The battered form soared through the air in a distressing parabola, hurtling towards the location where Tsunade and Jiraiya had sought refuge. Orochimaru muttered faintly.
"The future Ai has suffered, but I've already acquired the information I needed. I won't be accompanying you today..."
Apart from the blood, there were no concealed remnants, and silence replaced the absence of any screams. Following the third assault by Ai, a vague sense of unease crept over Orochimaru.
It felt too calculated, as if this person intentionally propelled me through the air.
However, given his sharp eyesight, it couldn't be a clone, and how could any human endure such injuries?
"Orochimaru-!"
Tsunade gazed in horror at Orochimaru's shattered form, while Jiraiya's mind went momentarily blank. Right at that moment, Orochimaru's body writhed in mid-air.
His mouth contorted into an incredulous arc, and with some difficulty, another body emerged, wet and slippery, before plummeting toward the duo.
"Pa-ta-!"
The discarded, broken form landed to the side, and Orochimaru's body fluids swiftly dried. One hand pressed firmly against the ground.
"Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique!"
A serpent emerged from the dissipating smoke, its jaws gaping wide.
"Uh... Orochimaru, are you okay?!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade stood dumbfounded by Orochimaru's seamless maneuver. Orochimaru, without missing a beat, seized their clothes and flung them into the blood basin's gaping maw.
"There's no time to explain. Get in!"
Orochimaru's visage was pallid, and immediately after executing this flawless maneuver, he staggered. A spray of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
"I didn't anticipate sustaining such a grave injury. Even with the preemptive use of the snake slough technique, it's still quite embarrassing!"
Orochimaru cast a fearful glance towards the distant Third Ai. The lightning-based onslaught obliterated cells in an instant, the physical repercussions proving even more devastating. To mend his body, a significant portion of his chakra had been depleted, shattering the Sage Mode.
This was just the aftermath of two casual strikes. These attacks could be unleashed continuously over an extended period. In essence, even for a being like Orochimaru, impervious to fatal injuries, the immunity would only persist for a short duration, leaving no chance of victory.
Such was the terror of ninjas like Ai, a force capable of inducing complete despair in those inferior in strength.
"Oh? Is there truly such an extraordinary ninjutsu?"
Ai's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of snake ninjutsu for the first time. However, the surprise quickly gave way to an intensifying murderous aura, and without uttering a word, he transformed into a thunderbolt, hurtling towards his target.
Before him stood the granddaughter of the first Hokage and the apprentice suspected of having ties with Sarutobi Hiruzen. Third Raikage Ai had refrained from confronting them earlier, but now he felt an absolute certainty about the situation.
Engaging in what he deemed "extermination" missions was beneath Third Raikage Ai's disdainful stature. In his eyes, only the formidable deserved the attention of his specialized skills.
The second Raikage Ai had trained under the tutelage of the first Raikage Ai, and the third Raikage Ai was the apprentice and right-hand of the second Raikage. Both owed their formidable strength to the daily practice of Lightnig Chakra Armor. Such a powerhouse, dedicated and resolute, found little interest in those labeled as bloodline limit geniuses.
The frontline battles presented numerous challenges, particularly with Sand Shinobi swiftly neutralized. This unforeseen turn caught the second-Raikage off guard, prompting him to make a crucial decision. Gathering intelligence, he dispatched his most skilled subordinates to capture Tsunade as a valuable bargaining chip.
The Sannin's obliteration of the White Sparrow Squad had previously piqued the interest of the second-Raikage Ai, who had incidentally acquired detailed information. Sarutobi had since prioritized the safety of the Sannin, leading to the second Raikage Raikage personally entrusting the task to Third Raikage Ai.
"Don't attempt to flee!"
Even Third Raikage Ai, known for his naivety, realized Orochimaru's intentions to escape. While Orochimaru's ninjutsu remained a mystery to him, he understood the need to intervene immediately.
"Orochimaru, you are—"
Tsunade and Jiraiya beheld Takeshi's creation of the "Reverse Summoning Technique" with surprise as a colossal snake appeared. In perfect sync, they held their positions.
"You possess strength, but lack agility!"
Orochimaru gazed at the oncoming Ai with a chilling smile. The recent blows had left him with a dull ache, prompting him to place a sword finger between his eyebrows.
"Mystery Magical Flash!"
A radiant light enveloped the surroundings with a potent spiritual force. Even someone as robust as Ai felt an instinctual pause for a moment, but his tenacious nerves and will, honed by resistance training, allowed for a swift recovery. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had already vanished before him.
"Orochimaru, what about the others—"
"Silence!"
Smoke billowed, and in the next instant, Third Raikage Ai's fist obliterated the previous location into a shower of debris that scattered through the air.
"Damn it—!!"
In the depths of a gaping pit, the Third Raikage, Ai, stood with an ashen expression, surveying the emptiness before him.
"It slipped past my gaze. That kid who toys with snakes is quite amusing..."
Third Raikage Ai muttered disinterestedly, but the murderous intent in his eyes sent shivers down the spines of the few surviving Cloud Shinobi under Orochimaru's control.
It was a disgrace for a powerful figure who had surpassed the level of shadows to fail at such a task.
The remaining Konoha ninjas witnessed this scene and closed their eyes in despair...
"Peng—"
Smoke billowed, revealing the massive figure of the Sannin emerging from the snake's abdomen before disappearing into the ground once again.
"Cough cough - Orochimaru, I'm really fortunate you figured it out..."
Jiraiya, upon emerging, retched as if suffering from motion sickness, while Tsunade's face turned pale.
"Orochimaru, those Konoha ninjas, why didn't you..."
"That guy once told me something—"
Orochimaru sighed leisurely, "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility."
He spread his hands, continuing, "Clearly, I am not capable enough, so I could only handle the two of you."
"Well..."
Tsunade was momentarily speechless.
"Takeshi once complained to me that the Konoha Charity Organization lacked a few bell ringers..."
Orochimaru mumbled to himself, turning his head.
However, the strength of the Third Raikage was truly formidable, nearly preventing Orochimaru from escaping just now.
Once ninjas reach the shadow level, the effectiveness of ordinary illusions diminishes significantly. The will of these surviving strong individuals has been tempered, especially those specializing in taijutsu, who often possess methods to counter illusions.
Ai recovered remarkably quickly just now, nearly interrupting Orochimaru's Spirit Transformation. This incident served as a stark reminder.
While Reverse Summoning Technique is swift, it is too slow for a formidable opponent. In the future, Orochimaru resolved to explore the Flying Thunder God Technique if an opportunity presented itself.
"Orochimaru, what do we do now?"
Surveying the desolate surroundings, Jiraiya and Tsunade, still relatively inexperienced, sought guidance.
"We've been through this area before, and I left a ninja snake as a precaution."
Orochimaru extended his senses, probing the surroundings with his mental power.
"But this area is no longer safe. The formidable Cloud Ninja appear to have split from the Second Raikage. We're unaware of their movements, making it easy for us to be discovered here," Orochimaru said gravely.
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