As expected, the moment Hyūga Shigeo spoke those words, the real Orochimaru lunged from the shadows.
From every direction, countless serpents burst forth.
Inside the cave, he performed Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)—and the monstrous Manda erupted from the depths, charging straight at Shigeo.
The true Orochimaru had arrived.
He looked frail and sickly, his skin pale, his body trembling with decay—yet his eyes blazed with greedy hunger.
If only he could obtain that boy's body, he thought.
If only he could possess that perfection.
"Today, you will not leave alive! Manda no Retsujin (Array of Ten Thousand Serpents)!"
As Manda roared forward, Orochimaru unleashed another jutsu.
From every crack in the cliffs, black snakes surged like a living tide, waves upon waves of fangs and scales.
Each snake carried a blade in its jaws, swarming without pause, leaving no room to breathe.
Manda lunged, mouth wide open, intending to devour Shigeo whole.
If it could consume him, it would be worth a thousand sacrifices.
But before its jaws closed—
BOOM!
A massive wave of chakra exploded outward from Shigeo's body.
The shockwave shattered the ground and sent serpents flying in all directions.
The entire cliff quaked violently, then began to collapse.
Manda roared, coiling and leaping through the falling debris to strike again.
Orochimaru darted between tumbling rocks, fingers weaving seals in desperation.
This was his only chance—no matter the cost, Shigeo had come, and he would take what he wanted.
"Sen'ei Jashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!"
The ground burst open.
Hundreds of serpents erupted upward, only to be blown apart by another pulse of chakra.
Manda's scales split, blood running down its massive form.
Shigeo rose lightly into the air—
but from above, Orochimaru's serpents rained down, forming a writhing canopy of fangs.
"Jiton (Magnet Release): Magnetic Flow Barrier!"
A vast magnetic dome unfolded like a steel lid, covering the incoming serpents.
In the next instant, spikes sprouted outward from the dome's surface, skewering the snakes that struck it.
Their bodies recoiled, twisting and hissing in agony.
Shigeo turned in midair and appeared behind Orochimaru in an instant.
His blade of magnetic chakra pierced down through the Sannin's body.
Orochimaru collapsed—but Manda did not disappear.
That meant this, too, had only been a clone.
Then—
"Father, help me!"
A cry echoed from the cliff's edge.
Shigeo turned sharply. The boy was falling.
And only then did he realize—Anhe was the child's father.
He leapt, dodging Manda's massive tail.
A burst of molten rock erupted from his palm—Yōton: Iwayan (Lava Projectile)—crashing down upon the serpent.
Then, raising his hands to the heavens, he invoked a new technique he had developed himself:
Raiton: Sandā Sutōmu (Lightning Storm).
The island drowned in thunder.
Bolts rained down endlessly, scorching sea and sky alike.
Every black serpent convulsed and burned where it slithered.
A blinding strike of lightning crashed down upon Manda's skull, and before it could even recoil—
a Ranton (Storm Release) beam split its massive body clean in half.
Orochimaru, preparing to use a sealing jutsu, froze.
His eyes widened as his greatest summon fell dead before him.
In that moment, Shigeo caught the falling boy.
His father, Anhe, had vanished beneath the rubble—silent.
"Kid," Shigeo asked evenly, "did you go with him willingly?"
Amid the rain of lightning, he hovered in the air, robes fluttering, the child in his arms—a god descending through the storm.
"No!" the boy shouted. "He took me! He said my blood was the same as my father's and wanted to experiment on me! I wanted to save him—but I swore I'd never betray you, Sensei!"
Shigeo nodded once, his gaze steady.
Below, Orochimaru trembled, staring at Manda's bisected corpse.
He had spent years maintaining that summoning contract—and in a few short moments, it was gone.
He'd known he wasn't Shigeo's match, even with all his jutsu combined.
But still, he had to try.
Finally, he fell to his knees, pressing his palms to the ground in defeat.
"Shigeo-kun," he said hoarsely, "I yield. Please—don't kill me."
Shigeo sneered, setting the boy down gently.
The child looked up at him, then over at his fallen father, eyes pleading silently.
"Go," Shigeo said softly.
The boy nodded and ran.
Facing Orochimaru, Shigeo raised his hand.
Five long, black spikes of magnetic chakra formed at his fingertips.
He stepped closer.
"I never believed you for a moment."
He thrust his hand downward.
But before the blow landed, Orochimaru shouted, "Shigeo-kun! I can help you kill the Third Hokage! Within five years—if I do it, let me serve under you!"
Panting, he continued, "I'm dying anyway. I need a new vessel. And you know—you can't kill me. Even if you do, I'll return in a few years. So give me this chance!"
Shigeo paused, sneering.
"You said you'll kill the Third?"
"Yes! I swear it!"
"If I wanted him dead, I wouldn't need you."
Orochimaru's eyes glinted. "You're loyal and compassionate. You protect even a child who follows you. That's your weakness. You wouldn't harm your friends from Konoha—especially the Hokage. But I'm different. I kill my teacher if he stands in my way."
"You should know," Shigeo said quietly, "I don't trust you."
"I know. But I'll serve you willingly," Orochimaru insisted, bowing again.
Shigeo laughed darkly.
"You snakes really think I'm a fool."
With a swift motion, his fingers plunged downward.
The five magnetic spikes pierced Orochimaru's skull, blood and brain matter spilling down in thick streams.
"Why…?" Orochimaru gasped weakly. "I already swore loyalty… why…?"
Shigeo's voice was flat.
"Because I know your schemes. Five years from now, Akatsuki's plan begins. Killing the Hokage was just one of your plots. You thought you could use me for your game—three birds with one stone? Never."
It had been them, years ago, who'd sent the false declarations of war to the Five Great Villages under his name.
And now they wanted to use his name again—to kill the Hokage.
How laughable.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]