In Konoha, there was a saying not widely spread but deeply etched in the hearts of high-level shinobi.
That was—once Yuhara stood in the sky, it meant he was at his most dangerous.
Among Konoha's upper echelon, they had basically concluded that Yuhara possessed a terrifying ability: the power of flight.
When that flying ability was paired with Yuhara's divine, unpredictable aerial swordsmanship, everything became unimaginably deadly.
From the massacre of those dozens of Root members to the public slaughter of Danzō and his men using that massive giant wielding a ninja blade—every bit of it left a deep impression on Konoha's shinobi, especially its leadership.
They didn't know where Yuhara learned such swordsmanship, but that elegant, graceful dance of blades was burned into their minds!
If they were to witness the current scene, they wouldn't even need to see Yuhara's face—just the blade technique alone would give him away.
Even Orochimaru, despite his intel from Konoha, hadn't gotten much from high-level sources, so his knowledge was limited.
But his danger instincts were sharp—as soon as Yuhara moved, Orochimaru's chakra surged in reaction.
Yuhara's blade was already slicing down, wind-infused chakra arcs whipping through the air, swarming Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's expression turned grave. With a bizarre backward bend, he narrowly dodged the incoming strikes.
But Yuhara's attacks were too fast, and the wind blades too dense.
Even with his fast reactions and swift movement, Orochimaru's body was still slashed—inevitable once airborne.
Yuhara hadn't used the Sharingan yet, so his Waterbird Waltz wasn't at its peak. Missing a fatal strike was no surprise.
"But this guy... is disgusting."
Orochimaru's body slithered like a snake, twisting in ways no human should be able to—clearly, he had fully undergone soft-body modifications.
Otherwise, how could anyone twist their body like that?
Regardless, Orochimaru's contortions let him dodge the fatal hit.
As Yuhara's wave of attacks ended, Orochimaru seized the opening and launched a furious counterattack.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing filled the air as their weapons collided over and over.
Each strike came faster, harder, more vicious.
Orochimaru's expression stayed grim. Though he was intrigued by Yuhara's sword technique, he hadn't expected it to be this strange.
"To mold wind chakra into your swordsmanship like this... rare, and certainly powerful."
Orochimaru murmured to himself. He wasn't a sword specialist, but he wasn't lacking either.
Yet now he found himself being suppressed—he had to take it seriously.
No wonder this guy dared face him alone, even knowing who he was. He had both confidence and power to back it up.
"When did the ninja world birth someone like this? Judging by their style, they probably belong to some organization too.
Just who are they? With such strength, they shouldn't be unknown."
Orochimaru mused quietly, then quickly set aside the thought—he'd ask after the fight anyway.
Besides, he wasn't planning to just keep clashing swords.
He was a shinobi, not some relic of the samurai era.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Blocking a ferocious slash, Orochimaru twisted in unnaturally, his left hand transforming into several long snakes lunging at Yuhara.
Yuhara stayed calm, slightly angling his blade and stabbing toward Orochimaru's hand.
"Poof!"
Blade met snake—Orochimaru's snakes dispersed into smoke.
As the two figures crossed paths, Orochimaru suddenly paused—just a fraction of a second.
But that pause made him miss Yuhara's movement.
A long sword, cloaked in blue chakra, stabbed toward Yuhara's abdomen—
"Poof!"
Yuhara's body exploded into smoke—just wooden planks remained.
Orochimaru's coordination was terrifying. To suddenly stop mid-movement and launch an attack—most people couldn't react.
But Yuhara had.
Though he wasn't using the Sharingan, his reflexes had been super-enhanced by Dark Scythe and the Ascension Steps.
He used a substitution technique the instant he sensed danger.
Landing safely atop a tree, Yuhara glanced at his sleeve—his arm had a blade-cut gash, though his skin wasn't hurt.
Orochimaru's inhuman coordination and ghost-like strength made him ridiculously dangerous.
Yuhara managing to escape with only a torn sleeve was already impressive.
He took a deep breath, eyes locked on Orochimaru, ready to strike again.
"Interesting. Your swordsmanship... really is interesting. I admit—just using blades, I'm no match for you."
Orochimaru licked his tongue, eyeing Yuhara with a soft chuckle.
"Unfortunately, the one guy I knew who was good with swords... is dead. Maybe you two would've gotten along."
"You mean, Sakumo Hatake?"
Yuhara raised an eyebrow—he didn't expect such praise from Orochimaru. It made him slightly happy.
Still, as an enemy and undercover agent, he couldn't expose himself as from Konoha. His tone remained cold.
"Shame. I heard he committed suicide over gossip. Someone that weak-willed... was he really like you said?"
