"That Jiraiya!"
Shinnosuke froze.
As the son of the Third who never became the Third's student, and with Jiraiya being the way he was...
Honestly, deep down, he had always held some resentment toward Jiraiya.
"He's grown too. Don't underestimate him completely."
Shinku Yuhi murmured softly.
Of course,
Among the three, the most frustrated was Gekko Nightdance.
Seeing how even Jiraiya had fought so fiercely while he himself acted like a complete idiot, getting instantly taken out by poison mist upon entering.
That's a total disgrace!
"Ah! It hurts, it hurts! Huh? Where is this place?"
Jiraiya had just regained consciousness, still groaning in pain when he noticed his pitch-black surroundings.
"Observation Room."
Shinnosuke answered with complex emotions.
"Oh, so you guys could see everything all along!"
Forgetting about his pain entirely, Jiraiya rushed to take a seat, excitedly staring at the screen.
Kakashi Windseer shot him a glance.
He didn't say anything, but clearly wasn't very approving of Jiraiya's behavior.
However, since the fight on the screen had reached a crucial moment, he kept his comments to himself and focused fully on the battle unfolding.
"There's a high chance of another ambush at the front pass. Sakumo's Ninjutsu has excessive damage output. Yōmu Swamp won't work anymore."
Orochimaru felt a headache coming.
"If I use Summoning Technique—"
Why was Jiraiya severely injured?
Because he activated Yōmu Swamp, giving Sakumo an opportunity.
Under such high-speed attacks, even a brief hesitation could prove fatal.
"It's too slow, and they might not have the capability to repeat such an attack."
Before Tsunade finished speaking, she already charged forward.
Hesitate and you're defeated!
One punch.
The mountain pass completely collapsed from the impact.
"This Monstrous Strength is terrifying!"
Not far away, Shishio was wiping the cold sweat from his forehead while fleeing.
Actually, he had intended to set up another ambush at the pass and try to buy time with a delay-and-drag strategy.
"Tsunade may seem impulsive, but most of the time, her actions are rational impulses."
While running, Sakumo explained.
"You mustn't strike unless you're sure to finish her off."
After thinking about it, Shishio realized that was indeed the case.
Tsunade's monstrous regeneration ability made ordinary injuries practically useless against her unless you aimed for a one-hit kill.
He didn't have that kind of power, so his only option now was Chidori.
"Is Chidori ready again?"
"Not yet. My hand can barely move right now."
Gasping for breath, Sakumo poured massive chakra into his blade in one last attempt to land a killing blow.
The chakra surged through the Raijin Sword, unleashing terrifying power—but also severely injuring his hand.
"Then run."
Upon hearing that, Shishio had no choice either. Such a level of killing blow naturally carried unavoidable side effects.
Fortunately, both were fast, making it difficult for Tsunade and Orochimaru to catch up temporarily.
After a long chase, Sunagakure Village finally appeared within sight.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Orochimaru called out to Tsunade. He sensed something unsettling about this location.
"What to wait for? Charge forward and kill them."
Still slightly out of breath, Tsunade pushed off with her foot and launched herself again, aiming directly at possible hiding spots with a powerful kick.
Boom!
The shelter that worked before had collapsed—it wasn't nearly as strong as the last one.
At this moment,
Zizi—
"Not good."
Orochimaru quickly leapt in front of Tsunade and pressed both palms onto the ground.
Summoning Jutsu!
A gigantic serpent burst from the earth, raising its head high and letting out a loud hiss.
Silvery lightning flashed as an electric current streaked through the air.
One slash! The serpent was sliced clean through the waist. Orochimaru yanked Tsunade sideways, twisting just in time to narrowly avoid the attack.
However,
From beneath the collapsing rocks, a figure struggled to emerge.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Highly condensed chakra transformed into a massive fireball that erupted from below.
With a thunderous roar,
Sand and rock melted into molten lava.
Tsunade was already somewhat fatigued and, with Orochimaru pulling her along forcefully, she couldn't dodge the strike nimbly—hit head-on by the blazing fireball.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Harrowing screams echoed across Sunagakure Village and the Observation Room.
Indeed, Tsunade possessed strong vitality.
Despite being struck directly by the fireball, she wasn't immediately killed—but this didn't mean she was unscathed.
Tsunade had completely lost her ability to move when, in the next instant, a kunai pierced straight through her heart.
"Tsunade has been eliminated. The killer is Mitashigo Shishio."
However,
Buried beneath the rubble, Mitashigo Shishio could no longer move either.
He had taken the residual shockwave from Tsunade's Monstrous Strength kick and sustained injuries from the collapsing wall, suffering heavy damage.
