Beyond Calculation (Revised)

The foundation Orochimaru had built in Konoha was all but exhausted due to this pursuit.

The four fellows following by his side were not very old.

Yet Baiyu did not underestimate these four brats, bringing out 120 percent of his strength to deal with them.

These four individuals were the final remnants of Orochimaru's base in Konoha.

A not-insignificant amount of chakra emanated from each of their bodies.

"Shall we break through?"

Uchiha Itachi asked calmly, the three tomoe appearing in his blood-red eyes; the more critical the moment, the more his exceptional intellect shone through.

"How are we supposed to break through?"

Baiyu replied, speechless. With Orochimaru standing before them, plus the four guys who were at least Chunin-level—a quartet whose transformation abilities remained unknown—there was also Yakushi Kabuto, who was about the same age as him and possessed similar Chunin-level strength.

"With my strength, I can hold them off for a while!"

Uchiha Itachi said with confidence.

Baiyu was very curious as to where he found the confidence to block one Kage-level ninja and four suspected Jonin-level ninjas.

"Well?"

Seeing Baiyu remain silent, Uchiha Itachi asked again.

"We can't escape. Since you're so confident, I'll leave these four guys to you. I'm afraid that if I waste my stamina on them, I won't be able to deal with Orochimaru!"

Baiyu thought for a moment, roughly guessing Itachi's intentions.

He intended to sacrifice his life to buy Baiyu a sliver of a chance to survive.

Let Itachi die here?

Baiyu shuddered, not daring to think about it.

If someone with Itachi's status died, he, a peripheral figure, would likely have no way to survive upon returning.

Unless Itachi's death could trigger him to awaken his own eyes, allowing him to flee to the Akatsuki with Mangekyo-level strength.

But was that even possible?

"That really doesn't sound like your personality!"

Uchiha Itachi chuckled softly.

"What is my personality? I don't even know myself! They are yours; I have always been very curious about Orochimaru!"

Baiyu mocked himself, gripped his sword hilt, and lunged toward Orochimaru.

One of the men suddenly rushed out, intending to intercept Baiyu.

"You seem to have no regard for me!"

Uchiha Itachi was displeased; as a genius of the Uchiha, he also possessed the dignity of a powerhouse.

"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!"

With just a single glance, the man felt as if his limbs were bound by endless shackles, freezing him in place, unable to move.

His body could vividly feel the tearing sensation brought by the shackles, as if massive iron spikes were being driven into his flesh.

Baiyu entrusted his back to Uchiha Itachi with peace of mind, charging toward Orochimaru all by himself.

"Very commendable courage! Sarutobi-sensei is always able to raise such foolish and naive ninjas."

Orochimaru revealed a mocking smile.

The conversation between Baiyu and Itachi had triggered some of his less-than-pleasant memories.

"However, naivety always comes with a price!"

Orochimaru formed hand seals, his hands moving like afterimages, completing several seals in the blink of an eye.

"Striking Shadow Snakes!"

Countless gray snakes erupted from Orochimaru's body, rushing to meet Baiyu.

Baiyu did not slow down, his Sharingan observing the movement trajectories of the gray snakes all around him.

"Iaijutsu!"

He did not use the full force of his Iaijutsu, yet in an instant, he dismantled Orochimaru's offensive.

The arrogance of a powerhouse meant he disdained using full strength against a weaker opponent.

Baiyu guessed that Orochimaru would not go all out on his first move, so he held back a trump card.

With one strike, over a dozen snakes were cut in half; the severed snake bodies rolled on the ground before finally vanishing into smoke.

At this moment, Orochimaru put away his playful gaze and began to grow serious.

With his body injured and unable to perform taijutsu, he could only rely on ninjutsu to face his enemy.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru raised a hand, and a swarm of patterned gray snakes surged from his sleeve, their jaws wide and fangs bared as they lunged toward Baiyu's position.

These snakes seemed to have no limit to their length, stretching over ten meters without any sign of an end.

Baiyu sighed inwardly; Orochimaru's strength was truly formidable.

The ensuing attack gave him no time to react, and in less than a second, the snake heads were less than a meter away from him.

