Chapter 311: Fighting Spirit
The raging water flow, while destroying the Rashōmon, also ravaged the nearby beautiful scenery into a mess.
Haruno Sakura's gaze swept over it, and her brow furrowed slightly.
She then raised her head and revealed a mocking smile at Orochimaru.
"You should have said that when we were in the Land of Rice Paddies," Sakura said coldly. "I am no longer the Genin who was powerless against you during the Chunin Exams!"
The sea breeze whistled past.
The wind in May already carried a hint of heat amidst the coolness.
By the sea, this heat was mixed with the humid coolness of the water vapor. When it blew over, it gave people a contradictory feeling of both cold and hot.
Just like the girl in front of Orochimaru, whose eyes mixed a killing intent as cold as frost with a fiery fighting spirit.
Haruno Sakura was staring intently at Orochimaru with burning eyes, a hint of excitement in them!
Orochimaru was the only Kage-level ninja among all the ones she had faced who had stood before her for a second time.
The first time she had fought Orochimaru, she was still a rookie among ninja, her strength weak, and she had been completely defeated by Orochimaru. But times had changed, and now she had grown up.
The defeat of the past should be washed clean...
This time, she wanted to try and wipe away her shame!
Orochimaru smiled faintly, his smile full of the composure of a veteran "Kage"-level ninja.
"You are very confident! However, I am different from that trash Deidara. Your moves cannot instantly kill me. Moreover, I am not a ninja like Sasori who is countered by you... You have to be careful!"
As he spoke, he stuck out his long tongue again and licked his bright red lower lip.
Orochimaru's body... was still using that woman's body from before!
Doing this action gave a somewhat androgynous feeling.
So, is the current Orochimaru a he, or a she?
Sakura turned her head away slightly, feeling a little awkward looking at him—or her. Then she suddenly realized that the person who had been standing behind Orochimaru just now had disappeared while she and Orochimaru were fighting.
"That young man who can liquefy..." Haruno Sakura looked around a few times, confirmed that he was no longer here, then turned her head back, keeping an eye on Orochimaru out of the corner of her eye, and said, "Where did he go?"
"Suigetsu's movements? Hehe, of course he went to seize the Executioner's Blade," Orochimaru did not rush to take the opportunity to attack, but instead answered leisurely. "While you don't have the spare energy to intercept him!"
So his name is Suigetsu.
Tch. Sakura's heart moved slightly, but she sneered on her face and made no comment on his behavior.
"It seems Yuki Haku has also come," Orochimaru saw through Sakura's expression. Someone must be guarding the Executioner's Blade, which is why she's not worried about Zabuza's grave. "Suigetsu is an expert. Are you so confident that Yuki Haku can contend with him?"
Haruno Sakura's expression remained unmoved.
Suigetsu's Hydrification Technique should be perfectly countered by Ice Style. Moreover, Haku's strength was not weak at all. Haruno Sakura had basically taught her Ice Style. Even without counting the Ice Style's countering ability, she was completely fearless of that silver-haired youth!
"Ice Style, huh..."
Orochimaru pondered for a moment and immediately realized where Haruno Sakura's reliance lay.
"It seems Ice Style is not just for making people look good," he said, looking at Sakura's exquisite and pretty face, thinking of her rocket-like rise in strength over the past two years. "It seems there are other magical aspects to it!"
He habitually revealed that fanatical smile, as if he had seen something interesting.
"Interesting... I'm becoming more and more interested in the Ice Style Kekkei Genkai!"
The girl's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she involuntarily took a step back, as if she had seen something repulsive.
"First the Sharingan, then Ice Style... your unusual possessiveness towards Kekkei Genkai is disgusting!" Her pupils suddenly turned cold, and she said with disgust.
"Hehehe..." Orochimaru suddenly laughed maniacally!
"There's no one else here, so I'll just say it! You and I are actually the same kind of person, aren't we?" he stared deadly at Sakura and said slowly. "We are both fellow travelers on the path of seeking the truth!"
Haruno Sakura was silent.
She stared intently at Orochimaru for a while, did not refute his words, but asked back.
"What does that have to do with your pursuit of Kekkei Genkai?"
"Pursuing the truth of all things in the world requires time and power! That's why I developed the Reincarnation Jutsu, to have infinite time and enough power to learn all ninjutsu and pursue my ideals!"
There was a charming raspiness in Orochimaru's voice, and his words seemed to carry a bewitching power. This was not a genjutsu, but a natural personal charisma.
The fact that this person had so many die-hard loyalists could not be explained by a simple sentence of brainwashing...
So Haruno Sakura did not interrupt him, but listened quietly as he continued.
"You possess a Kekkei Genkai now, so you should know how much of an improvement having a Kekkei Genkai brings to a ninja!" Orochimaru said with a sneer. "A genius ninja among commoners is nothing in the eyes of someone with a Kekkei Genkai! Just like you..."
"Boring," Haruno Sakura said expressionlessly. "Whether I have a Kekkei Genkai or not, I will sooner or later grow to the pinnacle of ninja. The power of Ice Style is just icing on the cake! There's nothing rare about a Kekkei Genkai!"
