Chapter 177: Fierce Battle
Orochimaru's attack was swift, but Baishi's Super Vision: Dynamic Vision was no mere decoration.
At this stage, his visual perception was no weaker than a Sharingan with three tomoe.
As soon as the venomous snakes lunged, Baishi locked onto them instantly.
"Perfect!"
Baishi exclaimed, his hands moving swiftly through hand seals. Taking a deep breath, he gathered Fire Release chakra in his throat and exhaled forcefully.
In an instant, a massive fireball, at least ten meters in diameter, formed and rolled forward like a crushing tidal wave, incinerating the attacking snakes along the way.
Even from a distance, Orochimaru could feel the searing heat radiating from the fireball.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru formed hand seals of his own and activated Water Release: Water Wall.
A sturdy wall of water surged upward, intercepting Baishi's Fireball Jutsu. The clash of elements filled the air with a sizzling sound as steam billowed out, engulfing the battlefield in thick white fog.
Suddenly, two enormous gray snakes, as thick as a grown man's waist, emerged from the fog, snapping at Baishi from both sides.
Baishi didn't waste time. With a cold snort, he unleashed his Subsonic Wave Jutsu, targeting the snakes.
After years of experimentation, Baishi had recorded the vibration frequencies of various animal internal organs, including snakes. This allowed him to tailor his subsonic attacks specifically to their physiology.
But to his shock, the attack failed.
"What?"
Baishi was taken aback. His senses quickly extended toward the snakes.
"These… aren't real snakes?"
Indeed, the attacking snakes weren't living creatures but cleverly crafted constructs made from Wood Release.
Impressed by Orochimaru's ingenuity, Baishi couldn't help but acknowledge the seamless combination of Wood Release and Orochimaru's techniques. The deception had momentarily caught even him off guard.
In the blink of an eye, the wooden snakes coiled tightly around Baishi, binding him in place.
Before he could break free, Orochimaru's follow-up attack came swift and deadly—a two-meter-long wind blade slashed toward Baishi's neck from the fog.
Feeling the impact on his chakra mantle, Baishi thought, "This Wind Release technique is formidable, but it's not enough."
Recognizing the attack as Wind Release: Vacuum Wave, a high-level technique used by Konoha's ANBU, Baishi wasn't particularly fazed.
Catching the wind blade with his hand, Baishi activated Energy Absorption, draining the foreign chakra and converting it into his own.
The wind blade dissipated, and Baishi swiftly summoned Wind Release: Wind Wings, translucent wings that burst forth from his back.
With a single flap, he shattered the wooden snakes' grip and soared into the air.
As the fog cleared, Baishi hovered above the battlefield, surveying the scene.
Orochimaru, seemingly prepared for this, bit his thumb to draw blood. His hands blurred through the seals—Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—and he slammed his palm to the ground, summoning a massive figure.
With a puff of smoke, the colossal serpent Manda appeared, its enormous form coiling ominously across the battlefield.
Eyeing Baishi, Manda's vertical pupils narrowed, then flicked toward Orochimaru above.
"You're asking me to deal with this troublesome foe, Orochimaru? After this, I demand one hundred live sacrifices!"
"Agreed," Orochimaru replied without hesitation, utterly indifferent to the cost of human lives.
Hearing this, Baishi's expression darkened slightly. "As expected, the Ryuchi Cave's creatures are no allies of humanity."
Before he could contemplate further, Manda lunged toward him.
Baishi shot upward, narrowly avoiding the serpent's jaws.
With a loud roar, Baishi unleashed another Subsonic Wave Jutsu, this time at full power.
Even a creature as mighty as Manda wasn't immune to such a direct, targeted attack.
Mid-lunge, Manda's massive body convulsed, then froze. Blood spewed from its mouth as dark patches spread across its scaly skin, rupturing to reveal raw, bleeding wounds.
The once-mighty serpent crashed heavily to the ground, motionless.
Even Orochimaru, despite not being the primary target, felt the lingering effects of Baishi's devastating attack.
Seizing the moment, Baishi formed seals for Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique.
A blinding white cube of light materialized, shooting forward.
Still dazed, Manda couldn't react. The cube enveloped its head, disintegrating it into nothingness.
Orochimaru barely managed to escape by leaping off Manda's head just in time, evading the Dust Release's annihilating force.
Landing a safe distance away, Orochimaru's usually composed expression was marred by unease.
His gaze flickered to a group of his subordinates trembling in the distance.
Only now did he realize that those who had survived Baishi's earlier attacks weren't spared due to Baishi's lack of power; Baishi simply hadn't been serious.
Recalling the intelligence from Danzo and comparing it to Baishi's current display, Orochimaru began to understand that he had no effective way of dealing with Baishi.
In truth, Orochimaru's strengths lay in his resilience and adaptability, but his offensive capabilities fell short. Against a powerhouse like Baishi, most of his techniques were rendered ineffective.
Meanwhile, Baishi's combination of overwhelming offense, unyielding defense, and boundless chakra gave him an undeniable edge.
Realizing this, Orochimaru decided it wasn't worth risking more.
But Baishi, having yet to obtain the information he wanted, wasn't about to let him leave.
As Orochimaru began to retreat, Baishi swiftly formed seals for an enhanced version of the Mind Body Switch Jutsu.
Unlike weaker opponents, Orochimaru's willpower required Baishi to focus intensely to attempt control.
The mental attack struck Orochimaru, temporarily disrupting his movements.
In that split second, Baishi's Wind Wings propelled him forward at breakneck speed.
Drawing the dark blade Anqing from his waist, Baishi slashed cleanly through Orochimaru's torso in one fluid motion.
The blade's edge gleamed briefly in the sunlight as Orochimaru's upper and lower halves separated, his body falling to the ground.
(Chapter End)
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