Orochimaru's regenerative ability was among the strongest in the entire ninja world.
Even if every bone in his body was shattered, his internal organs turned to pulp, and his brain shaken into jelly—he could fully recover within three or four seconds, thanks to the years of inhumane modifications and experiments he had subjected himself to.
In desperate moments, when facing overwhelming enemies, he could even compress that healing time down to just one second.
But—
Logan raised a single finger and pointed at Orochimaru.
"One second? You won't even get that."
An overwhelming fear surrounded Orochimaru.
"No, don't—"
His plea was cut short.
Because a roar resounded across the sky, shaking the earth.
"ORA!"
Star Platinum grabbed Orochimaru's neck with one hand and raised its right fist high into the air.
Since reaching Level 3, Star Platinum's power and speed had skyrocketed.
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"
In less than half a second, Orochimaru's body was utterly destroyed.
But it wasn't just the sheer physical force of Star Platinum's blows.
Each punch carried a trace of wind and thunder, transmitted through Logan's ripple and natural energy.
That power didn't just break bones or rupture organs—it pierced Orochimaru's very cells.
And that's where the horror began.
His legendary regeneration faltered.
Some of his cells began to rapidly regenerate by burning through his lifespan.
Some simply died on the spot.
And some—most terrifying of all—mutated.
They became something Orochimaru had never anticipated.
Cancer.
If he had understood modern medicine, he would've recognized it instantly—cells that divide without order or limit, consuming the body from within.
Even if Logan didn't kill him now, in this moment, the cancer growing inside him would do it soon enough.
And there was no cure for cancer in the world of shinobi.
Orochimaru was already half a step into the grave. The only question was whether he'd crawl the rest of the way in himself—or if Logan would shove him in.
Logan had no intention of waiting.
According to Orochimaru's own twisted philosophy: "Rather than suffer, it's better to be granted death."
He should have thanked Logan.
Instead, Orochimaru looked up desperately at the figure floating above—the one power that could still save him.
Tian Xinshenji.
"You dare interfere!" she shrieked, voice booming across the battlefield.
The corners of her mouth cracked open all the way to her ears, exposing sharp snake-like fangs.
Her once-beautiful and ethereal face now held unmistakable traits of a Lion Majesty.
Her body elongated and hovered above the village, coiling through the air like a serpent. With a pearl between her jaws and no visible legs, she looked like an ancient Eastern dragon, but one twisted into something unholy.
She floated high above the battlefield.
She couldn't get to Orochimaru in time.
And even if she did, close combat was not her strength.
She was a master of illusions.
"Senjutsu: Heart Phantom Snake Shadow!"
With almost no delay, and amplified by the green dragon pearl she carried, Tian Xinshenji activated her Sage Art illusion.
Dozens of green spectral snakes slithered across the sky, bypassing all barriers and distances, diving straight into the eyes of everyone below.
Even Star Platinum staggered.
Its fist missed.
Orochimaru vanished.
And with him—the village, Jiraiya, and Sasuke.
---
Logan now stood alone in a magnificent, dazzling palace.
He had no memory of how he got here.
His consciousness was hazy, as if caught in a dream.
Only one feeling remained—hunger.
So hungry…
As if summoned by his thoughts, the palace around him transformed.
Tables laden with food appeared in all directions. Every imaginable delicacy from land and sea beckoned to him.
Logan took a step forward, reaching out.
High in the sky, invisible and watching, Tian Xinshenji smiled.
Her illusions were unique, deeply psychological in nature. She didn't just trap her targets in false images—she weakened the superego and ego, allowing the primal id to dominate.
Once the victim gave in, even slightly, they would lose themselves completely.
Their soul would submit.
Their body would follow.
They would become a plaything to Tian Xinshenji.
Like a sweet matcha cake… swallowed whole.
"Eat. Go on—eat," she whispered eagerly.
Logan's hand drew closer to the food.
But just before touching it—
He stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"…This isn't what I want," Logan said quietly.
Tian Xinshenji's smile froze.
She frowned, then changed the illusion.
The food vanished.
A throne appeared behind Logan, and hundreds of ministers and generals appeared before him, all kneeling in unison.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Logan stared at them with a flat expression.
"That's not it either."
The snake woman's face twitched.
She hissed, and the illusion shifted again.
Three stunning women appeared, completely naked, each more beautiful than the last. They pressed themselves against Logan, their warm bodies brushing his arms, breasts soft and full.
This time, Tian Xinshenji licked her lips, convinced she had him.
"Men are men after all," she muttered.
Logan looked at the women.
Then sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
Raising his head, he looked straight up—through the illusion—and locked eyes with the invisible Tian Xinshenji.
"…Is this really your idea of aesthetics?" he asked.
"W-What…?" she stammered.
"Because this? Still not what I want."
Logan reached out.
A ripple of purple energy burst from his hand—the Hermit's Ripple—cutting through the illusion like a knife through mist.
It found Tian Xinshenji and bound her in an instant, wrapping her in glowing vines of thunder and ripple energy.
She shrieked in pain as the ripples burned her flesh and soul alike.
"No—stop—!"
The vines pulled her downward, dragging her toward Logan without mercy.
"What do you want from me!?" she cried.
Her pride, her illusions, her power—all failing.
As she was pulled close, Logan placed a hand on her head and brought her face within inches of his.
"You can't give me what I want."
Their eyes met.
Their souls collided for a brief moment.
And Tian Xinshenji saw it.
She saw Logan's thoughts.
His will.
> "Destroy the six kingdoms and unify the world… Conquer the Wolf's Lair… Visit the thatched cottage three times… Entrust the orphan to Baidi City… And—"
> "A single spark can start a prairie fire."
She trembled.
That wasn't the ambition of a man.
That was the fire of a legend.
A founder.
A revolution.
What kind of human dreams like this?
What kind of creature dares to challenge the very shape of the world?
Blood poured from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
The illusion shattered.
---
Reality returned.
Logan stood once more in the ruined village.
Barely a second had passed.
Orochimaru was crawling across the ground like a dying snake. He had made it a dozen meters from Logan, dragging his half-shattered body away with trembling limbs.
Logan blinked.
Orochimaru, seeing that Logan was conscious again, let out a panicked gasp.
He opened his mouth wide, created a hole in the earth, and began to dig underground to escape.
He was almost gone.
Too far for Star Platinum's range.
Logan wouldn't reach him in time—
"Jiraiya!" Logan roared.
The Sannin was only two steps away.
He could kill Orochimaru right now—
Or at least stop him long enough for Logan to finish the job.
But Jiraiya stood frozen.
The kunai in his hand trembled.
He didn't move.
He didn't throw it.
He hesitated.
And Orochimaru disappeared underground.
Logan arrived a moment too late, thunder crackling behind him. He struck the earth, forming a deep crater.
Empty.
Then—a painful groan echoed behind him.
He turned just in time to see Orochimaru burst from the ground on the other side, fangs sinking into Sasuke's neck.
With his hostage secured, he fled back into the tunnels below.
Gone.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time Logan cradled the unconscious Sasuke in his arms, the wind had blown across Jiraiya's face.
The Sannin finally came to his senses.
He looked up—ready to speak.
But it was too late.
Star Platinum appeared beside him, gripped his face, and slowly applied pressure.
Cracks formed beneath the man's skin.
Logan's back was turned to him.
His voice came out low, cold, and deadly.
> "Give me one reason not to kill you."
pàtreøn (Gk31)