"You misunderstand. As someone who experienced it firsthand, I can tell you—Sakumo wasn't like that at all."
For a moment, Orochimaru seemed to soften, nostalgia creeping in.
"He was dragged into political power plays. Outwardly warm, but inwardly proud. He couldn't stand false accusations, so he took an extreme stance to show his will.
It looked foolish—his ideals were outdated, belonging to the age of samurai. But now... it's the age of shinobi."
Orochimaru paused. Behind the mask, Yuhara's face grew strange.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to hold Sakumo in such high regard—seemed they were close?
Yuhara didn't know much about that, having arrived late in the timeline. But he wondered—maybe Orochimaru resonated because he too was a political casualty?
"Enough side talk. Let's finish what we started."
Orochimaru shook his head and locked eyes with Yuhara, then smiled.
"Just so you know, the game's only just begun. Are you ready?"
To Orochimaru, this fight might as well be a game—he had the power and confidence.
"Ninja Art: Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru clapped his hands together.
A summoning array flared beneath him, and countless snakes burst forth, hurling themselves at Yuhara.
Yuhara stayed on guard, slicing rapidly with his blade—snake heads dropped everywhere.
Those snakes, with triangular heads and foul-smelling mouths, were clearly venomous.
A single bite would be fatal—even with insane healing abilities, that venom would take him down.
Luckily, Yuhara wasn't new to snakes. Before crossing into this world, he lived in southern China—home to nearly all venomous snakes in the country.
Though they creeped him out, he didn't panic.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru closed the distance, sword stabbing toward Yuhara.
Yuhara blocked the strike—but there were too many snakes!
To dodge their bites, he had to twist and slash constantly—no room to use ninjutsu.
That gave Orochimaru an opening—he spun and kicked toward Yuhara's gut.
Yuhara, ever fast, twisted midair and leapt back—his chakra shield absorbed the blow.
"Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Although Orochimaru missed with one strike, he didn't pause at all. As his chakra surged wildly, countless venomous snakes—impossible to count—poured out from his sleeves.
Yuhara immediately swung his blade to block. As he twisted mid-air and landed, he quickly cut down two of the snakes.
But Orochimaru was already upon him, moving like a shadow, and sent another kick flying toward Yuhara.
This time, though, Yuhara seemed prepared. The moment Orochimaru's kick connected, the Yuhara that flew back turned into a wooden log. The real Yuhara calmly perched on a nearby tree.
Orochimaru slightly raised his head and looked in Yuhara's direction. His casual demeanor made it clear—he still wasn't going all out.
"What a ridiculously dangerous guy," Yuhara muttered to himself. Although he had judged Orochimaru as manageable, that was under the assumption he could use genjutsu.
Without relying on illusions, Orochimaru's power was still impressive—if not top-tier, then not far from it.
An opponent like this was rare for Yuhara, who currently had trouble finding worthy challengers.
Strictly speaking, Uchiha Fugaku and Shisui weren't any weaker than him—maybe even stronger when it came to using the Mangekyō.
But those two likely wouldn't go all out against him; after all, Yuhara was the Uchiha clan head.
Orochimaru showing up now happened to fill that need for a solid opponent.
Especially after all the power-ups and body enhancements, Yuhara wanted to test himself without relying on the Sharingan.
He truly didn't want to become someone who'd be helpless in battle the moment he lost his eyes.
Just look at Madara—even without Sharingan, heck, even without eyes, he could still beat Sasuke half to death.
Yuhara had always seen that previous clan head as a goal and an idol. If Madara could do it, he wanted to as well.
"Orochimaru's already using jutsu. That means I can't keep holding back either. And if needed… I'll use the Sharingan to control him!"
Yuhara believed Orochimaru was someone who could keep his mouth shut.
Even if he figured out Yuhara's secret, unless he could completely overpower Yuhara, he wouldn't dare expose it.
Orochimaru had always been a pragmatic man. Even if he wanted to blackmail Yuhara, he'd carefully weigh the consequences.
At worst, he'd just try to squeeze some benefits out of it.
With that thought, Yuhara moved swiftly. He stabbed his sword into the ground and quickly formed hand seals. In an instant, his jutsu was ready!
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
His hand seals were so fast they were barely visible. The next moment, he unleashed it.
Three enormous fire dragons surged from his mouth, roaring as they flew straight at Orochimaru, blazing with intense heat.
This time, he didn't use his signature black flames like he did against Danzō, just normal fire.
But even so, thanks to his massive chakra reserves, the scale of the jutsu was terrifying.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Seeing the incoming flames, Orochimaru didn't hesitate—he began forming hand seals.
