Ship-borne Machine Gun!

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Aburame Ryoma called out in a low voice. "Why not take a look at the conditions Lord Danzo has offered you first?"

"Lord Danzo has shown plenty of sincerity this time. He can eliminate one of your rivals and provide you with a chance to earn an impressive military achievement!"

"Those are already very generous terms. Are you sure you don't want to consider them?"

"Ryoma, this isn't like you. I thought you were always able to keep your cool."

Orochimaru glanced at Ruohuo, who was flying farther and farther away, then at the unopened scroll in his hand. He smiled and shook his head.

"Look... I'm considering it right now, aren't I?"

Orochimaru toyed with the scroll in his hand. He didn't need to read it; from what Aburame Ryoma had just said, he could already guess what it contained.

"If Lord Danzo wants to work with me, he'll have to do more than show sufficient sincerity. He'll need to demonstrate sufficient strength, too, won't he?"

"Otherwise, why would I give up on Konoha's oldest shinobi clan to enter into such a risky partnership with Lord Danzo?"

Aburame Ryoma's expression shifted in surprise!

Was Orochimaru actually planning to work with the Uchiha Clan? Just because that kid was his student?!

"Let's make a bet, Ryoma."

Orochimaru looked into the distance.

"I remember Chito became one of Elder Danzo's personal guards three years ago. He was chosen from among a group of Special Jōnin..."

"If he can last five minutes against Ruohuo, I'll open this scroll in front of him."

"How does that sound?"

The bombardment from Dragon Flame Song Jutsu failed to work.

Yamanaka Chito emerged from the flames and used the trees as cover, his figure flickering from place to place.

Ruohuo formed Hand Seals, his Three Tomoe tracking Yamanaka Chito through the air.

The technique he wanted most right now was actually Senju Tobirama's Water Style: Water Severing Wave.

It was fast, highly penetrative, and practically a high-pressure water jet.

If he used Fire Style to launch it, then added various buffs, he might even get a high-temperature laser.

He could use it as a sniper rifle. Maybe then he could have ignored the cover just now and blown that Yamanaka Root Ninja's head clean off.

His dear teacher Orochimaru had already said that when he encountered someone with the "Will of Darkness," he could choose to attack directly.

This wasn't murder. It was purifying the world...

At the time, Ruohuo had still been wondering whether he could find a chance to follow his teacher's advice after returning to Konoha.

He hadn't expected the chance to act to come so soon.

So Orochimaru really isn't going to stop me at all?

"If I kill Yamanaka Chito here, Orochimaru will be held fully responsible..."

Ruohuo kept his distance, determined not to give Chito the chance to use his Yamanaka Secret Technique.

He stole a glance toward Orochimaru and Aburame Ryoma and saw that neither of them had followed.

Ruohuo was familiar with this pair.

In the original timeline, after Orochimaru failed to become Hokage, he "joined" Danzo and became one of his personal guards. He and Aburame Ryoma were colleagues.

But at this point in time...

Ruohuo realized Orochimaru seemed to be holding Aburame Ryoma back.

"Interesting."

Ruohuo raised an eyebrow.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Ruohuo pressed both hands against the dragon's head and poured in chakra. The flaming giant dragon opened its gaping maw!

Now that he had the Three Tomoe, he could try combining several of the jutsu with "Dragon" in their names.

And what Ruohuo had to do now was combine Fire Style: Fire (Water) Dragon Bullet with Fire Style: Fire (Earth) Dragon Bullet and install a ship-borne machine gun!

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!

Keeping a safe distance, Ruohuo directed the fire dragon beneath his feet at Yamanaka Chito and kept firing fireballs!

"That damn kid!"

Yamanaka Chito gritted his teeth. Ruohuo was beyond the range of his secret technique, leaving him no way to fight back. All he could do was take the hits!

Flying was always faster than sprinting along the ground.

Yamanaka Chito quickly learned that firsthand. He dodged from tree to tree, putting on a textbook display of tactical evasion!

Spin!

Leap!

Never stop moving!

Yamanaka Chito didn't dare pause. The slightest hesitation would bring a barrage down on him!

"Is this kid crazy?!"

Ruohuo had predicted where Chito would land. With countless fireballs about to hit him, Yamanaka Chito cursed under his breath and escaped with a Substitution Technique.

Their positions shifted, briefly turning defense into offense. Yamanaka Chito quickly formed Hand Seals and aimed at Ruohuo.

"Ninja Art: Mind... Damn it!"

Before his secret technique could take effect, Yamanaka Chito saw fireballs raining down toward him!

"Trying to pull tricks like that while those eyes are watching you?"

"You rats skulking in the shadows—who gave you the nerve to deceive my teacher and think you could go mind-to-mind with me?!"

"Die!!!"

Ruohuo unleashed the fire dragon's full firepower. The fireballs came so densely, it was as if each one had used Shadow Clone!

But they were in the middle of a dense forest. Yamanaka Chito immediately locked onto a towering tree. If he could survive this wave, he still had a chance!

Whoosh!

Yamanaka Chito dashed forward with the Body Flicker Technique!

Clap!

Ruohuo brought his hands together!

Yamanaka Chito finally reached the tree. The first fireballs to arrive exploded just a short distance away!

"Ninja Art!" Yamanaka Chito couldn't stop moving. He formed Hand Seals in advance, preparing to use his secret technique. This might be his last chance!

But when he aimed at the boy riding the fire dragon again...

"Fire Style: Twin Dragon Fire Prison!"

Two Fire (Water) Dragon Bullets curved around the tree from either side and finally struck Yamanaka Chito!

At the moment of impact, the two dragons changed shape again, transforming into a fiery prison!

Fire Style: Fire (Water) Dragon Bullet + Fire Style: Fire (Water) Prison Technique.

Just as Orochimaru had said.

Ruohuo hadn't changed the forms of the two jutsu. Instead, he'd used the flames to launch a second technique.

It was like a Water Style user conjuring a large amount of water in a place without water, then using that water to perform another technique.

"Gah!!!!"

"Let me out!! My eyes!!!! Aah!!!!"

"I'm... Lord Danzo's..."

In a battle between shinobi, victory or defeat often came down to a single moment.

The prison of flames lasted for a minute.

But Yamanaka Chito didn't last even half of that...

By the time Orochimaru and Aburame Ryoma arrived, all that remained was a charred corpse...

"Another enemy taken care of, Ruohuo."

Ignoring Aburame Ryoma's expression, Orochimaru said with a smile, "That makes fifteen enemies you've killed."

"In theory, this exceeds the danger level of an A-rank mission. Once we return to Konoha, I'll explain the situation to Lord Hokage."

Beside him, Aburame Ryoma's expression darkened.

"Number sixteen is coming right up, Sensei."

Ruohuo formed Hand Seals with one hand and held his loosely clenched fist in front of his mouth.

He'd had an idea on the way here. Dragon Fire Jutsu was basically a high-temperature flamethrower.

If he fitted the flamethrower with a focusing device, maybe it could double as a long-range sniper rifle within ten meters.

A focusing device wouldn't be hard to find.

With his 90% immunity to high temperatures, and his chakra protecting him, he could steady the weapon with his bare hands.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Spear!"