The Kekkei Tōta barrier that destroyed everything was not aimed at Manda, nor at the injured Han.
Instead, it points directly at Orochimaru, who stands atop Manda's head!
Orochimaru's golden snake eyes suddenly contracted to their maximum size!
That ultimate warning of death, originating from the bloodline of the white snake, seemed to shriek in my heart!
He could even feel the dust in the air vibrating and disintegrating slightly wherever the transparent barrier passed!
There's no way to dodge it! A hastily executed defensive Ninjutsu has absolutely no chance of withstanding Dust Release!
At the critical moment, Orochimaru demonstrated his astonishing decisiveness and life-saving ability as one of the Sannin.
He made the optimal solution almost instinctively, without much thought:
He suddenly stomped on the head of the Manda, not to attack, but to use the force to save Manda!
The hand Hand Seals so fast they left afterimages!
" Summoning Technique - Release!"
With a "bang!", the enormous Manda vanished instantly in a puff of white smoke, forcibly sent back to Ryūchi Cave by Reverse Summoning!
It would be such a waste for us to die here after finally subduing the Manda!
Orochimaru himself, however, used the reaction force and the spatial disturbance caused by the instant Manda disappeared,
His body arched backward as if boneless, and he flew through the air, simultaneously unleashing his most proficient life-saving Ninjutsu—
Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique!
His skin shed rapidly, like a snake shedding its skin, and he spat out a wet, solid form from his mouth, which then slipped into the ground, brushing against the edge of the Dust Release escape barrier!
"Buzz--!"
The light of Dust Release swept across the spot where Manda had disappeared and the snake Orochimaru.
It completely decomposed all matter in that area, including rocks, air, and even light, into atomic states, leaving behind an perfectly smooth square pit.
A few seconds later, Orochimaru's figure slowly rose from the shadow of a rock a hundred meters away.
"Hmph, the Kekkei Tōta Dust Release is said to be able to annihilate everything."
Now it seems that it's not as good as Mukai's new technique!
Orochimaru's face was even paler than usual, and a trickle of blood even escaped from the corner of his mouth.
Forcibly and rapidly Reverse Summoning of Manda and using the Substitution Technique at its limit caused him immense consumption and backlash.
He looked up at the sky, his snake-like eyes filled with icy killing intent and lingering fear.
" Ōnoki, is this all the magnanimity you have? A mere shadow who only dares to launch sneak attacks, hmph hmph hmph."
Orochimaru, dressed in white, stood alone in front of the ninja army, holding a small silver cylinder in his hand, which he waved at Ōnoki in the air.
Ōnoki hovered in the air, watching the man who had fallen into a coma and was quickly rescued by Iwagakure. His bulbous nose even turned a little red.
This strange ninja tool wiped out a large Iwa Ninja.
When did Konoha acquire such terrifying Lightning Release ninja tools? Even Jinchūriki couldn't withstand them.
Looking at Orochimaru, who was fixing his cold gaze on him, he sighed inwardly:
Orochimaru's ability to survive is simply too strong. With the support of these powerful ninja tools, the traditional tactics of Iwagakure have become somewhat outdated.
"Retreat!"
Ōnoki decisively gave the order.
With their core combatant injured and their sneak attack failing, the morale of the Iwagakure forces has plummeted.
There's no point in continuing this argument today.
The Iwagakure troops retreated like a receding tide. Orochimaru did not order a pursuit.
" Lord Orochimaru, are we really not going to pursue the Iwa Ninja?"
Orochimaru, barely managing to stay upright, coughed up a mouthful of black blood, wiped his mouth, and weakly said:
"Withdraw your troops. Ōnoki took action personally. I was just bluffing."
The message was relayed to the village: the Kage Level shinobi and Jinchūriki from Iwagakure Kumogakure have already engaged in battle and require the village's support.
After the messenger ninja left, Orochimaru muttered to himself:
"I hope the teacher won't make a foolish mistake this time."
Land of Rain
After completing the Tianhe control project, Konan flapped its six Shikigami wings and floated quietly in mid-air.
Gazing at the clearing sky of the Land of Rain, he remained silent for a long time.
After a long while, she turned to Mukai, who was hovering beside her, smiled sweetly, and whispered:
" Mukai Xiangjun, come with me, I'll take you somewhere."
Instead of using the Dance of the Shikigami to fly, she landed on the ground and walked like an ordinary person.
We walked along the damp but no longer muddy road towards a remote mountainous area outside the village.
Mukai also landed on the ground, stowed his mecha, and silently followed behind her.
He could sense an almost sorrowful silence emanating from Konan.
The two passed through a narrow crevice completely covered by vines, and suddenly the view opened up before them—a hidden cave.
The cave was very dry, covered with a thin layer of ash, yet traces of past human habitation could still be faintly discerned.
