Orochimaru's expression was so transparent that Habara easily guessed his thoughts. This was simply Orochimaru's occupational hazard flaring up—the moment he spotted rare research material, he was rooted to the spot, utterly compelled to indulge in some human experimentation.
Unquestionably, Habara couldn't allow Orochimaru to lay a hand on Kakashi. It was partly a matter of allegiance, and partly… sentiment. Well, don't misunderstand; it simply meant a ninja with Kakashi's personality was destined to be an excellent asset—a 'tool,' if you will.
Among shinobi, Kakashi's mindset and methods were remarkably upright. He possessed a severe dedication, even a spirit of self-sacrifice. For instance, in extreme danger, he was the type to willingly stay behind and cover a retreat. How could Habara possibly give up such a valuable comrade?
Habara's initial thought process had been logical: they came to contest the mission objective, their side had secured it, and there was virtually no chance of it being retaken. So, wasn't the rational move for everyone to withdraw and avoid further injury?
Unfortunately, Orochimaru wasn't exactly the epitome of rationality, and Kakuzu even less so.
Since Orochimaru seemed inclined to clash, Habara decided he might as well oblige. And so, he began applying buffs to himself.
When facing an unpredictable opponent like Orochimaru, whose moves were nigh impossible to anticipate, sensory perception was paramount. Habara started to absorb and utilize a specific type of natural energy, activating his unique sensory mode: Manas Nine Strings.
"Should we try to flee directly?" Kakashi asked.
"It'd be difficult. We need to fight first," Habara replied, knowing that attempting a straightforward escape from an opponent of Orochimaru's caliber was rarely successful.
If we can't win, aren't we just dead? Kakashi thought. However, he didn't voice his objection; Habara's reasoning wasn't necessarily wrong. "I can't hold out for too long," he stated instead.
Habara paid Kakashi's concern little mind. He'd already figured it out: Kakashi, despite constantly claiming to be out of chakra, always managed to squeeze out a little more at the absolute limit, and then just a little bit more after that.
"Same plan as before, one opponent each. I'll take Orochimaru this time."
"Understood..."
But before Habara could finish outlining their tactics, Orochimaru, impatient, struck first. One moment he was standing there quietly, seemingly waiting to hear their plan; the next, without any warning, he launched a surprise attack.
Orochimaru vanished from his spot, reappearing instants later as he surged forward at an astonishing speed. The rapid positioning skills of a Sannin-level ninja were truly something to behold, almost beautiful in their deadly efficiency. Yet, this moment of appreciation didn't last long...
Orochimaru's speed increased again, his rapidly moving body simultaneously lowering closer and closer to the ground until he resembled a serpent slithering just above the surface.
The aesthetic shifted abruptly from "peerless master" to profoundly unsettling.
His direction was arrow-straight, yet his body swayed left and right, speed pushed to the absolute maximum, leaving a long, phantom afterimage in his wake. The thirty-meter distance vanished in a flash. In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru was before Kakashi, a pale hand reaching for his face.
Kakashi, however, seemed utterly unaware, his gaze fixed on Kakuzu in the distance. This wasn't because he was frozen in fear, but rather…
The assignments had just been made. Habara was handling Orochimaru. Kakashi had nothing to worry about on that front.
Before Orochimaru's palm could touch Kakashi, in a split second faster than thought, a figure crackling with lightning appeared at Kakashi's side, moving even faster than the Sannin.
Having momentarily unleashed an excessive amount of chakra, Habara's Karma Seal: Chidori Stream couldn't fully contain the lightning arcing around him. Though he'd achieved overloaded levels of speed, he now resembled a large firework, electricity scattering wildly in all directions.
Habara came to a sudden, jolting stop. His body spun with the momentum, the centrifugal force combining seamlessly with his body's strength and center of gravity. He lashed out, slamming his heel into Orochimaru's side. The impact was so heavy it almost felt like it momentarily snagged, causing Orochimaru's body to spin half a circle with Habara's motion before being violently flung away by the immense force.
Orochimaru soared over twenty meters before crashing heavily into a sand dune. The violent impact sent sand blasting outwards like surf crashing against a shore.
The visual effect was stunning. But snakes can burrow. Instantly, Orochimaru's form emerged from the top of the dune.
Before he could launch any countermeasure, however, the lightning-wreathed figure was before him once more. This time, Habara didn't halt his momentum. Instead, leveraging his speed advantage, he unhesitatingly employed a berserker-like skill... essentially, a Bull Rush.
This kind of reckless, charging attack wasn't something most ninja would typically use.
Orochimaru was sent flying again. Yet, even as his feet left the ground, his hands had already completed the necessary seals:
Ninjutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Numerous snakes, thick as a man's arm, shot out rapidly from Orochimaru's right sleeve. Their mouths gaped open, revealing pairs of sharp, venomous fangs.
In an instant, the snakes swarmed Habara. Simultaneously, sharp, black blades erupted from Habara's body. With a casual spin, he sliced the attacking serpents into pieces, scattering their remains across the ground.