"Hehehe… I leave it to you now."
Mumbling faintly and half-dazed, he spoke to himself.
Orochimaru remained silent for a while before throwing a kunai.
"Mitashigo Shishio has been eliminated. The killer is Orochimaru."
An extremely brutal battle.
"This fight seems destined to end in life or death."
Orochimaru clenched his fist.
Even someone as calm as him felt his blood boiling.
"Of course."
Sakumo Hatake exhaled heavily. The target of his sword strike earlier had never truly intended to kill Tsunade, so he had only used half his strength.
Though exhausted, he was still ready to keep fighting.
Orochimaru seemed unharmed on the surface but had continuously summoned countless small snakes in a carpet-style search earlier. Combined with summoning the giant serpent just now, his chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
However,
Next, Orochimaru pulled a handful of pills from his pocket.
"What is that?"
Sakumo Hatake hesitated slightly. From his own pocket, he retrieved the exact same type of pill.
Since each bottle contained many such pills, he was certain it wasn't an antidote, so he didn't think much of it.
Looks like these were recovery pills.
Without hesitation, he took several and tossed them into his mouth.
Instantly, Sakumo Hatake felt his chakra and energy returning, even the physical pain easing significantly.
However, the effect was temporary.
Inhaling deeply, Sakumo Hatake gripped the Raijin Sword tightly.
"Wind counters lightning. This is a match I have no reason to lose."
Orochimaru said calmly.
"Mind games won't work on me—show me what you've really got."
Flagpole Sakumo Hatake turned and began running toward Sunagakure Village.
There was no poison mist within Sunagakure Village. After taking the antidote to clear the remaining toxin, it would become his base.
"You won't get that chance."
As Orochimaru spoke, his hands completed the hand seals instantly.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Blade Wave]
Shards of wind continued to slash toward Sakumo, blocking his escape routes. As he spat out the Wind Blades, he steadily closed the distance on Sakumo.
His hands behind his back had already closed around Flying Swallow.
Melee combat!
Sakumo caught on immediately. While dodging the Vacuum Wave, he tightened his grip on the sword handle.
As both men approached within range, they simultaneously accelerated.
Clang!
Flying Swallow and Raijin Sword collided, producing a crisp metallic sound.
"Weapon?"
Taken aback, Sakumo quickly withdrew force and prepared to retreat.
Orochimaru immediately counterattacked. His claw blades moved like lightning. Combined with Soft Physique Modification, the twin blades struck from bizarre angles. On top of that came gusting Wind Blades, making his attack range unpredictable.
What annoying weapons!
Sakumo kept slashing to defend himself, but Flying Swallow attacked too fast. He began struggling to keep pace.
No choice—
Chidori Current!
Lightning surged through his body, temporarily driving Orochimaru back. At the same time, electricity flared along his blade.
Orochimaru immediately stepped away.
Yet, it was only a regular slash.
Even so, the sheer power and speed were terrifying. If Orochimaru hadn't retreated just now, his arm would've been injured.
[Hatake Style Sword Technique!]
Orochimaru's expression grew serious.
Though the Hatake Clan had once been samurai, unlike other samurai clans, when the ninja era began, they integrated into the chakra system, gradually developing a mature style of ninja swordsmanship.
Hatake Style wasn't flashy—it emphasized speed, precision, and lethality. But combined with Lightning Release chakra, both the cutting speed and impact became astonishingly powerful, not to mention the additional numbing effect.
Continuous slashes followed without pause, offering no chance to catch one's breath.
What bothered Orochimaru most were the intermittent buzzing sounds—deceiving him about whether the next strike would truly be Chidori Blade.
Flying Swallow was strong, but its shorter reach worked against Sakumo. After prolonged combat, he slowly started losing ground.
"Orochimaru, you've lost."
Sakumo spoke while swinging his sword.
"Absurd."
Gasping for breath, Orochimaru refused to admit defeat. But then—
Suddenly, brilliant sword light erupted.
Blades flashed, leaving fresh wounds across Orochimaru's body.
Too fast to react!
Unable to defend himself, Orochimaru felt shocked in his heart.
Yet moments later, Sakumo's sword slowed down again.
They clashed back and forth until the blade suddenly surged forward with the full power and speed of Chidori Blade, delivering a brutal, short-ranged strike.
Eventually—Sakumo drove his sword through Orochimaru's throat.
[Eliminated: Orochimaru. Killer: Sakumo Hatake.]
However,
At the same time, Sakumo could no longer move either.
His chakra was depleted, both hands nearly useless—he could no longer take potions at all.
[Eliminated: Sakumo Hatake. Cause of death: Poisonous mist.]
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