Horyu's eyes glinted with mockery as he controlled the flaming projectiles with his free hand, steering them around the battlefield like vengeful spirits. Orochimaru darted between the flames, his form twisting and elongating unnaturally to avoid the searing heat. Despite his evasive maneuvers, the relentless fireballs dogged his steps, forcing him into a defensive dance.
With a quick sequence of hand seals, Orochimaru exhaled a stream of water, aiming to douse the fireballs. But as the water met the flames, they blazed brighter, transforming the steam into a thick, fiery mist. "What is this?" Orochimaru muttered, eyes wide with shock. 'This brat! He has full control over fire? How can he achieve that?'
Horyu's Sharingan spun faster, analyzing every twitch of Orochimaru's muscles. His chakra sword, Chucky, gleamed with a deadly light as he surged forward. Orochimaru moved to counter, his hands a blur as he summoned a wall of earth. Horyu's blade bit into the earthen barrier, but he didn't stop. The fireballs, still dancing in the air, followed his lead, crashing into the wall and sending molten rock flying.
"Doton: Earth Dragon!" Orochimaru snarled, summoning a massive dragon from the ground. The beast roared, its stony maw snapping at Horyu, but he was already in motion. Horyu leapt high, his form a blur as he flipped over the dragon's head, landing behind it in a crouch. With a swift slash, he cut through the dragon's neck, turning it back into rubble.
"Impressive," Orochimaru hissed, a dark grin spreading across his face. "But let's see how you handle this. Futon: Great Breakthrough!" He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a powerful gust of wind that tore across the battlefield, scattering debris and fanning the flames into a roaring inferno.
Horyu's eyes narrowed. He adjusted his stance, using the wind to his advantage. "Fire Style: Hell Flame Great Devourer!" He roared, exhaling a massive maw of white-hot flames. The giant maw surged forward, its heat intense enough to warp the air around it. Orochimaru's wind technique fed the flames, making the fire jutsu even more ferocious.
Orochimaru leapt back, summoning another wall of earth to shield himself. The flame maw smashed into the wall, causing an explosion of heat and molten rock, not stopping at all. Horyu didn't waste a moment. He dashed through the fiery chaos. His sword glowed with intense chakra. He feinted left, then spun right, aiming a precise strike at Orochimaru's side. The Snake Sannin barely managed to deflect the blow with the Kusanagi, the force sending tremors through his arm, sent him flying. The Orochimaru that got up, was a lot more serious.
Seeing Orochimaru getting serious, Horyu took some distance. His eyes, spinning with the Sharingan's fury, tracked every serpentine movement. Orochimaru's laugh echoed ominously, but Horyu remained stoic, his focus razor-sharp. He knew Orochimaru's soul was comparably weaker, more susceptible to genjutsu. And Horyu was a master of illusions as much as he was a master of fire.
Orochimaru smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Running already, Horyu?"
Horyu ignored the taunt, focusing his chakra. His Sharingan spun faster, weaving a complex web of genjutsu. Orochimaru lunged, his body elongating unnaturally as he closed the distance. Horyu's form blurred and split into multiple afterimages, confusing the snake Sannin. Orochimaru lashed out with Kusanagi, slicing through the illusions, but each one dissipated into mist, leaving him grasping at shadows.
"Genjutsu?" Orochimaru hissed, a mixture of amusement and annoyance in his voice. "You think these tricks will work on me?"
Horyu's eyes glinted with a cold light. "You'll find out soon enough."
With a flick of his wrist, Horyu sent a barrage of shuriken at Orochimaru. The blades whistled through the air, but Orochimaru deflected them effortlessly with the Kusanagi. He countered with a swift strike, his blade slicing towards Horyu's neck. Horyu ducked, his Sharingan predicting the movement, and retaliated with a swift upward slash. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, the force of the impact resonating through the air.