"That's because you only possess the power of Ice Style... If you possessed the Sharingan or the First's Wood Style power, you wouldn't say that!" Orochimaru chuckled, his sarcasm overflowing. "Besides, you're also secretly researching the power of Kekkei Genkai, aren't you?"
"Tell me, in those human experiments you did in the Land of Snow, did you try any experiments to obtain the power of the Sharingan?"
Haruno Sakura's face suddenly changed. Her trip to the Land of Snow was hidden enough. How could it have been discovered by Orochimaru!
"What did you say?"
She snorted coldly, her gaze like a knife or a sword, sweeping sharply towards Orochimaru!
"Hahahaha! Don't be in a hurry to deny it!" Orochimaru laughed loudly. "Are you satisfied with the materials I left for you? Don't tell me you haven't started human experimentation yet! Don't tell me you haven't been tempted by Sasuke's power!"
Haruno Sakura sucked in a cold breath. The feeling of having her secrets seen through by the enemy was truly terrible!
What was worse was that her affairs had actually been pushed by Orochimaru!
The girl's face instantly turned cold as if frost had condensed on it.
She completely lost interest in chatting with Orochimaru any further, and anger surged in her heart.
Her ten fingers danced quickly, and her chakra exploded instantly!
"Ice Style: Cold Frost Ice Funeral!"
A fog-like cold air instantly spread out. At the foot of the Rashōmon, a large amount of flowing water still remained where the water dragon had wreaked havoc. With this, it suddenly froze into ice blocks. Sharp ice spikes suddenly erupted, shooting towards Orochimaru on the gate!
"Fighting as soon as we disagree?" Orochimaru's expression remained calm, and he still had the leisure to speak.
With a few leaps, his swift steps calmly dodged the sudden attack of the ice spikes, landing on the pointed top of the demon gate.
SWISH—!
Then, the girl's figure flashed instantly. Relying on the high-speed teleportation of the Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, she abruptly appeared behind Orochimaru!
Orochimaru's calm and composed eyes finally changed color.
Such a fast Body Flicker! In an instant, he thought of Jiraiya's disciple!
Sakura's movements did not pause in the slightest. The moment she appeared, she threw a punch at the back of Orochimaru's head. The wind from the fist whistled and attacked, which was precisely her most commonly used nin-taijutsu, Star Cannon Hammer!
Before the fist arrived, Orochimaru already felt the wind on the back of his head, the energy pressing. In his urgency, he didn't even have room to cast a ninjutsu. Only out of the corner of his eye did he notice Haruno Sakura's appearance. Just as he had gathered his chakra, he was hit head-on by that punch as fast as thunder!
BANG—! A punch containing matchless monstrous strength hit Orochimaru's side face head-on!
This punch, if it were anyone else, would have resulted in a tragic death. But when the fist imprinted on Orochimaru's pale cheek, Haruno Sakura's face changed slightly.
"Soft Physique Modification?" Her eyebrow twitched violently.
Her knuckles hit something slippery and extremely tough, like hitting worn leather. Half of the force seemed not to have hit a solid target, but had leaked into the air!
The other half of the force did land on a solid target, but Orochimaru's body was extremely flexible. Sakura's hand felt like it had hit extremely soft and tough rubber, stretching Orochimaru's body to double its length, and then he was sent flying by her!
"Secret Technique: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru flew backwards in the air, but his hands suddenly turned into several thick and long pythons, hissing as they shot out towards Haruno Sakura standing on the ice.
The latter did not dodge. Her hands continued to form seals, and in an instant, another ice mirror condensed behind Orochimaru.
She then flickered over again. The same move, the same fist, and even hitting the same spot!
The second punch, Star Cannon Hammer!
Bang! The bones in Orochimaru's face made a crisp cracking sound.
Then, the last punch!
BOOM! No matter how high the damage tolerance of the Soft Physique Modification was, it could not withstand the continuous violent attacks. Orochimaru's neck bone broke, his head tilted completely to one side, and his body crashed into the sea like a hit baseball!
Gurgle, gurgle.
A few white bubbles rose on the surface of the sea, and a lifeless body slowly floated out of the water.
It was a female corpse...
The soaked white cloth of the kimono highlighted the owner's exquisite figure. There was no rise and fall in her chest. The purple eyeshadow and crimson lips still retained the beauty of her life. Anyone who didn't know the truth would probably lament the death of a young woman.
It was a pity.
She was Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique." Haruno Sakura saw Orochimaru's intact figure crawl out of the corpse, as expected, and said faintly.
This troublesome ninjutsu almost completely sealed off her attack power.
To fight Orochimaru, without a specific secret technique, it seemed she would have to wear him down until he was exhausted to defeat him!
"Are you angry from embarrassment, Haruno Sakura?" Orochimaru stood on the water, a faint smile curling the corner of his mouth.
It seemed like mockery. And also like pity.
He raised his head and looked up at Haruno Sakura, but his gaze seemed to be looking down on her.
"Dare not admit the truth, Haruno Sakura!"
Sakura fell from the ice mirror in mid-air and stood on the water.
The clear waves under her feet rippled slightly, creating circles of ripples on the calm water surface.
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