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Chapter 67: The Hurtless Area, Orochimaru's Exit
He was afraid of enemies approaching?
Jiraiya froze for a moment, then shook his head. "Impossible! You, of all people, should know how powerful those terrifying blade fragments are, Orochimaru! How could he—"
"Stupid! Listen to me!" Orochimaru interrupted Jiraiya, turning to look at Yuichi with a sneer. "In your opinion, the closer you get to him, the easier it is to be attacked by the ubiquitous blade fragments, correct?"
Jiraiya nodded. That was common sense.
"Being close to him does indeed make it more likely to be injured by those petal-like blades," Orochimaru continued. "But haven't you noticed? The closer you get to him, the fewer blade fragments he can control!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya searched his memory. Now that it was mentioned, it did seem to be the case.
Orochimaru continued his analysis, practically doing the thinking for him. "Remember my Wind Style from earlier? When the wind blew away those blade fragments, didn't you see something interesting? When the blades were about one meter away from him, they automatically spread to both sides!"
Orochimaru's eyes sparkled with intellectual triumph.
"It was as if there was an invisible barrier, making it impossible for the fragments to enter that space! I was puzzled at the time—was there another defense mechanism beside him? But later, when I attacked and he manipulated the blades to form a shield, I figured it out!"
He pointed an accusatory finger at Yuichi.
"He doesn't have any other defense mechanism. The area that the blade fragments automatically avoid exists solely to prevent him from hurting himself!"
Orochimaru gestured to the sea of petals falling from the sky, turbulent and undulating like ocean waves beneath Yuichi's feet.
"Look! Within one meter of him, no blade fragments fall at all. Do you think this is a coincidence, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya stared blankly at Yuichi's feet. Indeed, none of the petals entered that specific circle.
Could this really be the guy's weakness?
"It is impossible to consciously control countless blade fragments simultaneously with perfect precision," Orochimaru explained. "Most of the time, they are just floating in a flow. So, in order to prevent self-injury, it is vital that the petals do not enter that specific area. This is the 'Hurtless Area.'"
"This is likely the real reason he hasn't moved from his spot since the beginning! If being closer was truly advantageous for him, why hasn't he taken the initiative to close the distance?"
Orochimaru wore a smug smile. Although he had little fighting power left, seeing through Yuichi's weakness was a massive contribution. Even if he couldn't defeat the enemy himself, helping Jiraiya win was a satisfying consolation prize.
"Am I right?" Orochimaru asked Yuichi directly.
Yuichi, standing amidst the swirling blades with a cold light in his eyes, nodded slightly. "To discover the existence of the Hurtless Area... you truly deserve the title of Legendary Sannin! Terrifying powers of observation and analysis!"
When Yuichi said this, Orochimaru was slightly surprised. The opponent seemed to understand the weight of the title "Sannin." But why did this guy seem to know them so well?
With Yuichi's confession, the crowd was confused. They had never noticed such a detail. In their eyes, this offense-defense ability was simply invincible.
"But..." Yuichi smiled suddenly. "Unfortunately, this battle has nothing to do with you anymore. I really wanted to fight you in your prime."
Orochimaru's smile vanished. How does he know that I am not in a good state right now?
Swish!
Suddenly, a torrent formed by Senbonzakura erupted from the ground behind Orochimaru, piercing through his body instantly. It attempted to strangle Fukasaku and Shima at the same time, but the two Sages sensed the danger and escaped just in time.
Jiraiya noticed the ambush and leaped away. After landing, he looked back with shock written all over his face. "How? Why did those blade fragments appear from behind us?"
It was a pity the two toads weren't killed in one fell swoop, but eliminating Orochimaru wasn't a bad trade.
Orochimaru looked down at the hole in the floor—the same hole he had created earlier to release his snakes for a surprise attack. It seemed Yuichi had used it against him. While Orochimaru was busy explaining the weakness, the kid had sneaked the blade shards through the tunnel for a strike.
He announced his own weakness, yet simultaneously prepared a fatal attack. A truly terrible opponent.
A ray of light descended, wrapping around Orochimaru's body. He vanished from the duel field.
"It's just us now..." Yuichi looked at Jiraiya.
Technically, it was three against one. Although Shima and Fukasaku were toads, they were Sages who had mastered Senjutsu. Their combat power was not lost to Tsunade or Orochimaru, though their smaller stature meant their physical engagement was different.
"He actually used the tunnel left in the ground to send the blades through for a surprise attack!" Fukasaku exclaimed. "This kid is thoughtful. Little Jiraiya, you must keep your spirits up. Do not get sloppy!"
Jiraiya nodded. "I know!"
Seeing Orochimaru taken out drove home the seriousness of the situation.
"So! Do you want to try?" Yuichi asked with a blank face. "Use the method that guy told you to deal with me? Try it! Is my weakness really the fear of the enemy approaching?"
Yuichi's blithe demeanor made Jiraiya hesitate. The confidence in Orochimaru's advice began to waver. Orochimaru wouldn't deceive him at a time like this... but was the weakness exactly as he described? Or was it a trap?
Jiraiya's hesitation made the Fourth Raikage, watching from the sidelines, feel the danger Yuichi posed even more acutely.
"Scary guy! Just one sentence shook Jiraiya's confidence and made him doubt the advice given by his companion!"
Whether Orochimaru's words were true or not, Yuichi's ability to easily manipulate the enemy's psychological state was the power that truly scared the Raikage.
"Idiot... What are you hesitating for? If you don't know if it's true or not, try it and you'll know!" Fukasaku tapped Jiraiya hard on the head, snapping him out of his daze.
Yes! True or fake, action was the only way to find out.
As expected of an old toad who had lived for hundreds of years; his reaction was swift.
Yuichi smiled, raised his hand, and sent a torrent of Senbonzakura straight toward Jiraiya. "If you want to try it, you'd better act fast!"
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