Freed from their entanglement, Orochimaru continued his backward trajectory, tracing a parabola before collapsing onto the yellow sand.
Orochimaru seemed to be taking blow after blow, yet Habara's brow furrowed. Although his attacks had landed, they lacked the solid feel of impact. It was more like punching konjac jelly.
A thought clicked in Habara's mind, and he understood. This must be Orochimaru's legendary Soft Physique Modification. In this state, even Tsunade could pummel Orochimaru's head with little effect, let alone Habara's strikes. Though Habara hit hard, his blows couldn't possibly be heavier than Tsunade's.
Blunt force wasn't very effective. Clearly, blades were still the way to go.
Orochimaru remained down, seemingly knocked out cold, but Habara saw the sand dune ahead begin to 'writhe' rapidly, the movement accelerating. Sensing the situation beneath the sand, Habara immediately took a step back. Almost simultaneous with his movement, a massive snake erupted from the spot where he had just been standing.
The giant serpent opened its maw, revealing Orochimaru nestled inside.
Habara took a sharp breath, then exhaled with maximum effort:
Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
A high-level fire jutsu facial—truly VIP treatment.
Intense flames poured into the snake's mouth. The stench of scorched flesh mingled with horrific hisses and the grotesque convulsions of the serpent's body.
Orochimaru burst from the flames, his skin reddened and wrinkled but functional. His hands flew through hand seals. Upon completion, he flicked his right wrist, and the Kusanagi Sword appeared in his grasp.
Facing the legendary blade slashing towards him, Habara didn't dare be careless. He manipulated the iron armor covering his body, thickening and reinforcing it around his right forearm before raising his arm to meet Orochimaru's sword.
CLANG!
With a deafening shriek of metal on metal, the Kusanagi's trajectory halted. However, living up to its legendary status, the blade's edge managed to cut partway into Habara's iron defenses.
Thankfully, Habara had prepared before blocking; otherwise, that strike might genuinely have pierced his armor.
Yet, before he could feel relieved, he saw Orochimaru whip his left elbow back, bringing forward the hand he'd kept hidden behind him. Habara's eyes locked onto the basketball-sized sphere of chakra nestled in Orochimaru's palm.
Rasengan? Of course not, though the shape was similar. This chakra mass wasn't rotating at high speed; instead, it seemed utterly 'quiet.'
Though it wasn't a Rasengan, Habara sensed an incredibly dense chakra reaction. In an instant, he recalled the hand seals Orochimaru had just performed—clearly, they weren't for summoning the Kusanagi.
The next moment, Orochimaru pressed the chakra sphere against Habara's chest.
A burst of high energy erupted. The dangerous power contained within the chakra sphere was released instantaneously, transforming into a cylindrical pulse of high-energy chakra that blasted through Habara's body.
Habara's usually infallible defense seemed completely bypassed. He felt as though a sledgehammer had struck his chest, his internal organs churning violently together. A wave of excruciating pain caused severe asphyxiation, and blood immediately surged up from his mouth.
He staggered back several steps, swaying precariously before managing to halt his fall, dropping to one knee on the ground.
His knee sank into the sand. The blood pouring from his mouth quickly stained the small area before him a deep brownish-red. Habara struggled to hold his breath. Lowering his head, he looked at his chest and saw that his armor was still perfectly intact.
"This is... a shockwave?"
Clearly, Orochimaru had just used a technique that struck internally, bypassing external defenses.
"A bit of a surprise, isn't it? A ninjutsu developed specifically to deal with enemies like you," Orochimaru said, addressing Habara's silent question.
Upon recognizing the existence of heavily armored ninja like Habara, Orochimaru naturally began preparing countermeasures. Or rather, having witnessed Habara use his unique Kekkei Genkai multiple times, and having even skirmished with him before, Orochimaru wouldn't be one of the Sannin if he hadn't taken notice and adapted.
What kind of ninjutsu is the most lethal? The answer is: unknown, poorly understood ninjutsu. Once witnessed, understood, and countered, even Habara's abilities were no longer invincible. For a ninja like Orochimaru, fighting Habara again was practically an open-book test.
So, how to deal with a heavily armored target? The answers were obvious. First, overwhelming blunt force—crushing strength overcoming all defenses. Second, 'armor-piercing' attacks. As Habara himself termed it, a 'shockwave' was an excellent method.
Heavy attacks are easier to dodge, so Orochimaru chose this method to teach Habara a lesson.
Habara hadn't anticipated this development. Damn it, who would have thought Orochimaru wouldn't stack attack power or ninjutsu potency, but instead opt for armor penetration?
Ninja seek change and improvement, especially shinobi like Orochimaru. Could one really expect battles against a Sannin to remain static and unchanging? Did people think Orochimaru wouldn't progress?
