Fierce Battle!

Yei ignored the mockery in Orochimaru's words. His gaze turned icy as lightning power surged through his body, stimulating his cells and strengthening his physique. Forming a hand seal, he said, "Lightning Release: White Lightning!"

With a soft crackle, a bolt of lightning shot out like a spear, stabbing toward Orochimaru's heart!

A chilling smile appeared on Orochimaru's lips. Watching the lightning beam approach, he leaped aside to evade it and said hoarsely, "Is this a Lightning Release ninjutsu you developed yourself? The intelligence says your talent for Lightning Release is exceptionally outstanding. A ninjutsu that can be cast with just one hand seal? It truly has its own unique merits..."

"However, it's still not enough. Show me more of your strength, Yei-kun!"

Earlier, Orochimaru had already used his own intelligence channels to learn most of what there was to know about Yei.

He knew that Yei had considerable talent for Lightning Release and had even learned Kakashi's Chidori.

However, he did not care. To him, Kakashi was merely a junior.

Though Kakashi was talented, he had never been worthy of Orochimaru's attention!

The same went for Yei!

As if intending to force Yei to reveal his true strength, Orochimaru made his move. With a sinister smile, he rapidly formed hand seals. "Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

More than a dozen venomous snakes shot from his sleeves, their fangs bared as pale-purple venom dripped down. They slithered over the ground and lunged at Yei!

"Hmph!" Yei snorted coldly at the attacking snakes. A lightning blade extended from the kunai in his hand.

With a few swings, he sliced the incoming snakes into countless pieces. Blood splattered down, staining the ground red!

"Yes, just like that. Show yourself to your heart's content! Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Multiple Snake Hands!" The interest in Orochimaru's eyes grew increasingly intense as he formed another series of hand seals. More venomous snakes poked their heads out from his sleeves.

Over a hundred venomous snakes swarmed toward him, their bodies twisting and winding as their tongues flicked out. They opened their jaws and pounced with their fangs exposed!

The sight alone was enough to make many Chunin and Genin's scalps go numb, stripping them of any will to fight.

Yet Yei merely glanced at them. Rather than retreating, he advanced. Chakra surged in his palm before he thrust it forward. "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

The cannonball-like Chakra blast sent the first incoming snakes flying. However, the slithering snakes had already surrounded him and lunged in from all directions, their jaws wide open and poisonous fangs gleaming coldly!

"Rotation!" Seeing this, Yei could only use Rotation. His body spun at high speed, forming a Chakra shield.

Rotation was not only the Hyuga Clan's absolute defense; it also possessed tremendous destructive power. The venomous snakes were bounced away before they could even approach him, falling all around him.

Yei's Observation Haki and Byakugan locked onto Orochimaru. With a movement of his feet, he used Soru to charge forward. The kunai wrapped in a lightning blade cut apart every snake that came near as he closed in on Orochimaru at astonishing speed!

After the previous mission, Yei had been injured again and used Super Regeneration to recover. It was like an extreme method of tempering the body, making his physique somewhat stronger.

A stronger physique also meant more Chakra within Yei's body!

After all, Chakra was fundamentally born from a person's spirit and body. It was inseparably connected to one's physique!

The stronger Yei's physique became, the more Chakra he could store!

Of course, although Yei's Chakra had grown somewhat stronger, it had not yet reached Kage level. At most, it had caught up to his peers' level, enough that a few ninjutsu would not completely drain him. Even so, he still had shortcomings when it came to Chakra.

He could not squander it freely!

That was why Yei intended to close in on Orochimaru and fight with Taijutsu!

"Eight Trigrams Palm!" Yei shouted softly. Chakra gathered in his right palm as he launched a fierce strike at Orochimaru's chest!

"Gentle Fist?" Orochimaru smiled mockingly and reached for Yei's right wrist. As one of the Sannin, he was exceedingly familiar with the ninjutsu of every major ninja clan in the village.

Though he knew the Gentle Fist was not suited for close-range confrontation, Yei was only a Special Jonin, not even a Jonin. Orochimaru did not take him seriously at all!

However, just as he was about to grab Yei's right wrist, Yei abruptly changed his move.

After gaining Hakuda, Yei's control over his body had surpassed what it once was. His outstretched right palm suddenly stopped, and he switched to attacking with his left hand. His fist clenched tightly as Chakra concentrated at a single point, and he threw a powerful, heavy blow!

"Hm?" Surprise appeared on Orochimaru's face. Yet as one of the Sannin, his combat experience was extraordinarily rich. He reacted instantly, extending his left hand as well and using his palm to meet Yei's fist head-on.

As fist and palm collided, a dull bang rang out. Airwaves rolled outward, kicking up clouds of dust!

In the next moment, Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. He felt the immense force behind that punch. The Chakra that erupted at the point of impact became a powerful shockwave, and almost the instant their fist and palm met, the tremendous force twisted his left arm and sent his entire body flying!

"Super Strength Fist?" Orochimaru flipped backward in midair, then leaped several times to bleed off the force. His twisted left arm returned to normal after a few unnatural writhing movements. He looked at his left hand, then at Yei, surprise and uncertainty appearing on his face.

During that exchange, he had discovered just how terrifying Yei's strength was. The Chakra erupting at the point of impact transformed into monstrous force, shattering his attack and even giving him the feeling of fighting Tsunade...

"Eight Trigrams... Sixty-Four Palms!" Yei had no intention of giving Orochimaru time to react. He charged out again, and within a certain range of his vision, an Eight Trigrams formation seemed to appear!

"Two Palms!" Yei stomped on the ground, his strength erupting hard enough to crack it apart. His swift palms suddenly descended.

"..." Orochimaru's expression sank. He had underestimated this guy a little. Still, his reaction was not slow. He instantly formed hand seals, and two larger venomous snakes shot from his sleeves, crashing toward Yei's palms!

Meanwhile, he intended to pull back and retreat!

With two bangs, the venomous snakes were instantly blasted apart by Yei's overwhelming force the moment they collided with his fists. Chunks of flesh and blood scattered as Chakra shockwaves burst outward!

"This is... Gentle Fist?" Surprise flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. This Gentle Fist was completely different from the one he knew!

The Gentle Fist emphasized speed, precision, and ruthlessness, its effectiveness benefiting from the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan insight. Though its attacks were swift and precise, its raw destructive power was not exceptional; it relied more on technique to defeat opponents!

Yet the exploded snakes before him allowed him to instantly judge that this was nothing like the Eight Trigrams Palm he knew!

Yei's eyes flashed as he closed in again, catching up to Orochimaru. Electric currents extended from his body and struck Orochimaru, numbing him!

Seizing the opportunity, Yei's gaze became incomparably cold as his attacks continued without pause. "Four Palms, Six Palms, Eight Palms..."

The brief paralysis left Orochimaru with no time to defend himself. Yei's unceasing attacks struck all across his body, producing a dense series of dull bang, bang, bang sounds!

Every palm and every fist from Yei contained Chakra concentrated at a single point. It burst into Orochimaru's body and exploded!

"Sixty-Fourth Palm, Vacuum Palm!" Yei shouted fiercely. Chakra swirled around his palm as he thrust it forward. The Chakra pierced through Orochimaru's body and burst out through his back!

Orochimaru's body was sent flying by that final attack, hurtling backward for over a hundred meters. Only after carving a long trail across the ground did he finally come to a stop!

After that outburst, Yei was breathing somewhat heavily, but his gaze remained fixed in Orochimaru's direction. He knew Orochimaru could not possibly be defeated so easily!

As the most troublesome of the Sannin, Orochimaru would not fall that easily. If he did, then he would not be Orochimaru...