Daichi put a couple of meters distance between him and his hated enemy after slamming his head and burying it into the ground. 'He's on the verge of death and he doesn't have much chakra left. He only has one option now.'
"Hey. How's it looking over there?"
"Is he about to use it?"
Two of the six shadow clones Daichi had created after sending Orochimaru flying for the first time asked him. The Genin had created them as a contingency in case the Snake Sannin tried to escape.
The six shadow clones had spread out in a hexagonal formation. The clones were moving in a coordinated manner and kept Orochimaru as the center.
"I think so. I pushed him near the breaking point. Unless he's willing to suffer a more brutal beat down he'll use that jutsu. Or he'll try to put a curse seal on me but he should know that I wouldn't allow that to happen and his chances of success are low." The real Daichi updated his clones. He gazed at Orochimaru who struggled to get up but kept failing. He then finally turned over and faced him.
"It's a good thing you put a Mana Tracker on him. That bastard might also try to make a run for it instead of fighting. We can't take even the smallest chance on this." Another newly created clone spoke nodding to himself at the smart plan.
"Yeah, I know. I've considered almost all possibilities but this guy can't be judged by common sense." Daichi replied as he saw the hated expression on the Snake Sannin's face.
[You have sensed killing intent.]
At that moment the Genin heard the man speak. "Daichi," Orochimaru snarled. "you've forced my hand."
Orochimaru's bloody left hand made a special seal.
The next moment a surge of purple colored energy exploded outward from Orochimaru's body.
The ground trembled. And then… It began.
Orochimaru's chakra, once scattered and weakened, began to swell with malignant intensity. The air around him became thick and oppressive. For a second, Daichi felt as if some ancient serpent had slithered near him.
The Leaf ninja immediately understood what was happening. "Guys, heads up. It looks like he's using the Eight Headed Serpent Jutsu after all."
"Finally! Once we see an opening we'll move." The clones paid full attention to the situation brewing near their original and was now looking for the best time to intervene.
—-
"What's he doing…?" Kakashi muttered, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Even standing far away from the battlefield, he could feel the malevolent chakra rising.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed with apprehension, recognizing the ominous aura swirling around Orochimaru. 'This isn't good. He's desperate now and that means he's willing to do anything.'
"Kakashi, you might have to take these two as far away as you can from here. This could get really ugly. I have a feeling I might have to intervene." The Toad Sage spoke in a grave tone.
"I understand. But Daichi-"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to bring him back in one piece."
Kakashi nodded and then silently looked ahead. 'Be careful Daichi. Orochimaru is not an enemy you should underestimate.'
—-
The Snake Sannin's body twisted and expanded. His skin stretched unnaturally as a grotesque transformation overtook him.
Daichi instantly moved back and stood at a safe distance. He crossed his arms and calmly watched as Orochimaru's body contorted and expanded, pale skin unraveling into a grotesque mass of gigantic serpents.
A crawling mass of scaled flesh ballooned outward from his frame. Neck after neck sprouted and heads formed in a horrific display. The ground beneath Orochimaru shattered as his form swelled, his body growing into something truly monstrous.
Soon eight white scaly enormous heads began sprouting in all directions, each crowned with a fanged maw large enough to swallow a carriage. The serpents hissed and spat, each bearing a fearsome visage. Their combined presence sent tremors through the ground anew.
—-
As soon as the first head had appeared, Jiraiya figured out what was happening.
"Eight-Headed Serpent Technique…" Jiraiya hissed under his breath. 'I've only heard rumors of this transformation. And if what I've heard is anything to go by, then this form is stronger than even Manda.'
"What is that? Is that some sort of a summoning creature?" Shizune was horrified as she looked at the gigantic white Hydra-like monster.
Jiraiya's voice carried a grave tone as he replied. "This is the Eight-Headed Serpent. Orochimaru's ultimate forbidden jutsu," he said. His hands clenched at his sides, body tensing as he prepared for what might follow. "It's not a summoning; it's an embodiment of his own power… But I've never seen him push it to this state."
Kakashi nodded, swallowing hard. "Daichi might be strong, but this jutsu… It's on a completely different scale from anything I've seen."
"Damn it." Jiraiya clenched his fists and cursed under his breath. 'He was battered and down for the count but now…'
"Kakashi. Leave this place and wait for Lord Second. Since it's come to this, I'm going to fight him. Killing Orochimaru here is the safest choice for all of us." The Toad sage made his choice and gave the order.
Kakashi nodded and just as he was about to touch Shizune and Tsunade and use his teleportation jutsu, Daichi appeared in front of them. "Stop."