Orochimaru didn't just progress; he could practically evolve. Therefore, Habara couldn't really complain about taking this hit. A legendary Sannin had gone to the trouble of developing a new jutsu specifically to counter him; what grounds did Habara have for feeling wronged?
He felt the internal injuries acutely.
This highlighted his current limitations. Being able to use natural energy wasn't the same as mastering Sage Jutsu. A half-baked modified body wasn't equivalent to Sage Mode. The enhanced resilience of a Sage Mode body would undoubtedly offer better resistance; he probably wouldn't have been hit quite so hard by a single shockwave pulse.
Makeshift solutions, in the end, were still just makeshift.
"As I thought, you can't withstand vibration attacks," Orochimaru continued. "It's not just that you can't block this new ninjutsu in your current state; in fact, even in your strongest defensive mode... that is, after using that 'Eightfold Aegis' technique, you would likely struggle to completely block my attack. Your defensive capabilities are indeed formidable, and the offensive power derived from that defense often puts you in an invincible position. But Habara, you must understand a simple truth: no ninja in this world clings stubbornly to outdated methods forever."
Habara nodded, understanding Orochimaru's point—the same technique doesn't work twice on a Saint, basically. It made perfect sense.
"What's its name?" Habara asked.
"What?" Orochimaru paused, not immediately grasping the question.
"The name of this new ninjutsu," Habara clarified.
"Oh, that... Sakuma Divine Straight Thrust," Orochimaru replied, finally catching up to Habara's train of thought.
Ninjutsu: Sakuma Divine Straight Thrust... Habara reflected that Orochimaru's attack had indeed felt intensely direct, straight.
Orochimaru, however, had no intention of continuing the chat. To him, Kakashi's Sharingan was excellent research material, but Habara was equally valuable. In fact, Habara was originally his research material, one that had slipped through his fingers.
Orochimaru immediately performed a Summoning Jutsu. Countless small snakes, no thicker than a little finger, burrowed up from the sand around Habara. Each snake coiled, opened its mouth, and lunged, biting at various parts of Habara's body.
Habara's armor was still active, so the snakes bit down on a layer of iron. However, the expected crunch of fangs breaking didn't occur...
Instead, the armor began to rapidly dissolve beneath the small snakes' venomous fangs.
Seeing this, Habara hastily mobilized his chakra. An intense flash of lightning pulsed outwards, the high-voltage current instantly roasting the small snakes to charcoal. Clearly, these particular venomous snakes weren't known for their resilience.
But after dealing with the snakes, Habara felt no relief, only a growing unease. He had just effortlessly defeated Sasori of the Red Sand by exploiting his abilities' advantages, only to immediately suffer a major setback against Orochimaru.
It was predictable. As he became more active, his influence and recognition within the ninja world would increase. Consequently, enemy ninja would start devising ways to counter him, rendering his unique fighting style less and less invincible.
For example, if Habara had the chance to face Sasori again, could he win as easily as before?
Definitely not. Sasori wasn't an idiot.
Is my newbie bonus running out already? Habara sighed inwardly. Surviving in the ninja world was getting tougher and tougher.
He knew this wasn't the time for idle thoughts. Resolving the current battle was paramount. Pushing the extraneous ideas from his mind, he looked up, his lead-gray, metallic eyes meeting Orochimaru's gaze.
"Since Lord Orochimaru went to the trouble of using a new ninjutsu, perhaps I should employ some new techniques as well. Although I haven't truly finished developing this jutsu... well, there's no harm in trying."
Hearing this, Orochimaru didn't press the attack, instead adopting a 'show me what you've got' stance.
Despite his invincible armor being bypassed, Habara still had various other means to fight Orochimaru. However, he didn't resort to any fancy maneuvers. Instead, he chose the simplest, most brutal option.
What do you do when the enemy builds armor penetration?
The answer is: stack more armor. Stack it until the opponent despairs.
"Coincidentally, my jutsu's name also contains the character for 'Divine'..." Habara said as he began forming hand seals.
Of course, this 'Divine' wasn't from his Secret Ninja Art: Divine Maiden's Sacred Path. He still had some sense of shame.
As his hands completed the seals, Habara announced the name of his ninjutsu to Orochimaru:
"Ninjutsu: Sexagenary Cycle: Twelve Divine Generals!"
The seals he had just formed were less for casting the jutsu itself and more for completely unleashing his own chakra reserves.
A heart-stopping scale of chakra manifested around him. Immediately following, countless particles of Iron Sand began converging towards his position.
The sheer volume of Iron Sand surging through the air like a massive tide was a spectacular sight. It ebbed and flowed like the ocean, rushed like a bursting dam—seemingly chaotic, yet adhering to some underlying rule and order. Even the Iron Sand from the Third Kazekage puppet, temporarily abandoned nearby, was drawn over by this unique force.
As the Iron Sand gathered beneath Habara's feet, it began to reshape itself.
As they say...
Ninja gotta pilot giant mechs too.
A ninja who can't pilot a giant mech isn't a good ninja.