Negation

Mizuki was busy, and Orochimaru was not idle either. The mouth that had been gaping from the intense pain suddenly split open, and a White Phosphorus Great Serpent shot out. With lightning speed, it abandoned its shell and slithered toward the soul vessel Mizuki had prepared, disappearing into its open mouth. Moments later, the formerly soulless shell began to fill out, life gradually returning to its face. Before long, it regained consciousness and opened its eyes.

The first thing Orochimaru saw after opening his eyes following the Living Corpse Reincarnation was the reanimated body of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, resisting Mizuki's control with its overwhelming power. Yet Mizuki and his physical clone swiftly disarmed and sealed it. Though Hashirama Senju's reanimated body had fallen into layers of traps before it could react, Mizuki's method of countering Hashirama Senju was simply too powerful. Wood Release itself was the strongest Kekkei Genkai technique in the Shinobi World—what could possibly be stronger than Wood Release?

"What exactly was that?"

The surprise on Orochimaru's face was unmistakable.

"I know about the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Being able to use your hair to perform them is a good idea, though not particularly astonishing. But what was that method for countering Wood Release?"

Mizuki glanced at the intensely curious Orochimaru and answered matter-of-factly.

"Wood Release is powerful, but calling it the strongest in the Shinobi World is an exaggeration. What was formidable was not Wood Release, but the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Without that terrifying vitality and nearly limitless chakra reserves, Wood Release would not have been so frightening."

"Even so, being able to suppress the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's Wood Release is remarkable. Controlling his reanimated body isn't strange, but suppressing his Wood Release is truly baffling."

"That wasn't a counter to Wood Release. It