Chereads / A Snake's Obsession / Chapter 29 - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - Chapter 29

He was told he Kakashi caught him before he could hit the ground A face full of water brought Naruto out of his thoughts as he sputtered in reaction. The laughter of his sensei filled his ears. He used his shirt to wipe his face before looking at his attacker, questioningly.

"Kukuku, you were thinking too hard. The point of this is to relax. Or am I not good company, Naruto-kun."

"No, that's not it, you are. Sorry, just thinking back to when Sasori and Deidara attacked us."

"Hm, that was well executed. Even if that sacrificial idiocy you're inflicted with flared up." Orochimaru said, wading in the water. Naruto didn't respond. The fight may have looked easy, Kiba sure seemed to believe so, but given their copious amount of information, the team's abilities and the planning abilities of a Nara and a Aburame there were just too many contingencies in place not to overwhelm an enemy that didn't expect you to be much a threat.

Naruto finally entered the water, glad it was relatively warm. Orochimaru turned her back as Naruto adopted a mischievous smile. She splashed him, that was a declaration of war. If he didn't retaliate she couldn't really respect him, he reasoned. What he was about to do was because of her, she was sorta asking for it. He immediately became uncomfortable with that line of thought but persisted to execute his revenge.

Naruto cupped his hands together, leaving a narrow space between. Channeling some suiton chakra into his hands, he forced a low powered and tiny stream of chakra through the opening, dousing the back of Orochimaru's head. She swiftly turned to her apprentice and saw him whistling while looking everywhere but at her. She smiled.

"So, you want to challenge the Snake Sannin?" she spoke with false menace.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean, Shishou?" Naruto hamming up his innocent act but a smile kept appearing on his face, a sign of his guilt.

"Oh, my apprentice has grown arrogant. Do you think you're the only one to master all five nature types?"

"Of course not, Orochimaru-sama. I just did it before adolescence is all." He said innocently but a hint of smugness laced his words. He had to swim out of the way of oncoming water wave. And several more after that.

"Kukuku, is retreating all you can do? I thought you had more fight than that, how disappoin-" Orochimaru was interrupted as she felt pulled underwater. Once submerged she saw it was a localized whirlpool that drug her under. It dissipated and she was free to move once more. Orochimaru cut through the water at impossible speeds, startling Naruto. She almost got him, attempting to grab him underwater but Naruto used his chakra to submerge him further and then created more distance from his mentor. Undaunted, Orochimaru continued her chase, Naruto managing to narrowly avoid her several times. However, eventually his luck ran out and he was in the Snake Sannin's embrace.

"Nowhere to run." she whispered in his ear sending a thrill to his core.

"Can we talk about this?"

"About you attacking your dear teacher from behind?"

"I was framed."

"We're alone."

"That's what they want you to think."

"Oh, really? And who is this they?" Orochimaru didn't get a verbal response, instead she felt Naruto grab onto her and go underwater once again. She didn't know what to make of her student's newfound assertiveness until she saw a most displeasing vision; Konan, hovering above them and if she were here it was more than likely Pein was here as well. This wasn't good. She watched as Naruto made dozens of clones and each began weaving hand signs.

[Water Style: Water Lance] was the jutsu being performed and several pressurized jets of water launched into the sky but Ame's angel avoiding them deftly. That was not unexpected as the clones continued to weave hand signs, those jets became inky black clouds that rained oil on the paper ninjutsu user. [Water Style: Onyx Rain]. The manipulation is similar to the Nidaime's [Water Style: Bite of the Explosive Water Dragon] in that requires a secondary manipulation of a pre-existing suiton jutsu.

One Naruto emerges from the water, his hands forming the tiger seal and then waves of fire spew from his mouth. [Fire Style: Sea of Flames] requires the user to store air in his cheeks and expel the chakra from there so it is possible to inhale and continue the process. As the flow can be slightly uneven it gives the look of waves. Unexpectedly a chubby orange haired ninja with piercings throughout his face stood in front of the fire jutsu and absorbed it.

