse Seal, and it's specifically designed to restrain your cursed seal power. It seems to be working well. Remember, don't try to forcefully break the Curse Seal within three years. If you can endure for three years, the power of this cursed seal will be yours."

Jugo nodded heavily, indicating he understood.

Kimimaro smiled faintly. Jugo wasn't Suigetsu; his promise was still trustworthy.

"Rest well. In a month, I'll take you and Suigetsu to participate in Konoha's Chunin Exams. So, during this month, you need to adapt to a body without the power of the cursed seal."

"I will."

Jugo didn't ask Kimimaro why he wanted to take him to the Chunin Exams. As long as it was something Kimimaro wanted him to do, he wouldn't refuse.

If there was anyone in this world who was completely devoted to Kimimaro, it wouldn't be Orochimaru, it wouldn't be Tsunade, and it wouldn't be Suigetsu, but Jugo!

This person had already made Kimimaro his everything.

Even if Kimimaro asked him to die, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest, and would only ask Kimimaro what kind of death he wanted him to present.

"Boss, help!"

At this moment, Suigetsu's voice came from outside the door.

Opening the door, he saw that Suigetsu had been electrocuted into jelly by Pikachu.

"What kind of look is this? It's quite unique."

Kimimaro laughed when he saw this.

"Boss... I can't take it anymore. Even if I can't go to the Chunin Exams, I don't want to continue with this kind of training."

Suigetsu was on the verge of tears.

This kind of training was simply too painful.

That feeling was like someone who didn't like cilantro having to eat cilantro for every meal.

Or someone who didn't like durian being locked up with durian every day.

Suigetsu had already reached his limit after just an hour of torture.

Pikachu, standing beside him, looked innocent, as if saying it had nothing to do with him.

"Your determination really only lasts for three minutes."

Kimimaro couldn't help but complain.

"Boss, just treat me as a salted fish. Besides, there aren't that many Lightning Release experts in the ninja world. I can't possibly encounter them all, right?"

Kimimaro couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

It seemed like you would encounter quite a few in the future.

"You really don't want to train anymore?"

"No, I definitely don't want to train anymore."

"That's really a pity. I just happened to get this sword when I went out this time. I originally planned to give it to someone who would go to the Chunin Exams with me, but now that you're not going, I can only give it to Jugo. Jugo, what do you think of this sword? Do you like it? I think it suits your height quite well."

Kimimaro took out the Executioner's Blade from his space scroll and stuck it in the ground.

The sword, which was even taller than him, was indeed quite intimidating.

Suigetsu's eyes lit up when he saw the sword.

"The Executioner's Blade! Boss! You actually got the Executioner's Blade! How can you give this sword to Jugo? Giving it to him is a complete waste! Give it to me! Give it to me!"

Suigetsu was practically drooling, and he reached out to grab the Executioner's Blade.

Kimimaro naturally wouldn't let him succeed, and he immediately placed the Executioner's Blade behind him.

"You want to steal my things?"

"How would I dare? Boss, you also know that my dream is to collect all seven ninja swords and revive the name of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Just give this to me, and I guarantee I'll complete this electrotherapy."

"I'll give it to you when you complete it."

Suigetsu's head drooped, but in the end, he stubbornly replied, "Okay! I will definitely complete it. But before that, you can't give the Executioner's Blade to anyone else. Jugo, you're not allowed to take it either!"

"Okay, I won't give it to anyone else."

"I won't take it."

Seeing Suigetsu's excited state, both Kimimaro and Jugo found it somewhat amusing.

Teasing Suigetsu was simply too enjoyable.

"No problem."

"Then it's settled! By the way, Boss, how did you get the Executioner's Blade? I remember this sword should be in the hands of Zabuza-senpai, right?"

Suigetsu asked, puzzled.

"It's simple, just defeat him, wouldn't that be enough?"

"What? Boss, you defeated Zabuza-senpai?"

Suigetsu was shocked.

He had grown up hearing about Zabuza's reputation since he was a child.

In his impression, Zabuza was an unattainable legendary powerhouse.

He never expected to hear the news of him being defeated one day.

"Boss, you really are a monster."

"I thought you already knew about this kind of thing."

Suigetsu: "..."

