After unleashing Water Release: Kirin, Shinsei let out a sigh of relief. This ninjutsu combined offense and defense, and he had developed it with the Uchiha Clan's Susanoo as his benchmark. He still did not know how far it fell short of Susanoo, since he had never actually seen Susanoo. For now, though, ordinary ninjutsu could not break through Water Release: Kirin's defenses.
Apart from the cockpit where Shinsei stood, the entire body of Water Release: Kirin consisted of thick layers of water release chakra. The water release chakra throughout its body flowed at high speed, deflecting and repelling the energy of incoming ninjutsu or physical attacks. Even if its defenses were breached, he could replenish its water release chakra and keep using it without affecting its movement.
This water release ninjutsu depended on Shinjō's chakra control. Even if others saw it, or Shinsei taught them personally, they would not be able to learn it. Without Shinjō's terrifying chakra control, the Water Release: Kirin they assembled would be nothing more than a flowing mass of chakra.
"Hehehe..." A man's hoarse laughter came from the ground. A patch of grass in the distance was pushed aside, and a long-haired man in yellow emerged, a purple shimenawa rope wrapped around his waist.
"How rude of me not to have shown you my true face when we met earlier. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I was once one of the Konoha Sannin, and I am now Konoha's missing-nin, Orochimaru." Orochimaru had a thin face and narrow eyes. Clapping his hands, he smiled. "You really have given me quite a surprise, Shinsei-kun. You leave me looking forward to more."
"Heh." Shinsei sneered. "What brings you to Konoha, Lord Orochimaru? Konoha may be easy to enter, but getting out isn't necessarily so easy." Shinsei was in no hurry to fight Orochimaru. He wanted to drag things out. Time was on his side.
Although Konoha had grown much weaker, even Orochimaru would have trouble escaping if Konoha brought its full strength to bear. Unfortunately, after the Uchiha Clan Massacre and the Cloud ninja's kidnapping of Hinata, it was already difficult for Konoha to bring its full strength to bear.
"Is this the water release ninjutsu you developed, Shinsei-kun?" Orochimaru looked at the towering Water Kirin before him. With his knowledge, he recognized at a glance that this ninjutsu stemmed from Shinsei's chakra control. He sighed in admiration. "Your chakra control is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life, Shinsei-kun. Truly terrifying!"
"Thank you for the compliment. With your knowledge, Lord Orochimaru, do you see any room for improvement in this ninjutsu?" Shinsei wanted to hear the appraisal of Orochimaru, the Shinobi World's renowned scientist.
"Hehehe, a truly excellent concept, a genius idea. Even I would find it difficult to improve." Though Orochimaru said it would be difficult to improve, he still pointed out several structural issues with Water Release: Kirin and suggested ways to optimize it.
"Thank you for your guidance!" Standing inside the Kirin, Shinsei gave a solemn bow. As expected of the Shinobi World's scientist, his ideas were indeed worth drawing on. Water Release: Kirin now had a new direction for optimization.
Once Shinsei had some free time to continue his research and development, the next version of Water Release: Kirin would be even stronger.
"The more gifted you are, the more your talents will be buried if you stay in this rotten Konoha." Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely. "I sincerely invite you to join the ninja village I founded. I will give you treatment no worse than my own, Shinsei-kun. All my knowledge of ninjutsu will be yours to share. Together, we can explore the truths of the boundless world of ninjutsu!"
"Hahaha..." Shinsei was quite surprised that Orochimaru was making a serious attempt to recruit him. "Thank you for the invitation, Lord Orochimaru, but I have no wish to become someone's vessel for reincarnation."
"Hehehe..." Orochimaru's hoarse laughter grew unrestrained. "You really do underestimate me. For a genius like you, Shinsei-kun, what matters most is, of course, your brilliant, unfettered mind. Taking nothing but an inert corpse would be such a waste of your talents."
"Well, thank you very much, Lord Orochimaru." Shinsei remained noncommittal about Orochimaru's invitation. "But I'm afraid I must decline. My family and friends are in Konoha. If you stayed in Konoha, Lord Orochimaru, I would also be very willing to exchange ideas and discuss ninjutsu with you."
"Even someone as clever as you cannot escape useless bonds, Shinsei-kun! But sooner or later, you will understand." Orochimaru sighed. "There isn't much time left. Please accept my parting gift!"
"Keep it for yourself!" Shinsei snorted coldly.
Orochimaru's expression turned serious, and killing intent like a bottomless abyss radiated from him.
This was the first time Shinsei had felt such intense killing intent. It made his scalp prickle. He had heard other ninja speak of the killing intent of top-tier ninja before, and now he finally experienced it himself.
But his body only felt uncomfortable for a moment before returning to normal. After all, he was inside the Kirin, and his own strength also gave him confidence.
"Then let me see the limits of your capabilities, Shinsei-kun!"
So we still have to fight. Fine, let me feel the gap between myself and a Kage-level ninja!
Shinsei quickly adjusted his mindset.
Orochimaru bit his finger and slapped the ground. An enormous cloud of smoke filled the Forest of Death, and an immense purple snake appeared.
It was none other than Orochimaru's summoned ninja beast, Manda!
Seeing such an enormous summon for the first time left Shinsei considerably shaken. His Water Release: Kirin was thirty meters tall and fifty meters long, already massive enough, yet it was still a size smaller than Manda.
Shinsei quickly estimated that Manda's body was over a hundred meters long.
But size did not represent strength.
"Orochimaru! Did you summon me to fight that... what kind of monster is that? It doesn't look alive. It looks like it'll be hard to deal with. Compensate me with a hundred living sacrifices afterward!" Manda's voice was rough, making the surrounding leaves rustle.
"Hehe, Manda, that's a ninjutsu. For something of this level, fifty living sacrifices should be enough." Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth with his long tongue, his mouth spreading into a chuckling grin.
"I'm being looked down on." Shinsei felt how little chakra remained in his body. Let me hit you hard first. His hands changed seals, and the Water Kirin opened its mouth. A huge, slender jet of water shot from the Kirin's mouth.
The water jet arrived in the blink of an eye. Even though Manda dodged in time, it still sliced a massive wound into him, blood pouring out.
"You damned brat! I'll tear that thing apart, drag you out, and eat you!" Manda plunged his head into the earth and burrowed underground.
What a perfect opportunity. Manda underestimated me.
Unfortunately, its power was still a little lacking. Although the water jet fired by the Kirin was envisioned as something like Water Release: Water Severing Wave, in practice, there was still a considerable gap. But the greater reason was that Manda's defenses were too strong. With the same power, this water jet could cut through a small hill, yet it had only cut through a third of Manda's body!
The ground beneath him suddenly shook. Shinsei hurriedly looked down. The earth underfoot had already turned into a vast mire, and the Water Kirin's body kept sinking.
This was Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
This ninjutsu was extremely adhesive. Once caught, its victim could only keep sinking until they were finally buried in the earth. But wasn't this area of effect a little too large?
Was this Orochimaru's ninjutsu?
But this posed no difficulty for Shinsei. The Water Kirin itself was formed from water release chakra, and the chakra flowing through its body could move in any direction.
He immediately changed seals. Jets of water suddenly erupted downward from the Water Kirin's four limbs, and it leaped clear of the Swamp of the Underworld.
The Water Kirin's body had become a little shorter.
An enormous snake head burst out of the earth and coiled upward around the Water Kirin's body, its huge mouth lunging to bite Shinsei, who stood inside the Kirin's chest!