Chapter 21: The Impure World
"This guy, Naoki… his control has improved this much?!" Facing the terrifying heat wave, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion was forced to retreat once more, a thread of genuine astonishment in his thoughts.
He remembered facing this technique before. It was powerful then, but the deadly scorching heat was not nearly so condensed. Now, all its destructive force was focused, exploding upon impact with the enemy for maximum effect. The speed had also increased dramatically, making it nearly impossible for even a Kage-level opponent to evade. Best of all, it was virtually unblockable. It could truly be called a killing blow.
He knew: even if Orochimaru wasn't dead, he would be grievously wounded.
The cataclysm lasted over ten seconds before finally subsiding. The once dense jungle was now a barren, scorched plain. A mere gust of wind would reduce the blackened landscape to drifting ash. It was a staggering sight.
"Hah… Hah…" Uchiha Naoki himself was panting heavily, one hand pressed against the bleeding wound on his chest. The battle with Orochimaru had been brief but intensely perilous. He had been on the back foot from the start. Without relying on that ultimate technique, it would have been difficult to heavily damage Orochimaru quickly. Moreover, he still needed time to adapt to his newfound power and the rhythm of fighting such a superior enemy.
Even the two-tomoe Sharingan can't fully track a Kage-level fighter's movements, he realized. This was his biggest takeaway from the fight. Only his Observation Haki had allowed him to lock onto and analyze Orochimaru's movements.
But… He covered his right eye, feeling a distinct, searing heat in his palm. This wasn't the heat of his magma ability; it was the power of the Sharingan itself. He knew exactly what this signified. A precursor to evolving into the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Interesting, he thought, a grim smile touching his lips. He lowered his hand, his Observation Haki pinpointing Orochimaru's chakra signature approaching rapidly from underground.
"Lava Burial!"
Naoki stomped the ground, channeling his power downward.
BOOM!
The earth trembled violently and then erupted, a thick pillar of magma geysering forth.
From a patch of ground some distance away, a rather disheveled Orochimaru burst forth. His body was covered in severe burns, his breathing labored. But he immediately stretched his jaw wide, a mucus-covered arm pushing out from his throat, stretching his mouth to a grotesque width. A new, pristine Orochimaru emerged, shedding the slimy skin of the old one.
It was Orochimaru's most infamous ability—the Oral Rebirth Technique. When his body sustained irreparable damage, he could shed it like a snake's skin and regenerate. As long as his chakra held out, he was, for all intents and purposes, immortal.
Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Naoki, his voice a low rasp. "What terrifying perception, Naoki-kun. To have found me even when I concealed my aura so thoroughly. This is a technique even Lord Sarutobi struggled to see through. I never expected it to be useless against you." His gaze intensified, burning with a feverish light. "You don't possess the Byakugan, yet your insight surpasses even the Hyūga's. I find myself growing more and more fascinated by your Sharingan."
What exactly was Uchiha Naoki? How did he possess such a bizarre Lava Release Kekkei Genkai? And his perception was simply more terrifying than the Hyūga clan's. He found Naoki more and more captivating, even more so than Uchiha Itachi.
"Heh. You'll find out if you can defeat me," Uchiha Naoki retorted with a smirk, his own gaze so intensely hot it made Orochimaru's skin crawl. He had the distinct feeling that in Uchiha Naoki's eyes, he was the prey. But he couldn't fathom what about him could be so desirable to the boy.
"But it's a pity, Orochimaru. You probably won't get that chance!" The Scarlet Sand Scorpion's voice cut in as Hiruko forward, its cold, mechanical eyes fixed on the snake Sannin. "Naoki alone is enough to trouble you. With me added to the mix, there is absolutely no possibility of you surviving today!" He looked Orochimaru up and down appraisingly. "A powerful body like yours, made into a Human Puppet… its power would surely not be inferior to my Third Kazekage."
Hearing this, Orochimaru began to laugh, a low, guttural sound, his shoulders shaking. But his expression twisted into one of pure ferocity. "Sasori… you dare to entertain such thoughts?! Make me into a puppet? Hmph! The outcome is far from decided. Come, then! Prove you have the capability!"
With that, he bit his thumb and began forming hand seals at a blinding speed.
Sasori assumed Orochimaru was preparing to summon a psychic beast. He wasn't overly concerned. What was one more summon? Could it possibly handle both him and Uchiha Naoki? A pipe dream.
But Uchiha Naoki, watching the sequence of seals, immediately shook his head, his expression turning grave. "No, Brother Sasori! What he's summoning isn't a psychic beast!"
Even without knowing the exact hand signs for summoning, he knew it required five seals. But Orochimaru slapped his palm to the ground after only four—Ram, Snake, Dog, Dragon—and initiated the jutsu. This wasn't a summoning ritual.
"If it's not a summoning, but still requires a blood sacrifice as a medium… then there's only one technique it can be!" The realization hit Uchiha Naoki like a physical blow. He knew another enemy of Kage-level strength was about to enter the fray.
"Not a summoning?" Sasori was taken aback. "Then what is it—"
Before he could finish, Orochimaru provided the answer himself, roaring the technique's name into the charged air. "Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
So that's it, Uchiha Naoki thought, his suspicions confirmed. As black curse markings spread across the ground like ink and a coffin emerged from the earth, he quickly explained to the bewildered Sasori. "This technique is called the Impure World Reincarnation. It uses a living human sacrifice to summon the soul of a deceased person from the Pure Land back to the world of the living. It's a forbidden jutsu developed by the Second Hokage of Konoha. The summoned souls aren't at their full original strength, but if the caster's mastery is high enough, their power isn't far off."
His eyes fell upon the coffin now standing before them, the character for 'Two' clearly marked on its lid. His heart sank. Is it that one?
Sasori, hearing Naoki's explanation, was utterly shocked. "Naoki, how do you know all this?" Impure World Reincarnation? He had never heard of it! But if it was a forbidden jutsu, it should be one of Konoha's most closely guarded secrets. How could Uchiha Naoki possibly know about it? It felt as if Uchiha Naoki knew everything!
Even Orochimaru, listening as Uchiha Naoki laid bare the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation, felt a sliver of cold horror pierce through him. Yes, how did Uchiha Naoki know the details of this forbidden reincarnation technique? Logically, only two people should possess this knowledge: Konoha's current Third Hokage, and himself, the caster. Even if others knew, it certainly shouldn't be a young Uchiha like Naoki.