Chapter 130 : Orochimaru vs Lord Gen (2)

The flames in the sky gradually faded away. Lord Gen, who was lifted by the force of the wind, unfortunately became the catalyst for igniting his own chakra due to the residual flames. This experience would undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on him.

"Is he... is he dead?"

Even Troy, who had a twisted sense of resilience, regarded Orochimaru with fear.

In essence, if this ninja from Konoha were to die, Troy would flee before the Konoha reinforcements arrived. As for this unknown individual...

"Naive. If a kage-level powerhouse could be dispatched so easily, why would I even consider partnering with you?" Orochimaru's gaze towards Troy was filled with a hint of disdain, as though he saw through his thoughts.

"Oh, you might not be familiar with the concept of a Kage level here."

"Boom!"

An utterly dishevelled figure emerged on the ground below the area where the flames had consumed. His clothing was tattered, and what was once black robes now seemed even darker, blending in with his skin.

His mask, once concealing his face, now lay torn on the ground. He removed it, revealing a visage that bore an uncanny resemblance to Danzo, with an air of anger. His previous sword, the tachi, was nowhere to be seen.

What caught Orochimaru's attention, however, was that this individual appeared to have sustained only superficial injuries, and his strength remained largely intact.

"This is troublesome. It seems that a kage-level powerhouse has the means to ensure survival. Perhaps he used Chakra to shield his body in time," Orochimaru mused, his brows furrowing as the red markings around his eyes appeared due to his fire release.

A standstill. Orochimaru's ideal combat approach was to position Troy as a barrier between him and the enemy, allowing him to enter his Sage Mode and unleash his ninjutsu.

Orochimaru's Sage Mode was still lacking potency. His chakra refinement was limited, permitting the use of only one or two ninjutsu as he couldn't master significant natural energy. Of course, this process required a correspondingly shorter absorption time.

"Young devil! I underestimated you. But now, your time to die has come!"

Lord Gen appeared calm as he observed Orochimaru, but his eyes harboured unmistakable murderous intent.

"Wind Release Chakra Mode!"

Lord Gen bellowed, revealing his true might at last.

A brilliant azure light enveloped his entire form, resembling a blazing flame and showcasing his dazzling presence. It was akin to Takeshi's original ghost mode, albeit in a more refined and pure manifestation of wind.

The azure radiance surged, transforming Lord Gen's irises into the color of the sky itself, while his azure-tinted hair billowed in the wind.

"Incredible! Is this his ultimate card? This state is reminiscent of Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode!" Orochimaru exclaimed, beads of sweat forming on his brow. His trembling body didn't just betray nervousness in the face of a powerful adversary, it also reflected his excitement at confronting and witnessing an even more powerful ninjutsu.

This was the strength one would expect from a kage-level powerhouse.

"Are you prepared to meet your end?" Lord Gen regarded the two challengers with an air of amusement. At this juncture, he possessed the ability to soar through the air again. However, his agility and speed surpassed before, and it seemed that this Wind Release Chakra Mode was an advanced development of the Wind Release: Death Wind Sword he had employed before.

"Troy, you cannot perish. You have high resilience. Stand before him and hinder his movements. I will devise a means to deliver a fatal blow," Orochimaru spoke in hushed tones.

"Why? Why should I partake in such a perilous act? You are truly infuriating!" Troy's anger flared instantaneously.

"Is that so? Do you believe you can do more than merely endure his attacks?" Orochimaru countered.

"This..."

"Understand that, in order to emerge victorious, each must play their role to the fullest."

Orochimaru's tone remained dispassionate. "I've said it before; I can depart at any time since this is just a clone of mine. However, can you do the same? That Konoha ninja intends to seize you for experimentation. Can you elude him? Your nation is unravelling before your eyes. Years of labour are about to unravel. Your foe is before you. Can you bear it?"

Orochimaru's gravelly voice, akin to a spell's incantation, stirred Troy's sensitive nerves, rendering him breathless.

"That's enough! I shall end him now!" Fueled by an integrated illusion in his words, Troy erupted in an instant. Casting a peculiar smile towards Lord Gen, he retrieved a devastatingly destructive Gelel Stone, roughly the size of a child's fist, from his breastplate.

"Today, whether I perish or he falls, I won't flee again!" Determinedly, Troy punched his own heart, pressing the immense Gelel Stone tightly against his chest.

