Chapter 87: The Show Begins—Wire Blades Dance!
On the other side—
A giant serpent coiled its head, the forest was uprooted, ravines twisted open, and broken rocks pierced the earth like javelins.
Orochimaru, standing atop the towering Rashōmon gate, surveyed the devastated battlefield below.
His expression was grim.
"I actually let that man escape," Orochimaru scowled, a flicker of anger in his eyes as his cold gaze swept across a large hole in the ground.
Orochimaru had come here to learn the forbidden technique of Physical Regeneration mastered by Shinnō.
The original plan was to force Shinnō into an underground cavern, exploit the terrain, summon a multitude of serpents, and capture him.
But the other party, for some reason, had lingered outside for a long time without falling into the trap.
The Reincarnation technique required the super-speed regeneration ability mastered by Shinnō, and Orochimaru—whose thirst for immortality bordered on obsession—could no longer tolerate the delay and finally took action himself.
After a fierce battle, Shinnō—who currently possessed only incomplete Zero-Tails chakra—was no match for Orochimaru, one of the renowned Legendary Sannin.
Seeing defeat looming, Shinnō feinted, forcing Orochimaru to defend with Triple Rashōmon, then used his body manipulation technique to burrow underground and escape.
By the time Orochimaru reacted, Shinnō had already fled two kilometers away.
He'd summoned his flying machine from storage and soared into the sky.
Even the serpents, with their keen sense of smell, couldn't track the enemy's location through the air.
"Sky Ninja, hmm." Orochimaru suppressed the killing intent in his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed his slightly agitated emotions.
After composing himself and thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but frown again.
"Jiraiya has been transferred to investigate the movements of Iwagakure and Sunagakure. The Third Great Ninja War is about to break out. The old man will probably assign me to the Land of Rice Fields or the Land of Rain."
"There isn't much time. I must take advantage of this opportunity to acquire that body regeneration technique as soon as possible."
At this moment—
Under the Rashōmon gate, the massive purple serpent—Manda—raised its head, looked at Orochimaru, and hissed irritably:
"Orochimaru, where are the one hundred living sacrifices you promised me?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru raised his narrow golden eyes slightly, then leaped to Manda's forehead and said coolly:
"Go underground. There are thousands of sacrifices there."
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed, and he stretched out his tongue to lick the corner of his lips:
"That's right—let me see just how far this so-called immortal body can truly go."
In the underground cavern—
A massive pale-red barrier expanded instantly.
Outside this vast barrier, the sound of footsteps soon echoed.
First to arrive were five Uchiha shinobi, led by Uchiha Fugaku.
They emerged from the opening at the top of the cavern, using chakra to cling to the ceiling in an inverted position, their heads tilted as they gazed down at the scene below.
Fugaku's crimson Sharingan instantly activated, scanning the battlefield.
His gaze narrowed slightly as he took in the barrier below and the young man within it charging at the Jashin Cult leader.
"This barrier is somewhat similar to the regeneration barrier used by Kumogakure—perhaps even stronger."
"Was it cast by the Jashin Cult leader? Trying to prevent others from interfering in the battle?"
"Is that young man Uchiha Tsukasa?"
Fugaku raised an eyebrow. This barrier's strength lay in its regeneration ability, but a concentrated volley of Fire Release techniques from all the Uchiha present could pierce through it.
However, before Fugaku could break the barrier, he suddenly looked toward a dark corner of the cavern.
There—
A small white snake suddenly regurgitated a summoning scroll, which with a burst of smoke summoned a massive gray-black serpent. Then a figure emerged from the snake's mouth.
Seeing this figure, Fugaku's pupils suddenly constricted.
With long black hair, golden pupils, and pale skin—this fellow Konoha shinobi was immediately recognized by Fugaku as Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Having previously been denied information, Fugaku knew that Orochimaru seemed to have some plans involving this small cult in the Land of Hot Water.
Seeing this, he frowned, wondering what role Uchiha Tsukasa's presence played in these schemes.
At this moment, Orochimaru—having just emerged—sensed a prying gaze from above and immediately looked up to survey the area.
"The Police Force captain, Uchiha Fugaku?"
"And so many Uchiha shinobi here—what are they planning?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, feeling that the situation was becoming increasingly complex.
