Uchiha Arashi vs. Orochimaru

Orochimaru had long craved the Sharingan.

Or rather, he was particularly interested in any form of unique ability.

As for his interest in Sasuke's body, that would have to wait until after he suffered a setback at the hands of Itachi. But before that, he must have already conducted experiments regarding the Sharingan; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to prepare an arm embedded with Sharingan for Danzo so soon after the Uchiha clan was wiped out.

When a living, breathing Uchiha appeared before him—and at the very moment of the Uchiha clan's annihilation—he no longer bothered to hide the desire in his heart.

Uchiha Arashi was stunned for a brief moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"I didn't expect my luck to be this good either."

"Your luck? That is one way to put it. To become my test subject—that is indeed your luck!"

Before the words had even faded, Orochimaru's head transformed into a black shadow and shot toward Uchiha Arashi.

His neck seemed capable of stretching infinitely, and paired with that visage resembling a venomous snake, it was truly chilling at first glance.

Uchiha Arashi had been prepared; he retreated rapidly while activating his Mangekyo.

"Do not resist, just become my test subject!"

As Orochimaru spoke, a cold, gleaming longsword emerged from his mouth, thrusting straight toward Uchiha Arashi's throat.

Under the enhancement of the Mangekyo, the entire process was laid bare before Uchiha Arashi's eyes. Unflustered, he drew a kunai and raised his hand to block Orochimaru's strike.

Using the momentum to retreat, he threw the kunai while his hands moved in a blur to weave signs.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"

Orochimaru had not been idle either; while launching his attack, he had already completed his own ninjutsu.

The next second, the ground beneath Uchiha Arashi turned soft and muddy, instantly transforming into a quagmire. As soon as he landed, his legs sank deep into the muck. At the same time, Orochimaru's head lunged forward again, and the Kusanagi Sword pierced firmly into Uchiha Arashi's chest.

Bang!

Uchiha Arashi's eyes widened.

The very next instant, his body exploded on the spot, transforming into a puff of white smoke.

"Clone Technique?!"

Orochimaru was slightly taken aback.

He immediately shifted his gaze, looking toward the left.

There, Uchiha Arashi had quietly appeared, his hands forming the "Tiger" seal.

He took a sharp breath, his chest swelling, and a massive amount of chakra gathered in his mouth.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The blazing fireball illuminated the forest, carrying terrifying heat as it slammed into Orochimaru's body, triggering a violent explosion.

However, Uchiha Arashi did not lower his guard. On the contrary, the moment the ninjutsu left his hands, he drew another kunai.

Clang—

The Kusanagi Sword emerged from the shadows cast by the flames, like a treacherous, venomous snake.

"Your eyes... could they be the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Orochimaru's face was filled with excitement.

"Whether they are or not, why don't you try them out and see?"

Uchiha Arashi said in a deep voice.

"Then let me test them! Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Over a dozen venomous snakes erupted from Orochimaru's sleeves, surrounding Uchiha Arashi from multiple angles.

Uchiha Arashi retreated at high speed, his kunai flashing as he hacked the snakes to pieces.

Yet more snakes surged forward, forcing him to continue giving ground.

Orochimaru's figure vanished into the mass of snakes. Noting this, Uchiha Arashi became even more vigilant.

He had come to find Orochimaru to discuss a partnership, specifically regarding the Hashirama Cells; he had to get his hands on them.

Danzo certainly had them too, but what Danzo possessed could not possibly be on the same level as what Orochimaru held.

If one were to compare research capabilities alone, Orochimaru could undoubtedly outclass Danzo by a mile; otherwise, Danzo would not have used Sharingan to trade for an arm from Orochimaru.

But Uchiha Arashi knew full well how dangerous Orochimaru was. He was currently relying entirely on the abilities of his two Mangekyo to fight, and against a powerhouse like Orochimaru—who was inferior to no Kage—there was no room for even the slightest mistake.

After slaughtering over a hundred snakes, Uchiha Arashi finally steadied his footing.

But the moment he stabilized his center of gravity, Orochimaru lunged out from the other side, weaving signs as he charged.

"Ninja Art: Many Serpent Formation!"

Countless venomous snakes surged from the surrounding grass like a massive tidal wave, crashing down upon Uchiha Arashi.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

Fire and snakes collided.

Countless snakes were incinerated, but more surged forward immediately after, and the air was soon filled with the thick scent of charred flesh.

Behind the flames, Orochimaru closed in on Uchiha Arashi once more.

Compared to the Many Serpent Formation, which could persist even after being released, the greatest drawback of the Dragon Fire Technique was the necessity of constant chakra output; once the flow ceased, the ninjutsu ended immediately.

In other words, at this very moment, Uchiha Arashi was unable to move.

Orochimaru rushed to Uchiha Arashi's side with a sinister grin, reaching out toward the corners of his eyes.

Got you!

Orochimaru felt ecstatic.

Yet, at that exact moment, Uchiha Arashi, still maintaining the ninjutsu, suddenly shifted his gaze, locking his right pupil onto Orochimaru.

Orochimaru instinctively sensed danger and tried to retreat, but it was too late.

Kotoamatsukami!

Pupillary power surged into Orochimaru's brain in an instant, forcing him to freeze in place.

The firelight cut off abruptly, and a flash of pitch-black radiance flickered and vanished.

Orochimaru retreated rapidly, his severed forearm spinning through the air before finally hitting the ground.

"What is this?"

Several meters away, Orochimaru gripped his left arm, staring at Uchiha Arashi with a look of shock and suspicion.

"A genjutsu? To think even I couldn't resist it..."

"A dojutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan. How about it? Is the power acceptable?"

Uchiha Arashi lowered his hands.

The wave of snakes in the distance had vanished, leaving behind nothing but charred, cooked snake carcasses littering the ground.

Uchiha Arashi panted slightly; the consumption from that exchange had been truly significant.

"Heh, interesting. No wonder you dared to come find me alone; so you had a trump card."

Orochimaru had calmed down now. Completely ignoring his severed arm, he focused all his attention on Uchiha Arashi's eyes.

"I had heard of the existence of the Mangekyo Sharingan before. I originally thought it was merely a more powerful Sharingan, but it seems the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan is far greater than I imagined..."

He licked his lips as he spoke.

But in the end, he did not make another move.

That genjutsu from just a moment ago had truly startled Orochimaru; the level of control that left him powerless to resist had exceeded his expectations.

"Since that is the case, can we talk now?"

Uchiha Arashi turned around, his red eyes fixed on Orochimaru as he asked in a deep voice.

He had not forgotten the true purpose of his journey.

"Of course. You have demonstrated your strength; you are qualified to converse with me."

Orochimaru let out a low chuckle, his voice raspy.