"Speaking of which, if you want to see Zabuza, just turn left when you go out and ask Otohime-senpai for his address. Zabuza and his subordinates have already agreed to join Otogakure, so from now on, we're considered family."

"Zabuza-senpai also joined Otogakure? This..."

Suigetsu was greatly shaken.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 78: Ambush

Four Mist ninja reunited in the Sound Village, a scene that was indeed somewhat comical.

People always said that Konoha lost a lot of talent, but the same was true for Kirigakure.

The number of bloodline limit families in Kirigakure was definitely not inferior to Konoha's, but now they were almost extinct.

In contrast, the Land of Clouds' strength had steadily increased because of its internal harmony.

Their treatment of Jinchuriki was much better than the other four villages.

As for Iwagakure, it was because the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was able to suppress it, and even directly and blatantly treated the position of Kage as a family inheritance.

As for Sunagakure...

It was weak to begin with.

Upon learning that Zabuza and the orphans of the Yuki clan had joined the Sound Village, Suigetsu was filled with curiosity.

"Boss, can I go visit them? Zabuza-sensei was the person I admired the most back then."

"Of course you can. But you'd better finish your training first. Otherwise, I think Zabuza is more suitable for this Kubikiribocho than you."

"Come on, boss, I'll go finish my training right now! Pikachu, let's go!"

Suigetsu made up his mind.

For the Kubikiribocho, he would fight!

"Pika."

With a glance from Kimimaro, Pikachu left with Suigetsu.

The training continued.

On the other side, Zabuza and Haku had already successfully settled in the Sound Village under Oto's arrangement.

"Zabuza-sensei, is this our home from now on?"

The room wasn't big, but it was enough for the two of them.

"Do you like it here, Haku?"

"Yes! It's very nice here."

"Yeah, compared to a life of wandering, this place is indeed not bad. Haha, who would have thought that the person running this village was Orochimaru, who was once deemed unsuitable to be a Kage by the Third Hokage? Haku, if you like it here, let's stay here for a while longer."

"Yes! As long as I can follow Zabuza-sensei, I'm fine with anything."

Haku showed a sweet smile and then started tidying up the room.

Zabuza didn't move, but instead took out a long sword and gently wiped it with a white cloth.

This would be his weapon from now on.

"Zabuza-sensei, I have a question I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Why not ask Kimimaro-sama for the Kubikiribocho back? Now that we've joined the Sound Village, we're considered his companions, and the Kubikiribocho is useless to him. If you get the sword back, Zabuza-sensei's strength can be fully utilized."

Haku stopped what she was doing, her face full of confusion.

"Kimimaro, although I haven't interacted with him much, I can see that he's very methodical and plans before he acts. Everything he did to us was within his plan. Removing my arm, healing your injuries, taking my Kubikiribocho, inviting us into the Sound Village. All of this was carried out according to his plan. So, the Kubikiribocho must be useful to him. And I have no intention of asking for it back after giving it to him."

"But the Kubikiribocho originally belonged to Zabuza-sensei. Zabuza-sensei gave it up to save me..."

Haku's face was full of guilt.

"I don't regret it."

"Zabuza-sensei..."

Haku was deeply moved.

"After I gave away the Kubikiribocho, I realized something. All these years, my strength hasn't improved much, and it was actually because I was limited by the Kubikiribocho. If I can let go of the Kubikiribocho, maybe I can take another step forward. From now on, I will abandon the title of one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Now, I am just the Demon of the Hidden Mist."

Seeing the light in Zabuza's eyes that he had never seen before, Haku was stunned for a moment.

Zabuza seemed to have broken some kind of shackle from the past after this battle.

At this moment, he had a feeling of rebirth.

After a brief moment of daze, Haku also offered her congratulations to Zabuza.

"Congratulations, Zabuza-sensei."

Zabuza nodded slightly and continued, "Haku, this Sound Village is not an ordinary ninja village. If we want to have a place here, our strength is not enough."

"Zabuza-sensei has been reborn, and I won't embarrass you either. After the last battle, I feel that my bloodline limit has entered a new level. Soon, my strength will increase dramatically."

"Good! As long as we work together, we can overcome any difficulties!"

