Chapter 24: The Resilience of Orochimaru

In Ryu's perception, Orochimaru's internal organs had been utterly ravaged by the surging lightning. Continuing the assault would render him a lifeless husk, devoid of purpose.

Plop!

With a decisive motion, Ryu halted the Thunder Style: Body Shock Volt. Orochimaru, now adorned in charred black, his elongated neck dragging lifelessly, was discarded onto the ground.

Only the Kusanagi sword, gleaming with lethal sharpness, remained firmly clutched in Ryu's palm.

"A magnificent blade!" Ryu exclaimed as he released his grip with his right palm and retrieved the sword using his left hand. Observing the sword's unscathed condition despite enduring the baptism of lightning, he offered his praise.

Meanwhile, his own wounds ran deep, but the bleeding in his right hand ceased as his palm underwent rapid and miraculous regeneration.

In no time, Ryu's right hand had fully healed, appearing unblemished as if the previous injury had never occurred.

The Senju Clan, particularly Ryu, the bearer of the powerful Mukoton bloodline, possessed a remarkably swift recovery ability, surpassing the expectations of ordinary individuals.

Sheathing the Kusanagi sword, Ryu turned her gaze towards Orochimaru lying on the ground.

If it were someone else who had slain Orochimaru, one of the esteemed Sannin, and witnessed his lifeless body, they might have let their guard down.

But Ryu was no ordinary individual.

He was acutely aware that Orochimaru, akin to an indomitable cockroach, had gained notoriety for his evasive immortality.

Although it had been meticulously confirmed that the man before her was devoid of life, Ryu believed in exercising caution.

With a swift motion, Ryu delved into her ninja pouch and withdrew four kunai, clenching them between her fingers, imbued with the wind attribute.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The kunai whizzed through the air at a speed more than double the norm, aimed at Orochimaru's head, chest, hands, and legs.

Upon impact, the outcome would be dismemberment.

It would be an absolute demise.

But then, a change occurred.

Just as the kunai drew near, a pair of pallid arms erupted from Orochimaru's abdomen, rending through the lifeless corpse. Gradually emerging from its confines, a revitalized Orochimaru emerged, shedding the gruesome façade.

Like shedding a human skin coat, Orochimaru stood once again before Ryu, except for the repugnant slime coating his body, seemingly unscathed.

"Orochimaru's Substitution Technique?"

It was a technique steeped in darkness, the pinnacle of substitution jutsu. However, similar to Orochimaru's repertoire of secretive arts, it possessed disgustingly peculiar qualities.

Ryu observed these events with a furrowed brow, struggling to comprehend the intricacies of the technique. After a thorough inspection of Orochimaru's lifeless body, there appeared to be no traces of any other hidden entities.

"You're quite cautious, Fourth Hokage-sama," Orochimaru remarked with a serious tone, devoid of his usual mockery.

Ryu's immense strength as Hokage surpassed all expectations. He truly embodied the esteemed lineage of the legendary Senju Hashirama. Orochimaru humbly recognized his own arrogance and understood that unless he summoned every ounce of his power to overcome Ryu, the possibility of his own demise loomed large in this confrontation.

Having recalibrated his calculations, Orochimaru, who had underestimated Fourth Hokage Ryu`s might, now grappled with an overwhelming sense of crisis.

Without a moment's hesitation, he forcefully slapped his hands against the ground and bellowed:

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

In an instant, a multitude of serpents materialized, surpassing their previous numbers, and transforming into a deluge of writhing waves hurtling towards Ryu.

"To be frank, snakes are the creatures I find most loathsome of all!"

Observing the unfolding spectacle with a pensive expression, Ryu swiftly formed hand seals with precision.

"Water Style: Water Shockwave!"

Chakra rapidly depleted as a torrential vortex of swirling water manifested around Ryu, enveloping her from all directions akin to a cascading waterfall.

The venomous serpents launched their assaults, yet they proved futile against the impenetrable water barrier, crushed instantaneously under the weight of the forceful water pressure.

Ryu leaped multiple times in succession, swiftly evading the oncoming danger.

But as soon as he came to a halt, another sizable snake, slightly smaller than the previous one, emerged from behind. Its gaping maw swiftly lunged toward him, attempting to deliver a venomous bite.

"I don't fear you in the slightest!" Ryu exclaimed defiantly.

Ryu swiftly leaped and dodged the charging snake. He quickly drew his newly acquired Kusanagi sword and sliced through the snake beside him, causing a splatter of foul-smelling snake blood. The snake, cut in half, dissolved into a cloud of white smoke with a wailing sound and was blown back towards Ryuji Cave.

Despite the death of the large snake, Ryu faced the onslaught of hundreds of other snakes, many of which he had already defeated earlier. Taking a moment to assess the situation, Ryu placed the Kusanagi sword down and formed hand seals once again.

"Water Escape · Water Breaking Wave!" Ryu exclaimed.

A forceful jet of ultra-high-pressure water surged from Ryu's mouth like a sharp scalpel, cutting through everything in its path with ease. The water shredded the smaller snakes and tore apart the larger ones effortlessly, clearing the area in front of Ryu.

As the water subsided, Ryu looked around for Orochimaru's whereabouts, searching for any sign of his opponent. Suddenly, Orochimaru's familiar voice came from behind him.

"I'm here!" Orochimaru declared.

Reacting swiftly, Ryu turned around and delivered a powerful punch, striking Orochimaru without any resistance. However, in an instant, Orochimaru's body disintegrated into dozens of poisonous snakes that surged toward Ryu.

Explosions echoed as the snakes attacked, but when the smoke cleared, only a charred and broken log remained on the ground.

"That's a strange ninjutsu," Ryu commented, reappearing unharmed nearby and shaking his head at the remnants of Orochimaru's attack.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru emerged from the ground not far away, wearing a dark smile. "It seems that I have been underestimated by Hokage-sama," he said, studying Ryu to gauge his remaining chakra.

Ryu spoke up, breaking the silence. "It's getting late."

Orochimaru felt a sense of unease, realizing that Ryu, not him, was the one speaking those words. Nevertheless, Ryu offered no explanation. He turned his head and glanced behind him, murmuring to himself, "Considering the time, the people I've called for will arrive soon. The stage is set, and the audience is necessary."

Confusion filled Orochimaru as he struggled to understand the meaning behind Ryu's words. Something important seemed to have escaped his attention, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.