"Daichi? Wait, are you a shadow clone?" Jiraiya asked. He could still sense the powerful presence of the Genin far away.
"Yeah. I made a few clones in case of an emergency."
"Kid, hold on. I'm going to enter Sage mode and-" Jiraiya was anxious as he spoke to the boy.
"Stop. You don't need to do that. I have this under control." The shadow clone's calm reply stunned the Leaf ninjas.
Seeing his student's calm face, Kakashi tried to explain the seriousness of the situation. "Daichi, you may not understand but that's-"
"A forbidden jutsu and most likely Orochimaru's trump card. If its form and chakra are anything to go by anyway." Daichi didn't want to let them know he knew exactly what it was.
"Then if you understand that much, why do you not want us to intervene?" The Toad sage questioned him. He wanted to know the boy's reasoning for fighting alone.
"I've anticipated something like this from the moment I started this fight. And… Orochimaru isn't the only one with a few cards up his sleeves." Daichi didn't say anything further and looked in the direction where the colossal snake was standing.
—-
A monstrous hiss echoed across the plain as the colossal serpentine body erupted fully, coiling high above the battlefield.
Each head spat acrid breath, and the ground quaked under its massive weight. Rocks tumbled and were crushed by the giant figure. Dust blew everywhere like a heavy fog, obscuring the lower portion of the Serpent's writhing tails.
Daichi, however, wore no expression of fear. 'He looks even uglier up close.'
He stood amid the swirling debris, fists clenching and unclenching, the emerald seal over his body shimmering with power. 'So this is his last resort, huh? The only way to really kill him is in his Eight headed serpent form. Otherwise he'll survive almost all the time. This jutsu will also completely exhaust his chakra.'
As the serpentine monstrosity towered above the battlefield, Orochimaru's upper body appeared inside the mouth of one of the heads. He looked at the boy standing fearlessly and grinned. "You won't find it so easy to crush me now!" he declared, each head rearing back with menacing intent.
'He sure loves to talk… How typical of him.' Daichi simply looked up and mentally sighed.
"Is that right? You sound quite confident." The Genin spoke with a condescending smirk trying to antagonize the man.
Orochimaru's smile stayed the same. "You performed far better than I could have ever imagined in this fight. And even though you nearly killed me, I'm not too angry with you anymore."
Daichi raised an eyebrow at that. "And why is that?"
The malevolence and killing intent in his eye only grew. "Because you just proved that I'm on the right path."
The Snake Sannin looked at the boy with seals all over his body. 'Your incredible body with its massive chakra and my wood style serum implanted. That along with Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan. I'll be unstoppable.'
"Don't count on your victory just yet. Just because you've turned into something bigger and uglier doesn't mean you have the advantage. You're still going to die today." Daichi's words echoed clearly across the shattered battlefield, reverberating with an arrogant disdain.
Daichi's utter disdain seemed to strike a nerve in the man. His amusement vanished and his golden eyes narrowed. A growl reverberated deep within the massive serpentine form.
[You have sensed killing intent.]
"You insolent brat! If you wanted to provoke me, you succeeded. Before I take over your body," Orochimaru hissed, his voice amplified to a bestial rumble that echoed across the plains, "I'm going to enjoy showing you the depths of hell!"
Daichi simply stared, unmoved. 'Good. He's losing his cool. Still, he has decades of experience to suddenly lose complete composure in battle but… even the slightest weaknesses in his mental state can be used to create an advantage in this fight.'
Suddenly, Orochimaru attacked and started the next phase of their fight.
The central head of the eight-headed serpent lurched forward, jaws gaping wide. A torrent of acidic green liquid shot forth, cascading towards Daichi in a deadly wave.
The corrosive acid splattered as it flew, dissolving airborne debris instantly. Daichi's eyes narrowed slightly, immediately recognizing the lethal nature of the attack.
Daichi could smell the acrid stench even from several yards away. 'He's not holding back… That acid is strong enough to melt through steel.'
Without missing a beat, Daichi cycled through a swift series of hand seals. "Earth Style: Rampart of the Guardian!" he yelled, slamming his palms onto the ground.
The ground in front of him trembled violently before surging upward into an immense, dense formation of solid stone. Massive slabs of reinforced earth rose from deep below the earth. They interlocked seamlessly and formed a towering wall in front of Daichi.
[Ninjutsu Earth Style - Rampart of the Guardian Jutsu has leveled up.] x2
Orochimaru's acidic assault collided with the rock barrier, sending bursts of sizzling liquid cascading down, melting away layers of stone but leaving Daichi completely unharmed behind its protection. Some small fragments of the corrosive liquid dripped over the sides, burning shallow pits in the soil. The smoke that wafted up from where acid touched stone nearly choked the air.