Zabuza's eyes shone with confidence, and Haku looked up at him, her eyes full of joy.

Not to mention Zabuza's situation, Kimimaro was adjusting his state in his room.

"Guest: Kimimaro.

Age: Fourteen.

Bloodline Limit: Shikotsumyaku.

Abilities: Kirito's Sword Skills, Destruction Arts (White Lightning), Binding Arts (Sai, Mouth Binding, Red Smoke Escape), Teigu (Gaia Foundation, God's Hand), Clow Cards (Sword, Still, Mirror, Power, Twin, Arrow), Shunpo.

Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone, Water Body Flicker, Silent Killing, Seduction, Summoning (Rashomon), Four Violet Flames Formation, Yin Seal (accumulating), Hundred Healings Mark (unlearned).

Genjutsu: Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains.

Items: Ice Fang Kaguya, Sharingan Fragments (2/7)

Pet: Pikachu."

Looking at the panel in front of him, Kimimaro stared at two of the Clow Cards, a thoughtful look on his face.

Then he waved his right hand and put the panel away.

"After this trip to Konoha, the number of skills on there should double. But the most important thing is to solve the bloodline disease. I've already used the Shikotsumyaku ability in front of Kakashi and the others before, so it doesn't matter if I expose it again.

There are no people from Kirigakure among the ninja participating in the Chunin Exams this time, so there's no need to worry about any mishaps. Speaking of which, Kirigakure has completely blocked internal information these past two years, and even the Sound Village can't get any news. I wonder what happened.

Could it be that the internal reorganization of Kirigakure has already begun? Is Mei Terumi about to take over?"

Kimimaro shook his head slightly. The matters of Kirigakure had little to do with him, and he wasn't interested.

Right now, he needed to prepare for his battle with the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Rasa's technique was Magnet Release, controlling gold dust.

As a Kage, Rasa's strength might be at the bottom, but he was still a Kage, and it would still be difficult for the current Kimimaro to defeat him.

However, with Orochimaru's help, the pressure was much less.

"Magnet Release, huh?"

There were quite a few ways to deal with Magnet Release.

At the very least, the Shikotsumyaku that Kimimaro used wouldn't be countered by Magnet Release.

"This is the first time I'm fighting a Kage-level expert in a life-or-death battle. It's a good experience, and I need to prepare carefully."

Three days passed quickly.

Orochimaru took Kimimaro and the Sound Four, and left the Sound Village.

Two days later, in a desert, the six of them stopped.

"This is where the Fourth Kazekage agreed to meet us."

Kimimaro looked around, frowning slightly.

"There's sand and dust everywhere. It seems that the Fourth Kazekage isn't completely at ease with us either. He chose such a place so that even if we turn against him, he has a much higher chance of escaping."

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

"Hehe, he's indeed a bit clever, but not enough."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 79: Lone Army

The yellow sand filled the sky.

Rasa, accompanied by three shadow guards, traversed this desert.

Shields formed from gold dust protected them from the eroding wind and sand, making their journey quite easy.

"Kazekage-sama, after passing through this area and walking for another half a day, we will reach the meeting point with Orochimaru."

"Mm. Orochimaru should have arrived already."

"Kazekage-sama, are we really going to cooperate with Orochimaru to attack Konoha? Can this person Orochimaru be trusted?"

This shadow guard was clearly a bit worried.

"Orochimaru failed in his bid for the Fourth Hokage position years ago and has always held a grudge. Later, when the Fourth Hokage died in battle, the Third Hokage would rather resume his position than give the Fifth Hokage position to him. Towards Konoha, I believe he is filled with resentment.

So, I also believe he truly wants to destroy Konoha. But for us, we don't need to destroy Konoha. What we need to do is defeat Konoha and make the defeated Konoha give us enough compensation.

On the other hand, the Daimyo will also see the strength of our Sunagakure. If he's happy, our village's funding next year can also increase.

Otogakure is just a borrowed knife for me to reduce losses. Once we achieve our goal, we can directly shift the blame to Otogakure and retreat unscathed. Such a profitable deal, how can we not do it?"

Rasa sneered, thinking his plan was perfect.

The three shadow guards in front of him were his confidants, so he wasn't afraid to say a few more words.

"So Kazekage-sama has already planned this, that puts us at ease."

