At the critical moment, Uchiha Yujin's thoughts surged.
His muscles tensed instantly.
His skin became as hard as steel, and his entire body seemed covered by an invisible armor.
His body quickly entered a "Iron block" state.
When Orochimaru's sharp fangs lunged for Yujin's neck,
"Clang—"
Orochimaru's teeth struck Yujin's neck, producing a clear metallic sound.
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth twitched.
He realized the neck he bit was not soft flesh, but solid steel.
This caught Orochimaru completely off guard.
His teeth were normally just a medium for the cursed seal, and he rarely used them for direct attacks.
The hardness of his teeth was only slightly above that of an ordinary ninja, far from the strength of iron.
The cursed seal's power in his mouth failed to penetrate Yujin's body, leaving Orochimaru with an unprecedented sense of frustration.
"Too hard!" Orochimaru felt a dull ache in his jaw, and his teeth loosened slightly.
Refusing to accept defeat, Orochimaru increased his strength and bit again, trying to use his immense power and cursed seal to break through Yujin's defense.
Yet the result remained the same.
Yujin's neck was as hard as iron, and Orochimaru's attack caused no real damage.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
He had never encountered such a situation before.
"Is this earth release?"
"No, there's not a trace of chakra flow."
"Then what is it?"
"Could it be… an illusion!?"
Orochimaru clasped his hands and shouted, "Release!"
Three seconds passed.
A gentle breeze blew through Orochimaru's long hair.
He looked at Yujin, bound by the golden restraint technique, completely puzzled.
He still couldn't understand why this kid's skin was as hard as steel.
"Then it will have to be like this."
Orochimaru slammed one hand down onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Bang!"
The white smoke cleared, and a long sword appeared in Orochimaru's hand.
The legendary sword—the Kusanagi!
This was the sword said to be strong enough to injure and even pierce the supposedly invincible summoning beast, Enma!
Orochimaru held the sword, slashing twice before pointing it at Uchiha Yujin's neck.
As soon as the blade was lifted, two streaks of blood appeared on Yujin's neck.
Marvel Yujin exclaimed, "This is bad! Now it's the strongest sword! There's no stopping it!"
Pirate Yujin said, "Iron Block only enhances physical defense; it's not an invincible technique."
"Crack!"
As they spoke, Orochimaru's teeth finally sank into the bloodied spot on Yujin's neck.
At the moment of the bite, Yujin felt an unprecedented, piercing pain.
It was a pain that reached deep into his bones, as if countless red-hot needles were stabbing into his flesh.
His nerves screamed, the pain crashing over him like a tidal wave, leaving him barely able to breathe.
At the wound, Orochimaru's bite didn't just inflict physical damage; it injected the cursed seal's power.
It was a cold, sinister force that ravaged his body, filling him with a corroding fear.
Yujin felt himself transported back to that stormy day.
He saw it clearly.
His mother coming home from work, seeing him lying in bed with a high fever, carrying him to the hospital, both of them slipping in the rain.
Yujin's vision went black as he collapsed on the roof.
Kakashi witnessed the scene from afar, a flicker of anxiety crossing his eyes.
He forcefully broke free from the five Sound ninja—the demon flute, the genjutsu of Tayuya—and kicked them aside, quickly forming a Lightning Clone.
Before the clone was pierced by Kimimaro, Kakashi dashed toward Jirōbōu, who was blocking the way.
As he ran, irregular, dazzling chakra currents gathered in his hand.
A streak of blue lightning danced at his fingertips, and his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning toward Jirōbō, who used the Earth Release: Earth-Style Rolling Boulder.
"Chidori!" Kakashi shouted, charging at Jirōbōu with explosive speed.
Jirōbōu had never seen a Chidori, an S-rank jutsu that enhanced speed.
The Chidori pierced his body, electricity surging through him and sending him flying.
Kakashi eliminated the opponent before him without hesitation and immediately used the Body Flicker Technique.
An afterimage remained in his place, and in the next second, he appeared in front of Uchiha Yujin.
Once again, he gathered Chidori in his hand, blue electricity dancing at his fingertips, his gaze firm and resolute.
"Orochimaru!" Kakashi's voice was filled with anger and warning. "Even gods can stumble."
Orochimaru looked at Kakashi, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Copy Ninja Kakashi," Orochimaru said with a faint smile at the corner of his lips, "You are not worthy of facing me."
Cold sweat slid down Kakashi's forehead, and the lightning of his Chidori glowed even brighter.
Obito's eyes could not close, and Kakashi, whose chakra was always in short supply, felt exhausted after dealing with the Five Kage. Facing the legendary Sannin, he still felt powerless.
Even at his prime, he would not dare claim he could defeat a peer of his teacher's teacher.
Just as Kakashi prepared for an all-or-nothing strike, Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out again.
"Kakashi, this kid has caught my eye. He will come to me on his own."
There was an undeniable confidence in his voice.
And he was right.
Kakashi had no idea what Orochimaru was planning. All he knew was that if he kept Chidori active, his chakra would soon run out.
He couldn't wait any longer!
Kakashi's Sharingan locked onto Orochimaru. He lowered his stance, ready to attack.
Orochimaru's lips curved into a smile. Just as Kakashi was about to strike, he formed a hand seal with one hand, vanished into the night, leaving chaos behind.
At the same time, the four Sound ninja dragged the near-dead Jirobo and quickly fled the scene.
"Phew." Kakashi let out a heavy breath.
This was, without a doubt, the most dangerous situation he had faced since emerging from darkness into the sunlight.
But there was no time to dwell on it. He picked up Uchiha Yujin and started running at full speed.
Trusting your opponent was never a good idea.
Even if Orochimaru really left, who could say he wouldn't change his mind?
"Hang in there, Yujin!" Kakashi's Sharingan swept over the three black tomoe-shaped seals on Uchiha Yujin's neck. "We'll get you treated soon. Just hold on!"
As Uchiha Yujin drifted into unconsciousness, two discordant voices echoed in his mind.
Pirate Yujin: "Yes! It's the Cursed Seal of Heaven!"
Marvel Yujin: "We're saved!"
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