"Draw Technique!"

Baiyu had no choice but to channel his chakra, concentrating it into the blade and his right hand.

The previous scene repeated itself as all the snake heads were severed by his blade.

At this moment, Baiyu was less than five meters away from Orochimaru.

He was within striking distance.

For the first time, Orochimaru's expression shifted, a flicker of surprise appearing before quickly vanishing.

He had underestimated Baiyu's strength, and even more so, he had not expected Baiyu's trump card to be swordsmanship.

Having fought too many ninjas, he had almost forgotten this martial style of combat.

The White Fang of Konoha had once brought a brilliant spark to swordsmanship, only to fall all too soon.

Now, that legacy had been inherited by this Uchiha youth before him.

"Puchi!"

The sound of a blade sinking into flesh rang out.

Having landed the strike, Baiyu hurriedly retreated, though a look of regret crossed his face.

"Yakushi Kabuto..."

It had been such a perfect opportunity; he had anticipated almost all of Orochimaru's moves, yet he hadn't accounted for Yakushi Kabuto stepping in to take the blow for him.

As the blade slid back into its sheath, Baiyu panted slightly.

In those mere two or three seconds, he had performed three consecutive draws, and combined with the mental calculations and the use of his Sharingan, the exertion was significant.

While catching his breath, Baiyu glanced at the corner of his system interface.

Current Progress: 86020/100000. Upon completing 100,000 draws, you will receive the reward: Thunder Breathing.

Still fourteen thousand to go. I didn't expect those ninja snakes to provide so much toward the draw count.

If only I had landed that hit on Orochimaru, even just a scratch!

Baiyu thought it a pity.

He had coated his blade in a poison he had concocted over the last five days on the island, specifically designed for spirits and phantoms; a single graze would have been enough to affect Orochimaru.

"Kabuto, there was no need for you to block for me."

Orochimaru looked at Yakushi Kabuto's disheveled state and shook his head.

"Lord Orochimaru, he coated his blade with something."

Yakushi Kabuto gave a wry smile. A massive gash had been carved into his chest by the draw strike, and he was temporarily staunching the blood with medical chakra.

Ever since Baiyu's subtle movements, Kabuto had been closely monitoring him, predicting Baiyu's attack in advance.

Despite his unassuming appearance, Yakushi Kabuto possessed an incredibly meticulous analytical mind.

Orochimaru had been distracted by the Uchiha's Sharingan and had failed to notice Baiyu's small maneuver.

"What a truly cunning move!"

Orochimaru set Kabuto aside, stood up, and began to praise Baiyu's scheming.

Such insidious and crafty behavior gave him a sense of familiarity.

Shimura Danzō!

Having just been stabbed in the back by Shimura Danzō, Orochimaru was highly sensitive to such things.

"Why not come with me? I can give you things that neither the Uchiha nor Konoha ever could!"

Baiyu rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

Orochimaru was back to his old habit of trying to recruit people.

He wondered how many poor, innocent children had been deceived by that silver tongue of his.

"Do you pay?"

Baiyu tilted his head and asked.

"?"

A question mark flashed through Orochimaru's mind. He was used to discussing ideals, needs, and the meaning of existence.

This was the first time he had ever been asked about money, and his brain momentarily stalled.

"It seems you can't. If you're that poor, you shouldn't go around recruiting subordinates; you can't afford to feed them."

Baiyu laughed.

Defect with Orochimaru?

If he couldn't avoid the Night of the Uchiha Massacre, he would consider it.

But right now, he wouldn't.

"Hehe, I usually dislike stifling genius! But you remind me of a fellow I find truly detestable! Unable to serve as a vessel, you have no value in existing."

A benevolent smile appeared on Orochimaru's cold face, his purple eyeshadow distorting slightly as a flicker of cruelty flashed within his golden snake-like pupils.

The thing that annoyed him most this time was being backstabbed by Danzo at such a critical moment.

A treacherous backstab!

Just as Living Corpse Reincarnation was about to succeed, Danzo's sudden interference had brought his research to a stalemate.

Orochimaru's heart was filled with fury toward Danzo.