Boom—
Orochimaru's bisected body slammed onto the ground, tumbling a few times before coming to a halt.
Then, a bizarre and unsettling scene unfolded.
"Splurt—"
From the severed upper half of Orochimaru's body, a pair of pale hands emerged from the bloody gash.
Following the hands came a head, torso, and legs.
The process appeared slow, but in reality, it happened in the blink of an eye.
In no time, a fully intact Orochimaru stood there once again though now covered in blood and a nauseating slime.
"The Eight Gates how do you know the Eight Gates?"
He let out a chilling smile, then looked at Uchiha Fugaku with a tinge of surprise and suspicion in his eyes.
The Eight Gates was a forbidden technique sealed away in Konoha's Scroll of Seals—how could this man possibly know it?
But soon, a theory formed in his mind.
"I heard that not long ago, the Scroll of Seals was stolen from Konoha. Looks like it ended up in your hands. Are you working with that Wood Release bloodline ninja?"
This time, the way Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Fugaku held a hint of apprehension.
Apprehension not only toward the space-time ninjutsu Fugaku had just displayed, but also toward the force that stood behind him.
"Think what you like."
Fugaku flicked the blood off his blade, eyes dangerously fixed on Orochimaru.
His response was deliberately ambiguous—neither admitting nor denying.
"After the Wood Release bloodline, is your next target the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku?"
Clearly intrigued by the power backing Fugaku, Orochimaru pressed further.
"That's not something you need to know."
Fugaku's tone turned icy, a killing intent radiating from his body.
"We had no enmity to begin with. But since you've made a move against me—leave your life here."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his form became a streak of green light, rushing toward Orochimaru at high speed.
He held his tachi in a reverse grip, and with his augmented speed, slashed swiftly at Orochimaru's neck.
"Looks like I underestimated you!"
Orochimaru's golden, slit-pupiled eyes flashed with danger.
The space-time jutsu Fugaku had shown earlier had indeed made him wary—but he was a seasoned Kage-level ninja, battle-hardened and experienced. He had no reason to fear.
Opening his mouth, a sharp sword emerged from within.
It was none other than the Kusanagi Blade—sharp enough to cut through iron like paper.
Clenching the hilt with his teeth, Orochimaru's neck extended and twisted like a snake, swinging to counter Fugaku's blade.
Snap—
Fugaku's tachi was sliced cleanly in two. The Kusanagi Blade didn't stop there—it continued toward Fugaku with unstoppable momentum.
At the critical moment, Fugaku discarded the broken sword and sidestepped, narrowly evading the slash.
He reappeared at Orochimaru's side, fist igniting in flames from the friction with the air, and smashed it into Orochimaru's body.
Boom—
Orochimaru was sent flying, crashing a great distance away before coming to a stop.
But Fugaku frowned.
That punch felt like hitting a soft dough—no real impact. The damage must be minimal.
Sure enough, Orochimaru flipped and stood up again, completely unharmed.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands—"
Orochimaru stared coldly at Fugaku like a serpent, then extended a hand toward him.
His arm transformed into a mass of venomous snakes, each with fanged maws wide open, lunging to bite Fugaku.
"Morning Peacock—"
Fugaku threw a flurry of punches.
He moved so fast that the air around his fists ignited, sending a barrage of flaming punches toward the incoming snakes.
Splurt, splurt, splurt!
The serpent heads exploded one after another. None of them reached Fugaku before being incinerated midair.
Then Fugaku vanished from his spot, reappearing beside Orochimaru, and kicked down at him from above.
"Twin Snakes Mutual Death—"
Anticipating Fugaku's sudden space-time movement, Orochimaru was already prepared.
The moment Fugaku appeared, Orochimaru made hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Splurt—"
Three massive serpents erupted from underground, jaws wide enough to swallow a man whole, lunging at Fugaku.
"Seventh Gate—Gate of Wonder, Open!"
As the serpents lunged, Fugaku opened the seventh of the Eight Gates—blue steam burst from his body, his aura surging dramatically.
"Daytime Tiger—"
He compressed air into his fist until it formed a massive, white tiger.
The tiger roared and leapt at the three serpents and Orochimaru.
Splurt—
The three snakes' heads were obliterated, their colossal bodies slamming into the ground.
Orochimaru, caught in the shockwave, was torn apart like a ragdoll and sent flying across the battlefield.
"Gah—"
Orochimaru's body, mangled and torn, had his mouth grotesquely stretched wide—like it had been split open.
From that gaping maw, a pair of hands emerged, followed by a head, torso, and legs.
Soon, a fully regenerated Orochimaru appeared again.
As if freshly birthed from a womb, his body was slick with some unidentifiable mucus.
He lay on the ground like a snake, coldly staring at Fugaku with venomous fury—like a serpent that had been thoroughly provoked.
To be repeatedly pushed back by a wandering ninja, despite being a veteran Kage-level fighter—his mood was anything but pleasant.
"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes—"
"Graaah—"
Orochimaru opened his mouth wide once more, and an endless tide of venomous snakes poured out.
They writhed over one another, forming a massive serpent river that surged toward Fugaku.
The sheer number was terrifying—enough to make one's scalp tingle.
"What a disgusting technique…"
Fugaku furrowed his brow—not just because of its power, but its revolting appearance.
"Daytime Tiger—"
From a distance, he punched toward the incoming river of snakes.
A giant white tiger erupted into existence with a roar, charging into the tide of serpents.
Splurt, splurt, splurt—
The massive river of snakes was obliterated by the tiger's impact. Every snake burst into chunks of bloody pulp.
The ground was left paved with mangled, blood-red flesh—stretching all the way to Orochimaru.
"..."
Caught in the aftermath, Orochimaru was blown back over ten meters.
His face was grim, and those golden slit eyes gleamed with icy malice.
"Eight-Headed Serpent Technique—"
Beneath his skin, something squirmed—as if something monstrous was about to break free.
The next moment, one massive white serpent after another burst from within him.
In the blink of an eye, his body swelled a hundredfold, a thousandfold.
He transformed into a monstrous creature with eight heads and eight tails.
The Eight-Headed Serpent Technique—a forbidden jutsu that allowed the user to become the legendary Yamata no Orochi.
Its power was immense one of the most terrifying techniques in Orochimaru's entire arsenal.
"To think you've pushed me this far!"
All eight heads stared coldly at Uchiha Fugaku, as Orochimaru's sinister voice echoed from within.
Few in the shinobi world had ever driven him to such lengths. It had been a long time since he'd fought with such abandon.