"Let's talk!" Orochimaru said, his expression calm as he faced the scene before him, though his heart was tumultuously stirring inside.
He had never encountered such a person before, now contained within this completely sealed barrier. For Orochimaru, known for his hidden trump cards, everything suddenly seemed so difficult.
If the fight continued like this...
There could be serious problems! Orochimaru could already sense the danger, but he also saw a glimmer of opportunity, feeling there might be room for negotiation.
"No talk."
Aoba dismissed the suggestion outright, continuing to wield the hardened Orochimaru, slamming him precisely and relentlessly toward Orochimaru's face.
"How much longer can you last?"
Orochimaru immediately leapt up, his body contorting as if boneless, astonishingly fast, and easily dodged the attack.
It must be said.
Orochimaru, in human form, was indeed more agile than he was in snake form.
"I can keep this up indefinitely."
A slight smile curled the corners of Aoba's mouth beneath his mask as he lifted Orochimaru to strike again.
"..."
A trace of helplessness flickered in Orochimaru's eyes as he realized the extraordinary nature of this Uchiha ninja. Just moments ago, in his snake form, he was unable to perform ninjutsu. Now, although he could, Aoba had already absorbed too much of his chakra.
With so much chakra drained, Orochimaru's feelings were indescribably complex; he now treasured every drop of chakra left in his body. He believed that the Uchiha before him had also expended a significant amount of chakra.
Not to mention...
The barrier, still active, was continuously absorbing the other party's chakra.
In Orochimaru's view.
This Uchiha couldn't last much longer.
He had thought they might negotiate.
But the other party wasn't giving him a chance.
Swoosh!
As Orochimaru pondered for a moment, another whoosh of air sounded, and the hardened Orochimaru's body was swung towards him once again.
"Hmph!"
Orochimaru snorted coldly, feeling that this Uchiha was overacting. The best resolution now would be to stop immediately, allowing both parties to retain their strength and avoid a mutually destructive end.
But the opponent knew no retreat.
He was still continuing like this.
It would become even harder to salvage!
Orochimaru leapt again to dodge Aoba's attack, his face marked by frustration, and he spoke slowly.
"Your chakra must be running low, right?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't resort to such inefficient physical attacks!"
"You just want to control Root, don't you?"
"I promise I won't interfere!"
"I can even continue to cooperate with you, just like I did with Danzo before!"
"But..."
"We don't need to keep this up, do we?"
Orochimaru still said what he wanted, driven by the ongoing glow of the barrier, which truly scared him.
He indeed could perform the Orochi-Style Substitution Technique.
But such a technique was not invincible and ultimately had its limit. Here, cut off from all other spaces, it felt like a battle to the death.
Orochimaru was a smart man; he understood too well that continuing this exchange would inevitably lead to a dire outcome.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
Aoba burst into laughter upon hearing Orochimaru's words and stopped his actions.
Buzz!
Suddenly.
At that moment.
The chakra contained in the body of the hardened Orochimaru that Aoba was holding exploded beyond its capacity, instantly disintegrating into dust and vanishing.
"Orochimaru."
"You really are adorable!"
"Do you still not understand what's happening?"
"What are you negotiating with me?"
"Your life is in my hands."
"I'm just playing with you!"
Aoba wasn't bluffing. If he wished, he could kill Orochimaru at any moment, but he felt that someone like Orochimaru, once dead, was gone for good. Rather than killing him outright, it was better to enjoy a final game.
Aoba was quite curious about how many substitutes Orochimaru truly had.
What surprised him was...
Orochimaru actually wanted to negotiate, which also indicated a certain desperation, showing that Orochimaru was scared but not thoroughly so, still thinking he could seize a chance.
"Don't go too far!"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flickering within, clearly angered by Aoba's remarks.
"A fight to the death benefits neither of us!"
Orochimaru spoke directly, clasping his hands together in a handsealing gesture, preparing for the possibility that negotiations would fail. From the start, this Uchiha youth had shown no inclination toward negotiation, a point Orochimaru took seriously.
"You can try."
The smirk on Aoba's face hidden behind the mask grew wider, unseen by Orochimaru.
He posed confidently, lifting the hand that had been holding Orochimaru's substitute body earlier.
Just as Aoba lifted his hand.
Orochimaru's complexion changed dramatically, quickly forming hand seals to prepare for Aoba's "Bansho Ten'in," which had previously drawn him in. This was how Aoba had captured him.
Now, seeing Aoba raise his hand, Orochimaru's heart instinctively skipped a beat, his whole demeanor becoming cautious.
However.
As Orochimaru was forming seals, but before he could complete his ninjutsu...
Aoba's lifted hand gestured provocatively, taunting him.
"Show whatever skills you have!"
"I want to see what else you've got!"
"If you want a fight to the death, you'll need the skills to back it up!"
"Otherwise, it's just incompetent rage."
Aoba's words, combined with his taunting gesture, were full of mockery.
This caused a surge of intense discomfort in Orochimaru. No one had ever talked to him like this before!