Another long ass chapter
Chapter 75: The Invincible Demigod—Ultimate Technique: "Purple"
"Hidden Mist Technique—don't fight him in the fog! Don't scatter or he'll pick us off one by one. Regroup quickly!"
With visibility restricted by dense fog, Orochimaru immediately grasped Hanzo's intent and shouted urgently.
The words barely left his mouth before his pupils contracted, a chill running down his spine.
Too late to form seals for Earth Substitution, he didn't hesitate—whirling around and firing a golden beam from his hand.
CLANG!
Blade met the Sword of Thunder God with an ear-piercing collision, yet no sparks flew and no contest of strength emerged.
The moment their weapons touched, explosive tags with apparent self-awareness crawled up Hanzo's wrist. His body liquefied into water, leaving only the tag-covered blade behind.
BOOM BOOM BOOM...
Successive explosions erupted, creating brilliant flashes of firelight within the rain curtain and white fog.
Hanzo wielded explosive tags with divine mastery.
Orochimaru never anticipated the enemy discarding his weapon to detonate tags. Still unable to cast techniques or match Hanzo's Body Flicker speed, he could only burst chakra from his feet and leap backward forcefully.
Even so, multiple explosive tags' shockwaves shattered Orochimaru's goggles—fortunately his gas mask remained intact.
WHOOSH—
During his airborne retreat, a piercing whistle reached Orochimaru's ears.
Before he could face that direction to determine whether the sound indicated jutsu or weaponry—
STAB! The chain-sickle's blade tip pierced through heavy armor into flesh, pain contorting Orochimaru's face.
Then RIP—accompanied by clanking chain sounds.
A long bloody line suddenly appeared across Orochimaru's back, forcing a agonized scream from him.
"AHHH—"
"Orochimaru!"
This scream finally allowed Tsunade and Jiraiya to pinpoint his location and rush over.
Just as Tsunade instinctively moved to heal and stop Orochimaru's bleeding, he urgently commanded: "Don't heal me—leave this area quickly or we'll all die!"
CRASH...
Before Tsunade and Jiraiya could support Orochimaru and use Body Flicker together, that sound reached their ears again.
Not chain rattling this time, but... ocean waves!
The next second, water engulfed all three.
From a distance, one would see a lake appearing from nowhere in the rocky terrain.
The massive water flow finally dispersed the dense fog while simultaneously robbing the Legendary Sannin of mobility.
At that moment, they discovered with shock that three Hanzos were shooting toward them through the water like arrows in a formation resembling the Crescent Moon Dance.
Chiyo called him "the old man with a breathing tube"—Hanzo's specially designed mask functioned like an oxygen tank, allowing unrestricted underwater activity. Combined with masterful Water Body Flicker, no one's underwater speed could surpass his.
These three Hanzos moved too fast to give the Legendary Sannin time to form seals.
Perhaps through shared understanding, the Legendary Sannin simultaneously thought of the Rasengan Yoru had developed.
If they survived this battle, they absolutely needed to learn new seal-less techniques.
If they all mastered the Rasengan, even trapped underwater facing Hanzo's incredible aquatic speed, they'd have means to resist.
Perhaps because they simultaneously thought of Yoru—
A black flash materialized from nowhere. Yoru actually appeared before them, holding a blue-white energy sphere and pushing it forward.
The irregularly high-speed rotating Rasengan immediately stirred countless tons of water, forming an equally high-speed rotating water tornado that attacked the three Hanzos like Water Release: Water Fang Bullet.
The reason the Legendary Sannin couldn't even form seals wasn't just the three Hanzos' shocking underwater speed—they could also instantly cast Water Release while moving.
After Tobirama Senju's death, the shinobi world's greatest Water Release master wasn't Kirigakure's Mizukage but Hanzo of the Salamander.
His Water Release mastery simplified the forty-four seal Water Dragon Bullet Technique to just four seals.
On Rain Country's territory, he could instantly create lake-level Water Release attacks.
