The crimson chain swayed behind Kaito like a predator breathing for the first time. It wasn't merely moving—it pulsed, as though veins of his rage ran through it, guided not by conscious thought but by his killing intent. Every heartbeat was echoed in its vibration, every spark of hatred against Orochimaru was etched into its blood-red links.
And then it moved.
Like a thunderbolt, the chain lashed forward, hissing as it cut through the air. Orochimaru's golden eyes widened; his smile, usually so permanent, faltered. For the first time, there was hesitation.
What kind of Adamantine Chain is this? he thought, recoiling as the chain crashed against the stone floor where he had stood a heartbeat earlier, leaving a crater behind. Dust and shards exploded upward like the remnants of a broken world.
He leapt back, landing lightly, his tongue flicking across his lips in fascination. But the smirk returned almost instantly. "Such a marvelous mutation… this boy… this blood… I must have it." His voice was silk, yet it carried the madness of obsession.
But the chain did not give him time to admire. Again it lunged, thrashing like a living thing. Each swing carried not elegance but raw destruction, carving gouges into the earth. Kaito's eyes were wide, his breathing ragged—yet he did not direct it. It moved with his rage, his thirst for Orochimaru's death.
And he followed.
Kaito dashed in, Tanto Kibō to Shinkō flashing, his steps fueled by fury. He clashed against Orochimaru's kunai, sparks bursting between them. Orochimaru's flexible, serpentine body bent impossibly, avoiding a slash aimed at his neck, then countered with a swift knee to Kaito's ribs.
CRACK!
The boy gagged as his breath was stolen. Pain spiked across his chest, ribs screaming in protest. His knees buckled but he didn't fall—because at that moment, the crimson chain snapped sideways, slamming Orochimaru across the shoulder.
The Sannin's eyes widened as his body was flung into the air, spinning before landing on the back of his palms like some grotesque acrobat. The sound of bone shifting echoed faintly, yet he smiled again, almost exhilarated.
"So… even I can bleed from these children," he hissed, wiping away a thin line of blood where the chain's edge had grazed him.
Soka did not waste the moment. Three golden Adamantine chains flared behind her, whipping forward in perfect arcs. Unlike the crimson one, hers were deliberate, controlled, a reflection of her discipline. They wrapped toward Orochimaru like the roots of an ancient tree seeking to strangle prey.
He evaded—barely. His body folded sideways, his legs twisting like a serpent's, but even his fluidity could not shield him completely. One chain grazed his thigh, tearing through flesh and fabric. A flash of blood.
His tongue slithered across his lips again, though his eyes had sharpened—less playful now, more attentive.
Kaito staggered beside Soka, clutching his chest for a moment. Each breath stung, his lungs rattling. He had likely cracked a rib, but there was no time to care. He forced air into his lungs and charged again, slashing at Orochimaru with renewed ferocity. His blade nicked the Sannin's forearm, cutting deeper than expected, blood dripping across pale skin.
Orochimaru retaliated instantly—his fist crashing into Kaito's jaw. The boy's vision blurred; copper filled his mouth as his teeth rattled against the inside of his lips. He tasted blood, warm and bitter, but spat it out with defiance.
And the crimson chain lashed again, its murderous instinct sensing its master's pain.
Orochimaru snarled this time, ducking low, his hair whipping as he evaded another crushing blow. He clapped his hands together, slamming them against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke erupted, and from it surged a colossal serpent, scales glinting black and violet. Its tongue flickered, its hiss rattling the battlefield.
Soka's chains instinctively curled in defense, golden whips ready to strike. Kaito's crimson chain recoiled for a heartbeat, then snapped forward, stabbing toward the serpent's eye like a spear of vengeance.
The snake reared back, shrieking, its fang-lined jaws crashing shut inches from Kaito. Dust and spit rained across the ground as the chain met its teeth with a deafening CLANG. Sparks lit the battlefield.
Kaito's body screamed in exhaustion—his ribs ached, his jaw burned, his hands trembled from the force of each clash. Yet his mind whispered something deeper, darker: Kill him. End him. This man cannot live.
Beside him, Soka's breathing was ragged too. Sweat traced down her temple, mingling with a thin cut on her cheek. Her ribs throbbed from earlier strikes, but she pressed forward, her golden chains weaving through the chaos to deflect smaller serpents Orochimaru conjured with hand signs.
The crimson chain moved independently, unrelenting, carving through the serpent's scales and striking toward Orochimaru again. Each time it was dodged, it smashed into the earth, leaving gouges like open wounds across the land.
And Orochimaru, for the first time, landed silently atop the serpent's head. His smile had thinned. His eyes gleamed with a sharper, colder light.
"You two… might actually force me to try."
The words slithered into the air like venom.