Rinto had no patience for Orochimaru's nonsense.
He had come to the Land of Whirlpools to research in peace, not negotiate partnerships or trade barbs. From the moment Orochimaru and his men set foot on the island and touched his first defensive line, they had become a nuisance delaying his real work. Their only use was to test whether the Barehanded Jutsu Casting he had just refined actually worked well.
The white light at his fingertips surged. The translucent Dust Release cube did not head for Orochimaru, but swept toward the Sound Ninja closing in around him first. There was no earthshaking roar. Wherever the white light passed, the three Sound Ninja at the front vanished soundlessly into nothingness, along with the sealing ninja tools in their hands. They never even had time to scream.
The remaining Sound Ninja froze, their kunai hands trembling. They had encountered countless ruthless fighters while following Orochimaru, but never anything this absurd-no hand seals, no medium, just a raised hand and a kekkei tōta that killed without leaving a trace.
"Get lost." Rinto's voice was ice-cold as his gaze swept over the remaining Sound Ninja. "Take another step, and you'll end up just like them."
"What are you panicking for?" Orochimaru paid no attention to whether his subordinates lived or died. His golden slit pupils remained fixed on Rinto's fingertips, the fervor in his eyes almost spilling over. He had seen countless kekkei genkai, the Uchiha's Sharingan, and the power of tailed beasts, but never an ability this unreasonable-no bloodline, no training, just supreme chakra control producing a kekkei tōta out of thin air.
He raised a hand. More than a dozen pitch-black venomous snakes shot from his fingertips, lunging at Rinto with a foul, chilling stench. A cold gleam of paralytic venom shone on their fangs. His Hidden Shadow Snake Hands moved so fast that only afterimages remained, cutting off every direction Rinto could dodge.
Rinto stood unmoving, not even retreating half a step. Lightning flashed at his left fingertips, and more than a dozen hair-thin Lightning Release needles shot out, piercing the snakes' heads with precision. Lightning Release chakra spread down their bodies, instantly electrocuting them into charred scraps of flesh.
At the same time, he raised his right hand and sprayed Lava Release acid into Orochimaru's follow-up Fire Release. The scalding acid collided with the fireball, hissing as pungent white smoke rose. The aftermath melted pits into a nearby broken wall.
In less than two seconds, he had effortlessly neutralized both of Orochimaru's attacks. He had not even shifted his feet, remaining in place throughout as chakra flowed continuously through his fingertips. Five-nature ninjutsu and kekkei genkai fusion came at a whim, used more smoothly than even by shinobi born with those kekkei genkai.
"Just as I thought. Just as I thought." Orochimaru chuckled, his laughter carrying a sibilant hiss as his excitement grew. "No hand seals, no bloodline. Chakra is practically alive in your hands. Perfect. Rinto-kun, you're even more perfect than I imagined."
"Cut the fucking crap." Rinto's brows knitted tightly, his irritation mounting. These drawn-out fights annoyed him more than anything. He had only just reached the threshold of senjutsu, and his diagrams were half finished, yet these people had dragged him out to fight. Every extra minute felt like wasted time.
He wanted to stop wasting time. Chakra surged at his fingertips again. This time, wind-, earth-, and fire-nature chakra spread out simultaneously, instantly forming a white Dust Release light twice as large as before. He pushed it straight toward Orochimaru. Wherever it passed, rubble, broken walls, and even the chakra fluctuations in the air were stripped away completely.
Orochimaru's expression finally changed. He could feel the terrifying power within that white light. Even with his undying body, he might not regenerate intact if it dissolved him. He instantly formed hand seals, raising more than a dozen thick Earth-Style Walls from the ground. But before Dust Release, the solid earth and stone might as well have been paper, vanishing soundlessly into nothingness.
Using the half-second the Earth-Style Walls bought him, Orochimaru twisted his body like a snake and narrowly escaped the Dust Release's range. But the edge of the white light still swept his left arm, and the entire arm, along with half his shoulder, instantly disappeared without a trace.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto cried out from behind him, medical ninjutsu instantly ready in his hands, though he dared not approach.