His Water Release nature transformation had reached pinnacle perfection—a single water droplet could transform into a blade and shoot forth.
Combined with Water Body Flicker and his specialized mask, aside from inferior chakra reserves and lacking techniques that could devour jutsu or instantly drain opponents' chakra like Water Release: Water Shark Bullet, Hanzo's underwater combat capability and deterrence exceeded even future Kisame Hoshigaki.
Yoru's teleportation with Rasengan followed by the water tornado creation occurred almost instantaneously.
In that brief moment, all three Hanzos simultaneously controlled surrounding water into several equally high-speed rotating water columns that collided with the tornado.
Then several massive water blades curved around the tornado and columns, flying toward Yoru and the others.
Yoru froze slightly, not expecting these three—obviously Shadow Clones or Water Clones—to not only withstand his surprise attack but counterattack.
This Water Release mastery, this terrifying combat experience—was this the Demigod's true strength?
No wonder the three Sannin couldn't hold out long enough for him to find opportunities against Hanzo—they'd nearly been wiped out.
The canonical Hanzo vs. Legendary Sannin battle must have been heavily restrained.
If not for Hanzo seeing no hope of victory and unwilling to completely antagonize Konoha, the Legendary Sannin would truly have died.
Now the butterfly effect Yoru triggered brought the Demigod vs. Legendary Sannin confrontation forward. This figure at the shinobi world's pinnacle genuinely intended to kill.
The Legendary Sannin—still only elite jonin level—faced a gap with this man like an insurmountable chasm.
No wonder during the Konoha Crush Plan, Enma blamed Hiruzen Sarutobi for not eliminating Orochimaru back then.
These different types of "strongest" could easily eliminate the Legendary Sannin at this stage.
Unable to teleport all three simultaneously, Yoru was about to cast techniques to block the incoming water blades.
Then a water dragon flew overhead, consuming both the blades and those three Hanzos, turning them all to smoke.
Orochimaru hadn't been spectating—he'd used the brief time Yoru bought to complete seals and counterattack.
Eliminating three Hanzo Shadow Clones with one technique, Orochimaru immediately signaled Yoru before diving downward.
Yoru teleported away with Tsunade and Jiraiya in succession.
Soon the four regrouped at a massive boulder Yoru had secretly marked with Flying Thunder God seals.
Since one used Body Flicker to escape while three teleported away, finding them quickly proved difficult even for Hanzo.
"Cancel the original plan. We can't fight him in Rain Country."
While receiving Tsunade's Mystical Palm healing, Orochimaru spoke rapidly: "The rain curtains, water flow, and atmospheric moisture here provide natural assistance for Hanzo. His Water Release deployment here—whether massive-scale techniques requiring enormous chakra or Water Body Flicker—executes almost as fast as instant casting."
"Even if poison gas disperses poorly in forests, we must lure him there or die faster here."
Jiraiya suddenly proposed: "How about... we just retreat?"
Seeing three stares fixed on him, Jiraiya glanced at Yoru—who'd consumed a military rations pill and was frantically recovering chakra—then explained his reasoning: "Though I don't know what trump card the kid's hiding, Hanzo clearly remains vigilant about it. Using Hidden Mist, we can't identify his real body."
"The sensory team's Yamanaka clan hasn't used Mind Body Transmission to warn us, meaning even they don't know where Hanzo's real body hides."
"Assassinating the shinobi world's foremost assassin is nearly impossible."
"The salamander's defense withstands multiple Five Element techniques. When struck, it instantly returns to the summoning realm by canceling the jutsu. Assassinating it seems even harder than Hanzo himself."
"Why not follow Sunagakure's example—play hide-and-seek until we develop the antidote formula and improve our strength before seeking revenge?"
Orochimaru and Tsunade felt their resolve waver.
Fleeing from the shinobi world's Demigod was never shameful but wise.
Staying to fight Hanzo desperately—unless covering comrades' retreat—dying here would feel like defiling martyrs' honor even with names carved on the memorial stone.
