A ferocious dragon circled the skies, while a mysterious beast lurked in the depths of the ocean. For the first time, Yamata no Orochi felt the looming presence of death.
Orochimaru was right—its strength had indeed diminished greatly. Though it still retained Six Paths-level power, it was barely holding onto that status.
Deidara estimated that if an Edo Tensei version of Hashirama Senju were summoned, he could probably take down Yamata no Orochi single-handedly.
The key issue was that Yamata no Orochi relied solely on physical attacks. Its most notable weapon was the Kusanagi Sword, but its offensive methods were far too limited.
If it weren't necessary to capture it alive, Deidara could have simply unleashed a C4 Enhanced Type: Sun and ended the battle outright.
"Curse you, humans! Die!" Yamata no Orochi roared angrily. Its remaining three heads lunged toward Death Wings, attempting to free the head that had been captured.
One of the heads spat out a Kusanagi Sword, aiming to cleave the opposing dragon in half from above.
Splash!
A massive surge of water erupted as Leviathan's tentacles firmly gripped the head wielding the Kusanagi Sword, dragging it toward the depths of the ocean.
"Death Wings! Dragon Breath!"
An unimaginably intense flame erupted from Death Wings' mouth, engulfing one of Yamata no Orochi's heads before it could react. The head's surface was instantly scorched black.
Despite the searing heat and excruciating pain, Yamata no Orochi forced itself to bite down on Death Wings' neck.
At the same time, another head attacked from behind, sinking its teeth into Death Wings' back and tearing at it ferociously.
Roar!
Death Wings, controlled by Deidara, had an incredibly high defense. It engaged Yamata no Orochi in a brutal close-quarters battle without hesitation.
"Jiraiya-sama!"
"Got it!" Jiraiya responded, seizing the opportunity he had been waiting for.
"Sage Art: Earth Release: Earth Spears!"
Several massive spears of earth shot forward, targeting the snake head trapped in Death Wings' claws.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru wasn't idle either.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Two wooden dragons, resembling oversized worms, coiled tightly around the vulnerable spots of two other snake heads. While their impact was limited, the sensation of having its weak points constricted clearly affected Yamata no Orochi.
The captured snake head roared in fury, struggling desperately, but it couldn't break free from Death Wings' grip in the short term.
Yamata no Orochi was fighting with everything it had, but Deidara's clay creations had no concept of life or death. Why would they fear a battle of attrition? Even if Yamata no Orochi managed to destroy Death Wings, it wouldn't matter.
With a final, desperate scream of rage, Yamata no Orochi lost another head.
Now, only three remained.
"I'll kill you all! I'll kill every last one of you!"
"Bring it on!" Deidara taunted.
With one head still pinned underwater by Leviathan, Yamata no Orochi could only move the remaining two freely.
Both heads spat out Kusanagi Swords, which extended to extraordinary lengths as they swung in intersecting arcs. This time, the swords seemed to disregard even their own safety.
Wait—disregard?
The swords didn't strike Deidara or his allies but instead severed the head that Leviathan had pinned underwater.
Deidara was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing Yamata no Orochi's intention.
"Not good! That thing's trying to escape!"
Sure enough, the previously raging and seemingly irrational Yamata no Orochi suddenly dove into the water, abandoning its severed head to make a swift retreat.
Leviathan, under Deidara's control, immediately pursued, its tentacles extending in an attempt to grab hold of the fleeing serpent.
However, Leviathan's design prioritized combat power over mobility. Its speed was no match for Yamata no Orochi's.
At that moment, an unexpected voice rang out.
Orochimaru shouted from behind Leviathan, "Deidara, throw me over there!"
"Throw you?"
Although Deidara had no idea what Orochimaru was planning, how could he refuse such an intriguing request?
Leviathan extended a tentacle, wrapping it around Orochimaru's waist and lifting him horizontally.
"What are you planning, Deidara?" Orochimaru frowned, sensing that something wasn't quite right.
Before he could get an answer, another tentacle smacked him hard on the rear, launching him at high speed toward Yamata no Orochi.
"Deidara, throw me too," Jiraiya called out. "But do it properly, or I'll tell your little girlfriend about your... Icha Icha Paradise habits."
There was no way Jiraiya was going to let himself be humiliated like Orochimaru. At his age, such embarrassment would be unbearable.
"Fine." Deidara shrugged. Another of Leviathan's tentacles picked up Jiraiya and hurled him toward Yamata no Orochi.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already reached the water's surface. He dove in gracefully, turning to face the rapidly retreating Yamata no Orochi.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!"
The three tomoe in Orochimaru's eyes spun, transforming into a windmill-like pattern. He had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Urgh!
Yamata no Orochi let out a low, involuntary sound as its massive body came to an abrupt halt.
It was hard to believe that Orochimaru's Mangekyō Sharingan could affect even a Six Paths-level opponent.
Seeing the effects of his Mangekyō, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
When he transferred his soul into Uzumaki Yusuke's body, the intense psychological stimulation had triggered the awakening of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Orochimaru's Mangekyō possessed two unique abilities. The first was the one he had just used on Yamata no Orochi—a genjutsu he called Dream Illusion (Phantom Dream).
Strictly speaking, this technique wasn't a traditional genjutsu. It merely put the target's consciousness into a temporary slumber, with the drawback that any damage would immediately wake them up.
While its effects were limited, it could influence targets far beyond Orochimaru's own level.
For Orochimaru, it was incredibly practical. With it, he could initiate a Reincarnation Transfer without having to physically subdue his target first.
As for the second ability, it provided Orochimaru with near-complete immunity to genjutsu.
This was likely a result of Orochimaru's lingering resentment over being humiliated by Itachi's illusions. It also proved invaluable in mental battles within the Reincarnation Space.
"Orochimaru, what are you planning?" Jiraiya asked warily, noticing that Orochimaru had also transformed into an eight-headed serpent.
"To become a true god, of course!" Orochimaru declared without hesitation.
He dove straight into Yamata no Orochi's mouth, initiating another Reincarnation Transfer.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan enhancing his soul, Orochimaru was no longer bound by the three-year cooldown period.
"Wait! That's an ancient god you're dealing with! Are you sure you can succeed just by diving in like that?" Jiraiya shouted in concern.
Orochimaru's calm response echoed back: "Jiraiya, you truly are a fool."
"In the pursuit of truth, even death is worth it."
This was the perfect opportunity. Yamata no Orochi was at its weakest.
If it were allowed to recover, it might choose to self-destruct rather than give Orochimaru the chance to take over its body.
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