With a loud bang, Shin punched out, releasing a terrifying explosion that rippled through the air like a bomb.
Manda roared in agony, and blood sprayed through the sky, falling like rain. A gaping hole had been smashed clean through its tail, nearly severing it in two.
"That might've been a bit too much," Shin muttered, feeling sheepish. He'd gotten a little too excited and gone overboard.
"Also, this guy's physical strength seems lacking! If it weren't for chakra reinforcing his body, his durability would be far below that of the animals in the One Piece world!"
As Shin mused to himself, Manda, eyes bloodshot and filled with fury, lunged at him, mouth wide open.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Shin sneered. Snake-like creatures have fangs but lack the chewing teeth to crush prey, so they rarely swallow living creatures whole. They usually kill their food first to prevent any struggle inside their bodies.
With Manda dazed and attempting to bite him, Shin decided to teach the snake a lesson. Before it could close its jaws, a torrent of dark energy poured from Shin's hand, surging into Manda's open mouth. Manda let out a bone-rattling hiss of agony.
The dark energy's strange gravitational pull absorbed everything: the snake's internal organs, chakra, and even its life force. Manda's massive form shriveled and withered within moments until it vanished in a puff of white smoke.
As soon as Manda engaged Shin, Orochimaru stealthily jumped away from the summon. Seeing his mighty ally utterly defeated within mere moments, Orochimaru felt an uneasy mixture of relief and dread.
Though he was glad the reverse summoning technique saved its life, Orochimaru also sensed the danger that Shin posed, especially since Shin's gaze seemed to settle on him even amid the chaotic fight.
"Fortunately, I came prepared."
"This isn't perfected yet… but I have no other choice!"
"Reanimation Jutsu!"
Two coffins rose from the ground in a cloud of dust. Shin narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, you've already developed the Reanimation Jutsu?"
As the coffins creaked open, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama emerged, their expressions blank and eyes dull.
"Orochimaru, you bastard!" Tsunade, who had just healed herself and steadied her nerves after her episode of hemophobia, cursed at the sight before her. "You would dare use this forbidden jutsu!"
Jiraiya, however, wasn't surprised. Shin had already informed him about Orochimaru's new experiments, and now his suspicions were confirmed.
Orochimaru's lips twisted into a smile as he replied coolly, "This forbidden jutsu was developed by the Second Hokage, after all..."
"And I'm sure the number of lives it claimed when Tobirama developed it was no fewer than those claimed by my own research."
It was true—Tobirama was known to be ruthless in his methods. Regarding moral boundaries, Tobirama hadn't been all that different from Orochimaru. The two shared many similarities, save for Orochimaru's obsession with immortality.
If Orochimaru had been of Tobirama's generation, he likely would've been Tobirama's prized disciple, and the position of Hokage would have been within his reach.
Shin studied the reanimated Hokage, noting their dull expressions and delayed responses. "So, Orochimaru's Reanimation Jutsu isn't perfected yet. I wonder how much control he has."
Suddenly, Hashirama's hands began forming seals.
"Wood Release—Deep Forest Emergence!"
With a sluggish, blank gaze, Hashirama completed the seals, and the Deep Forest Emergence technique activated with a sense of lethargy, almost as though he was struggling against some unseen restraint.
Tobirama, too, moved sluggishly, taking an excessive amount of time to complete a simple Water Style jutsu.
Shin smirked, clasping his hands together. "Wood Release—Dark Forest Emergence!"
Instantly, trees cloaked in black mist erupted from the ground, growing at an alarming rate and encircling Orochimaru.
Orochimaru tried to pull out his Kusanagi sword to cut his way free, but he quickly found that each tree emitted an intense gravitational pull. His chakra drained rapidly, faster than he could react.
Wood Release naturally absorbed chakra, but combined with the Dark-Dark fruit's power, the effect was overwhelming. Though Orochimaru had a considerable chakra reserve, it was being depleted at an alarming rate.
As for the first and second Hokage, reanimated with dulled senses and limited autonomy, they were quickly ensnared within the dark forest. Even with their theoretically infinite chakra, their sluggish responses prevented them from countering the draining force around them.
Meanwhile, the black forest continued to spread, capturing Tsunade, Jiraiya, and several other Konoha ninjas, including Shizune and even her little pig, Tonton.
"What… is this? Is this even Wood Style?" Tsunade asked weakly. Her chakra had been almost completely drained, and she was left utterly helpless.
Jiraiya, who was similarly weakened, shook his head. "Normal Wood Release doesn't drain chakra this easily. I think it's some kind of fusion—Wood Release combined with Dark Release."
"Wood Release is everywhere now! It's becoming a cheap trick," Jiraiya grumbled, unable to help himself.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "It's because those idiots in Konoha wouldn't stop experimenting with my grandfather's cells!"
"In the end, they wasted countless lives and achieved nothing, only to have their work stolen. Now, the benefits are in the hands of others."
Tsunade's voice rose in frustration, and Jiraiya could only offer her a sheepish smile. Though he wasn't personally responsible for Konoha's experiments, he was the closest target for her ire among the Sannin.
Elsewhere, Sara observed Shin's dark forest technique with her mouth open in astonishment. As someone who also practiced Wood Release, she couldn't believe the scale and effect of Shin's jutsu.
"How did you do that? Can you teach me?" Sara asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"Sorry, this is my unique bloodline—I won't share it," Shin replied, shaking his head. The truth was, even if he wanted to, he couldn't teach it; his ability came from a Devil Fruit, not a conventional bloodline.
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