The well fed nin was taken off guard when the Kusanagi emerged from underwater, even piercing the Naruto in front of him before going through his head. The body collapsed and the clone dispelled into a cloud of smoke. Konan was now on the shore, her paper jutsu ineffective with her covered in oil, at least for the time being. Five more bodies now appear on the water.

"Naruto Uzumaki, come with me and I may spare the traitor." The one with spiky orange hair said. The response was a numerous amount of tentacles attempting to entrap each of the ninja present. They all took to the air to avoid them, leaving them vulnerable. Several [Hidden Shadow Snakes] break through the water's barrier and wrap around the multiface shinobi, intending to pull him down. Instead the snakes are severed by his bladed tail and the remaining bodies are grasped by his hands. He gave a powerful pull and Orochimaru was now on the surface.

As the Asura Path pulled Orochimaru up, the long haired Human Path was closing the distance intent on taking the soul of the snake summoner. It arrived before she could react, hand around her throat but when the ningendo technique was activated Orochimaru turned into mud. The Human Path didn't have time to consider its folly as its feet were encased in ice and a kunai with an exploding tag appeared in front of it, going off without leaving it any chance of escape. Two bodies were down and while not angered, Pein was not amused.

Both Orochimaru and Naruto were running out of air, they'd have to go to the surface soon. They were outnumbered and Orochimaru was quickly putting together these bodies may have some shared abilities given the Rinnegan each wielded. She had little in the way of information, outside of Pein being able to repel anything that came near him. It wasn't good but she could turn things around, she had to.

The Deva Path watched as two olive green snakes, of impressive size, came from below. One headed toward the Animal Path, another toward the Asura Path. "[Almighty Push]" the path spoke and the large summons were forced back, hitting several trees before dispelling. Running out of air and options, Orochimaru and Naruto came to the surface, each behind one of the paths, swords drawn. She chose the Animal Path, Naruto chose the Asura Path. The Asura Path's tail pierced Naruto before his sword could make contact which resulted in smoke; the Animal Path deflecting the Kusanagi but not able to avoid the follow up strike, decapitating it.

Every Naruto left underwater came to the surface and began attacking. Most of the remaining clones were dispelled by the Ausra Path's projectiles and multiarm attacks. The real Naruto tried to cut the Deva Path, even managing to cleave into the chakra rod the path generated but he was too slow to avoid the next one, as he took a stab to his right leg before being kicked in his midsection, flying away due to the force.

The Asura Path was now engaging with Orochimaru directly, her Kusanagi doing well but not managing to put the path down. Without warning she was stabbed in the back at the near her left shoulder and stabbed in the stomach. She hit the water, barely managing enough chakra to stay on the surface before she was kicked in the face by the Asura Path hard enough to make her flip to her back. She looked to see the three bodies Naruto and she had managed to defeat had returned.

Naruto saw one of the Paths collecting the bodies and then throwing them into a thing before they returned fully healed. They were in trouble. He didn't have much time to think, creating a whirlpool, much more powerful than he had earlier, Orochimaru sunk to the bottom, taking advantage of the delayed death strike. Naruto summoned dozens of clones again and performed the [Ninja Art: Smokescreen Jutsu].

Naruto sent a clone underwater to get Orochimaru, removing the rods from her body as the real Naruto did the same to his own. The Deva Path was not bothered by the smokescreen, activating his jutsu once again he blew it away and from the sounds of it multiple clones as he heard them poof. When the smokescreen cleared he saw the jinchuuriki and his master, both on their last legs. The surroundings were quiet, only the sounds of the birds chirping filled the area.

The Paths watched as the injured paired returned to their feet and made a desperate charge but the damage had taken its toll. Both were stabbed multiple times but still alive. The Deva Path activated his [Universal Pull] technique and Orochimaru helplessly flew toward him. With grim satisfaction, the Asura Path plunged a chakra rod into her heart, killing the turncoat. Her final punishment for thinking she could defy God wouldn't be her death but knowing she failed to protect the motivation for her treachery, the jinchuuriki would die regardless.