The shadow guards smiled.

"This operation, as long as it's successful, can change the decline of our Sunagakure over the past decade. It's a battle that will change our fate, so there absolutely cannot be any mistakes. This meeting with Orochimaru is extremely important, so we must be careful."

"Yes! Kazekage-sama!"

The three shadow guards said in unison.

Soon, they left the windy and sandy area.

However, at this moment, Rasa suddenly stopped.

"Something's not right. How can it be so quiet here, without even a single sound?"

Hearing this, the shadow guards immediately raised their vigilance.

"Four Violet Flames Formation!"

At this moment, purple transparent barriers suddenly emerged from Rasa's surroundings.

The barriers connected, completely enveloping Rasa and the three shadow guards, forming a rectangular area about the size of a playground.

The ones who made the move were the Sound Four!

This was the value of their trip.

Using the Four Violet Flames Formation to cut off all of Rasa's group's escape routes!

The Four Violet Flames Formation required four people to work together to use this barrier ninjutsu.

Its exterior was covered in purple flames. If anyone forcibly touched it, they would be devoured by these flames.

In terms of strength, even a Kage would need to use a powerful ninjutsu to break it.

Seeing this, Rasa's face turned pale.

Someone had actually set up an ambush here.

This place was still half a day's journey from the agreed location. Rasa's guard wasn't at its highest, so he hadn't noticed the Sound Four's ambush.

He hadn't even used his Third Eye to scout the situation.

The opponent had truly chosen a good place to ambush them.

Now that they had stepped into it, it would be difficult to leave.

The three shadow guards changed their formation, immediately surrounding Rasa in the middle.

"There's an ambush! Kazekage-sama, be careful!"

Rasa ignored them and shouted, "Orochimaru! Come out! What is the meaning of this!"

The only person who could set a trap here was Orochimaru.

Others couldn't possibly know his movements.

"Hehe, Kazekage-sama has quite a temper. This is the private discussion space I prepared for you, don't you like it?"

Orochimaru emerged from the ground, less than ten meters away from Rasa.

"Is this how you negotiate?"

The gold dust beside Rasa was already restless.

"Of course, I want to discuss the most important matter with you."

"What matter?"

"I think during the Konoha Crush plan, all commands should be issued by me, what do you think?"

"You're dreaming!"

Rasa was furious.

A small village like Otogakure was cooperating with his Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and they still wanted to monopolize power?

Ridiculous!

"In that case, I can only ask Kazekage-sama and your shadow guards to rest in peace here."

Orochimaru licked his lips, and killing intent burst forth from his golden pupils.

Rasa and the three were all startled.

Orochimaru was serious!

"Summoning Jutsu: Many Snakes!"

Orochimaru's mouth opened to an inhuman angle, and then countless snakes crawled out from inside.

In an instant, a dense swarm of snakes covered the entire sandy ground!

Rasa couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.

Orochimaru's techniques, more or less, challenged the limits of the human body.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Wind Release: Vacuum Palm!"

"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"

In an instant, the three shadow guards launched attacks simultaneously.

The Wind Release was like a sharp blade, continuously cutting the oncoming snake swarm.

The Earth Spears drilled out from the sandy ground, piercing through the snakes one by one.

The three of them attacked together, actually stopping the offensive of the Many Snakes technique.

The strength of the shadow guards was naturally not weak.

"Orochimaru, do you really want to turn against me?"

Rasa still didn't want to give up at this moment, after all, this opportunity was too rare.

If used well, it could change the fate of Sunagakure.

"Hehe, you have given up your last chance."

Hearing this, Rasa's eyes were filled with coldness.

"You forced me to do this! If you won't agree, then I'll kill you! Then I'll use your identity to control Otogakure. Without you, I can still carry out the Konoha Crush plan! Orochimaru, you will regret ambushing me here!"

Rasa waved his hands, and gold dust continuously emerged from the ground.

This was his home turf, he wasn't afraid at all.

But at this moment, Rasa's expression suddenly changed.

When he mobilized the gold dust, he suddenly felt a ferocious beast lurking beneath this sandy ground.

"It's too late to discover it now."

Orochimaru sneered.

A giant purple snake burst out from the sandy ground!