Even so, he couldn't help but click his tongue. Fire Style wasn't rare—his own teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was great at it.
But no one used it like this. Facing such an overwhelming jutsu, Orochimaru could deduce two things:
One, this guy was going all out. Otherwise, casting a jutsu like that would drain him dry.
Two, this man wasn't just a sword specialist—his ninjutsu was nothing to scoff at either.
For someone like this, fire techniques of that scale might just be part of his standard combat routine. That made him an even bigger problem.
"Boom!"
As the roaring fire dragons clashed with Orochimaru's earthen defense, a muffled explosion echoed across the plain.
Orochimaru quickly retreated. His earth wall couldn't hold up against those fire dragons—especially not when the guy launched three at once.
"Looks like I have to get serious."
Orochimaru's mind turned sharp. His speed increased again.
Two fire dragons lunged toward him. But with a light movement, he pierced one with his sword!
Normally, Yuhara could only find jutsu weaknesses instantly with Sharingan. But Orochimaru had done it purely through experience and intuition!
He didn't stop moving. After taking down one dragon, he flipped and leapt back, cleanly dodging the second.
He moved so gracefully, the massive fire dragons ended up looking like props for his stage show.
But Yuhara wasn't about to let him keep showing off.
The moment Orochimaru dodged, Yuhara completed another set of hand seals.
This time, the chakra that burst forth even made Orochimaru's expression change.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A firestorm exploded with overwhelming force—so intense it looked like the entire plain was about to be incinerated.
"Ninja Art: Triple Rashōmon!"
Facing such a monstrous jutsu, even Orochimaru didn't dare hold back—he instantly activated his strongest defense.
Watching the blazing inferno rage across the field, Orochimaru frowned. Even he couldn't casually approach something like that.
But this level of fire jutsu made him think of a certain clan.
Fire techniques might be common, even overused—but to reach this level required both immense chakra and powerful jutsu.
Very few in the ninja world could pull that off.
But in Konoha, there was one clan known for this kind of fire style mastery—none other than the famous Uchiha!
"Is he an Uchiha?"
Looking at the robed and masked figure before him, Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed.
Especially when he stared into those eyes—he couldn't stop wondering.
But he couldn't confirm anything just yet—because this guy still hadn't used the Sharingan!
To be this powerful without it, and with such brilliant swordsmanship…
He felt like he had an answer—but then again, maybe not.
"BOOM!"
Just as Orochimaru was deep in thought, the sea of fire crashed into his Triple Rashōmon.
In an instant, the gates were engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing up into the sky as the Rashōmon began to crack apart.
"Captain, what the hell is going on?"
In the distance, a member of the Iwagakure unit finally couldn't hold back his confusion as he stared at the overwhelming blaze.
He wasn't alone—many of the Iwa-nin sent to take over the frontlines were visibly stunned and baffled.
To produce such a massive inferno, you'd need at least dozens of skilled Fire Style users casting simultaneously—and not just any random group either.
But the frontline they were heading toward was Hoshigakure's. Did that small village even have that many high-level fire ninjas?
Of course not, they thought. If it were Sunagakure, maybe. Could it be a major Sand force?
But the moment that idea surfaced, they shook their heads. The front in the Land of Bears was long—if Suna had deployed their full army, Iwa would've gotten intel by now.
And if their defenses were left open, Iwa would've already pushed through. They wouldn't be that careless.
As for reinforcements? That was laughable.
Everyone knew how poor Suna was. Even though Rasa used his Gold Dust techniques to mint gold and raise funds, their environment made farming nearly impossible.
They had to import all their food—even water.
Once you factored in military costs and the Wind Daimyō's reluctance to support them after their war failures, even wringing Rasa dry wouldn't keep them afloat.
They only managed to hold on because they occupied part of the Land of Rivers—but guess who's across that river?
Konoha. The same Konoha that beat Suna into submission in the Third War and forced them into a treaty.
Sure, those two villages had a "treaty," but everyone knew it was sketchy. Otherwise, why would Konoha maintain such a heavy military presence near the river?
"I don't know exactly, but this won't be simple,"
the Iwa captain muttered with a grim face, staring at the firestorm before sighing.
"Let's wait a bit. If we still don't know what's going on, we leave. Hmph, I told you those mercenary ninjas couldn't be trusted."
But just as he finished speaking, he froze.
So did the other Iwa-nin. Their expressions turned tense as they saw two figures slowly walking out of the flames. At the same time, the firestorm began to fade.
The Rashōmon technique was incredibly defensive. Even though Orochimaru's version couldn't match Hashirama's Fivefold Rashōmon, it still had formidable strength.
