Orochimaru's lips curled slightly as he raised his hands and applauded.
"As expected of Tsunade. It only took one punch to finish him."
Tsunade looked at the unconscious Suikazan Fuguki with satisfaction. She could finally let off some steam.
The earlier duel had been so frustrating.
The battle had gone so smoothly that even Orochimaru hadn't expected it. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then walked over to Samehada.
When Samehada saw Orochimaru approaching, it laboriously dragged itself away.
What a fascinating creature. It can actually fuse with a person. I'd love to dissect it and see what's inside.
After hearing that, Samehada hurried over to Orochimaru's feet and did its best to ingratiate itself with him.
Orochimaru wondered what effect such a fusion would have on the body. It was certainly worth experimenting on. He formed Hand Seals.
"Five Elements Seal."
Chakra gathered at his five fingertips, embodying the five nature transformations of earth, water, fire, wood, and metal. He pressed them directly against Samehada.
Samehada struggled desperately as the seal took hold.
Orochimaru wasn't about to let it escape. He completed the seal.
Wrapped in sealing runes, Samehada lay motionless as a dead fish.
Orochimaru stroked his handiwork with satisfaction. Now he could take it back and study it properly. He hadn't expected such a prize from his trip to the Land of Whirlpools.
Then he suddenly remembered something. He'd nearly forgotten. He formed Hand Seals.
"Contract Seal."
It was a supplementary seal, meant to sever the link between a summoner and their Summoning Technique.
Once he was done, he picked up Samehada and slung it over his back.
Seeing Orochimaru carry off Samehada, Tsunade suddenly remembered that she had been the one to take down Suikazan Fuguki. She stopped Orochimaru as he was about to leave.
"Wait. I was the one who beat Suikazan Fuguki with my fists, so the Samehada you're carrying should belong to me."
Orochimaru understood why Tsunade was blocking his way and took out his wallet.
"Tsunade, just name your price for Samehada."
Tsunade could tell Orochimaru knew her all too well. Without any embarrassment, she held up five fingers.
"For a teammate, I'll give you a discount. Five million ryo."
Orochimaru hadn't expected Tsunade to be so ruthless. His mouth twitched as he took out the money and handed it to her. He'd have to find a chance to win it back.
Tsunade beamed as she took the money and waved them onward.
The thick fog blocking the road had started to thin, and the way ahead had become clearer. Before long, the mist dispersed.
Uzumaki Ashina stood alone, gazing at the brilliant sky.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Uzumaki Ashina headed to the northern battlefield; Uzumaki Shiro went to the western battlefield, while Jiraiya and the others hurried toward the southern battlefield. They were all making their way to the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
When they regrouped in front of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, Uzumaki Ashina gazed at the magnificent structure.
"Come on. Let's smash this damn ice."
Tsunade charged forward like a one-woman army, gathering chakra before unleashing Heavenly Foot of Pain.
The northern Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals cracked apart inch by inch, opening a gateway. At the center stood Minazuki Junhyo. Elder Keimei was covered in Senbon, and it was impossible to tell if he was still alive.
Uzumaki Ashina's expression changed. He formed Hand Seals.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves."
He drew in a huge amount of air with a breath, compressed his Wind Release chakra, and fired dozens of spinning wind blades at Minazuki Junhyo like machine-gun rounds.
Minazuki Junhyo stared at the oncoming blades. He tilted his head slightly, flickered aside, and vanished into the ice crystals behind him.
Orochimaru's eyes flashed as he saw how fast his opponent was. A Kekkei Genkai.
Tsunade hurried forward to examine Uzumaki Keimei's injuries. She breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was badly wounded, but none of his injuries were life-threatening.
She lifted Uzumaki Keimei and started back toward the others. But a flash of light caught her eye—a shuriken had suddenly appeared in front of her.
It shot straight toward Uzumaki Keimei. There was no time to react, so Tsunade could only block it with her arm. She grunted and retreated to where she had been.
Uzumaki Ashina rushed in and shielded them. Orochimaru had been watching closely, yet the shuriken had appeared out of nowhere.
"Watch out for his shuriken. He gathers moisture from the air to make them, so they can appear anywhere."
Before Orochimaru could finish speaking, Minazuki Junhyo emerged from within the ice crystal and formed a Hand Seal with one hand.
"Multiple Ice Shuriken."
Dozens of shuriken appeared behind Orochimaru and shot toward his back. But after learning that his opponent's shuriken were made of ice, Orochimaru had already prepared for them.
Several small snakes poked their heads out of his sleeves, their infrared vision scanning the area. As the shuriken formed, the temperature dropped.
The snakes alerted Orochimaru. He flickered aside and dodged forward.
Minazuki Junhyo was somewhat surprised that Orochimaru had seen through his Ice Shuriken. But his goal had still been achieved. He formed Hand Seals.
"Secret Ice Release Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."
The ice crystals Tsunade had destroyed were immediately restored.
Tsunade saw that the three of them had been trapped inside the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals after coming to the rescue. She narrowed her eyes.
"Orochimaru, look at you. You were outside a moment ago. How did you end up in here too?"
Seeing that his opponents still had time to chat, Minazuki Junhyo spoke up.
"I never imagined that the princess of the Senju Clan, Tsunade, would come to the Land of Whirlpools to help. I'm truly honored."
Unable to stand his sarcastic tone, Tsunade gathered chakra into her fist, activating Strength of a Hundred.
BOOM!
Her punch struck the ground, splitting it into chunks of stone. She lifted the boulders with her Strength of a Hundred and hurled them one after another.
Minazuki Junhyo moved rapidly within the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. Whenever a boulder struck one, it shattered, only for a new crystal to immediately take its place.
Tsunade realized that her attack had only wasted her energy. Using the Body Flicker Technique, she charged straight toward the edge of the ice crystals.
Only then did Minazuki Junhyo attack. He formed a Hand Seal with one hand.
"Ice Release: Ice Pillar."
He summoned an ice pillar to attack Tsunade as she rushed toward the exit. Tsunade's expression shifted slightly. You think a little ice pillar can stop me?
She activated Strength of a Hundred and smashed the pillar. It didn't hold her back for even a moment, but its shattered fragments blocked her vision.
In an instant, Minazuki Junhyo appeared beside Tsunade.
"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."
Within the mirrors, Minazuki Junhyo's speed could increase without limit.
"Ice Release: Dragon-Breaking Fierce Tiger."
Snow and ice transformed into a tiger that struck Tsunade hard, sending her flying back.
Tsunade's expression changed. How can he be this fast?
After hitting his target, Minazuki Junhyo immediately retreated into the ice crystals. There, he formed a Hand Seal.
"Ice Release: Black Dragon Storm Kill."
Using the cold inside the ice crystals and combining it with the ice, he created a blizzard. With no way out, they could only endure its onslaught.
Tsunade was stunned by the sudden snowstorm. Her body temperature began to drop.
"Think of something quickly, or we'll freeze into icicles in here."
Orochimaru felt the cold weather affecting the little snakes in his sleeves. They had already stopped responding to his commands. He had to find a way out.
Before you continue