Manda!

Orochimaru's strongest summoning beast!

It opened its bloody maw and swallowed the three shadow guards in one bite with lightning speed!

At such a close distance and with such speed, the three shadow guards who were resisting the Many Snakes technique had no time to dodge.

In an instant, they had perished.

"Hehe, the taste is not bad, barely worth my effort to come out. However, Orochimaru, you actually made me stay in the sand for so long, do you know the price?"

Manda's eyes were icy cold, and his attitude was arrogant, without any sense of being a summoning beast.

"After we kill this Kazekage, his corpse will be your feast."

"That's more like it."

Manda looked at Rasa with greed in his eyes, the look of seeing food.

"Damn it!"

Rasa's anger intensified.

He didn't expect the opponent's ambush to include not only the Four Violet Flames Formation but also a summoning beast.

That attack just now had turned him into a lone army.

This was big trouble.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 80: Killing the Shadow Together

Rasa's mood was terrible at this moment.

He didn't expect Orochimaru to turn his back on him so suddenly, leaving no room for negotiation.

This ambush didn't look like a negotiation at all. It was clearly a trap.

"I'll fight to the death! This is my home turf! Gold Dust!"

A large amount of gold dust emerged from beneath Rasa's feet.

Like Gaara, Rasa also carried gold dust with him. Otherwise, if he had to excavate it on the spot every time he fought, it would not only be time-consuming but also consume a lot of chakra.

When fighting against top-level experts, this could be fatal.

The gold dust surged overwhelmingly, with the massive Manda becoming the primary target.

The space within the Four Violet Flames Formation was still a bit small for it.

Faced with such a wide-ranging attack, it couldn't avoid it.

"Hmph, mere gold dust. I'll smash you to pieces!"

Manda charged straight ahead!

Its posture was somewhat reminiscent of a rocket headbutt.

Rasa sneered.

"You overestimate yourself!"

He waved his hands, and the gold dust immediately changed direction.

The original spread turned into an envelopment!

Manda was instantly trapped within the gold dust.

"Gold Dust Funeral!"

Countless amounts of gold dust instantly buried Manda!

"That hurts! Orochimaru, I'm not playing with you anymore."

Manda automatically canceled the summoning technique and returned to Ryūchi Cave.

It was indeed the most temperamental summoning beast in the Naruto world.

It quit without hesitation.

Orochimaru didn't show any anger at this.

"Summoning such a large summoning beast in front of the Kazekage is truly seeking death."

With one successful strike, Rasa smiled proudly, gaining even more confidence.

Orochimaru was nothing special.

What a foolish ambush.

Back then, the Legendary Sannin were renowned, but Rasa had only seen the slug that appeared on the battlefield in Sunagakure, never Orochimaru's Manda.

Seeing it today, he was greatly disappointed.

Even Manda couldn't withstand his full-powered attack.

Was the opponent too weak?

No, it was him who was too strong!

Such thoughts involuntarily surfaced in Rasa's mind.

But just then, a pure white figure appeared from the smoke where Manda had disappeared.

It was Kimimaro, dressed in white!

He made his move!

It turned out he had been hiding inside Manda all along, waiting to launch this fatal blow.

With Manda as a cover, Rasa couldn't sense Kimimaro's presence at all.

Of course, it was a bit difficult to get Manda to cooperate willingly.

But with Kimimaro's strength, Manda couldn't digest him either.

Thus, this calculated scene unfolded before their eyes.

Targeting the ability, unleashing a deadly strike.

This was the way a ninja should fight.

Kimimaro held two pitch-black swords, his right hand striking first!

"Cursed Sword Invasion!"

A sword light tinged the pitch-black blade.

Its momentum was like a tiger!

Rasa instantly felt locked onto by this sword.

"Damn it, I've been tricked!"

At this moment, Rasa could clearly see that Manda had retreated on purpose.

It was all part of Orochimaru's plan.

Damn it!

Even after setting up an ambush, he still resorted to such a dirty trick.

Rasa was furious, but at this moment, he could only prioritize defense.

This sword strike was fierce; if he didn't block it, it would be extremely dangerous.

"Gold Dust Shield!"

Just as the pitch-black sword light was about to land in front of Rasa, a shield condensed from gold dust appeared before him.