The disruption from the rod caused a shift in reality and all the Paths saw it wasn't Orochimaru they killed but the Naraka Path. They all performed the genjutsu dispel technique but felt it try to be cast again. It was confusing, nothing was around to cast it. Nothing but…

"[Almighty Push!]" the Deva Path yelled and expended a good deal of chakra to focus his attack. Soon he heard numerous poofs but the end of the birds chirping. It was an auditory genjutsu and given the amount of clones, the Paths reasoned it likely came from the Uzumaki. They had no information on him wielding any genjutsu of note and the lapse in intel had come with a cost. The rest of the Paths were fed up, mimicking the real Nagato's emotional state. He saw Konan return, free of the oil and ready to fight once more but he instructed the paper clone to dispel. He wanted to do this, for their blasphemous actions had arisen his ire.

Deep in the forest, sat Orochimaru and Naruto. She'd healed given her special replacement technique and Naruto was almost back to full capacity due to the Kyuubi's chakra. Naruto got confirmation his genjutsu had been disabled and Pein would be coming for them soon. The genjutsu, what he called [Genjutsu: Chidori] was him thumbing his nose at Kakashi who claimed only a Sharingan wielder could perform his [Chidori] when Naruto offered a jutsu trade. He was thankful Kurenai-sensei had increased the team's genjutsu training, including how to layer illusions and how to attack multiple senses.

He welcomed the development as it was helping end his blush. Orochimaru had come out of her replacement technique completely naked and hadn't seemed fully aware of it until it was pointed out. The Sannin made a mental note to include some seduction training so he wouldn't fall apart at the sight of a naked woman.

"Shishou, they ended my genjutsu."

"Hm, were they fooled long enough to take one of them out?"

"Yea, the one that healed the others but it pissed them off so there's that."

"We need to increase our numbers and buy time, I know you hate it but use the-"

"Edo Tensei? No, I'm totally fine with it." Naruto created two [Yang Release: Shadow Clones] with control seals implanted in them and retrieved the DNA samples he had. He performed the jutsu just as Orochimaru was doing the same. Two caskets emerged, while Naruto's clones just transformed into his two revived nin. When the techniques were done, Deidara and Kisame stood beside the Shodai and the Nidaime Hokage.

Naruto gave Deidara some of the special clay the missing ninja died with and gaze Kisame Samehada and the two took off, one in the air and one on the ground. The first two Hokage simply looked at Orochimaru and he in bemusement.

"You should have never created that jutsu, brother."

"I shouldn't have done a lot of things but it's too late to change that. You, Uzumaki, why am I here?" Tobirama said, having sensed the boy's lineage through his chakra. He was clearly an Uzumaki and also a jinchuuriki.

"Ok, quick rundown; there is this organization hunting down jinchuuriki like myself. Sidenote, we're all pretty much treated like total shit so thanks for that, Hashirama-sama. Anyway, the leader attacked my shishou and I and is extremely powerful."

"He holds the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths but appears to have separated his abilities into six different bodies. Each body has an ability, one can create advanced weaponry, another has control over attractive and repellent forces. One can absorb chakra and renders ninjutsu useless. We don't know about the other two." Orochimaru added and then gave the physical descriptions for the ones they had information on.

"Let's go brother." Tobirama said, which surprised Hashirama.

"And why would I do that?"

"Open your senses, clearly the boy is Mito's successor and we are near Konoha. Who is to say this man won't target the village? Besides, the strapling is injured and can't fight as he is." Although he knew how serious this was, his life was on a line, Naruto wanted to justify his injury to his idol but realized this wasn't the time.

"Fine, brother." As soon as he answered the forest shook with the sounds of high yield explosives. That caused the Senju brothers to depart immediately. Both Orochimaru and Naruto stayed where they were, there choosing to take the break the Edo Tensei allowed them. The Snake Sannin's mind fast at work for a counter strategy and every moment she could have to plan the better.