Orochimaru had believed Yoru's Dimensional Slash first-strike advantage could accomplish what the Five Great Villages couldn't—eliminate Hanzo or the shinobi world's deadliest poison creature.
But unexpectedly, these three seniors had dragged Yoru down.
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Orochimaru found them quite reasonable.
No need to rush!
Neither they nor Yoru had fully matured yet.
Once they developed the antidote formula and could carry abundant doses to completely ignore the salamander's poison, fighting Hanzo wasn't impossible.
Their recent battle had gathered intelligence on Hanzo—knowing his preferred assassination methods.
They'd also experienced his Water Release power, understanding which aspects to improve for countering him.
Thinking this, Orochimaru was about to nod agreement with retreat—
Then Yoru suddenly spoke: "Let me... try one more time."
Facing three seniors' gazes, Yoru only met Orochimaru's eyes, speaking words only they understood: "I have a new technique. Maybe I can prevent the salamander from returning to the summoning realm when struck—possibly even kill it."
Orochimaru's eyes immediately brightened, deciding instantly: "Then try again. We'll continue covering you. Go out and draw Hanzo's attention."
"This time I'll move quickly. Just give me a few minutes." Leaving these words, Yoru's figure dove underground.
Tsunade finally couldn't restrain her curiosity. While continuing Orochimaru's treatment, she asked: "Orochimaru, what trump card is that kid hiding to make you so confident in him?"
"Right, is it some secret technique or bloodline limit?" Jiraiya felt equally curious and began speculating. "The Gojo family doesn't have secret technique inheritance and isn't a bloodline clan. Mio married Satsu from a civilian family without even a surname. Could Mio's ancestors be unusual, or does the Gojo family possess ultra-rare bloodline limits like the Kurama clan—appearing only once every few generations?"
Facing their curiosity, Orochimaru merely smiled lightly. "Sorry, I promised Yoru I'd keep his secret. Unless he voluntarily reveals it or the entire shinobi world guesses, I won't tell anyone—including Sarutobi-sensei."
"That mysterious? Is it really so impressive?" Jiraiya couldn't help complaining.
Tsunade also complained: "Katsuyu said the same thing, now you too—doesn't that make people's hearts itch unbearably?"
Orochimaru's eyes focused sharply, turning to Tsunade questioningly. "Katsuyu knows Yoru's secret too?"
"Yes, Katsuyu called that kid 'a new shinobi world miracle.'" Tsunade continued complaining. "Besides my grandfather, I can't think who else deserves being called a 'shinobi world miracle.' Did the kid awaken Wood Release?"
Jiraiya's expression froze.
Hearing "sage," he involuntarily recalled the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
A shinobi world miracle—wasn't that the prophesied child?
Different terminology?
If so, didn't that mean Yoru was the prophesied child he'd been seeking?
But... Yoru wasn't his student, which contradicted the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
Unaware of Jiraiya's thoughts, Orochimaru continued questioning: "Didn't you ask Katsuyu?"
"I asked. Katsuyu refused, saying Shikkotsu Forest dares not offend that kid." Tsunade's answer made Jiraiya's heart tremble again.
This evaluation matched the Great Toad Sage's prophecy even more closely.
The prophesied child would bring massive transformation to the shinobi world—either unprecedented peace or unprecedented destruction.
Could that prophesied child truly be Yoru?
Orochimaru's next words delivered the real critical hit.
"Katsuyu spoke correctly. You only need to know that once Yoru matures, he'll be the new God of Shinobi." Orochimaru's eyes showed firm conviction. "Until he matures, I'll be his guide."
Jiraiya: "⊙_⊙|||"
Great Toad Sage, did you sleep through the prophecy and make a mistake?
Actually, you wanted Orochimaru back then but pulled the wrong person—grabbing me, his teammate, instead?
Tsunade's heart trembled with shock, while her curiosity about Yoru reached its absolute peak.
Involuntarily, she recalled every scene from the cave.
That brat's height and mentality exceeding his age, his forceful attitude and disrespect toward others completely different from anyone else, plus this terrifying potential to inevitably reach the shinobi world's pinnacle—even become the new God of Shinobi—all transformed into emotions Tsunade herself hadn't detected.