He had originally intended to capture the Jashin Cult leader and interrogate him for information on the regeneration technique.
But now the Uchiha had mysteriously appeared.
The Uchiha clan, possessing the visual prowess of the Sharingan Kekkei Genkai, had always been prideful—they probably looked down on other bloodline limits or secret techniques.
Both sides spotted each other, and for a moment, neither moved.
Neither could be certain of the other's intentions.
As it happened—
Fugaku wanted to see just how far Uchiha Tsukasa could go, while Orochimaru wanted to observe the actual effects of this immortality technique.
So both sides tacitly ceased hostilities and silently cast their gazes toward the barrier in the center of the cavern.
Deeper underground—
White Zetsu gazed bewilderedly at the suddenly crowded cavern, unsure whether to leave.
Uchiha Madara had instructed him to plant the Spore Technique on the brat within the barrier, but with so many Sharingan and Orochimaru's keen senses present, if he got too close, even his Mayfly Technique couldn't guarantee remaining undetected.
White Zetsu was exasperated. The underground base Madara-sama had secretly built over decades had never been this bustling.
Were all these people just bored?
He had no choice but to hide underground for the time being, silently observing Uchiha Tsukasa.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the cavern grew solemn.
At this moment, within the barrier—
Uchiha Tsukasa was completely unaware of the numerous high-ranking figures already occupying the audience seats outside.
After activating the barrier, he narrowed his eyes at Tōgō Hayato, standing not far ahead, dark chakra surging through his body.
With his super-speed regeneration ability as backup, he was practically channeling Danzō's reckless fighting style!
He abandoned all hesitation. Chakra surged through his body. He pivoted his foot, flicked his wrist, and flung a kunai while lunging forward.
Tōgō Hayato saw Tsukasa charging at him. The shock in his eyes faded, replaced by a darkening expression.
He finally realized he'd been tricked by this brat.
Tsukasa's words to Hidan had merely been an attempt to lower his guard, stall for time, and set the stage for this power-up.
As expected, this brat was a wild card!
Someone like him should be ruthlessly eliminated!
At this thought, killing intent surged in Hayato's eyes. He ducked his head, dodging the incoming kunai, and charged forward!
He took a long stride, drawing a jet-black spear from his pouch. He swung it forward, thrusting straight at the chest of the onrushing Tsukasa.
Tsukasa's gaze remained icy. He leaped back, deflecting the spear with a kick. Then, with his palm arched against the ground, he exerted force and leaped high again, flipping his body mid-air. His fingers curled and pulled.
The kunai embedded in the ground suddenly gleamed, and a thin, jet-black wire thread stretched taut in the air—like a razor-sharp blade!
Pulling the wire, Tsukasa descended, his feet creating splashes as he glided forward, arching his body and sliding rapidly along the ground.
A combination of diagonal wire cutting and Water Release technique: Water Severing Wave.
Through swift movement, dazzling wire manipulation, and acrobatic physicality—he orchestrated a devastating strike!
At that moment, Tsukasa suddenly appeared before Hayato, a five-meter-long blade materializing in his hand from the wire threads, slicing viciously at Hayato's spear-wielding wrist!
Hayato was instantly horrified.
While the Jashin Cult's immortal bodies possessed remarkable resilience—surviving even a destroyed heart—severed limbs proved incredibly difficult to regenerate.
Tsukasa's opening attack had targeted his vital weakness!
"Impossible!"
"I won't let you succeed!" Hayato's eyes flashed with cold light, his face contorting into a ferocious expression.
He immediately used his free hand to draw another jet-black spear, forcibly blocking the sharp blade formed by the wire thread.
Little did he know, this was precisely what Tsukasa had calculated.
This move was designed to force the enemy's hand!
And then—
The killing intent hidden beneath the feint suddenly erupted!
Six shuriken suddenly appeared at Hayato's feet, forming a circle around him.
Tsukasa spun and leaped high again, pinching his thumbs against his middle fingers. He suddenly spread his index, ring, and little fingers and pulled them overhead!
The wire threads tied to his six fingers suddenly stretched vertically, slicing toward the center!
Six blades flashed to life!
Hayato's eyes widened, and for the first time, genuine fear flashed across his face!
End of Chapter 87
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