"What?!"

Ordinarily, this act would rupture his heart, proving fatal. Yet, bolstered by potent chakra, Troy's existence defied death's clutches. The recovering heart fused with the Gelel Stone, unleashing an overwhelming surge of energy.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Troy's entire body bathed in an ethereal light. Although his flesh sustained wounds, they swiftly healed, only to rupture and heal once more. His body expanded, then burst anew, his agony and the influx of natural energy conspiring to strip him of consciousness. Troy's cursed body underwent another dramatic transformation, festooned with a myriad of grotesque bone spurs that coalesced into a sun-obscuring canopy and thrust towards Lord Gen!

"Che. Have you lost consciousness?" A deep pit was carved into the ground, yet there was no sign of Lord Gen.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Slice!"

Lord Gen reappeared like a phantom, assaulting Troy with a blow that shattered countless bone spurs, sending fragments and blood soaring into the air. Several subsequent wind blades nearly dismembered Troy.

"Your power even surpasses my own. However, you're nothing more than a brute devoid of purpose," Lord Gen remarked, observing Troy in his bloodied, dying state. His limbs regrew, but the transformation had rendered him nonhuman, the cursed power of natural energy spiralling out of control.

"Grr! Meet your end!" Troy's form was riddled with chakra-emanating apertures that resembled myriads of maws. These orifices disgorged ceaseless shockwaves, demolishing everything within range.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Chakra globules danced across the heavens, birthing countless mushroom clouds and echoing for several kilometers. Numerous beams of light bombarded the nation's structures. Cries from fleeing civilians were stifled as they vanished amidst the devastation. Before long, the entire city was ablaze, Troy heedless of the inferno.

Several light beams struck the mineral deposit, inducing tremors throughout the mine.

"Blast it! Prevent this!"

Observing the peril faced by the Gelel vein, Lord Gen retaliated against the chakra shockwave, simultaneously propelling himself at Troy. He deflected Troy's descent, prompting an airborne sequence of brutal strikes. Bone spurs were severed in rapid succession, and Lord Gen capitalized on his agility to evade the worst of the onslaught.

"Boom!"

Troy's shattered form plunged into the ground, his ultimate demise sealed.

"Phew... Phew..."

Even Lord Gen found himself gasping for breath. Confronting such a foe had proven an arduous task.

Troy's body swelled further, his vessel incapable of containing the amassed energy. His chest finally burst, releasing an eruption of force.

"Boom!"

A fragment of the shattered Gelel Stone soared into the air, held within Lord Gen's grasp.

"What kind of body constitution can withstand such energy?" Lord Gen questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Uchiha..."

"Secret Jutsu : Acidic Dissolution Barrier!"

The chakra shockwave expelled Orochimaru, who observed Troy's imminent demise. He launched himself upwards, unleashing an acidic mist fueled by his dwindling chakra.

"Ahem! Uchiha's enigma..." Orochimaru's efforts were met with resistance, as the Acidic Dissolution Barrier demonstrated the might he had derived from Shiromari. Lord Gen's Wind Release Chakra Mode possessed inadequate defense against such power, compelling him to temporarily evade.

"That Uchiha's technique is truly enigmatic! But what is his objective?"

Orochimaru rushed to Troy's side, stealthily excising a portion of flesh before extracting the remaining Gelel Stone from his armour. Amidst these actions, he discovered a concealed pouch.

Evidently, despite their exhaustive search of the mine, Troy had discreetly concealed the refined Gelel Stone on his person.

"Young man, you're courting death. Do you genuinely believe escape is feasible?" Lord Gen's gaze, aloft in the sky, was laced with contempt.

Orochimaru extended his hand towards Troy, absorbing an arcane energy. This ability, capable of assimilating foreign energy and matter without objection, was now possessed by Takeshi.

Severed from the Senjutsu Chakra and Gelel Stone, Troy expired, his consciousness extinguished.

"Lord Troy... is no more?!"

Deep within the mine, Hela's gaze fixed upon the heavens, her visage etched with desperation.

Though Troy had refrained from participating in the battle, he had returned to this location as a precaution.

"How infuriating!"

Hela's enchanting countenance twisted into a grimace. She dripped a few droplets of Troy's blood onto an inscription before activating the seal woven into the mineral vein.

"In that case, none shall lay claim to this Gelel vein!"

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