Unaware of their thoughts, Orochimaru assumed they were simply shocked.
Feeling his back's severe pain vanish, Orochimaru rose seriously. "Let's move. Be more cautious this time—definitely give Yoru sufficient time."
"Right!"
Snapping back to awareness, Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded together.
Through trust in their companion, in Katsuyu, in the Great Toad Sage... the Legendary Sannin reached shocking consensus, placing absolute faith in Yoru.
Then three blurred figures shot forth, treading atop boulders for high-speed movement, quickly drawing Hanzo's attention.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Hanzo employed the same tactics, creating vast fog to restrict the Legendary Sannin's vision.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Successive whistling sounds rapidly reached the Legendary Sannin's ears.
Then BOOM BOOM BOOM—explosions echoed continuously.
Rather than close-quarters assassination, Hanzo threw numerous kunai with explosive tags attached, bombarding the Legendary Sannin.
With restricted vision, fog filled with chakra everywhere blocking sensory techniques, the Legendary Sannin remained somewhat passive.
However, their mission was buying Yoru time. They cooperated with Hanzo's attacks, making themselves more passive to lure him closer.
Unfortunately, Hanzo proved too cautious this time—no intention of closing distance, only constant ranged attacks.
While dodging, doubt flickered through Orochimaru's mind.
Why didn't these ranged attacks include the chain-sickle from before?
That sickle easily pierced jonin armor—clearly not ordinary weaponry but something like a chakra blade, possibly superior material with special properties.
Was this pinnacle figure toying with them, or wary of Yoru who could hide chakra presence undetectable even by powerful sensory abilities—not daring to throw personal weapons?
Or was this Hanzo... still not the real body?
Orochimaru wanted to test but Hanzo gave no opportunities.
Having his village's signature techniques mastered and used against him, Orochimaru finally understood how those Iwa shinobi he'd killed felt.
Truly disgusting!
Fortunately Yoru's target wasn't Hanzo at all. Orochimaru felt considerably better, continuing to cooperate with this Hanzo—whether real body or Shadow Clone.
Unlike the Legendary Sannin suffering Hanzo's overwhelming assault and considering retreat—
The four-beast battle remained in white-hot stages.
Unlike human organs, the three beasts' breath-holding capabilities were exceptional. The salamander's poison needed considerable time to fully penetrate and force them back to summoning realms.
Physical damage causing defensive returns proved even harder.
Katsuyu seemed most vulnerable but her soft body, corrosive mucus, and internal natural energy made her defense the strongest present.
Next came the salamander—second in age only to Katsuyu, older than both Gamabunta and Manda.
As a four-legged creature, the salamander could physically burrow underground.
It could also use the salamander's special ability, treating earth like ocean or pond for swimming.
The latter consumed energy, reducing real-world time, but provided shocking speed—the main reason Yoru couldn't find previous openings.
Beyond poison and speed, the salamander's massive size provided powerful defensive capability. Explosive tags and ordinary Five Element techniques struggled to breach it.
Its tail proved harder and more powerful than current Manda. One strike would send either Gamabunta or Manda back to their summoning realms.
Combined with caution matching its contractor, the salamander maintained distance tactics, toying with Gamabunta and Manda while their tempers flared violently.
"Stupid toad! Don't you spit oil? Use fire on it! Why spit water balls in this heavy rain?!"
"I do spit oil but can't spit fire!"
"Then why carry that pipe?!"
"Don't you see it's raining? The tobacco's soaked. Jiraiya usually lights it for me!"
"Useless! I want to eat you!"
"You stinking snake, what did you say?! Want to become a snakeskin wallet?!"
Toad and serpent arguing suddenly felt impulses to betray and join the enemy to eliminate their teammate. Watching this, the salamander—unable to understand human speech—experienced mental lag.
If not for its non-humanoid expression, it would definitely look utterly confused.
Coincidentally, Gamabunta and Manda's bickering created an opening for Yoru.