With constant chakra reinforcement from Orochimaru, the Great Fire Annihilation had enveloped the gates—but hadn't harmed him in the slightest.
That said, Yuhara's firepower was terrifying. Under such intense flames, the first gate broke almost immediately upon contact.
The second held on for a while, finally shattering as the fire technique faded. The third managed to block the remnants of the blaze.
Even Orochimaru frowned slightly at this sight. He'd anticipated strong fire jutsu—but this level exceeded expectations.
"Could he really be Uchiha? This kind of firepower… if I'm not mistaken, that's the Great Fire Annihilation, right? Only that jutsu could produce such scale."
Ninjas didn't usually yell out their techniques mid-fight—in the anime it's just internal monologue.
Orochimaru didn't know what exact jutsu Yuhara had used, but the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was—these two had to be Uchiha.
"If they really are Uchiha… why are they here as mercenaries? Money? That clan's not exactly hurting for funds. What's going on?"
He was deep in thought when—suddenly—Yuhara appeared right in front of him. His sword slashed straight for Orochimaru's head.
The speed was on a completely different level from before—and Orochimaru instantly realized it wasn't just speed. It was space manipulation.
"Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Being a seasoned veteran, Orochimaru knew he couldn't dodge in time. His chakra surged instantly.
Shlick!
Yuhara's blade sliced clean through Orochimaru's neck—his head flew off.
But bizarrely, the standing body didn't bleed. Instead, after the sword passed through, a new head suddenly pushed itself out of the stump.
The grotesque new head lunged outward, and from the gory opening, a brand-new, unscathed body oozed out, covered in slime.
Yuhara frowned. He slashed again—but Orochimaru twisted like a snake, barely dodging while countering with a stab toward Yuhara's chest.
To Orochimaru's surprise, Yuhara didn't even try to dodge.
As the sword struck, a surge of bright blue chakra blocked the blade from piercing his chest.
"What is this…"
Orochimaru was stunned. That kind of chakra-based defense looked eerily similar to the Lightning Armor from Kumogakure.
But he didn't dwell on it. In a flash, his left hand lashed out, chakra exploding from it.
"Ninja Art: Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A swarm of venomous snakes burst from his right sleeve, reeking with a nauseating stench.
Yuhara's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't panic—he had plenty of defensive options.
Still, just to be safe from those toxic snake mouths, he used Void Walk to pull away and create distance.
But just as he moved back, before launching another attack, Orochimaru suddenly spoke:
"You're using space-time ninjutsu, aren't you?"
"Hah, nothing gets past you, Lord Orochimaru. Caught that, did you?" Yuhara replied smoothly, unsure what Orochimaru was getting at.
Then he realized—his response sounded kinda passive-aggressive.
But neither of them seemed to care.
Orochimaru just kept watching him and shook his head.
"Space-time techniques—once I see one, I never forget it. I watched Minato Namikaze grow up, after all.
But your version is interesting. Unlike Minato's that needs specific seals to teleport silently, yours explodes with chakra.
That burst can hurt your enemies—but it also makes you much easier to track."
Yuhara's expression, hidden beneath his mask, turned strange.
Was Orochimaru… analyzing his jutsu mid-fight?
Was this still a battle? What the hell was this snake planning?
"You look like you're wondering why I'm talking so much, right?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, then smiled slightly and continued,
"Honestly, it's not a big deal. I'm just really interested and curious about your space-time jutsu.
Of course, don't get me wrong—I'm not planning anything. The moment I saw you could use that technique, I knew I probably can't kill you.
And I think I've figured out your hidden identity. If I'm right, you're not someone I can handle... so I've got no intention of fighting you anymore."
Yuhara's face twisted a little. He really didn't think he'd exposed himself.
Was it the swordsmanship?
No way. That kind of style could be written off easily—he could just claim he learned it elsewhere.
He hadn't used the Sharingan this whole time, so that wasn't it.
As for Void Step, come on—barely anyone in Konoha even knew about it.
Only Kakashi and Shikaku Nara had a clue, and neither would leak it to Orochimaru.
Yuhara figured Orochimaru was probably bluffing. So he just silently stared, waiting to see what trick the snake had up his sleeve next.
What he didn't expect—was Orochimaru's next words completely froze him.
"Third Lord, are we really going to check it out?"
Behind the Hoshigakure frontlines, the Third Hoshikage was hurrying over with a few close aides. His actions puzzled them.
They'd already paid—shouldn't they just sit back and wait for results? Why go see for themselves?
Among them, Natsuka was the most confused. As one of the village's few jōnin and a top user of the Peacock Technique, she had the right to ask.
