Chapter 178: Retreat
High in the air, Orochimaru turned his icy gaze toward Baishi.
Clearly, the severe injury of being sliced in half wasn't enough to kill him.
Baishi, however, had never intended to kill Orochimaru outright—he still needed the location of Jugo's village. But given Orochimaru's resistance, Baishi realized he would have to push him to his limits before he would cooperate.
Determined, Baishi shifted the Anqing Blade from a horizontal slash to an upward diagonal cut aimed straight at Orochimaru's chest.
As the blade neared him, Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth wide, and with a metallic clang, a long sword emerged to intercept the attack.
The blade of the Grass Long Sword collided with Anqing, and the resulting force sent Orochimaru's upper body flying backward.
Though the parry spared him from a fatal blow, the clash revealed the disparity in strength between the two.
Still airborne, Orochimaru formed hand seals and activated his regeneration technique.
From the wounds where his upper and lower halves had been severed, countless snakes extended, twisting together until the two parts of his body reconnected.
His injuries now healed, Orochimaru resumed combat, but Baishi was already closing in.
Baishi swung Anqing again, but Orochimaru twisted his body in an almost unnatural, serpentine motion to evade the strike.
"Soft Body Modification," Baishi noted to himself, recognizing Orochimaru's technique.
Unfazed, Baishi adjusted his stance, bringing the blade down in a relentless barrage of attacks, each aimed to corner Orochimaru and prevent his escape.
Although Orochimaru's body modifications granted him extraordinary flexibility and reflexes, they were no match for Baishi's overwhelming strength and speed.
Unenhanced by chakra, Baishi's physical prowess alone already outstripped the Raikage's famed Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
In close combat, Orochimaru was entirely outclassed. If not for his near-immortal body and vast battle experience, he would have already fallen.
Each exchange left Orochimaru increasingly injured, his face darkening with frustration.
Glancing briefly toward the immobilized body of Danzo, Orochimaru clenched his teeth and made a decision.
With a swift movement, he parried Baishi's blade with the Grass Long Sword and transformed his legs into serpentine tails, propelling himself backward at high speed to create distance.
Baishi wasted no time, immediately closing the gap.
But before he could land another strike, Orochimaru dropped the Grass Long Sword and began forming hand seals, slamming his palm onto the ground in preparation for a summoning.
Recognizing the technique, Baishi instantly activated the Illusion Ring on his hand, unleashing an A-rank genjutsu stored within it.
Orochimaru's vision blurred, and his connection to his body was severed.
"Genjutsu!" Orochimaru realized.
Suppressing his chakra, Orochimaru struggled to dispel the illusion.
But by then, the summoning had been interrupted, and the coffin he had begun to summon—marked with the kanji for "Three"—sank back into the ground.
"So it really was the Third Kazekage," Baishi thought, his suspicions confirmed.
With the summoning disrupted, Baishi pressed his advantage. In a burst of speed, he closed the distance and slashed at Orochimaru's chest.
Just as the blade was about to connect, Orochimaru broke free from the genjutsu.
Reacting quickly, he twisted his body away from the blade while summoning a horde of venomous snakes to strike at Baishi.
The blade still grazed his chest, leaving a deep gash, but Orochimaru ignored the pain, focusing instead on unleashing a thick, purple mist of toxic venom from the snakes.
The poison obscured Baishi's vision, but his keen senses still locked onto Orochimaru's position.
Swinging Anqing in a series of rapid strikes, Baishi forced Orochimaru further on the defensive, leaving him bloodied and battered.
Despite the potency of the venom, Baishi's Level VII Poison Resistance rendered it ineffective.
For all appearances, Baishi had the upper hand. But his expression remained focused and wary.
He didn't believe for a second that Orochimaru would give up so easily.
Then, Orochimaru's voice suddenly broke the tension.
"Tanokuni, Kurozu Town!"
The unexpected words made Baishi hesitate, his next strike faltering slightly.
Seizing the moment, Orochimaru's legs transformed into serpentine tails once more, and he darted toward a nearby cave entrance.
By the time Baishi recovered, Orochimaru was already slipping into the darkness of the cave.
Cursing under his breath, Baishi gave chase.
But as he entered the cave, a flood of serpents of all sizes and colors surged toward him, completely blocking his path.
The sheer number of snakes was overwhelming, even for someone without ophidiophobia.
Without hesitation, Baishi set Anqing aside and performed a series of hand seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A torrent of flames erupted from Baishi's mouth, incinerating the snakes in his path.
Yet just as he stepped deeper into the cave, a series of explosions erupted, shaking the entire structure. Rocks and debris fell, forcing Baishi to slow his pursuit.
By the time the dust settled, Orochimaru's presence had completely vanished.
Baishi stood in the rubble-filled cave, repeating the words Orochimaru had spoken.
"Tanokuni… Kurozu Town."
After a moment's thought, Baishi sheathed Anqing and turned to leave.
While the possibility of the location being false existed, Baishi deemed it unlikely. Orochimaru's curiosity would drive him to observe whether Baishi could indeed master Sage Mode.
And even if the information turned out to be a lie, it wouldn't matter—there were only so many places Orochimaru could hide in this world.
Smirking slightly, Baishi muttered, "If this is a game you want to play, Orochimaru, then so be it."
(End of Chapter)
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