After unleashing the astonishingly powerful Great Fireball, Orochimaru did not pause. He continued to execute jutsu, preparing a follow-up, and utilized the copious steam generated by the fireball as cover. He subtly activated the Hidden Shadow Multi Snake Hand—an advanced form of the Hidden Shadow Snake Hand that features twice the number of venomous pythons and is capable of deterrence, restraint, capture, and direct attack.
No less than twelve mottled, venomous pythons, each as thick as a grown man's arm, shot out from Orochimaru's right hand. Concealed by the steam and hugging the surface of the water, the thin serpentine shadows rapidly wriggled toward the Amegakure ninjas.
The highly compressed fireball, though it consumed two Amegakure ninjas, bought time for the remaining four to escape and counterattack.
Two of the remaining ninjas frantically jumped sideways. While they were still in mid-air, they were met by six ferocious, mottled pythons lunging at each of them.
Inevitably, two more terrified screams rang out. The pythons returned, having harvested two more lives.
In a mere seven or eight breaths, only two figures remained on the field: the Elite Chūnin who had lagged behind and possessed the highest skill.
These two, clearly the talented individuals Hanzō had diligently nurtured, remained calm and collected despite the deaths of their comrades and the incoming Great Fireball.
Both surged their chakra and quickly formed hand seals!
Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu!
A thin, pale-blue water wall, about three to four meters high and seven to eight meters wide, churned up white foam on the river surface. It rapidly rose up, positioning itself in front of the two ninjas and securely protecting them.
The highly compressed fireball violently collided with the pale-blue water wall, emitting a continuous, sizzling sound as massive amounts of steam rose up.
Although Orochimaru's Fireball Jutsu was countered by the Water Release technique, the immense pure chakra and high compression injected into it ensured that the elite Chūnin's somewhat incomplete Water Wall Jutsu barely managed to hold it back, and only after being completely expended. Both techniques dissolved into nothingness.
While one Elite Chūnin defended against Orochimaru's Great Fireball, the other Amegakure ninja wasn't idle. He had already finished his hand signs and launched a counterattack!
Water Release: Water Shark Missile Technique!
A shallow, light-blue water shark, about the size of a canoe, sped through the water, its sharp dorsal fin cutting the surface, its massive jaws wide open. It created a long wake behind it as it surged toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, who had not moved his body yet had effortlessly eliminated five Amegakure ninjas, smiled faintly as he observed the remaining two ninjas. Their skill level was comparable to that of a great nation's Elite Chūnin. A hint of interest sparked in his dark-golden eyes: "Now this is somewhat entertaining!"
Focusing on the water shark slicing toward him, Orochimaru suddenly formed a hand seal and slammed his hand down onto the water surface. Thin, complex jutsu formulas instantly snaked out from the center of his palm.
Summoning Jutsu: Serpent Trample!
Poof!—
White smoke rose from the formula. Two mottled venomous pythons, each as thick as a grown man's thigh and dozens of meters long, their hideous fangs bared, shot out from the mist.
One of them, under Orochimaru's control, circled once, whipped up its tail, and violently struck the light-blue water shark.
Crack!—
The impact of the snake tail created a thunderous crash. The river surface for several meters was violently depressed by the immense force, sending up white spray over a meter high. The light-blue water shark was instantly smashed to pieces by the colossal force.
A flicker of frustration crossed the Chūnin's eyes. He continued to inject chakra, and just as the shattered water shark was about to re-form its shape using the river water, the python summoned by Orochimaru opened its jaws and instantly swallowed it whole.
BOOM!—
The delayed effect of the Water Shark Missile Jutsu activated. The light-blue shark exploded inside the python's belly.
Crimson snake blood mixed with shredded flesh splattered everywhere, staining a ten-meter radius of the river surface bloody red with the serpent's remains.
The Water Shark Missile Jutsu failed utterly, but the other python summoned by Orochimaru, its icy snake eyes gleaming, was already slithering rapidly toward the two Amegakure ninjas.
Orochimaru followed up, using Wind Release: Gale Palm!
With a gust of fierce wind, two thin, spinning, pinwheel-shaped wind blades sped toward the two ninjas, cutting off any escape routes to their left or right.
Schlick!—
One Amegakure ninja failed to dodge in time. The python's two fangs drilled two bloody holes straight into his head. His skull was squeezed open like a watermelon by the biting force of the python, and his entire body was swallowed by the snake.
The wind blade sliced across the remaining ninja's body, but it shattered with a "Splash!—." It was a Water Clone!
An alarm bell suddenly went off in Orochimaru's mind, and a sharp kunai stabbed into his body from behind.
In the nick of time, Orochimaru's body dissolved into a mass of brown-black mud and bubbling slime—a Mud Clone!
As the Amegakure ninja stared in surprise, Orochimaru burst up from beneath the river. With a powerful, heavy kick, he violently smashed the ninja's jaw—"Crunch!—." The sustained force sent the ninja flying into the air.
Slightly breathless, Orochimaru was about to deliver the killing blow to the last survivor when a vast, ocean-like aura and a tremendous, surging chakra wave suddenly erupted from the opposite riverbank!
Every Chūnin was a core, irreplaceable asset for a minor nation's leader like Hanzō. Every death meant a significant loss of his efforts, and it was agonizing for him. Seeing Orochimaru about to kill the very last Elite Chūnin, Hanzō finally could not endure it any longer and moved to rescue him. Moreover, Orochimaru's freakish talent and combat power were enough to ignite an unstoppable killing intent in Hanzō's heart!
Vast and immense chakra was continuously infused into the water. The terrifying power of a Kage-level master was unveiled in that moment.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
This ordinary B-rank Ninjutsu, when used by Hanzō, suddenly gained boundless might. A deafening roar—"A-O-O-H!—"—erupted from the water.
A powerful, ferocious dragon roar sounded as the river, ten meters wide, began to boil. A dark-blue, terrifying water dragon, seemingly condensed from the most magnificent turquoise crystal, soared into the sky.
In the hands of Hanzō, who had mastered Water Release to an extreme degree, this intensely concentrated, dark-blue water dragon was as thick as ten men embracing it. It carried a heavy, terrifying water pressure within its body. A mere brush would break bones and tear tendons. Wrapped in surging gales of wind, it charged oppressively toward Orochimaru.
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