The Eight-Branched Serpent

Jiraiya leaped out of the Scorched Forest, panting heavily with exhaustion.

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Sage Fukasaku wiped the sweat from his brow and said gravely, "Little Jiraiya, your body is almost at its limit. I can't keep refining Senjutsu Chakra for you."

From Madara's Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to the Tree World Descends, they had already used a great deal of Senjutsu.

Natural Energy might be drawn from nature and be inexhaustible.

But Senjutsu wasn't just Natural Energy. It was formed by combining Natural Energy, Physical Energy, and Mental Energy in equal proportions.

It was like a wooden bucket: Jiraiya's body and mind were the shortest planks.

The amount of Senjutsu Chakra Jiraiya had depended on his Ninja Stats.

At most, Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima could refine Senjutsu Chakra in Jiraiya's place, ensuring he had a steady supply of Senjutsu to use in battle.

But Jiraiya's Sage Mode still had major flaws. His conversion rate for Senjutsu Chakra was low, and after using so many techniques, his body and mind were already strained.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth. "Two Sages, don't worry about me. Keep refining. I can still hold on."

Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima looked at Jiraiya trying to tough it out and sighed inwardly.

Jiraiya's greatest flaw was that he always tried to shoulder every burden himself.

A Ninja of Madara Uchiha's caliber was not someone the Sannin could handle, nor was he someone a single ninja village could deal with.

The only way to take down someone like that was to gather all the forces of the Ninja World and form a Ninja Alliance.

Tsunade leaped over and transferred the Chakra in her body to Jiraiya.

Only then did Jiraiya start to look better. "Thanks, Tsunade!"

Tsunade shook her head. "Jiraiya, this might be the last time we fight side by side."

She looked at Madara, who was watching them from afar.

Jiraiya smiled. He thought he was luckier than Liao Wu. At least Tsunade was still standing beside him, fighting shoulder to shoulder.

Jiraiya wanted to make another heartfelt confession, but decided against it. He'd confessed so many times already; there was no point wasting time on it now.

Just as Jiraiya and Tsunade prepared to fight for their lives, Orochimaru's shout rang out.

"Forbidden Technique: Eight Branches Technique!"

"Orochimaru!"

Tsunade and Jiraiya couldn't help turning toward Orochimaru.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground cracked open with a roar, and thick Snake Slough Mucus splattered everywhere. Orochimaru's body swelled wildly in the white mist, his back arching as eight grotesque bulges rose along it.

In an instant, Orochimaru became a terrifying monster with eight snake heads and eight tails.

The Eight-Branched Serpent!

Madara watched Orochimaru with faint amusement. "The Eight-Branched Serpent. Interesting."

"When did Orochimaru learn a Forbidden Technique like that?"

Jiraiya once again felt that Orochimaru was drifting farther and farther from the Leaf Village.

But this wasn't the time to talk about the Will of Fire. Hopefully Orochimaru's Eight Branches Technique could deal with Madara Uchiha!

The Eight-Branched Serpent that Orochimaru had become charged at Madara Uchiha.

Tsunade and Jiraiya didn't sit idle. This time, Orochimaru took the lead while the two of them supported him.

The Eight-Branched Serpent's eight heads drew in the Natural Energy around them and released white orbs of light.

Sage Shima sensed the energy and froze. "Senjutsu?"

Sage Fukasaku shook his head. "It's not Senjutsu. This energy has the same feel as Senjutsu Chakra, but it's far weaker."

"Little Orochimaru must be using some method to manipulate Natural Energy. He really is a genius."

Orochimaru had failed the White Snake Sage's test and couldn't learn Senjutsu. But he wasn't willing to go without its power, so he developed the Sage Mark.

Orochimaru harnessed the Jugo Clan's affinity for Natural Energy, extracting their enzymes and blending them with White Snake Chakra to create the Curse Mark.

It was an inferior derivative of Senjutsu.

It was weaker than Senjutsu, but it allowed most people to draw on Natural Energy.

It did have some side effects. The compatibility rate was low, and the death rate was extremely high. Out of a thousand people, even one survivor would be lucky.

And once someone was branded with a Curse Mark, their body and mind would suffer prolonged erosion, making them prone to losing control.