Orochimaru ignored his injury. Countless little white snakes burst from his severed shoulder, rapidly coiling together and reassembling. In the blink of an eye, a new arm had grown. He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Rinto with the greed of someone gazing at a priceless treasure.
"Impressive. You can even take Dust Release this far." Orochimaru moved his new arm, a sinister edge in his voice. "But, Rinto-kun, do you think this alone is enough to get rid of me?"
His hands rapidly formed seals as he recited an obscure incantation. The surrounding ground split open, and countless giant pythons emerged, blotting out the sky as they lunged at Rinto. Sealing patterns were carved into every snake's scales. They had clearly been prepared specifically to absorb chakra and counter his anchor formation.
At the same time, Kabuto moved. Using the snakes as cover, he circled to the side and flung out more than a dozen sealing tags, arranging them into a chakra-locking formation. A sinister sealing power instantly spread outward, seeking to lock down the chakra flow around Rinto and prevent him from forming anchors out of thin air to cast jutsu.
Rinto muttered a curse. They really had come prepared.
He did not meet the overwhelming swarm of snakes head-on. With a push of his foot, Wind Release wrapped around his body and instantly carried him into the air, avoiding their lunges. At the same time, Ice Release activated instantly at his fingertips. Bone-chilling cold spread outward, freezing the lunging pythons and the ground into solid ice. Even the sealing patterns in their scales froze and ceased functioning.
On the other side, Kabuto's sealing formation had barely taken shape when Rinto sent a blade of Lightning Release chakra backward, striking precisely at the anchor in its core. His understanding of chakra anchors was more than an order of magnitude beyond Kabuto's. He could have found the formation's flaw with his eyes closed. One slash instantly shattered the entire formation, and the backlash of chakra sent Kabuto stumbling backward, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
But the instant he broke the sealing formation, Orochimaru appeared soundlessly behind him. Black cursed seal patterns covered his fingertips as he thrust straight toward the back of Rinto's heart. If it landed, the cursed seal would instantly invade his chakra pathways and lock down his chakra circulation. No matter how strong his chakra control was, he would immediately lose the ability to resist.
Rinto never looked back. As though he had eyes in the back of his head, he lunged forward while flinging an Explosion Release shock wave behind him. The ground behind him instantly erupted, and the shock wave forced Orochimaru back. Rubble and dust fell across the ground along with his snake scales.
The instant he landed, Rinto's brows drew even tighter.
Orochimaru was one of the Sannin, after all. His Kage-level strength, combat experience, and stockpile of forbidden jutsu exceeded those of all the pursuers Rinto had previously encountered combined. Rinto could keep him suppressed with instant ninjutsu and Dust Release, but finishing him off completely would be difficult, and the longer this dragged on, the more troublesome it would become. Besides, his primary objective was not to win. It was to drive these people away quickly and return to his senjutsu research.
Finish this quickly. I have to hurt them as fast as possible, badly enough that they won't dare stay and bother me.
Rinto reached into his clothes and took out the piece of starfall iron engraved with the dynamic senjutsu configuration. He had only finished engraving it a few days ago and had tested it just once with basic Wind Release. He had not tried using senjutsu to enhance a kekkei tōta yet, but he could not concern himself with that now.
He injected chakra through his fingertips, activating the anchors within the starfall iron. Natural energy in the surrounding air was instantly drawn in at a furious rate, pouring into the central balancing anchor. Physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy were instantly proportioned and fused within the anchor. Stable senjutsu chakra flowed through his chakra pathways into his fingertips.
A force far greater than before erupted within him. Rinto could clearly perceive the chakra flow around him, the paths of the wind, and even the movements of the snakes underground. His Chakra Anchor Condensation was nearly twice as fast as before.
For the first time, Orochimaru's expression changed, his golden pupils contracting sharply. "Senjutsu? You've even mastered senjutsu..."
He knew all too well what senjutsu meant. Ordinary Dust Release was difficult enough to handle. Enhanced by senjutsu, its power would be more than even he could withstand for more than a few hits.
