"Hiss... Bugs that feed on their host's chakra?"
Orochimaru licked his lips. "In that case, even if you use a space-time technique like the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to escape, the bugs that have devoured their host's chakra will follow you."
"Once they've burrowed into your flesh, even the Flying Thunder God can't get rid of them. That's the Root Division's elite for you. The Aburame Clan's secret techniques really are impressive."
Aburame Ryoma shot Orochimaru a glance, then looked calmly at Yun. "No matter how you got the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, even if you're one of the Fourth Hokage's men, you dared to attack Lord Danzo. You're leaving your life here today."
"Pfft."
Only then did Orochimaru pull the Flying Thunder God Kunai from his chest. He glanced at the formula inscribed on it, then tossed it aside.
Then, like a giant snake ripping its jaws wide open, a new Orochimaru crawled out from inside him.
The new Orochimaru regarded him with interest. "Sora? I don't recall anyone like you among the Fourth Hokage's direct Anbu."
At that moment, Danzo, who had remained motionless until then, turned around and raised a hand, stopping Aburame Ryoma from making the Parasitic Giant Insects grow any larger.
"Whether or not you're one of the Fourth's men, you have two choices."
Danzo spoke, lifting his chin slightly. He looked at Sora like a man certain of victory.
"Join Root and become one of Konoha's forces in the shadows. If you do, I can let everything that happened today slide."
Danzo didn't mention the other choice, but everyone understood what it was.
Nonō, who had already taken cover, frowned slightly. Though the man before her seemed to be helping her, he didn't seem to be from Konoha.
"Heh..."
Uzumaki Sora scoffed. "You seem to think you've already won. The Aburame Clan's Parasitic Giant Insects are certainly formidable, but if my chakra is combined with something special, it won't be so easy to devour!"
As he spoke, a gash opened in the muscle of Sora's arm. Blood trickled down, and three bugs fell out.
They were fairly large, but nowhere near big enough to burst a human body.
"Pfft!"
With a soft sound, sharp branches suddenly burst from the bugs on the ground. They looked like sea urchins, then went completely still.
"Wood... Release!"
Danzo, seated until now, lost his composure. Only those who had witnessed Hashirama Senju's power could become so blindly fixated on Wood Release.
But they didn't know that Wood Release needed the vitality of a Sage Body and vast reserves of chakra to reach the level of Hashirama Senju's power.
And no one knew how much of a role Asura Chakra had played in it.
Or perhaps it was precisely because he possessed Asura's chakra that Hashirama Senju awakened the power of the Sage Body.
"Wood Release outside Konoha, and an Uzumaki... Hiss... You've truly piqued my interest more than anything ever has!" Greed glimmered in Orochimaru's eyes.
Sora smiled and glanced at the skin Orochimaru had just shed. The Flying Thunder God Formula was inscribed on it.
As expected, Orochimaru, whose survival skills are the best in the original story, really can't be kept here.
But...
"Whoosh!"
He vanished and reappeared in an instant. Aburame Ryoma, whose arm had already been severed, stood frozen in place. A Kunai had pierced his neck, and blood sprayed out.
The Flying Thunder God Formula was inscribed on the severed arm.
"You used that moment of contact to plant Parasitic Giant Insects inside me. I also marked you with the Flying Thunder God Formula. With your power, you can't erase a space-time technique formula."
"Thud!"
Aburame Ryoma collapsed to the ground. The moment the Flying Thunder God Formula was inscribed on his body, his life was already in Sora's hands.
As for the Parasitic Giant Insects...
The chakra produced by a Sage Body wasn't something just anyone could absorb. Root had so many test subjects, yet in the end, only one Kinoe had emerged.
"Orochimaru, my only target is Danzo. But if you want to get involved, things won't be so simple next time."
Sora pulled the Kunai from Aburame Ryoma's body. Blood pooled around the corpse.
Orochimaru laughed. "I haven't heard words this insulting in many years—not since I was given the title of Sannin. Sora, do you have what it takes to kill me?"
Nearby, Danzo slowly rose to his feet. "I may not have fought in a long time, but it seems many people have forgotten that I was once a shinobi too!"
Wind Release: Vacuum Wave
Wind Release Chakra burst from Danzo's mouth, instantly forming Wind Blades like giant weasels. They shot straight toward Sora's face.
"Whoosh!"
The Flying Thunder God activated, but the next moment...
Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!
Five Wind Blades burst forth, becoming giant weasels as they raced ahead toward the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"Orochimaru!"
At Danzo's shout, Orochimaru understood at once.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Several giant snakes slithered from his sleeves, covering the Flying Thunder God Kunai Danzo hadn't attacked.
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
The Wind Blades tore apart the room beside the Orphanage in an instant. Sora, who had used a Kunai to block the attack, was sent flying.
Orochimaru, one of the renowned Sannin, and Danzo of Konoha's Root. Relying on the Flying Thunder God alone had indeed been a little arrogant.
If not for the vitality and physical toughness granted by the Sage Body, the Vacuum Serial Waves just now would have been too much for him to withstand.
But the room had also been too small, preventing him from making full use of the Flying Thunder God's speed.
Then...
"Whoosh!"
More than ten Flying Thunder God Kunai flew out again, scattering across the wider area around the ruins.
Had he noticed?
Danzo frowned thoughtfully. As the Fourth Hokage's trump card, the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was indeed difficult to deal with. Paired with the Fourth's reaction speed and the hand-seal-free Rasengan, it had once seemed nearly impossible to counter.
That was why the other shinobi villages had given Namikaze Minato the title of Yellow Flash during the Third Shinobi World War. The Flying Thunder God in his hands was impossible to counter!
"Whoosh!"
Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique
Sora appeared a short distance behind Danzo and spat out a huge red dragon. In the blink of an eye, it was upon him.
Summoning: Triple Rashomon.
"Boom!"
The giant fire dragon was blocked by Rashomon. Orochimaru glanced at Danzo. "This place isn't far from Konoha. The commotion from those Vacuum Serial Waves just now has obviously alerted the Fourth. Do you really want to use Wood Release here?"
At that, Danzo lowered the hand gripping his bandages. He hadn't only wanted to use Wood Release just now; he had even considered using the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his right eye.
Sora, not far away, lowered his hands after forming the Hand Seals. The Sage Body's enhanced sensory abilities told him that Konoha's shinobi would be there soon.
"Whoosh!"
His figure vanished. Sora reappeared beside Nonō.
"I haven't adapted to my newly acquired power yet, so I can't kill Danzo this time. But the Fourth's Anbu should be here soon. You can find an Anbu member named Kakashi. Once you explain the situation, he'll help you."
"Danzo's standing in Konoha doesn't let him make every decision on his own. Both the Third and the Fourth keep him in check. The power struggles among the higher-ups have even left him without a seat at the table."
"So don't make any unnecessary sacrifices. Oh, and I'm Kabuto's friend."
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