While the salamander froze in place—possibly watching the show—the ground suddenly bulged before rapidly forming a figure reaching toward the salamander's belly.
This angle was the salamander's visual blind spot.
Logically, it shouldn't react in time.
Indeed, the salamander didn't move, seemingly unaware of Yoru's presence.
Just as Yoru's hand was about to touch the salamander—
Its white belly suddenly secreted a transparent water droplet, apparently no different from falling rain.
But as this droplet emerged, black patterns suddenly appeared on the salamander's pure white belly.
These patterns formed rectangles, then black lines spreading into explosive character marks that sparked.
BOOM BOOM BOOM...
Successive explosions rang out, firelight engulfing Yoru, dust forming a several-meter mushroom cloud rising upward.
The salamander's figure leaped from the mushroom cloud, landing on a massive ornamental rock-like boulder not far from the blast, becoming a giant lizard.
Simultaneously, the salamander opened its jaws toward the explosion site and blew—not releasing poison smoke but massive airflow dispersing the explosion's dust.
The original Yoru had become a puddle of mud.
That Yoru was clearly just an Earth Clone.
Destroying the Earth Clone while collecting intelligence on Yoru's ability—
Hidden underground, that ability perfectly concealed chakra presence. Even the salamander, equally skilled at burrowing, couldn't detect it.
However, he must eventually emerge from underground, inevitably exposing chakra then.
By deploying Exploding Flame Formations on limbs and tail undersides like the belly to block Flying Thunder God seals, this hidden ability became non-threatening!
Unfortunately, the salamander's appearance wasn't humanoid—otherwise its next expression would be spectacular.
Above that mud puddle, Yoru's figure materialized from thin air in lying posture suspended in air, left hand gripping right elbow while his right hand formed a finger-snap gesture toward the salamander.
FLASH—
At the junction of his thumb, index, and middle fingers, a marble-sized energy sphere flashed with dazzling light.
Dense black compressed and high-speed rotating, creating traces of purple plus hints of blue—a three-colored orb.
Yoru's ice-blue eyes currently reflected these three lights.
These brilliant, variegated pupils made his handsome face seem touched by divine radiance.
"Purple."
Yoru spoke the technique name flatly, then snapped his fingers.
The marble-sized energy sphere shot forth instantly.
Then a horrifying scene unfolded.
Wherever the energy sphere passed, surrounding space displayed rippling waves rapidly expanding and enlarging, spinning at high speed like a shuriken.
Unlike Wind Release: Rasenshuriken's ear-piercing high-speed rotation, this shuriken pattern formed from spatial ripples—nearly transparent and soundless.
And unlike the Rasenshuriken's horizontal rotation, this energy sphere's spatial ripples simultaneously expanded vertically and horizontally.
Consequently, this marble-sized energy sphere produced effects with massive kill range.
Spatial ripples merely rotating past the ground created circular gaps with smooth edges on the uneven rocky terrain.
If not for Yoru shooting toward the ornamental rock-high boulder, had this energy sphere traveled horizontally along the ground, it would have plowed an extremely long, deep trench.
The energy sphere's transformation process seemed slow but actually achieved this form instantly after Yoru's snap.
The smooth-edged circular gap appeared less than three meters beneath Yoru's feet.
The orb carrying rotating spatial ripples flashed like a meteor, instantly shooting before the ornamental rock.
Before even touching it, rotating spatial ripples already destroyed the rock's mass. Debris drawn into the ripples continuously pulverized while following the trajectory to the orb—seemingly becoming powder or swallowed by a black hole, completely vanishing into nothingness.
Even the salamander's shocking speed couldn't react now—absolutely no chance to evade.
It instinctively wanted to cancel the Summoning Technique and return to the summoning realm.
But rotating spatial ripples disrupted that space-time force connecting to the summoning realm.
Unable to return, the salamander's mind went blank, only able to stare dumbly at the approaching three-colored meteor.
Just as the salamander believed death certain, its massive body suddenly transformed into enormous water flow, vanishing into nothingness alongside the giant rock.