A rough stone stove, a simple bed covered with hay, and some faded, childlike graffiti on the walls.
Konan's gaze immediately fell on the four wooden planks with frog patterns leaning against the wall inside the cave entrance.
They were four ordinary-looking wooden boards, one side of which was crudely painted with different smiling frogs.
On the other side, it was painted red using some kind of red mineral pigment.
Jiraiya- sensei's return poster...
Konan reached out, her fingertips gently tracing the rough wood grain and the blurred patterns.
Her fingers trembled slightly, as if afraid of disturbing the time that was sleeping there.
Beneath the cold touch lies a torrent of memories, carrying the scents of rust and rain.
Konan felt a moment of disorientation, as if she had returned to her childhood.
In that Land of Rain, the sky was always a low, leaden gray.
The clouds were heavy with sorrow, and the relentless, bone-chilling rain seemed to never end.
Wars either break out on borders or brew within villages.
Hanzo of the Salamander's dream of a great power was shattered, and he turned to ruling and controlling the country with an iron fist.
The infiltration of major powers has turned this land into a breeding ground for despair.
Hunger, disease, and death are the most familiar companions to every child in the Land of Rain during their childhood.
She and Yahiko were the first to start their wanderings, and later they took in Nagato.
The three little ones were orphans struggling to survive like weeds in this mud and ruins.
Until he met that white-haired, idiotic teacher who called himself the Toad Sage.
This cave was their secret base, which they barely called "home" when they were hiding from the war.
I remember one time, Jiraiya- sensei went out to find food and was gone for a very long time.
The sound of rain outside was pattering, mixed with faint sounds of explosions and shouts of killing.
Yahiko forced himself to remain calm, gripping his Kunai and guarding the cave entrance, while Nagato hugged his knees, huddled in a corner, his Rinnegan filled with fear.
She kept looking at the cave entrance, hoping that the tall figure would appear.
Later, Jiraiya- sensei returned, bringing with him a small amount of food and a cheerful yet weary smile.
He saw the children's worry, said nothing, but found four pieces of wood and clumsily began to carve with his small knife.
"Watch closely!"
He proudly held up the wooden board with a frog carrying a scroll on its back, just like Jiraiya.
"If the frog is outside, it means I've gone out."
Then, he flipped the wooden board over, turning the bright red side upside down:
"When this side faces outwards, that means I'm back!"
"This way, we can tell who's gone out and who's home just by looking around. What do you think of this method?"
At that moment, Yahiko grinned, and the fear in Nagato's eyes dissipated considerably.
She carefully took the wooden board and gave one to each of Nagato and Yahiko.
Each person has been portrayed in their own image.
A frog with paper flowers, a frog with spiky hair laughing, a frog whose face is covered by hair, with only one eye showing.
In that era of uncertainty, simple wooden planks became a real beacon in their hearts.
It symbolizes "departure" and "return," the existence of home, and a strong sense of security.
Later, Jiraiya returned to the village, and they were far away from this secret base due to the war.
Yahiko is no longer here.
Konan's finger lingered on the board depicting a grinning frog with a hedgehog-like head, her voice as soft as a sigh:
" Mukai, when we were kids, the Land of Rain basically never had sunny days."
Rainwater mixed with blood flowed into the ground and into people's hearts.
Back then, our biggest wish was simply to wake up the next day and see each other alive.
Yahiko's ideals were naive, and he was stubborn, but he wasn't a bad person. He also hoped that the children of the Land of Rain wouldn't be like us...
She paused, then didn't continue.
Mukai pulled Konan into his arms and gently patted her back:
"I know that Yahiko and I just have different beliefs, and I don't hate him."
I have said before that people with lofty ideals and the willingness to work hard for them should not be ridiculed.
"With me here, the Land of Rain will get better!"
Konan raised her head, stared intently at Mukai's face, and nodded gently.
"I know, Mukai Xiangjun is the most amazing. You truly brought new life to this weeping nation..."
She pressed her face against Mukai's chest, closed her eyes, and murmured:
"It's truly unimaginable that Ninjutsu could accomplish such a feat."
The sunlight... the sunlight has truly reached this land.
She was referring to the brilliant sunlight streaming down from the cave, and also to the thriving development of Amegakure today.
"The changes you brought about were not just due to technology, but also to Mukai Xiangjun's magnanimity."
As she listened to Mukai's heartbeat, a sweet smile appeared on her lips.
"Thank you, Mukai, thank God for sending you to my side."
Konan likes you so much.
After a long while, the two finally left the abandoned secret base. The wooden board that belonged to Yahiko, which was placed at the entrance as a sign of return, had been turned red, symbolizing his return.
Meanwhile, in Mukai's sea of consciousness, a huge ball of light, devoid of any obsession, slowly connected to the computing node.