—-
On the other side of the battlefield, Kakashi and Jiraiya felt the earth quaking beneath them.
Just then, Tobirama Senju reappeared near the group, his face stern and clearly frustrated by his earlier entrapment.
The Second Hokage's eyes swept the scene with practiced efficiency. An eight-headed serpent overshadowing everything, Daichi behind a damaged earthen wall, and lumps of steaming acid corroding the terrain.
The Genin's Shadow clone glanced at the Second Hokage and let out a small breath of relief. 'He's free. That's good. Now we can get sensei and everyone else out of here.'
Jiraiya gave Tobirama a quick glance. "Took you long enough," he snapped tersely, though relief flashed across his face. "Orochimaru had you pinned?"
"Somewhat," Tobirama admitted, a hint of annoyance bleeding into his normally steady tone. "He used a special paralysis technique in conjunction with a fire barrier… I broke free as fast as I could." Then he looked at the monstrous hydra, its scaly necks and jaws lashing out. "I see Orochimaru's stepped up his game."
Kakashi's expression was grim. "It's beyond anything we've faced so far in this battle. That new form… He was pushed into a corner and well..." His voice drifted, eyes fixed on the earth wall nearing its limit.
Jiraiya quickly brought Tobirama up to speed. "Orochimaru's gone full tilt. He's unleashed his forbidden Eight-Headed Serpent jutsu. Daichi's been fighting him thanks to the seal he learned from Tsunade and so far with impressive results. But now Orochimaru's become more dangerous."
Tobirama's gaze followed Kakashi's. He studied the standoff. "So the boy forced Orochimaru into that jutsu huh…" 'To develop the Yin Seal and store enough chakra to use it properly in battle at such a young age. His talent is indeed quite impressive.' He glanced at the Genin's clone and a flicker of respect and recognition crossed his features.
The Second Hokage readies himself. "Let's go and give him a hand. The sooner we finish this battle the sooner we can leave and get Tsunade the help she needs."
Hearing those words Kakashi and Jiraiya turned their heads towards the clone standing near them.
Daichi looked at the Second Hokage and spoke as respectfully as he could. "Lord Second. There's no need for you to join in. This battle will be over soon."
Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "Time is of the essence. You understand that don't you?"
Daichi nodded with a solemn gaze. "More than anyone." He glanced at his teacher for a few moments before focusing back on the reanimated Kage.
"Then why? Is it just your desire to fight him because of the Yin seal?"
Daichi shook his head. "No. You may not believe it but even now, this battlefield is under my control. I won't let Orochimaru escape. Because if he survives today, sensei will never be safe. He'll keep coming for her. And he'll use more dangerous means."
"That's precisely why we should join and attack him together."
But Daichi refuted Tobirama's argument. "The more people who enter the fight, the more chaos there is. Especially now since Orochimaru used that form. The situation will become unpredictable with multiple variables and even if there is only the smallest possibility that he could take advantage and escape, it's a risk I'm not willing to take."
Seeing their silent gaze, Daichi spoke again. "I know I can't physically stop you. But please trust me. I already have a plan in place. This fight will be over shortly."
"Even so, do you really expect us to not take action?" The kage asked, crossing his arms.
The clone looked to the side and off in the distance saw the large serpent getting ready to smash through the large wall. "Yes. At least for the time being. I'm insisting on it because I'm going to use an extremely powerful jutsu. I don't want any of you to get caught in it. And you need to be here with them in case they need to be sent away quickly. You need to trust me on this."
Tobirama and the other Leaf ninjas were silent.
"If it looks like I need help, I'll gladly ask you all to jump in. But for the moment please let me do it my way."
At that moment someone spoke. "Can you really defeat him?" It was Shizune who asked that question with a soft tone.
The boy had a small smile. "You should know me senpai. Unlike our dear sensei, I don't make risky bets unless I'm absolutely sure of my victory."
The female medic was silent for a few moments before nodding her head. "I trust you Daichi. Do what you need to do."
"Don't worry. This fight will be over in the next couple of minutes. And you'll be home before you know it."
Hearing the boy's assurance, Tobirama decided not to rashly intervene. But he still gave the boy a warning.
"If it looks like Orochimaru might get past you or try something, I will interfere in this battle."
"I completely understand Lord Second." Daichi agreed and looked on as the battle entered the final phase.
—-------------
Author's Note:
And for anyone wondering, Another Name for the Strength of the Hundred Seal is the Yin Seal. It was used by Mito Uzumaki. That's why Tobirama knows about it.
He also read upon all three Sannin during his time in the Village…
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