Under an impact like that, Orochimaru had almost no chance of surviving.
That was Nagato's assessment.
Even with his countless means of survival, even if he was like a modified lifeform with no human traits left, even if he was a monster in the truest sense...
No matter how many reasons there were, Nagato did not believe anyone could withstand such an assault head-on.
And through his Rinnegan, Nagato could clearly sense that the thing before him, once called "Orochimaru," had almost exhausted its vitality. It would be no surprise if he died the very next second.
Yet just as Nagato raised his hand to deliver the finishing blow to the paper-thin Orochimaru, a familiar voice rang out. "Finished?"
It was Orochimaru's voice!
Nagato's pupils constricted slightly. He could naturally confirm that the voice had come from the flattened figure before him.
"You survived even that?"
But the result was even further beyond Nagato's expectations. His opponent had done more than simply survive. Through the Rinnegan, he saw Orochimaru's vitality gradually flare back to life, like a candle that should have been on the verge of going out.
"Would you be surprised if I told you that you hadn't even inflicted enough damage on me?"
The paper-thin figure in the air suddenly turned his head. Then his body began to swell again, slowly returning to normal.
Nagato braced himself for a formidable foe.
He could not understand Orochimaru's current state. The Rinnegan's summoning beasts were linked to his will, and that attack moments earlier had unquestionably landed squarely.
Even if there were ways to defend against it, there should have been no possibility of recovering completely after suffering real damage the way Orochimaru had.
Yet that impossibility was now unfolding right before his eyes, plain and simple.
"Hard to understand,