The instant the acid struck the blade, it let out a sizzling sound, white smoke rising in thick curls. Yet, as expected of the Kusanagi Sword—said to be forged from the hardest substance in the world—this acid, which could melt iron and stone into liquid, failed to destroy its form.
Fortunately—
It was enough to disperse the lightning that had been coiling around the blade.
The corrosive spray also deflected the sword's trajectory. Rather than so much as brushing Kyoichi's robes, it veered off course by five or six meters, crashing harmlessly into the ground behind him.
"Lava Release?"
Orochimaru showed no disappointment at missing his strike on Kyoichi.
On the contrary—
His excitement grew.
Because—
For him, Mei Terumī's appearance didn't spell trouble. It meant yet another high-quality research subject. He had never studied this kekkei genkai before. During his assault on Kirigakure's headquarters, that old man Terumī Jin had wielded Lava Release.
Unfortunately, the old man was formidable—wily and cunning. Despite Orochimaru and a squad of elite jōnin besieging him, he had escaped with his men intact.
Since then, Orochimaru had not found another member of the Terumī clan.
And now, before him—
This girl was the first prey with Lava Release he had encountered since Terumī Jin.
"How interesting! Fascinating! I never came across such prey on the battlefield—yet here you are… It seems today will be a bountiful harvest indeed." Orochimaru's golden eyes swept over Mei Terumī, then flicked back toward Mangetsu Hōzuki.
The Kusanagi Sword was withdrawn from Mangetsu's body. Without the constant paralysis of Lightning Release chakra, he was rapidly regaining mobility.
Barring unforeseen accidents—
In less than thirty seconds,
Mangetsu would recover full control of his body.
And this time… Orochimaru had no convenient way to stop it.
Because—
Others had already joined the fray.
Though the Kiri's reinforcements were few in number, their quality was undeniable.
"Hiding in Mist Technique!"
The caster was Biwa Jūzō.
Thick mist surged like a rising tide. In only two or three breaths, the dense white fog smothered the battlefield, spreading hundreds of meters around the serpent's corpse. Orochimaru lowered his gaze—he truly couldn't see his own outstretched hand.
In this environment—
To be honest—
Even Orochimaru could not claim to be unaffected.
"Such mastery of the Hiding in Mist Technique… another formidable one. But… it makes no difference to me." Orochimaru's tone was calm. The very first lesson in dealing with Kirigakure shinobi was learning to counter their signature Hiding in Mist.
The methods taught to ordinary shinobi need not be mentioned.
As for Orochimaru himself—
He had studied carefully: if trapped in a heavy fog, how best should he fight?
And the answer he devised was simple—
Overwhelming force.
His sensory abilities were decent, but nothing compared to the Byakugan of the Hyūga or the Sharingan of the Uchiha. Fighting in a fog where one could not see an inch ahead would inevitably hinder him. The best countermeasure was to smash the board itself—to refuse the game of hide-and-seek the Kiri shinobi thrived on.
And so—
That was exactly what he intended to do!
"Manda! Come forth!!"
Orochimaru pressed his thumb against the Kusanagi's edge, drawing blood. He released the blade, then wove hand seals—Summoning Jutsu.
In an instant—
A massive purple serpent appeared beneath his feet, dwarfing even the corpse of the great snake that littered the battlefield. Its colossal body extended far beyond the fog's shroud.
Mangetsu Hōzuki, not yet fully recovered, was crushed instantly beneath the summoning's bulk. His body burst apart, collapsing into liquid and splashing across the earth.
And not just Mangetsu—
Kyoichi and Mei Terumī, standing not far from Orochimaru, were also within Manda's vast range. Strictly speaking, this wasn't even an attack. The serpent's sheer size naturally displaced everything around it, crushing all nearby.
At that moment—
Anyone in the vicinity risked being ground beneath the enormous coils.
"Damn it!"
Kyoichi's expression darkened the instant he saw that monstrous purple form.
He immediately released his grip on the Kusanagi Sword still in his hand, twisted his body, seized the girl beside him, and dove violently to the side. As he did, he hardened his body with Earth Spear, his skin turning as unyielding as stone.
A heartbeat later—
Manda's immense weight slammed down upon him.
But unlike the water-bodied Hōzuki clan, Kyoichi's hardened flesh was like diamond. Even Manda's bulk could not pierce his technique. Instead, it forced Kyoichi and the girl he shielded beneath him deep into the earth.
"Ugh! This thing's heavy as hell."
In the suffocating dark, Kyoichi exhaled sharply.
"Mei, are you hurt anywhere?"
With the girl in his arms, he could feel her breath warm and alive. But that didn't guarantee her safety. He had protected her with everything he had, yet Manda's sudden appearance had been so abrupt—he could not be sure his response had been perfect.
He had secured her life, yes. But whether she was entirely unscathed—he could not promise.
"…I'm fine!"
Her voice was small, almost trembling.
But—
They were close enough that Kyoichi heard it clearly.
"Good. That's what matters."
The tension in his chest eased slightly.
But truth be told—
This future Fifth Mizukage was no weakling. Even without his protection, she would not be so easily killed by Manda. Still—Kyoichi had given his word to Masakazu of the Kirigumo clan: he would ensure Mei Terumī returned alive to the Mist.
So—
He had never considered leaving her fate to chance.
And besides, since he could protect both himself and another, why would he ever choose otherwise?
"If you're unharmed—then let's get ready to strike back!"
Kyoichi drew a deep breath. The Eye of God hanging at his waist glimmered faintly in the darkness, casting a halo of pale yellow light.
The next instant—
The ground trembled.
Jagged spears of stone thrust upward, piercing through Manda's scales and driving deeper into its body, forcing the colossal serpent into spasms of pain. Writhing, it shattered the spears with its coils—yet in doing so freed Kyoichi and Mei from beneath its crushing weight.
Then—
"Earth Release: Golem Technique!!!"
Kyoichi's hands flew into seals.
From the ground rose a giant of stone, towering and imposing.
Against a monster of that scale—
Only something equally massive could stand against it.