Rinto gave him no chance to prattle on. Senjutsu chakra poured into his fingertips. Enhanced by senjutsu, wind-, earth-, and fire-nature chakra instantly underwent deconstruction and recombination. A white light more condensed and oppressive than before formed in his palm. This time, it was not a large cube, but several beams of white light compressed to the extreme. They shot straight toward Orochimaru like lasers.
Orochimaru tried to dodge, but the senjutsu-enhanced Dust Release was too fast. He had only just formed hand seals when the white light reached him. He could only muster all his strength, using his entire body's chakra to raise a defensive barrier while frantically transforming his body into snakes, trying to escape the fatal disintegration.
Crack-
The white light tore through the barrier like paper. Half of Orochimaru's body, along with the ruined tower behind him, was dissolved completely. His remaining half fell to the ground, countless little snakes frantically bursting out to reconstruct his body. But the lingering power of Senjutsu Dust Release continued stripping away his chakra. The little snakes vanished into nothingness the moment they emerged.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto rushed over like a madman, desperately applying the medical ninjutsu in his hands to Orochimaru's body. But he could not stop the erosion of senjutsu chakra at all.
Rinto stood where he was, watching them coldly, the white light still lingering at his fingertips. The senjutsu chakra consumption was greater than he had expected. His body had yet to adjust to the influx of natural energy and felt slightly numb, but that discomfort was nothing compared with driving these nuisances away.
"I'll say this one last time." Rinto's voice was bone-chilling. "Get off this island. If you dare disturb me again, it won't be as simple as dissolving half your body. I don't care about your Sannin title or your immortality project. If you dare delay my research, I'll dissolve you until there isn't even a scrap left."
With considerable effort and countless little snakes, Orochimaru finally managed to reconstruct his body. His face was frighteningly pale, and his presence had weakened considerably. As he looked at Rinto, the greed in his eyes remained, but now there was a measure of wariness as well.
He had come prepared today, believing that his own strength and specially prepared sealing jutsu would allow him to force Rinto to submit, even if he could not capture him alive. He had never expected Rinto to grow this far in just a few short months, even mastering senjutsu and casually unleashing senjutsu-enhanced Dust Release.
If he continued fighting head-on, he might not come out ahead today. He might even truly meet his end here.
Orochimaru chuckled, his laughter breathless but still carrying that sinister madness. "Rinto-kun, you've given me so many surprises. It's fine. I have plenty of time. I can wait. You'll need me eventually. After all, in the entire shinobi world, only I can give you the peace you want, and research resources no one else can provide."
"I don't need you." Rinto frowned, the white light at his fingertips brightening again. "Keep talking, and I won't mind sending you to your grave right now."
Orochimaru stopped provoking him. He knew he could no longer subdue Rinto today. He gave Rinto a long look, his gaze like a venomous snake's, firmly committing the man before him to memory. Then he waved at Kabuto, turned, and retreated toward the shore. The remaining Sound Ninja hurriedly supported the injured Kabuto and scrambled after him, not even daring to pick up their fallen ninja tools.
In the blink of an eye, the ruins that had been bristling with tension held only Rinto, along with scorch marks, shattered ice, and deep craters dissolved out by Dust Release.
Rinto breathed a sigh of relief. The white light at his fingertips dispersed, and he clenched his fists, frowning as he felt the senjutsu chakra still lingering within him. Medium-based senjutsu was still too restricted. It absorbed natural energy slowly, and the senjutsu chakra could only be released through the medium, unable to merge completely with his own chakra. Those two uses of Senjutsu Dust Release had consumed nearly thirty percent of his chakra.
I still need to work out the dynamic configuration for Barehanded Senjutsu and form the balancing anchor directly within my own chakra. Only by removing my dependence on a medium can I truly bring out senjutsu's power.
He shook those thoughts from his head and turned toward the underground laboratory, not even bothering to glance at the traces Orochimaru had left on the ground. The drawn-out fight had cost him nearly two hours. His half-finished senjutsu configuration framework was still lying on the stone table. He needed to hurry back and keep revising it.