"Natsuka, I know you're confused. But there are things I must verify personally."
The Third Hoshikage spoke calmly. He didn't want to explain too much, but since these were his most trusted people, he opened up a little.
Yuhara's forceful behavior had inspired confidence—but also sparked unease and doubt.
His main question: with strength like that, why would they take a job from a small village like Hoshigakure? What were they really after?
As the village leader, he had to stay cautious. Otherwise, they'd have been destroyed long ago.
And truthfully, he had another goal—he wanted to see for himself how powerful these cocky bastards really were.
If they were strong enough, maybe they could work together long-term. He didn't even mind paying extra commissions.
He had gold, but with the big nations locking them out, gold was just scrap metal unless he could circulate it.
He wouldn't waste such a resource offending obviously powerful individuals.
And if he could build ties with them, they might help him get things his village desperately needed.
But if they turned out weak? He wasn't about to let the humiliation slide.
That act in his office still burned in his mind.
"What… is that?"
When they arrived near the frontlines, a wave of scorching heat hit them, and everyone's expression changed.
Something was clearly wrong—the heat was way too intense.
They exchanged glances and rushed forward. Soon, they noticed all the frontline shinobi were frozen in shock, staring ahead.
When they followed their gaze, they too were stunned.
Somehow, the entire area in front of the frontline had turned into a sea of fire!
"Did… those two do this?"
The Third Hoshikage was baffled. He kept pushing forward, and the others had no choice but to follow.
When they reached a path carved straight through the blaze, they were utterly stunned by what they saw.
"You're Uchiha, aren't you? And I'd guess... you're the new clan head, the one with the strongest eyes?"
Orochimaru's words hit like a bomb, freezing Yuhara in place. He hadn't expected the snake to be this sharp.
He'd kept his abilities restrained, only used standard combat and space-time jutsu—there was no way he should've been outed.
Yuhara looked at him calmly and finally spoke.
"Oh? You think I'm Uchiha? Seems like Lord Orochimaru has quite the imagination.
Did you see me use the Sharingan? If I really had those eyes, I doubt you'd still be here chatting with me."
"At first, I wasn't sure. But now I am."
Orochimaru smiled as he licked his lips again.
"What made me suspect you at first… was your Fire Style. Sure, fire jutsu is common—but what you did? That's something else.
Even my former teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't pull off that scale of fire jutsu.
But there is one clan in this world that could. The Uchiha."
He paused, watching Yuhara's non-reaction, then continued.
"Of course, that alone wasn't enough to confirm it. But your earlier reply sealed the deal.
I never mentioned how strong the Sharingan was—but you immediately responded as if you knew everything about it.
That kind of specific knowledge? It's not something a random mercenary would have access to.
As for your current eyes? Maybe you're using some eye-concealing trick. Or maybe… you're testing your power without the Mangekyō."
Yuhara's face twitched. He thought Orochimaru's logic was a stretch—but on reflection, realized the snake might not even care about a basic three-tomoe Sharingan.
He'd assumed Orochimaru meant Mangekyō—because he knew full well how powerful it was.
"Your silence tells me I'm right."
Orochimaru smiled again.
"Seems you really are Uchiha Yuhara—the one who killed Shimura Danzo and made waves in Konoha.
I am curious, though. What's someone like you doing all the way out here? Investigating Uchiha Itachi, perhaps?"
"Some questions are better left unasked, Lord Orochimaru."
Yuhara dropped the act. His voice returned to normal, his eyes glowing blood-red as eerie chakra locked onto Orochimaru.
"Didn't think you'd be this sharp. All it took was a fire jutsu to out me.
Still, I've got a question—do you know that prying into things you shouldn't can get you killed?"
"Oh, I know. But I've no plans to keep fighting you."
Orochimaru's voice rasped with laughter. Yuhara could feel his chakra surging—his body tensed up, clearly ready to flee.
"Your goals, your plans—I don't care. Even if you're genuinely trying to help Hoshigakure, it's not my business.
Here's a freebie though: Iwagakure is about to take over that base behind you."
As he spoke, Orochimaru began sinking into the ground, clearly intending to leave.
"But next time we meet, Clan Head Yuhara… be ready. I'll have a gift waiting for you!"
With that, Orochimaru vanished—so fast and clean that even Yuhara had to admit it was impressive.
He hadn't expected to be exposed just from a fire jutsu. That was the part that really got him.
"Guess I'll have to be more careful next time… especially when I don't want to blow my cover."
Yuhara sighed again, looking toward where Orochimaru vanished.
"What a shame… that was ninety million."
(End of chapter)
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 30+ at patreon.com/Emik01.