His previously held psychological advantage due to his large size vanished at this moment.
Standing before those enormous hands, it felt as if I had entered a world of giants.
It was as if countless wooden giants existed beneath the ground.
And that hand was merely their outstretched arm.
Each palm was as big as his snake head.
How big would the giants underground be?
Orochimaru had a question mark in his mind. Although he knew there was no giant underground and it was just a Ninjutsu performed by Araki, such a huge hand still gave him a sense of oppression, as if he were a small snake that could be squeezed by that hand at any time.
"Never mind!"
A look of seriousness flashed in Orochimaru's crimson eyes. He knew very well that this was not the time to focus on the giant hand, but to attack Araki quickly. Once Araki was defeated, the Wood Release hand techniques would collapse on their own.
Orochimaru didn't understand why Araki insisted on opening the Demon Face and Fangs Shield before unleashing those Wood Release hands. He could have Demon Face and Fangs hidden inside the shield. So, Orochimaru assumed that Araki needed to see him visually before he could use those hands to grab him.
The palms might be a bit sharp.
After all, that's Wood Release Ninjutsu.
After his brief encounter with Araki, Orochimaru had gained a certain understanding of Wood Release Ninjutsu Wood Release Ninjutsu deeply realized its strength.
He saw the growth and resilience of Wood Release Ninjutsu from the Deep Forest Emergence. Its rapid and dense growth was something even he couldn't avoid, especially in narrow spaces where there was almost nowhere to retreat, and he would inevitably be entangled by those tough vines.
From the Wood Locking Wall Jutsu, one could see the incredibly strong defensive Demon Face and Fangs. Its rigidity was such that even the body of the White Phosphorus Snake could not be broken through in a short time, greatly disturbing his mind and making him feel anxious.
Now, enormous wooden hands appeared, each one so big, all facing him as if they were about to grab him at any moment, giving him an extremely dangerous feeling.
Under such circumstances...
Orochimaru dared not underestimate Wood Release in the slightest.
Almost instantly, he made an analysis. The energy that Araki had obtained from Hashirama Cells had not been completely consumed. Therefore, continuing to fight against Wood Release head-on was not a good choice. What he needed to do was defeat Araki. Once Araki was defeated, these Wood Release would collapse on their own.
Almost instantly.
Orochimaru charged straight at Araki, taking advantage of the moment when Demon Face and Fangs's shield was activated to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
Hehehehe...
Araki stood within the shield of the Demon Face and Fangs, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He let out a sinister laugh at Orochimaru, seemingly unconcerned about the eight snake heads. He appeared completely relaxed, devoid of his previous tension.
This feeling gave Orochimaru a sense of unreality. After all, he had clearly sensed Araki's fear before. Whenever he appeared next to Araki Araki, no matter how well Araki disguised himself, he would still be able to detect it.
However, Araki doesn't feel that way at all right now.
This caused Orochimaru a slight unease, but he forcibly suppressed the feeling, quickly opening his mouth, which was filled with a foul stench, wanting to end the battle quickly. This battle had dragged on for so long, and three more Anbu ninjas had died, which was far beyond his expectations. If it wasn't resolved soon, it would be difficult to end the situation.
Orochimaru's underground base needs to be rebuilt. Not only that, but the matter of the Anbu Ninja also needs to be covered up with an excuse. Compared to all of this, obtaining Wood Release Araki, for experiments is extremely insignificant.
Just as Orochimaru's snake head was about to reach Araki, he suddenly stopped, unable to move forward any further, his whole body tense up.
"What happened?!"
Orochimaru's eight snake heads' scarlet pupils all contracted sharply, shrinking to slits. He could clearly feel an immense force emanating from his tail.
This was a force he couldn't resist, so much so that he couldn't move forward even an inch.
Araki was right in front of me.
And it was even smiling at itself.
But I just can't seem to find it.
This is an extremely unpleasant feeling.
"You think I can't handle this?!"
The eight snake heads spoke in unison, their hoarse voices seemingly rising from the heavens and earth. The eight-colored dark clouds above them quickly enveloped the area. At the same time, the eight snake heads opened their mouths wide and thrust out their tongues, coiling them around Araki within the Demon Face and Fangs shield, attempting to use their long tongues to pull Araki out.
"..."
Araki looked at the tongue still covered in saliva, a look of disgust on his face. If he were to be entangled by this thing, he would probably feel terrible.
Suddenly.
Araki immediately controlled the Chakra within his body and directed it towards the large wooden hand on the ground.
Before that.
The wooden hand had already grabbed the tail of the White Phosphorus Snake.
This is why, when Orochimaru faced the impulsive Araki, his massive body was unable to move forward any further.
But Araki simply couldn't tolerate such a tongue.
Suddenly.
