Why were all the Kumo ninjas tasked with ambushing Orochimaru in the valley this time?
It was because the other two villages had already cooperated in an earlier operation, and Kumo had only recently reached an agreement to align with them.
To demonstrate their sincerity in this alliance, it was decided that Kumo would handle the assassination attempt.
Since this was a mission to eliminate a specific target, thorough research into Orochimaru's abilities was essential to minimize losses.
Naturally, Konoha wouldn't hand over any information about Orochimaru.
After all, having so many forces target a single individual would be a humiliation for Konoha if they were forced to provide intel. It would appear as though Konoha was capitulating to the demands of others, which would undermine their standing.
Moreover, allowing Orochimaru's personal information to fall into enemy hands could lead to further complications.
Thus, Kumo had to rely entirely on their own battlefield analysis to gather intelligence.
Perception skills, snake-based ninjutsu, Flying Thunder God, and other techniques, these were the fragments of information they had pieced together about Orochimaru.
Even though they were prepared, their ambush still failed. Orochimaru not only evaded their attack but completely turned the situation around, catching them off guard.
It was an unexpected turn of events.
Not only could this man use Magnet Release, but he could also summon a multitude of Flying Thunder God kunai from another dimension?
What was supposed to be a guaranteed kill had turned into a massacre for Kumo. Orochimaru had killed so many of them before they could take him down.
This was something they had not anticipated.
As the casualties among his subordinates piled up, A—impatient and hot-tempered as always finally decided to act personally.
He leapt down into the valley, timing his strike perfectly as Orochimaru was in the middle of casting a jutsu.
A was still young, only in his twenties, but years of practicing the Lightning Chakra Armor had left him with a fiery temperament.
The Lightning Chakra Armor enveloped the user in a cloak of chakra infused with lightning, drastically enhancing speed, strength, and defense. The lightning also amplified nerve conduction speed, making reaction times almost instantaneous.
The stronger the Lightning Release chakra, the greater the increase in defense and mobility.
Both A and the Third Raikage had perfected their use of this technique, combining it with their incredible physical abilities to develop unique ninjutsu that embodied the power of the Cloud Village.
This combination of speed, strength, and defense was what made the Raikage a near-unstoppable force on the battlefield.
"Did that do it?"
"If this hit him directly, Orochimaru should be dead, right?"
"I'm not so sure…"
The Kumo ninjas had retreated far from the impact zone, their eyes locked on the scene in the valley with heavy expressions.
A's intervention should have guaranteed success. But after witnessing Orochimaru's earlier feats, no one dared to make any definitive conclusions.
As the dust and debris began to settle, the battlefield was revealed once again.
What they saw left everyone in stunned silence.
In the center of the shattered valley, A still stood, his body crackling with violent thunder chakra. He hadn't even moved from his slashing posture.
But opposite him stood something impossible—a skeletal figure condensed from pure white chakra.
The chakra skeleton, half-buried in the cracked earth, only had an upper body. Yet, it was this very structure that had blocked A's devastating strike.
Although the skeleton's torso had been split open by the attack, it had undeniably withstood the full force of the Raikage's blow.
"What… is that?"
The Third Raikage's expression darkened, while Onoki, hovering nearby, was visibly shaken.
"Susanoo?"
"How is this possible?!"
Susanoo was a legendary ability unique to the Uchiha Clan, one of the most feared powers of the Sharingan.
But now Orochimaru, someone outside the Uchiha bloodline, had summoned it?
Onoki's confusion deepened. He had personally experienced the terror of Uchiha Madara's Susanoo in his youth. The sight of it had haunted him ever since.
Now, seeing Orochimaru wield a similar power was incomprehensible. Though the color of this Susanoo was different, there was no doubt—this was the real thing.
"How could Orochimaru possibly use Susanoo? This has to be a joke!"
In the battlefield below, Orochimaru stood casually amidst the destruction, his thin smile unwavering as he observed the muscular figure before him.
"Haha, it seems someone important has decided to join the fight."
With that, Susanoo's skeletal arm suddenly grew, swinging toward A with tremendous force.
However A's speed was unmatched. He retreated instantly, evading the attack with ease.
Orochimaru, using Susanoo's immense power, took a few steps back as well, maintaining a safe distance.
"Enough talk! Take another hit from me!"
A's furious roar echoed through the valley.
Before Orochimaru could make another move, his figure disappeared in a flash.
He was so fast that the only evidence of his movement was the deep footprint left where he had stood moments earlier and the cracks spreading outward from it.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Orochimaru.
BOOM!
The impact of A's elbow strike shook the valley. The ground caved in under the force of their collision, sending massive shockwaves of chakra rippling outward. Rocks and debris were hurled into the air, and the resulting winds scattered the lingering smoke.
The Kumo ninjas watching from a distance were astounded.
In the center of the battlefield, A stared in disbelief at the massive skeletal fist that had blocked his strike.
"This can't be… Just the Sharingan alone? It actually predicted my movements and countered me? How is that possible?!"
Orochimaru's grin widened. His scarlet Sharingan spun ominously as he responded.
"Now it's my turn. Take this!"
Before he could react, Susanoo's other skeletal arm swung forward.
Bang!
The punch landed squarely, sending A flying.
"Did he hit him?"
"What just happened?"
The onlookers were horrified. A known for his incredible speed, had failed to dodge?
How could this be?
But before their shock subsided, the scene on the battlefield took another startling turn.
Orochimaru's Susanoo began to transform. Within two seconds, the skeletal frame was repaired. Muscles and tendons grew, followed by armor and weapons.
Though it still lacked legs, it was now far more complete—and far more dangerous.
The transformation took less than two seconds, but that wasn't the most alarming part.
What drew everyone's attention was the massive chakra weapon now resting on Susanoo's shoulder—a rocket launcher.
With the weapon already aimed at the spot where A had been thrown, Orochimaru smiled darkly.
"Goodbye."
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Whoosh!
A rocket formed entirely of white chakra shot forward, carrying immense destructive pressure.
A had just landed and was still recovering from the earlier blow.
Dodging was impossible. His only option was to rely on his Lightning Chakra Armor for defense.
But before the rocket could hit, another figure surged forward, lightning chakra radiating from their body.
The powerful form of another Kumo ninja appeared in front of A intercepting the attack.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the valley.
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Drift of the Multiverse: [Marvel][Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [Dragon Ball].
GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond the Ice.
DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant.