Orochimaru

Orochimaru stood atop the head of a giant snake, smiling as he looked at Mangetsu.

"Nice teamwork. If you hadn't used that move, you might have killed me."

He licked his lips and grinned. "What a naughty boy. Looks like it'll take some effort to deal with you."

So it really wasn't enough?

Mangetsu looked at the enormous creature before him, then reluctantly glanced at the Kusanagi Sword in Orochimaru's hand.

Looks like I'll have to find a way next time.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave."

Mangetsu suddenly spewed a vast amount of water from his mouth, quickly flooding the surrounding area. Highly skilled Water Release users could perform B-rank or higher Water Release techniques even where there was no water.

Pathetic tricks!

Orochimaru sneered and sent the giant snake charging toward Mangetsu.

"Goodbye, everyone. I'll be back."

Mangetsu smiled as his body gradually liquefied and merged with the water. Exploding Water Colliding Wave wasn't meant to hurt his enemies; it was meant to cover his retreat.

The Hozuki Clan possessed a secret technique that let them merge their bodies with water. Even Orochimaru, who was beyond Kage Level, was powerless against it.

That was Mangetsu's last resort.

As long as he used this technique, no matter how dangerous his enemy was, he could escape unscathed.

But something unexpected happened.

A massive bolt of lightning suddenly struck Mangetsu.

Mangetsu cried out in pain. The liquefaction technique was instantly disrupted, and his consciousness gradually slipped away as he passed out.

The lightning had struck so suddenly that Orochimaru and the others were caught off guard too. Fortunately, the giant snake shielded him from most of the lightning.

The summoned snake vanished, and Orochimaru dropped to the ground.

"So the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique is vulnerable to Lightning Release."

He spoke to himself.

Mangetsu had curled into a ball. His body had turned translucent because the lightning had interrupted his liquefaction.

Orochimaru suddenly felt bored.

He had betrayed Konoha in pursuit of immortality, searching everywhere for suitable bodies.

The Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique was incredibly remarkable. It could turn any part of the body into water and nullify all physical attacks.

If the First's Rashomon was the ultimate in rigid defense, then the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique was the ultimate in yielding defense.

That was why Orochimaru had always considered the secret technique. But from the looks of it, Hydrification Technique had a clear weakness: it was vulnerable to Lightning Release.

Orochimaru sought a flawless body, and he had now ruled out the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique. Still, the secret technique was worth studying.

Just as he was about to deal with Mangetsu's corpse, Mangetsu suddenly stirred and opened his eyes.

Unlike his earlier ferocity, his gaze was now dazed.

"Orochimaru!"

Mangetsu suddenly cried out. "It really is Orochimaru! What the hell is going on?"

He scrambled to his feet and stared at his hands in confusion.

Gu Mangetsu was a longtime Naruto fan. One night, while rewatching the Naruto anime, he'd been caught in a rare lightning strike. The screen went black, and when he woke up, he was here.

And the first person he'd seen was Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was one of the most charismatic villains in Naruto, and Gu Mangetsu knew him very well—especially that unmistakable snake-like face.

One look was enough to make you never want a second.

This had to be a dream.

Gu Mangetsu slapped himself hard on the cheek.

With a splash, his body liquefied instinctively when the blow landed.

Was this... the Hydrification Technique?

He stared at what had happened in shock.

"Getting struck by lightning really does make you stupid, Hozuki Mangetsu!"

Orochimaru watched the bewildered Mangetsu with amusement, though something about it struck him as odd.

"I'm Hozuki Mangetsu!"

Mangetsu was stunned, and a strange thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

That name was very familiar to a Naruto fan from a later era like him.

One of the strongest members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a master of all seven swords, and a genius of the Hozuki Clan.

He had never imagined he'd end up in Hozuki Mangetsu's body.

Wait, what was going on?

Gu Mangetsu felt another consciousness in his mind gradually merging with his own. Hozuki Mangetsu's memories from the past dozen years rapidly flashed through his mind.

So that was it!

Gu Mangetsu immediately understood the situation.

That bolt of lightning had sent him into the world of Naruto, where he'd taken over Hozuki Mangetsu's body. It was now the year 53 of Konoha.

The protagonist hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet.

But Gu Mangetsu had no time to get excited, because Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword was thrusting toward him without mercy.

Now that Orochimaru had figured out the weakness of the Water Transformation Secret Technique, arcs of electricity flickered along the blade of his Kusanagi Sword.

Lightning Release Chakra coursed through it.

Orochimaru was a ninja with all chakra natures. He wasn't as adept with Lightning Release as he was with Earth Release or Wind Release, but using a few B-rank techniques was no problem.

Splash!

Mangetsu's body immediately became a puddle of water.

A Water Clone?

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Mangetsu, who stood some distance away.

"So the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique really is vulnerable to Lightning Release!"

He hadn't intended to kill Mangetsu with that attack. He'd only been testing him.

Mangetsu hadn't used Hydrification Technique; he'd dodged the attack with a Water Clone. That was proof enough that his Hydrification Technique was vulnerable to Lightning Release.

In that case!

Orochimaru gave a faint smile. "Come along quietly."

As he spoke, he raised the Kusanagi Sword.

That was close!

Gu Mangetsu panted heavily.

He already knew that Hydrification Technique was vulnerable to Lightning Release, so he'd instinctively used a Water Clone to dodge the attack.

Now he had no choice but to accept that he was Hozuki Mangetsu.

For a longtime Naruto fan like Gu Mangetsu, the characters and clans of Konoha—Naruto, Sasuke, the Uchiha, the Senju, and the rest—held little appeal anymore. He knew their stories too well.

Lately, Gu Mangetsu had become fascinated with Kirigakure.

The Bloody Mist Era, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Kekkei Genkai, Silent Killing Technique.

He was especially curious about Hozuki Mangetsu. Although the character had only appeared through Impure World Reincarnation in the original story, he'd dazzled everyone from the moment he appeared, leaving one mystery after another.

"Orochimaru!"

Gu Mangetsu coughed and slowly stood up. Now he had to figure out how to escape Orochimaru.

There wasn't much information about Hozuki Mangetsu, and the circumstances of his death were a mystery. But Gu Mangetsu believed Orochimaru was certainly capable of killing him. It was entirely possible that Hozuki Mangetsu had died in this battle.

His next move was to persuade Orochimaru to let him go.

Hydrification Technique was remarkable, but staying alive mattered more. Besides, even if he didn't give the secret to Orochimaru, Orochimaru would eventually discover its secrets by studying his younger brother, Suigetsu.