Chapter 41: Might Duy vs. Orochimaru

"Lord Orochimaru..." The jonin who had been opposing Might Duy's participation couldn't help but speak up once again. He desperately wanted to prevent this battle between Orochimaru, an elite jonin, and Might Duy. After all, Orochimaru was known for being ruthless, earning the nickname "Cold Lord" even among the ranks of Konoha itself. What if Orochimaru ended up killing Might Duy?

"Orochimaru-sama, this is too dangerous!" the jonin protested, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"Ran-kun!" Orochimaru's snake-like pupils fixed on the jonin named Ran. "You've opposed me more than enough."

A powerful killing intent radiated from Orochimaru, enveloping Ran in an instant. The sheer intensity of the bloodlust made it difficult for him to move freely. His fingers twitched, but in the end, he lowered his head in submission, not daring to resist.

"Ran, I know you want to protect me by keeping me from going to the battlefield," Dai said. "But I cannot stand idly by while our village faces danger."

With his ever-optimistic demeanor, Might Duy raised his thumb in a gesture of determination. "I am ready to fight for the village with all my heart."

For a moment, the other shinobi who had mocked Duy fell silent, lowering their heads in respect.

Orochimaru, his face painted with a sinister smile, began clapping slowly. "A truly touching speech. But, Duy-kun, if you can't gain my approval in this fight, I won't let you go to the front lines."

Orochimaru found himself becoming more and more detached from these emotional displays. Once, he might have been moved by them, but now? He couldn't understand why people so willingly threw away their fragile lives

"I understand, Orochimaru-sama. I'll give it my all," Duy said, nodding seriously. To earn the approval of an elite jonin like Orochimaru, he'd need to open the Eight Gates, he thought. Unfortunately, he could only manage six gates—a feat made possible by his foundational inner strength entering its second stage.

However, Duy wasn't seeking to defeat Orochimaru—only to earn his approval.

With a wave of his hand, Orochimaru ordered the surrounding shinobi to move aside, clearing space for the fight.

"I'm coming, Orochimaru-sama!" Duy announced.

He crossed his arms in front of his face, his veins bulging from the strain. "Eight Gates Formation! First Gate: Gate of Opening! Second Gate: Gate of Rest! Third Gate: Gate of Life! Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain! Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit! Sixth Gate: Gate of View, Open!"

Deep green chakra surged from Duy's body, and the air around him shimmered with the pressure of his power. His skin flushed red as blood rushed through his veins.

"Incredible chakra!" Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise. The sheer intensity of the chakra Might Duy was emitting was monstrous, almost like a tailed beast.

"Prelude to Youth's Power!" Duy's figure vanished in a flash, reappearing instantly in front of Orochimaru, his leg raised in a powerful flying kick.

The kick struck Orochimaru, shattering his form into fragments of dirt. Earth Replacement Technique!

The real Orochimaru emerged from underground, his legs transforming into serpent tails as he stretched his arms toward Duy. "Striking Shadow Snakes!"

Dozens of snakes shot toward Duy, who had just landed. In response, Duy's foot blurred, leaving afterimages as he unleashed a flurry of kicks. Each kick generated green crescent-shaped energy blades.

"Tempest Kick: Dance of Youth!"

The snakes were torn to pieces in midair, their blood splattering everywhere as Duy freed himself from their grasp.

"Tempest Kick?" Orochimaru instantly recognized the technique as one of Uchiha Jin's signature taijutsu moves. It involved generating massive kinetic energy with one's legs, condensing chakra to release it in devastating arcs of vacuum-like power. It was a technique that demanded precision and high chakra control.

Duy's energy blades tore through Orochimaru's body, slicing him into pieces. Yet, a moment later, Orochimaru's severed upper body reformed, with a damp, slippery Orochimaru crawling out of his old body—Orochimaru's Replacement Technique.

He tossed a shuriken toward Duy, his hands forming seals rapidly.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

The single shuriken multiplied into hundreds, blotting out the sky as they flew toward Duy, sealing off any possible escape routes.

Duy looked up at the countless shuriken and began throwing rapid punches. The speed of his punches caused friction with the air, creating waves of heat and fire that met the incoming storm of shuriken.

"This move… is called Morning Peacock!" Duy shouted.

The flaming shockwaves from Duy's fists collided with the shuriken, creating a fiery spectacle as the two forces clashed evenly.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, releasing a swarm of serpents.

"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"

The ground was quickly overrun with serpents, each snake holding a sword between its fangs. Together, they slithered toward Duy.

In response, Duy kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, propelling himself with enough force that he seemed to walk on air.

"Moon Step: Running Youth!"

Orochimaru smiled; Dai's surprises kept coming. Moon Step, one of Uchiha Jin's most difficult taijutsu techniques, was a B-rank technique with a difficulty exceeding its rank, reaching A-rank due to its extremely high demands on speed and strength. Even Orochimaru's body couldn't handle it.

"Although, from what I remember, Jin couldn't use it this smoothly yet," Orochimaru mused.

His thoughts were interrupted as Duy's speeding form shot toward him, his movements now too fast for even Orochimaru's eyes to track. Duy appeared in front of Orochimaru, delivering a spinning kick to his chest.

Duy's foot went right through Orochimaru's torso—but instead of blood, his chest was filled with countless writhing snakes. Duy's kick shattered them, but more snakes quickly replaced them.

Orochimaru's serpentine body wrapped around Duy's leg, and he extended his tongue, revealing a growing sword in his mouth.

Shing! The sword sliced through the air, drawing a thin line of blood across Duy's forehead. At the same time, Duy delivered another powerful kick, sending himself flying back to a safer distance.

Orochimaru's severed snakes dissolved into blood, and more rose up to reform his body.

On the ground, the snakes disappeared, and Duy, exhausted from maintaining the Sixth Gate, knelt, his hands pressed to the earth. His right leg bent in front of him, his left leg stretched behind, muscles taut.

"Orochimaru-sama, this is my final strike."

Duy could no longer sustain the power of the Sixth Gate.

"This move is named after my son, and it's my strongest attack."

"I'm looking forward to it," Orochimaru replied, watching with a curious smile.

The ground beneath Duy's feet began to crack as green chakra surged around him, growing in intensity but falling short of materializing into a solid form. Then, with a burst of energy, Duy launched himself at Orochimaru, his chakra transforming into the shape of a dragon as he sped forward.

The air screamed and tore apart under the force of Duy's kick.

"Guy!!"