But compared to the high barrier to learning Senjutsu, Orochimaru's Curse Mark was clearly a revolutionary invention.

"Orochimaru's powered up too!"

Liao Wu watched with envy, squeezing Fish Ball's head. He felt that he'd still played it too safe.

The Eight Branches Technique and the Curse Mark Transformation had both been recreated ahead of schedule by Orochimaru. The Ninja World was already heading toward the later era of godlike battles.

Would Ninja still bother forming hand seals after this? Techniques like Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet, which took forever to cast, would probably go extinct.

Fish Ball hissed at Liao Wu. "Liao Wu, stop squeezing me! I'm busy watching the battle!"

Eight-Branched Serpent: Multi-Head Consecutive Cannon!

The Eight-Branched Serpent Orochimaru had become absorbed the Natural Energy around it through the Curse Mark, then condensed it into one white Chakra Cannon after another and fired them at Madara.

The Chakra Cannons resembled the high-density Chakra Cannons Jugo fired by compressing Chakra in his second state, only larger and more powerful.

Perhaps they were the same in nature.

The Eight-Branched Serpent's eight heads fired high-density Chakra Cannons one after another, all aimed at Madara.

The barrage rumbled like thunder.

Madara was getting annoyed. "Have you had enough?"

"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!"

A Giant Dragon formed from towering ancient trees burst up from the earth.

The Wood Dragon's body was as thick as a mountain range, its scales made of layers of hard bark, its whiskers supple vines, and its claws sharp as steel...

Madara rode the Wood Dragon out of the explosive smoke. It sank its teeth into the Eight-Branched Serpent and wrapped itself around it in a death grip.

The moment it touched the Eight-Branched Serpent, the Wood Dragon began sucking out its Chakra. Then it devoured the snake heads one by one.

White Qi, Yellow Qi—he smashed them all to pieces.

Orochimaru let out a pained wail.

Jiraiya and Tsunade had no idea how to help.

If they used Sage Fire Style, it would engulf Orochimaru, too.

The next moment, Madara leaped off the Wood Dragon, a dangerous Great Black Rod in his hand, and charged straight at Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"Madara Uchiha—"

Another powerful Ninja?

Madara stopped and looked toward the person calling out to him.

The Sannin, Liao Wu, Fish Ball, and Black and White Zetsu all turned to look with him.

They saw a Yin Yang Person with half-yellow, half-white skin, rushing angrily into the battlefield to settle the score with Madara.

"Obito?!"

Liao Wu was confused.

After the Grass Village Ninja retreated, Obito had come running back.

As a Leaf Ninja who upheld the Will of Fire, how could he watch Leaf Ninja in danger and refuse to help?

Obito didn't know how terrifying Madara was. He had nothing but the Will of Fire and his loyalty to his comrades.

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked puzzled. "Who's that?"

Honestly, even Minato probably wouldn't have recognized the Obito of today at first glance.

Obito spotted Jiraiya and Tsunade and called out happily, "Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade! I'm Teacher Minato's student, Uchiha Obito of the Uchiha Clan!"

Jiraiya was startled. "Obito?! You're alive?"

Obito nodded. "Lord Jiraiya, Madara Uchiha saved me that day. He wanted me to fall into darkness and destroy the Ninja World with him."

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at Obito, then at Madara.

Obito's lack of talent was common knowledge among the Uchiha. Madara Uchiha had tried to recruit him?

Madara felt embarrassed.

He firmly believed that love was the Uchiha's greatest talent. But no one else knew that, and Obito hadn't lost his love yet or awakened the true power of the Uchiha.

Obito was so useless that Madara had tried to recruit him. It made it look as though Madara had been so worn out that he'd been willing to sit at the same table as Obito.

"Obito, you bastard, just die!"

Madara was about to kill Obito when Liao Wu suddenly leaped out.

"Great Ancestor, Great Ancestor, I'll take care of this little nobody. Don't trouble yourself."

"Obito, what are you doing back here?"

Electricity crackled in Liao Wu's hand, and he shocked Obito until he foamed at the mouth.

Madara snorted and turned back to deal with Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Obito had still been pretty impressive: he'd held Madara up for nearly half a minute, at least buying Jiraiya and Tsunade a little time to recover.