The wooden hand gripping the White Phosphorus Snake began to exert force, violently flinging the White Phosphorus Snake's body backward.
At this very moment.
Orochimaru saw Araki right in front of him, but then his vision blurred and the world spun around him, his crimson eyes filled with confusion.
Before he could react, he felt as if he had lost his weight and was sent flying backward, slamming to the ground with a loud, resounding bang.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Orochimaru could make his next move, a giant hand emerged from the ground, as if from a sleeve made of the ground itself, and reached out to grab the body of the Eight-Headed Serpent.
Almost instantly.
Each wooden hand gripped the head of the White Phosphorus Snake, and the necks of the eight serpent heads were pressed to the ground by eight huge wooden hands. The powerful force immediately caused the serpent heads to let out mournful screams.
As if by instinct, the eight tails of the White Phosphorus Snake rose wildly and lashed out at the wooden hand, trying to break free from the shackles that bound it.
But...
At this very moment.
One after another, large wooden hands arrived first, grabbing the eight tails and pressing them firmly to the ground in the same manner.
That's not all.
Two more hands emerged from the left and right sides of the White Phosphorus Snake.
It pressed heavily onto the White Phosphorus Snake.
The whole process happened in the blink of an eye. The once arrogant behemoth was now like a creature in shackles, firmly imprisoned on the ground, unable to move at all.
"What is this thing?!"
Orochimaru's crimson eyes flashed with unprecedented panic. He could clearly feel that the power pressing down on him was not even in the same league, and he had no way to break free.
The White Phosphorus Snake he had transformed into completely lost its purpose at this moment.
but...
He cannot undo the Eight Branches Technique.
If the deactivation were to be lifted now, he would immediately revert to human form, allowing him to squeeze through the giant wooden hands with his shrunken body. In return, he would completely lose his ability to fight.
In this way...
He was standing in front of Araki.
They became lambs to the slaughter.
However, if they force themselves to use the Eight Branches Technique, they will still be unable to break the deadlock, and now they are caught in a dilemma.
Click click click click...
Just then, a series of wooden sounds rang out, and the shield with the Demon Face and Fangs on the ground disintegrated little by little as if by machine, quickly disappearing from sight.
Araki walked step by step toward Orochimaru, his smile gone, his expression calm and composed, devoid of the expected joy of victory. His every move exuded a composure beyond his years.
This situation aroused a sense of doubt in Orochimaru's heart. He didn't know what Araki was going to do, but he was already starting to feel nervous.
Orochimaru.
Araki's voice sounded calmly, containing a tone of emotion. Now that the latter has been controlled, the battle is coming to an end.
"Actually, I should thank you. Yes, I should thank you."
But I can't bring myself to thank you!
"Because this kind of risky growth is not what I want, you shouldn't have brought me to the lab!"
Araki stopped after walking a certain distance, staring indifferently at the Eight-Headed Serpent in front of him. In his eyes, Orochimaru was already a dead man.
No matter how great this person is, or how significant they are to Konoha or even the ninja world, none of that matters to Araki. At this stage, he cannot tolerate someone who is constantly coveting him.
Orochimaru, let me ask you a question: Where in Konoha can you still find Hashirama Cells?
Chapter 27 Seizing the Orochimaru (Part 2)
Araki's voice echoed in Orochimaru's ears; right now, his biggest concern was the Hashirama Cells.
Even if Konoha were to conduct large-scale experiments on transplanting Hashirama Cells, it would inevitably consume a certain amount of Hashirama Cells. However, those experimental subjects also retained Hashirama Cells in their bodies, which he had absorbed when he used Deep Forest Emergence not long ago. But these were only a small portion.
So...
There must still be many Hashirama Cells remaining.
Orochimaru is no longer here. Most likely, he is being kept sealed up in the village, but he doesn't know the exact location. If he were to investigate further, it would be extremely difficult. If he could find out from Orochimaru, that would be the best outcome.
"..."
Orochimaru remained silent, his eight snake heads pinned down, his mind racing as he considered how to respond. However, he knew perfectly well that if Araki had something to ask of him, then there was something he could exploit.
This is something that cannot be said rashly!
Orochimaru was well aware of his current predicament. Overusing the Eight Branches Technique had consumed almost all of his Chakra, and now the White Phosphorus Snake he had transformed into was restricted and unable to move at all.
He knew he couldn't hold on much longer and would soon revert to human form. At that time, he would suffer a tremendous backlash and completely lose his fighting ability.
In an instant.
Orochimaru's mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond.
Where are the remaining Hashirama Cells?
Araki's voice rang out again. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strong sense of seriousness and contained an unquestionable questioning tone.
"If you want, I can take you. I really didn't expect you to have improved to this extent. You truly deserve to be my disciple."