Back in the laboratory, he first checked the texts and core diagrams in the stone cabinet. Only after confirming they had not been touched did he breathe a sigh of relief. He took off his cloak, tossed it aside, and sat back down at the stone table. Without even glancing at the marks left on his arm by the earlier senjutsu backlash or the small cuts from flying rubble during the fight, he grabbed his charcoal pencil and resumed drawing on the rough paper.
He had discovered quite a few problems while using senjutsu just now. The balancing anchor still did not respond quickly enough, the upper limit for natural energy absorption was too low, and adjusting the proportions of the three energies still depended on fixed anchors rather than real-time self-adaptation. All of these needed optimization.
But as he drew, his pencil stopped.
Although he had not taken Orochimaru's words to heart, one thing he had said was true. He could drive off this group, and he could drive off Orochimaru, but what came next? Konoha would not let him go. Danzo would only send more and stronger people, and perhaps even the Kage-level fighters of the Five Great Nations would come personally. He could hide once and fight once, but he could not keep running and hiding forever, with people coming to his door every time he had enjoyed a few peaceful days, unable to guarantee even one complete experimental cycle.
The Land of Whirlpools had already been exposed. If Orochimaru could find him, Konoha's people would soon find him too. People from Iwagakure and Kumogakure would also follow the scent. This was no longer a peaceful haven.
Rinto leaned against the chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his aching temples, deeply irritated. All he wanted in this life was to research in peace and understand chakra's essence. Why was it so hard? There was always a bunch of lunatics eyeing his techniques, wanting to steal them, exploit them, or turn him into a tool.
Where could I go?
The Five Great Nations' territories are out of the question. The smaller countries around them can't stop their pursuers either. A deserted island out at sea? Remote enough, but there would be no materials or supplies. I can't conduct research living on wild fruit.
He opened his eyes, his gaze settling on the remaining half of the Complete Record of Uzushio Sealing Jutsu. His fingertips tapped unconsciously against the stone table, and an idea suddenly came to him.
His previous research had all been based on "how to avoid trouble," but there was no escaping it. Rather than constantly being chased around, he might as well take the initiative and build himself an absolutely secure laboratory that no one could break into.
Remnant sealing formations were scattered throughout the Land of Whirlpools. He could modify every seal on the island and turn it into an absolute forbidden zone. The outer layer would use perception-disrupting seals, the middle layer killing formations, and the inner layer barriers capable of trapping Kage-level fighters. Add his Explosion Release and Lightning Release traps, and even several Kage-level fighters breaking in together would have to pay dearly. They would never even reach his laboratory door.
Rather than run, he might as well turn this place into an impregnable fortress. He had the ability. He understood seals and chakra configurations. He could turn the entire island into his defensive line.
Besides, while using senjutsu just now, he had discovered that the natural energy in the Land of Whirlpools was far denser than in the Forest of Death or anywhere else he had stayed, making it ideal for senjutsu research. The sealing texts he needed were here, along with a peaceful underground laboratory. As long as he fortified his defenses, he would no longer have to keep moving or be disturbed by pursuers every few days.
With his mind made up, most of Rinto's irritation dissipated. He stopped dwelling on his pursuers and picked up his charcoal pencil again to finish the senjutsu configuration framework first. Once he solved the problem of Barehanded Senjutsu, he would spend a few days modifying every seal on the island. Then he would see who still dared break in and disturb him.
As for the forces still watching him, whether Konoha, Orochimaru, or people from other ninja villages, they could do whatever they liked. As long as they dared set foot on this island and delay his research, he would make sure they never returned, dissolving both them and their chakra until nothing remained.
The chakra lamp's light fell over his densely covered sheets of rough paper. The irritation in his eyes had faded, leaving only concentration. The fight with a Kage-level opponent just now had left less of an impression on him than a single optimization detail for a senjutsu anchor.
Outside, the sea wind was still blowing. Far out on the water, Orochimaru's boat had already left the shore, but Rinto did not even raise his head. His entire attention had plunged back into his diagrams for Dynamic Reconstruction of senjutsu. His mind was filled with how to form a balancing anchor within flowing chakra and how to achieve instant Barehanded Senjutsu formation.
For him, defeating Orochimaru had never been the goal. It was merely a way to clear away obstacles so he could research in peace.