"Just now was a perfect chance. Why didn't you take the opportunity to escape?"
Orochimaru asked ominously.
He had caught Shisui off guard, and he'd also obtained plenty of information about him from his subordinates, so he'd kept Shisui on the defensive.
Shisui sneered. "You think too highly of yourself."
As he spoke, his hands blurred through a series of hand seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
Uchiha Shisui hurled several Fuma Shuriken with both hands while spitting out several great fireballs.
The shuriken and fireballs merged, forming a new, spinning shape.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three Evil Ghosts were hit head-on and instantly vanished into nothing.
The Uchiha Clan excelled at Fire Style, and as one of its outstanding members, Shisui was no exception.
Did he die?
Orochimaru put away his flute. Sound-based Illusionary Techniques were clever, but this one was too low-level. It was good enough against ordinary opponents, but it wasn't quite enough against Uchiha Shisui.
"I admit you're a troublesome brat!"
He sneered. "But now that you've run into me, you might as well surrender obediently!"
As he spoke, he brought his hands together.
"Many Mandara Formation!"
Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and spewed out countless snakes. Like a small mountain, they surged toward Shisui in a dense mass.
Shisui's ocular power could control some of the snakes and make them attack each other, but compared with such a vast number, the ones he could control were insignificant.
Snakes had an extremely keen sense of smell and incredible speed. They soon surrounded Shisui. Just as it seemed Uchiha Shisui was about to be swallowed by the mountain of snakes, a cold smile appeared on Orochimaru's lips.
As long as Shisui was bitten once, the fight would be over.
Just as he thought victory was assured, a deafening boom rang out. The venomous snakes he'd summoned were flung in every direction, as if something had hurled them away.
Then a massive, solidified mass of Chakra attacked.
Orochimaru darted aside and dodged the blow.
But the Blind Snake beneath his feet was instantly killed.
What was that...?
Orochimaru's pupils contracted as he stared in shock at the green energy form in the middle of the field.
Uchiha Shisui's eyes had changed. They were no longer the three-Tomoe pattern, but a strange design.
A green Chakra form had appeared around him as well.
The Mangekyō had finally appeared!
Orochimaru was tremendously excited. He couldn't help licking his lips, his eyes blazing with fervor.
Was this the legendary Susanoo of the Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan?
It was indeed powerful!
He was going to have that body!
"Orochimaru!"
Uchiha Shisui brought Susanoo to its complete form and slowly advanced toward him.
"Don't harbor any ambitions against Konoha. Otherwise, I, Uchiha Shisui, won't let you get away with it."
He spoke coldly.
Susanoo was his strongest technique, an astonishing ability that offered both offense and defense.
The Blind Snake was dead, and Orochimaru's immunity to Illusionary Techniques had been broken. The balance of victory had now shifted in Uchiha Shisui's favor.
Hahahaha!
Orochimaru laughed wildly for a while before finally managing to speak between gasps. "I never thought I'd be looked down on by a brat. I have to admit, that's a little irritating. Listen up, Uchiha brat. To thank you for your Mangekyō Sharingan and your body, I'll show you the best I've got."
He suddenly bit his finger and formed several hand seals.
"Eight Branches Technique!"
A huge cloud of smoke rapidly engulfed the forest.
When the smoke cleared,
a monstrous creature stood before Uchiha Shisui.
Eight snake heads and eight tails—this was Orochimaru's most powerful form, the Eight-Headed Serpent.
One enormous snake head slowly opened its mouth, and Orochimaru's figure emerged from within.
He spat out a sword and sneered at Shisui.
"Uchiha brat, let me show you my Eight Branches Technique."
As he spoke, he directed the Eight-Headed Serpent to charge at Shisui.
This is my chance!
A red glint flashed through Shisui's eyes.
His Illusionary Technique could take down an opponent in an instant.
But it still had no effect.
The Eight-Headed Serpent continued to attack him.
Orochimaru had merged with the Eight-Headed Serpent, regaining his immunity to Illusionary Techniques.
Shisui's heart sank. With his Illusionary Techniques useless, all that remained was the Eight-Headed Serpent's relentless assault.
The eight heads swung toward him from different directions.
Shisui directed Susanoo to fend them off, struggling to keep up.
Two fists were no match for four hands, let alone eight snake heads.
Shisui didn't have Itachi's Totsuka Blade. With Susanoo alone, it was difficult to break through the Eight-Headed Serpent's tough scales, and he gradually fell under its pressure.
Before long, several snake heads had wrapped tightly around Susanoo's arms, while the others pinned down its body.
At that moment, Shisui sensed movement underground. He hurriedly dodged away, and Susanoo was immediately dispelled.
A snake head suddenly burst out of the ground. Holding the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru darted out of its mouth and thrust at Shisui.
He'd seen through Susanoo's weakness long ago. He'd sent a snake head underground so it could burst out and catch Shisui off guard.
"Die!"
Orochimaru sneered as he aimed the Kusanagi Sword at Shisui's right chest.
He had no intention of killing Shisui. He wanted to obtain that body, and even if the Kusanagi Sword pierced him, Orochimaru would be able to heal him completely.
Uchiha Shisui had nearly run out of Chakra, and he had no time to use the Body Flicker Technique.
At that moment, he suddenly closed his eyes, then opened them again in an instant.
Orochimaru saw a flash of light in his eyes, and his body stopped against his will.
What was happening?
His eyelids suddenly grew heavy. His mind went blank, and his eyes slowly closed.
Crash!
The Eight-Headed Serpent form broke apart!
Orochimaru and Uchiha Shisui fell from above and landed on the ground.
Uchiha Shisui covered his eyes and gasped for breath.
In that instant between life and death, he'd activated his strongest Illusionary Technique, Kotoamatsukami, without even realizing it.
Kotoamatsukami's Illusionary Technique couldn't be broken.
There'd been no time, so he'd merely planted the idea of sleeping in Orochimaru's mind. For a godlike Illusionary Technique capable of permanently changing a person's thoughts, that was an immense waste.
But there'd been no other choice. The situation was urgent, leaving Shisui no time for any other thoughts.
Although his eyes would need time to recover, capturing Orochimaru and eliminating a threat to the village made it worthwhile.
Just as Shisui forced himself to his feet, enduring the sharp pain in his eyes, a figure suddenly appeared behind him.
The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Hōzuki Mangetsu's patience had finally paid off.
Orochimaru and Shisui had both been gravely wounded, giving him an opportunity.
Shisui's eyes were among the strongest Mangekyō in the shinobi world.
Although Kotoamatsukami had gone into cooldown, he might still be able to activate it again someday if he could obtain cells from the First, Hashirama.
"Uchiha Shisui, I'll take your eyes!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu said with a beaming smile.
Before you continue