The Strongest Genjutsu: Iron Body

At the critical moment, Uchiha Yu had a thought!

His muscles tensed in an instant! His skin became as hard as steel, and his entire body seemed to be covered by an invisible suit of armor!

His body rapidly entered the Iron Body state!

When Orochimaru's fangs bit toward Uchiha Yu's neck.

Clang~

Orochimaru's teeth struck Uchiha Yu's neck, producing a crisp sound of metal collision!

Orochimaru's mouth twitched!

He felt that the neck he had bitten was not soft flesh.

It was hard steel!

This caught Orochimaru completely off guard!

His teeth were the medium through which he applied curse marks. Normally, he did not use them purely to attack people. They were only somewhat harder than an ordinary ninja's teeth, nowhere near as hard as iron.

The curse mark power bestowed from Orochimaru's mouth failed to pierce Uchiha Yu's body, giving Orochimaru an unprecedented sense of frustration.

"Too hard!" Orochimaru felt his jaw ache, and his teeth had even loosened from the impact.

Still unwilling to accept it, Orochimaru increased his strength and bit down again!

He tried to use his immense strength and curse mark power to penetrate Uchiha Yu's defenses.

However, the result remained the same.

Uchiha Yu's neck was hard as iron, and Orochimaru's attack caused no substantial damage.

A flicker of surprise passed through Orochimaru's eyes. He had never encountered such a situation before.

"Earth Release?"

"No, there isn't the slightest flow of Chakra."

"Then what is it?"

"Could it be... I'm under a genjutsu!?"

Orochimaru pressed his palms together and shouted, "Release!"

Three seconds passed.

A breeze stirred Orochimaru's long hair.

He looked at Uchiha Yu, who was bound by the Paralysis Technique, utterly confused as to why the brat's skin was as hard as steel.

"Then there's only one way." Orochimaru slapped one hand against the ground!

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

The white smoke dispersed! A long sword appeared in Orochimaru's hand!

The legendary sword—the Kusanagi Sword!

This was a sword capable of cutting even the summon Enma, who was said to possess an indestructible vajra body, hard enough to hurt!

Holding the sword, Orochimaru made two swift slashes, striking Uchiha Yu's neck!

As soon as the sword body was withdrawn, two bloody marks appeared on Uchiha Yu's neck!

Stephen Fang: "Oh no! Now this really is the strongest genjutsu, Iron Body! It can't block this!"

Pirate World Fang Yu: "Iron Body only enhances physical defense. It isn't a technique like an Invincibility Frame."

Crack!

While the two spoke, Orochimaru's teeth finally pierced through the bloody marks where Uchiha Yu's defense had been broken!

The instant Uchiha Yu was bitten by Orochimaru, he felt unprecedented severe pain!

It was pain that reached deep into his bones, as though countless red-hot needles had pierced his flesh!

His nerves screamed, and the pain surged over him like a tide, making it almost impossible for him to breathe!

At the wound site, Orochimaru's teeth brought not only physical injury, but also injected curse mark power. It was a cold, evil force that ravaged his body and filled him with the terror of being corroded!

Uchiha Yu felt as though he had returned to that stormy day.

He saw it.

His mother coming home from work and seeing him lying in bed with a raging fever, then carrying him to the hospital as the two of them fell together in the rain.

Uchiha Yu's vision went dark, and he collapsed onto the rooftop.

Kakashi witnessed the scene from afar, and a trace of urgency flashed through his eyes!

Kakashi forcibly broke free from the Sound Five—Tayuya's Demon Flute: Phantom Sound Shackles—kicked her away, and rapidly formed the hand seal for a Lightning Clone!

Before the Lightning Clone was pierced through by Kimimaro, he charged at Jirobo, who blocked his path!

As he ran, irregular, dazzling Chakra currents gathered in Kakashi's hand!

Blue lightning danced at his fingertips as he shot like a bolt of lightning toward Jirobo, who held Earth Release: Earth Mausoleum Dumpling in his hands!

"Chidori!" Kakashi shouted as he charged at Jirobo with explosive speed!

Jirobo had never seen an S-rank ninjutsu like Chidori, one capable of enhancing speed. Chidori pierced his body!

Electric currents ravaged Jirobo's body and blasted him away!

After taking down the opponent before him, Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique without the slightest hesitation!

His figure left an afterimage where he stood. In the next second, he had appeared in front of Uchiha Yu!

Chidori gathered in his hand once more, blue lightning dancing at his fingertips. His eyes revealed determination and resolve!

"Orochimaru!" Kakashi's voice was furious, his warning unmistakable. "Even gods can stumble."

Orochimaru looked at Kakashi, amusement flashing through his eyes.

"Copy Ninja Kakashi." Orochimaru curled his lips into a smile. "You are not qualified to fight me."

Cold sweat slid down Kakashi's forehead, while the Chidori in his hand shone even more brightly.

Unable to close Obito's eye and constantly short on Chakra, Kakashi was already struggling after tangling with the Five-Man Squad for so long. Now, facing one of the legendary Three Sannin, he found himself even more outmatched.

Even at his peak, he would not have dared claim that he could defeat a ninja of the same generation as his teacher's teacher.

Just as Kakashi prepared to fight to the death.

Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out again.

"Kakashi, I have taken a liking to this brat. He will come looking for me himself."

The confidence in his voice made it hard not to feel.

That he was right.

Kakashi had no idea what Orochimaru was plotting. He only knew that if he kept Chidori active, his Chakra would soon be exhausted.

He could not wait any longer!

Kakashi's Sharingan locked onto Orochimaru as he lowered his body and prepared to attack!

Orochimaru smiled. Just as Kakashi was about to attack, he formed a hand seal with one hand and vanished into the night, leaving behind a scene of wreckage.

At the same time, the Sound Four quickly left the scene as well, dragging the dying Jirobo away.

"Whew." Kakashi let out a heavy breath.

This could be said to be the most dangerous situation Kakashi had faced since emerging from the darkness and stepping into the sunlight.

But he had no time to dwell on it. He picked up Uchiha Yu and began sprinting.

Trusting an opponent was never a good thing.

Even if Orochimaru had truly left, who could say whether he might change his mind?

"Hang on, Yu!" Kakashi's Sharingan swept over the three black tomoe-shaped curse marks on Uchiha Yu's neck. "We'll get treatment soon. Hang on!"

While Uchiha Yu lay unconscious, two discordant voices echoed in his mind.

Pirate World Fang Yu: "This is great! It's the Heaven Curse Mark!"

Stephen Fang: "We're saved!"