Sasuke, who had fallen to the ground, tried to get back up. But the moment he exerted himself, a piercing pain shot through his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Damn it."
As Orochimaru approached, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Sasuke—or the Research Institute as a whole—had been prepared for Orochimaru to hide his divine arts from them. He just hadn't expected Orochimaru to have concealed more than one.
The "Claw Mark" he'd used at the start was clearly a divine art that governed spacetime. And the way he'd seemed to know what Sasuke would do during their Taijutsu exchange was exactly like Fuma Ichiro's earlier ability. It was likely some kind of divine art that granted foresight.
And finally, there was that last attack!
There was no doubt about it: Sasuke had keenly sensed Orochimaru's extraordinary, terrifying strength. Susanoo might no longer be considered absolute defense in this era, but with Sasuke's current power, even Ōtsutsuki Isshiki in his prime couldn't have easily destroyed his Complete Body Susanoo with a single blow.
So there had to be something unusual about Orochimaru's terrifying strength.
A smile played on Orochimaru's lips as he approached Sasuke. "Now you should understand the difference between divine arts and ninjutsu!"
Sasuke forced himself to his feet, instinctively covering the ninja tool pouch at his waist with one hand.
He knew exactly what Orochimaru was after: the White Zetsu heart in his pouch, which contained the divine art "Transfiguration."
But when he tried to dart backward, the pain in his chest struck again.
"Damn it. My broken ribs must have pierced an organ!"
Sasuke was no longer the man he'd once been. Now he could accurately assess the severity of an injury based on the location and intensity