Facing the surging, rapidly firing Yellow Sand Spears, Orochimaru smiled wickedly. He put his long, pale hands up to his teeth, biting two small cuts on his thumbs.
The chakra extracted by his powerful spiritual and mental energy was exceptionally pure. It surged into his hands, from which crimson blood was flowing, and in the space of a moment, he formed a series of hand seals. A brilliant light burst from his dark-golden pupils, and he slammed his hands heavily onto the ground!
As the pure chakra flowed into the ground, Orochimaru, with decades of experience from his previous life, skillfully connected his spiritual energy to that profound, mysterious place. A complex, arcane ninjutsu seal array, several meters in diameter, suddenly appeared on the sand.
Summoning: First-Tier Rashōmon, RISE!
Boom! Rumble!—
As a deafening sound of the earth shaking and mountains trembling erupted, the ground several meters in front of Orochimaru suddenly cracked open. A spiderweb of uneven fissures continuously extended, forcibly shattering the ground several meters ahead and over ten meters wide!
From the fissures, an aura of evil, brutality, darkness, and death constantly emanated, as if connected to another bizarre and wicked world.
Large clouds of smoke and dust shot up into the sky. A sturdy, demon-faced gate, about five or six meters long, seven or eight meters high, and half a meter thick, rose from the shattered earth!
The large, wide demon-faced gate was blood-red all over, framed by sharp, monstrous whiskers. A black tiled dome topped the structure. The front featured a ferocious, pale-blue demon-mask head with wide-open fangs and glaring eyes, constantly radiating an evil aura.
The First-Tier Rashōmon stood before Orochimaru, conveying an impression of unyielding durability!
Thud! Thud! Thud!—
The sharp, pointed Yellow Sand Spears constantly stabbed the thick, blood-red Rashōmon. Dull, heavy impacts continuously sounded. Although the demon-faced Rashōmon was left battered and uneven, not a single spear managed to pierce its defense, as it steadily blocked all dozens of the Sand Spears.
Harada, whose attention had been diverted by Orochimaru, was seized upon by Hyūga Harano, who had been playing the "pig eating the tiger." With the pale blue veins around his eyes bulging, Harano's eyes flashed with fierce focus. He sped out at more than double his previous pace, rushing in the blink of an eye toward the two Suna ninja.
His left foot forward, his right leg bowed and placed behind him, he squatted down. His left hand was extended forward, his right hand stretched back in a "fish tail" shape. The unique starting stance was struck, and the invisible Eight Trigrams Field enclosed the two Suna ninja.
Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!
Thud! Thud! Thud!—
Incredibly powerful punches unleashed waves of fist energy several meters long, violently striking Harada and the other Suna Jōnin. The fierce blows even knocked the two Jōnin into the air.
Harano pressed his attack, swiftly striking sixty-four palms onto each Jōnin's body. The ferocious force, striking their tenketsu (chakra points), not only sealed the flow of their chakra but the surging fist energy also ripped through their clothing on both sides, letting out streams of crimson blood!
After the One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms, the Jōnin floating in the air were already severely wounded!
Harano's momentum did not stop.
Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher!
He retracted both palms, then instantly and fiercely thrust them out again!
Boom! Boom!—
Like two cannonballs leaving their barrels, the two Mountain Crusher palms sent out two thick waves of fist energy that traversed several meters of open space, violently striking the center of Harada's and the other Jōnin's chests.
Puff! Puff!—
The expressions of the two Suna ninja changed drastically. Their hearts were instantly pulverized by the powerful blow. Their terrified eyes bulged out, and two jets of blood, mixed with heart fragments, sprayed from their mouths!
With two thud sounds, their bodies fell heavily to the ground, both sent to the grave!
Orochimaru stepped out from behind the demon-faced Rashōmon and smiled wickedly at the sight of this flash-quick, forceful Gentle Fist attack!
Having delivered two sets of physically draining, forceful attacks, Hyūga Harano was also slightly winded, breathing heavily. He turned to Orochimaru, giving him a grateful smile. His gaze then swept over the terrifying demon-faced Rashōmon behind Orochimaru, a thoughtful focus in his eyes, though it was impossible to tell what he was thinking!
Orochimaru paid no mind to the old fox's thoughts and sprinted toward the battle involving Aokita and Aokino.
Hyūga Harano also reacted, setting aside family rivalries to move and support Uchiha Tomosuke!
Under Orochimaru's constant guerrilla harassment, one battle opportunity after another was created. The three Suna Jōnin led by Tanai had clearly seen Orochimaru cooperate with Hyūga Harano to ambush and kill the two Jōnin, so they were cautious, maintaining a steady defense.
But the brothers Aokita and Aokino attacked with the ferocity of two bulls in heat, seizing every chance to constantly widen their advantage. This eventually accumulated into a sudden burst of power, allowing them to jointly kill one of the Suna Jōnin!
Uchiha Tomosuke and Hyūga Harano also achieved great results working together, powerfully killing two Jōnin.
Just as it seemed the remaining eight Suna Jōnin would be completely wiped out, a sudden change occurred!
A black shadow, leaving a long trail, charged fiercely from Sarutobi's battlefield. The overwhelming pressure of a Kage-candidate instantly covered the entire area!
Orochimaru's heart jumped. He keenly recognized the approaching figure as Inada Fujino, the Kage-candidate level powerhouse.
Uchiha Tomosuke felt the powerful pressure and frowned. His pride flared up as if provoked!
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
Uchiha Tomosuke took a deep breath and forcibly exhaled. A single spark grew rapidly in the air!
Rooaar!—
A deafening dragon roar sounded. A huge, fiery-red, ferocious dragon head emerged from the soaring flames. It opened its mouth and spat out a highly condensed fireball—red with a streak of blazing white, wrapped in fierce, high-temperature flames—which shot toward Inada Fujino.
Inada Fujino roused the chakra around his body!
Wind Release: Tornado Hurricane Jutsu!
A strong, surging, deep-blue hurricane deflected the high-temperature fireball, sending it smashing into the ground!
Inada Fujino took the opportunity to summon a gigantic black eagle. The moment the giant eagle appeared, it flapped its wings, sending out over a hundred crescent-shaped wind blades, each about a meter long!
Konoha's Jōnin and others quickly employed defensive techniques!
Seizing this chance, Inada Fujino grabbed the remaining three Suna Jōnin and, abandoning the fighting Suna ninja and rogue ninja, fled into the distance!
Sarutobi arrived late. By the time Orochimaru and the others looked up, the giant eagle was already flapping its wings at the edge of the sky. They were unable to pursue!
The victory in the Kage-level battle, achieved by Sarutobi, instantly decided the outcome of the entire conflict!
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