Rasa even activated his Magnet Release, attempting to influence the long sword in Kimimaro's hand.

"Hmph, you think a metal weapon can prevail before me? Laughable!"

The pitch-black long sword did easily mislead people into thinking it was made of metal, but it was merely the sword light from the Sword of Kusanagi covering a bone sword.

The bone sword thrust forward unimpeded, completely unaffected by the Magnet Release.

"What!"

Rasa's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the sword pierce the gold dust shield.

The Magnet Release was ineffective?

It wasn't a metal sword?

He had been careless.

Fortunately, this gold dust shield had already taken shape.

Although somewhat hastily formed, its power was still seventy to eighty percent of its full potential. It should be no problem to block the long sword of a young ninja like this.

"Strength!"

Kimimaro shouted, the force in his right hand increasing.

The gold dust shield, which had been able to withstand the sword light, instantly shattered!

Crack!

Rasa's pupils contracted.

It shattered?

Was this a joke?

This young ninja, who looked barely older than Gaara, possessed such terrifying swordsmanship?

The gold dust shield, shattered!

The power of the Cursed Sword Invasion was also exhausted.

Rasa frowned and began to retreat.

But as everyone knew, the Kazekage were known for their stationary combat style. Their taijutsu, compared to other Kage-level shinobi, could only be described as poor.

Kimimaro's left hand, which had been idle until now, swung out!

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

The twenty-seven consecutive strikes, the highest level of dual-wielding sword technique!

His left and right hands crossed, the pitch-black sword light flashing continuously.

Swords fast to the extreme!

Orochimaru, who was not far away, could only see afterimages and excitedly licked his lips.

"Hehe, Kimimaro really knows how to surprise me."

Even Orochimaru had never seen such fast sword techniques.

They demanded extremely high physical fitness and reflexes.

Each sword strike was faster and stronger than the last.

Rasa could barely dodge the first two strikes, but from the third sword onwards, the pitch-black blade mercilessly slashed his body.

From Kimimaro's sudden appearance to this sword landing on Rasa, it took only a breath's time. His defense simply couldn't keep up.

This was the purpose of this plan.

Defense was the Kazekage's greatest characteristic. Once the power of their defense decreased, their ability to survive dropped significantly.

The plan was successful!

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had his defenses broken!

The pitch-black bone sword landed on Rasa, the sensation unlike flesh, more akin to metal.

Kimimaro knew this must be Rasa's gold dust armor.

Its defensive power was indeed astonishing, but under such continuous sword strikes, even the strongest armor would break!

The eighteenth sword!

The gold dust began to fall off.

The twenty-sixth sword!

The gold dust armor completely dissipated!

The twenty-seventh sword, the fatal blow!

Kimimaro's emerald green eyes filled with surging killing intent.

This sword was the ultimate killing strike!

Rasa was alarmed and hurriedly gathered a bit of gold dust, rushing towards the twenty-seventh sword light!

Compared to the previous exaggerated amount of gold dust, this bit seemed insignificant.

But it was enough to change the sword's trajectory.

The sword deviated.

The sword aimed at his heart was blocked by the gold dust, forcing it away from the vital point.

The bone sword pierced his body, and Rasa's eyes revealed a look of madness.

"Brat! Die!"

The surrounding gold dust lunged towards Kimimaro.

But Rasa forgot that his main opponent wasn't this young ninja in front of him, but Orochimaru!

An incredibly sharp long sword pierced through his back!

A sword through the heart!

Rasa looked in shock at the long sword protruding from his chest.

The sharpness of this sword surpassed even Kimimaro's bone sword.

The Kusanagi Sword!

The divine weapon Orochimaru had sought for many years, only recently acquired.

Its first unsheathing resulted in the killing of a Kage-level shinobi. It could be said to be a perfect debut.

And the timing of this sword strike was impeccable.

Rasa's old strength was exhausted, and his new strength was focused on Kimimaro. He wouldn't notice this sword at all.

However, the Kusanagi Sword being吐出 from his mouth was somewhat unsettling.

"It's over, Fourth Kazekage."

Orochimaru tilted his head back, retracting the Kusanagi Sword into his body.

(End of Chapter)