Kirito stood confidently as the Third Kazekage, revived by the Impure World Reincarnation, frowned and asked, "Who are you? And why are you working with that scoundrel, Sasori?"
"Who I am doesn't matter," Kirito replied with a smirk, ignoring the question. "What matters is who you are now—a puppet of Orochimaru, Konoha's traitor and former student of the Third Hokage. How ironic that the great Third Kazekage, once feared as the strongest of the Kazekages, is now reduced to a mindless tool for a Konoha outcast. It's rather pathetic, don't you think?"
The Third Kazekage's expression darkened as he cast a quick glance at Orochimaru. Gritting his teeth, he did something unexpected—just as he had in the original story, he used his own will to cancel the Impure World Reincarnation technique, releasing his soul and ascending to the afterlife.
From the distance, Deidara, observing the scene, widened his eyes in disbelief. "Hey, Sasori! What kind of trick is that? He didn't even lift a finger, and the guy who could resurrect endlessly just... vanished. Did he just talk him to death?"
Sasori was silent, paying no attention to Deidara's incredulous remark. Instead, he focused his attention on Orochimaru, preparing for an attack. A massive cylinder formed from iron sand was ready at his command.
On the other side, Orochimaru stood with a thoughtful expression. "It seems this technique still has some serious flaws," he murmured.
Seizing this moment of reflection, Sasori controlled the iron sand cylinder to launch an attack at Orochimaru. But Orochimaru, ever the trickster, was ready. Using his Orochimaru-style substitution technique, he managed to evade the blow. His former body absorbed the damage, while Orochimaru, in his snake-like form, crawled out of the mouth of his substitute and quickly retreated toward a nearby cave.
However, Kirito, using his advanced observational Haki, had already anticipated Orochimaru's escape. The moment Orochimaru attempted to flee, Kirito hurled a Rasenshuriken at him. Unlike Naruto's Rasenshuriken, which had obliterated Kakuzu's hearts in the original story, Kirito only used 50% of its power, adjusting it specifically so that it wouldn't tear Orochimaru apart. He wanted to injure, not kill, ensuring that Orochimaru wouldn't easily recover.
"Ah!" Orochimaru screamed, caught off guard by the attack. The Rasenshuriken made direct contact with his back, enveloping him in a terrifying storm of wind chakra. The pain Orochimaru experienced was unlike anything he'd ever felt, a searing agony that even Kakuzu had once known.
"Hey, hey! What kind of jutsu is this?!" Deidara, stunned by the massive storm the Rasenshuriken generated, had been preparing to launch a clay bomb but was blown off his clay bird by the sheer force of the technique. Now lying on the sand, he stared in awe at the devastation and Orochimaru's seemingly endless screams.
Meanwhile, Sasori had erected a massive sand wall to protect himself from the storm's aftermath.
"I heard Orochimaru mention the Fourth Hokage created a similar jutsu called the Rasengan," Kirito said calmly, his voice reaching both Deidara and Sasori over the howling winds. "So, I guess we'll call this Wind Style: Rasenshuriken."
Deidara, still awestruck, scrambled to his feet and approached Kirito. "That was incredible, Brother Kirito! I didn't realize your jutsu was so powerful. I take back everything I said before. From now on, you're my big brother, just like Sasori!"
Kirito smiled warmly, placing a hand on Deidara's shoulder. "Alright, little brother. From here on, I'll look out for you. Once a big brother, always a big brother."
As the winds from the Rasenshuriken began to subside, Orochimaru's figure appeared high in the air. His body had been shredded by the wind chakra, leaving him bloodied and barely recognizable. His entire form was bombarded by countless tiny needles of wind chakra until, finally, his screams ceased. His body fell from the sky and crashed into the massive crater formed by the Rasenshuriken.
"Is that snake finally dead?" Sasori asked as he lowered the sand wall, his gaze turning toward the fallen Orochimaru.
Kirito knelt down, placing his palm on the sand as if pretending to sense Orochimaru's chakra. "It seems that way. I can't feel his chakra anymore."
In reality, Orochimaru had managed to escape, using his Snake Substitution Technique once again. The body lying in the crater was nothing but an empty shell. As Sasori approached and used his puppet tail to pull the body closer, he realized the truth. The body was hollow, and connected to its mouth was a large snake, a sign of Orochimaru's second escape.
Within the darkness of the cave, the shadowy figures of the Akatsuki members began to appear one by one around a central zen lamp.
"That snake slipped away again," Sasori grumbled, frustration evident in his voice.
"What happened?" Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, tilted his head in Kirito's direction, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Kirito raised his hands in defense. "Don't look at me. I didn't hold back this time. If you don't believe me, ask Black Zetsu. I'm sure he was following us in secret, as always."
As if on cue, Black Zetsu's shadowy form emerged. "Let's review the footage," he said, replaying the battle for everyone to see. The members of Akatsuki watched with intense focus, their faces displaying shock and awe as they witnessed the Third Kazekage's resurrection, Kirito's verbal confrontation, and the devastating power of the Rasenshuriken.
By the end of the footage, it was clear that few among them, aside from Pain, could have withstood such an attack.
"It seems Orochimaru has some unique technique that allows him to avoid external harm entirely," Pain concluded, his tone as cold and calculating as ever.
Turning back to Kirito, Pain asked, "Earlier, you mentioned that besides using force or seals, there were four other ways to counter the Impure World Reincarnation. What are they?"
Kirito crossed his arms and responded, "Mouth escape, genjutsu, soul removal, and Yin-Yang Release."
His words left the Akatsuki members speechless. Black Zetsu, in particular, felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of Yin-Yang Release. After all, he was a product of that very technique, created by Kaguya Otsutsuki herself.
(End of Chapter).
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