Chapter 54 - Orochimaru Runs Away

Inside the Orochimaru laboratory, Kagami and Mira were still searching the area for more evidence. While they basically have iron clad proof, it didn't hurt to find even more. So, while Mira searched the cabinets, Kagami left to check the rest of the rooms he could discover.

'Empty, a dead naked boy, empty, a dead naked girl, Orochimaru, empty…Orochimaru?' Kagami thought as he began backpedaling to the previous room.

There in a bathrobe and a toothbrush in his mouth, Kagami looked at the pale man with yellow snake-like eyes. His long hair was still damp and steam from the bathroom escaped from around the corner.

"Orochimaru?"

"Kagami?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in interest.

Then he saw Orochimaru's mouth curled up into a smirk as stared at him. Which lasted until an invisible signal happened with both moving in quick movements. Orochimaru spat out a sword from his mouth, while Kagami pulled out his own sword on his back.

Sparks appeared as their swords clashed together with Kagami frowning. Mainly due to age, but while he could block Orochimaru moves, he could barely contend with his brute strength. For each strike could make his sword tremble in his hands numbing his arms.

"You're no muscle bound shinobi, how are your strikes so heavy?" Kagami asked as he hopped backwards.

"You don't think I haven't practiced the eight inner gates, did you?" Orochimaru answered in a joking tone.

'Oh, yeah that is a thing isn't it. I just didn't pay much attention to it as it hurts the body too much to be practical in my and Mira's case.' Kagami mentally coughed slightly embarrassed.

While it seems that Orochimaru only opened the first gate as far as he knows, the first two gates don't really show much reaction. For the first two is more or less opening the brain to unleash their strength and healing to recover stamina at an increased rate. So, unless it is a total beginner who can't regulate the Eight Inner Gates yet, it is difficult to tell if one opens it or not.

'Do you need my strength, Father?' Asura asked, getting a bit excited.

'Not for this legless lizard.' Kagami replied as he changed his method of attack.

It is not that he wasn't confident in his swordsmanship, but why drag out this battle. So placing the handle in his mouth for a moment. Kagami clapped his hands together, before swinging his hand upwards.

Earth Release: Earth Spikes.

Following his hands, many sharp rocks shot out of the ground like a rocket. Each one attempted to impale Orochimaru who sweated a bit. Normally he wouldn't be worried, but he was inside his room which wasn't very large. So he was forced into the corner to miss the rock threatening to impale him.

However, it wasn't over as before he could scavenge for more weapons, a sea of flames filled the room, alongside a gust of wind. Forcing him to retreat into the wall with a jutsu that normally used to hide into the ground like a mole.

Yet, Orochimaru felt like luck wasn't on his side as a small water beam sliced through the wall where he had been previously. So popping out into the hallway, he was greeted by Kagami who had lightning flickering around his feet.

'I guess it's true he knows the five base elements pretty well.' Orochimaru sweated a bit.

Orochimaru realized this probably won't be a battle he could win quickly or easily since he was sure there were others with him. Orochimaru opened his mouth and unleashed a horde of snakes which he used the moment of blindness to retreat. However, he wasn't so lucky as Kagami flickered next to him and managed to chop off two fingers.

"Reverse Summoning." Orochimaru nearly shouted as he popped away in a pile of white clouds.

Frowning as he made a mental note of the summoning fuinjutsu that was rapidly fading. Kagami decided to put creating a counter for such on the list to create. For he doesn't want to give Orochimaru another chance to run away in the future.

'Father, how did you allow him to escape?' Asura asked, confused. 'If you went all out, you could have easily beaten him.'

'Orochimaru has so many life saving techniques, it probably surpasses half of Konoha library. Besides, I didn't expect him to use the moment I cut off his two fingers to reverse summon himself away.' Kagami answered while slightly chidding himself for such a mistake.

Moments later, he heard footsteps rushing towards him and saw Mira racing towards him. Her Gunbai is drawn in one hand and a sickle in the other. She looked around to see the damage but didn't see anyone else beside him.

"Ran away?" Mira said.

"More like Reverse summoned."

"Well, whatever, that snake is more like a cockroach." Mira didn't seem angry at Orochimaru's escape.

"It will be a while before we can find his traces again. Not to mention he probably has to pay a price for reverse summoning himself like he did." Kagami didn't continue to dwell on this matter.

Thanks to the ruckus, Kakashi and the ANBU members appeared in a rush. However, upon seeing them standing there chatting, it seemed both relaxed a bit. Until they learned Orochimaru ran away, then their hearts nearly leaped out of their throats.

When they calmed down and a quick exchange of their findings. It seemed that Kakashi found a room where many childrens were locked in. While the ANBU found the dumping ground of the corpses. So it was decided to round up all the children and bring them back and make the Hokage deal with sorting them out.

Hence after rounding up all the children alongside a barely conscious Anko, Mira and Kagami also rounded up the rest of the evidence they could find. Which truthfully would be enough to bring Danzo down. Making them wonder if Orochimaru wanted pay back judging by the records he kept. For it didn't just contain their dealing, but a few of other Danzo activities.