The three-colored meteor like a miniature black hole continued with undiminished momentum through the air, truly disappearing like a meteor into the rain-curtained night sky.
Had anyone possessed night vision capability, they'd discover the meteor's passage tore the rain curtain like cut paper, creating a void trace.
Unfortunately, the energy sphere contained too little energy and insufficient size to fly far or high enough.
Otherwise, everyone watching this battlefield might have witnessed the spectacular sight of clouds torn with a gaping hole.
Even so, the three beasts observing nearby plus the Legendary Sannin—who'd seen this scene when the inexplicably dispersed fog cleared—all stood dumbfounded.
Long afterward, these three humans and three beasts finally recovered.
Jiraiya's voice trembled: "What... what was that? A meteor? A laser?"
"Gulp..."
Tsunade swallowed hard, too shocked for words.
Orochimaru's eyes trembled while analyzing the technique's principles, feeling intense regret.
Unfortunately, nighttime obscured details.
In daylight, he might have analyzed some effects and principles.
That new space-time application—even unable to learn it—could provide considerable inspiration.
"...What the hell?!"
Shocking humans and beasts alike, Yoru's face remained expressionlessly cold while internally cursing in English.
What did he just witness?
That massive salamander actually used Water Body Flicker Technique!
Was he cheating or was that fish cheating?!
No time to ponder this. With Space-Time chakra completely depleted and the Space-Time Yin Seal automatically dispersing, Yoru frantically consumed his last Space-Time chakra teleporting to Orochimaru's side, urging: "Orochimaru-sensei, run!"
Then a scene of master-student betrayal unfolded—Yoru abandoned the Legendary Sannin, leading the charge toward the forest's central tower.
The recovered Legendary Sannin immediately canceled Summoning Techniques and followed.
Atop a distant boulder, rain coalesced into Hanzo's form.
Across the vast distance, he gazed at Yoru—whose chakra strength barely reached chunin level yet had used that technique consuming less than half his reserves—his eyes trembling.
Without understanding that technique's principles and finding countermeasures, Hanzo dared not pursue.
He feared Yoru had another shot!
From battle's start, Hanzo's attention never focused on the Legendary Sannin.
After fighting them and understanding their strength, Hanzo created the massive lake then no longer personally engaged—only Shadow Clones handled them.
His real body had secretly hidden inside the salamander.
Others entering would die from poison, but Hanzo with his implanted poison sac remained unaffected.
With his skill and Body Flicker, Hanzo didn't believe Yoru could harm him.
Flying Thunder God's miraculous aspect was placing supposedly permanent seals on people and objects.
Yoru's target from beginning to end was only his partner salamander.
Hanzo played along, secretly deploying Exploding Flame Formation on his partner—both blocking Flying Thunder God seals and potentially killing the enemy.
Success came, though only eliminating an Earth Clone.
He'd assumed the Earth Clone was mere testing, not expecting it as misdirection for that technique.
Like the salamander, Hanzo first wanted to cancel his partner's summon and let it return while he used Body Flicker.
Unexpectedly, that technique could disrupt Summoning Technique, preventing the partner's return.
If not for being inside his partner, if not for using Water Body Flicker with his partner, both would have journeyed to the Pure Land together.
Even executing Water Body Flicker in time, his partner still lost its hardest tail to that energy sphere's surrounding invisible aura.
After escaping, his partner instantly returned to the summoning realm for treatment—unable to summon it for combat short-term.
The tail section vanished into nothingness, the gap's edge perfectly smooth—would it ever regenerate?
Had it been slightly more centered, his partner might be critically injured and dying, with himself hidden inside possibly also vanishing into nothingness!
That youth... was far more than just a Flying Thunder God user!
Hanzo recalled Yoru deploying Flying Thunder God like black flash, plus how the Legendary Sannin addressed him, murmuring: "Kid, Yoru, Gojo... I will forever engrave this name in my heart."
"I will never repeat this life-or-death error again!"
***
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