Shizune Injured, Orochimaru's Indifference
Koki's resentment towards Danzo burned like a raging fire, constantly searing his soul.
The long sword he gripped tightly reflected his white knuckles, revealing his unwavering determination.
Tsunade did her utmost to break through the obstacles set up by Orochimaru in an attempt to aid Koki.
Orochimaru, however, remained calm and composed, a mocking smile playing on his lips, his narrow eyes half-closed, as if everything was under his control.
"No need to rush, Tsunade. This contest is only just beginning to get interesting," Orochimaru said with a hint of mockery.
Inside the restaurant, Koki stood up straight, holding a long sword, and gently swung the blade to wipe away a non-existent bloodstain from the tip.
He slowly raised the blade, his gaze sharp and cold as he swept it across Danzo's right eye and right arm.
His tone was icy cold, filled with murderous intent. "How many Sharingan you possess, I'll make you taste death a few times over."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Phantom Clone around him surged towards Danzo like a raging tide.
At that moment, Koki also merged into the scene, his figure flickering like a ghost, elusive and hard to grasp.
"Arrogant!" Danzo roared angrily, his right hand swiftly plunging into the earth, unleashing another torrent of Violent Spear Tree.
In an instant, the earth seemed to be torn apart, and countless vines and branches, like wildly dancing demonic claws, burst forth from the soil, sweeping towards Koki and his phantom with a piercing wind.
Koki moved swiftly through the illusions, always managing to skillfully evade attacks with his extraordinary agility and keen perception whenever the vines were about to touch him.
Having narrowly escaped death, Danzo this time focused more on range, sweeping fire from all directions without blind spots.
Therefore, Koki was never able to get close. Although he had many Phantom Clone, they could not be too far away. This wide-area Ninjutsu greatly restricted him.
Danzo once again used Wood Release to repel Koki, his gaze sweeping over him, a hint of smugness and confidence flashing in his eyes. A slight smirk played on his lips as he said dismissively, "Give up! Your persistence is nothing but a flash in the pan!"
He had entered his fifties, and his physical strength and Chakra should have declined with age, but since the implantation of Hashirama's cells, his abundant Chakra had surpassed his prime.
He firmly believed that with his vast Chakra reserves and superb Wood Release techniques, he could easily defeat the still-childish Koki.
Koki was still a boy, his strength was not yet at its peak, and he had just gone through a fierce battle, so he was panting heavily.
Beads of sweat slid down his forehead and dripped down his cheeks, but his tone remained as cold as ice. "Taking your life is enough!"
Danzo was about to mock Koki to crush his Koki when he suddenly felt that the surroundings had turned pitch black, with only countless Three-Tomoe Sharingan floating in the air, like crimson stars, locking onto him, which made Danzo feel a chill in his heart.
In the distance, Koki whispered, "Do you think the Phantom Clone technique is merely a guide to teleportation?"
If the Phantom Clone is merely a matter of Body Flicker Technique, then why would one need an additional pair of Sharingan?
Danzo felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that he might have underestimated Koki's strength.
Danzo's men had ruthless eyes as they unleashed a barrage of poisoned needles and Kunai at Shizune, the projectiles swarming towards Shizune like a black bee colony.
He rushed towards Danzo in a hurry, his footsteps making a messy sound on the ground covered with gravel and bloodstains.
Shizune gritted her teeth. Although she knew she was no match for her opponent, her inner resilience and determination prevented her from giving up easily. She was determined to leave her enemy behind.
However, during the fierce battle, she was accidentally hit by the poisonous fog that the enemy had hidden in the air.
The invisible poisonous fog silently invaded her nasal cavity, her mind instantly became dizzy, and the world before her eyes began to blur.
Just as she was losing consciousness, several Kunai, like arrows of death, pierced her body once again with pinpoint accuracy.
Her body swayed a few times, trying to stand firm, but ultimately she couldn't withstand the onslaught of the poison and slowly collapsed.
Tsunade's gaze inadvertently caught the tragic moment when Shizune collapsed from the poison needle. Her pupils contracted sharply, and anger and urgency surged in her eyes like raging flames.
"Shizune!" she roared, her right foot slamming into the ground like a cannonball, shattering the ground and sending stones flying like a torrential rain.
However, Orochimaru's ghostly figure instantly blocked the path between Tsunade and Shizune.
A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, "Boom!"
Orochimaru was Tsunade punch. His body flew through the air in a steep arc like a kite with broken wings, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground, raising clouds of dust.
His right arm, which had clashed with Tsunade, was twisted at a bizarre ninety-degree angle, and the sound of bones dislocating could be clearly heard on the noisy battlefield.
An ordinary person suffering such a severe injury would surely experience excruciating pain, unbearable to the bone.
Orochimaru merely licked his lips, a deep, unfathomable smile on his face, and said leisurely, "Your strength is as fierce as ever."
Before he finished speaking, his seemingly broken right hand swung twice like rubber and miraculously returned to its original state at an incredible speed.
His narrow eyes narrowed slightly, shooting out a cold and mysterious glint.
"Orochimaru!" Tsunade's eyes blazed with fury, her voice trembling with rage. "You know perfectly well that Shizune is Dan's niece, and Dan is your best friend! How could you stop me?!"
She was shocked by Orochimaru's cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness.
"So what?" Orochimaru's reply was cold and emotionless.
How could he not remember how Duan died?
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru's left hand transformed into a long snake, twisting nimbly as he dragged the lifeless Shimura Miki to his front.
Shimura Miki's lifeless body seemed especially pathetic in Orochimaru's hands.
Orochimaru looked at the fury blazing in Tsunade's eyes and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
He pulled the Kunai from the corpse's chest and, without hesitation, slashed it with a deep, bone-revealing wound.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining his arms and the ground beneath his feet.
Tsunade witnessing this scene, Tsunade's fierce expression was instantly replaced by pallor, her eyes flashed with terror, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Of course I know that Shizune is Dan's niece. I still remember Dan's wound back then, it was the same—a ruptured heart, blood flowing like a river!" Orochimaru's deep and sinister voice echoed in the air, like a curse from hell.
In an instant, Tsunade seemed to lose all her strength. Her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes unfocused and her whole body trembling.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the battlefield, the confrontation between Koki and Danzo reached the brink of life and death.
Shizune, she lay on the ground, her consciousness gradually fading, her half-open eyes filled with hazy light and shadow.
A pool of blood gradually spread across the surrounding ground, and the shouts of battle seemed to fade away from her ears.