"Fire Style: Flame Cyclone!" Horyu intoned, his voice calm and precise. A vortex of white-hot flames erupted around him, spiraling outwards toward Orochimaru. The heat was intense, warping the air around it.
Orochimaru felt how dangerous the jutsu was. He didn't know what these white flames were, but over the course of the battle, he realized their lethality. Determined to turn the tide, he activated his own genjutsu, casting a shadowy veil over the battlefield, yet he was already having trouble with fake and real attacks of his opponent, couldn't even free himself.
The ground beneath Orochimaru's feet felt solid, yet each step he took seemed to lead him further into an abyss. Shadows danced at the edge of his vision, shapes morphing into serpents and vanishing into thin air. His heightened senses betrayed him; the smell of scorched earth mingled with the phantom scent of blood, both real and imagined.
"You think these illusions will stop me?" Orochimaru spat, enraged that he was yet to break free, his voice echoing in an eerie chorus, as if the very air mocked him.
Horyu's Sharingan spun, and the world shifted again. Orochimaru's sense of balance faltered as the ground tilted at impossible angles. He reached out to steady himself, but his hands grasped nothing but air. The heat of Horyu's flames felt closer now, a burning presence that seemed to consume the very space around them.
A serpent lunged at Orochimaru, its fangs dripping venom. He struck at it with Kusanagi, but the serpent dissolved into mist, reforming behind him in an endless cycle. Orochimaru's frustration grew; each illusion peeled away to reveal another, more intricate layer.
Orochimaru summoned a gust of wind, hoping to dispel the illusions, but it only intensified the sensations. His skin prickled with phantom pain, a thousand tiny cuts searing into his flesh. He bit back a hiss, his composure slipping.
"Impressive tricks, Horyu," he snarled, but his voice lacked its usual confidence. The taste of iron filled his mouth, a phantom sensation that only deepened his disorientation.
Horyu's face remained unfazed. "This is just the beginning," he intoned, his voice a steady anchor amidst the chaos further enrage Orochimaru. Horyu knew that the calmer the opponent, easier it would be to break out, thus he was pressing nerves. Orochimaru's world twisted again. He felt the sting of unseen blades, the oppressive heat of flames that licked at his skin without consuming him, mixed with illusions.
The sensation of touch was a cruel trickster. Orochimaru's hands felt the grit of sand and the coolness of water, each sensation melding into a disorienting tapestry. He clenched his fists, trying to ground himself, but the illusions danced on, relentless.
Horyu stepped forward, his movements fluid and purposeful. Orochimaru's eyes widened as the ground beneath him turned to quicksand, dragging him down. He struggled, but the more he fought, the deeper he sank. His sense of kinesthesia betrayed him; his own limbs felt foreign, unresponsive.
"How?" Orochimaru's voice was strained, panic flickering in his eyes. He broke free from the quicksand, only to find himself standing on the edge of a cliff, the void yawning beneath him.
Horyu's chakra flared, and Orochimaru's perception of time warped. Seconds stretched into eternity, each heartbeat a thunderous drum in his ears. He swung Kusanagi at Horyu, but the blade, so slow, as if it was frozen in time, took days to pass through him, hitting nothing but air. The real Horyu appeared beside him, delivering a swift kick that sent Orochimaru tumbling over the edge.
Falling, Orochimaru's sense of acceleration kicked in. The ground rushed up to meet him, but just before impact, he found himself back on the battlefield, unharmed. He gasped, the illusion breaking for a brief moment before reforming around him.
"You can't escape," Horyu's voice echoed, the sound reverberating through Orochimaru's bones. The temperature around him fluctuated wildly, from searing heat to bone-chilling cold. His skin felt both scorched and frozen, his body caught in a torturous limbo.
Orochimaru's sense of hunger gnawed at him, a deep, insatiable void. He felt parched, the sensation of thirst overwhelming his senses. His body screamed for relief, but there was none to be found. He, for the first time, lost control of his body.