Uchiha Houka, you're finished!

Although Subterranean Voyage was a C-Rank ninjutsu, it was extremely practical. It could turn the solid sand, rocks, and soil underground into fluid, allowing the user to swim through it at high speed.

Orochimaru tightly gripped Haku, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Yet within his heart, raging waves churned.

Setting aside Houka's Mangekyou, why had even the power of his ninjutsu increased so terrifyingly?

Those two Lightning Release techniques from before had clearly both been the B-rank Lightning Release: False Darkness, yet their power had differed by more than tenfold. Even with Orochimaru's vast knowledge and experience, he felt baffled and aggrieved.

He has been staying in Takigakure all this time... Could he have consumed Hero's Water?

No! Hero's Water is a forbidden substance that amplifies Chakra. With Uchiha Houka's ambitions, he would never consume such a forbidden substance at the cost of his life force!

Then Orochimaru's expression suddenly changed.

Could it be... Sage Mode?

After thinking it over, Orochimaru could only conclude that Sage Mode was capable of raising ninjutsu's power to such an extent.

But in the Ninja World, only the Three Great Sage Regions possessed the inheritance of Sage Mode.

Ryūchi Cave was one of them!

In fact, Orochimaru had practiced Sage Mode as well. Unfortunately, his talent in that regard was even worse than Houka's. After training for years, he had ultimately been forced to give up.

If it really was Sage Mode, then the question was—

Where had he learned it?

Mount Myōboku?

Or Shikkotsu Forest?

Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze, had also mastered Sage Mode and was on very good terms with Uchiha Houka. It was not impossible that he had secretly passed Sage Mode on to him!

Especially since Orochimaru had already confirmed that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was still