radicalducati Chapter 434 Defeat (Part 1)
Chapter 434 Defeat (Part 1)
In the instant the surrounding environment drastically changed, the masked man's face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He had keenly sensed that the space-time ninjutsu he had always been so proud of, the one he considered invincible, was now severely restricted like never before!
At this moment, no matter how much he concentrated on mobilizing his chakra to activate his Sharingan, he couldn't smoothly unleash the Kamui technique that would allow him to quickly escape the scene as usual. It felt like a wild beast trapped in a cage, struggling with all its might but unable to find a way out.
Moreover, the masked man could clearly sense that the surrounding space was being severely disrupted by Orochimaru's mysterious ninjutsu. The originally stable and orderly spatial structure seemed to have been disrupted and reorganized, filled with countless chaotic and elusive power fluctuations. If he recklessly tried to use Kamui to teleport, he would most likely be mercilessly torn to pieces by these surging, unpredictable spatial turbulence, ultimately suffering a tragic end of being shattered to pieces and his soul scattered.
A humanoid creature, its body as black as ink, moved silently like a ghost. However, this mysterious creature seemed completely oblivious to its surroundings, as if immersed in chaos. Suddenly, an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted, sweeping in like a raging torrent. This terrifying aura emanated from the infamous Orochimaru.
Faced with such terrifying pressure, the humanoid creature, despite being filled with fear, still struggled with all its might towards the masked man's location. When it finally reached his side, it urgently shouted, "Afei, retreat quickly! Don't even think about taking the other Rinnegan back from Orochimaru. Orochimaru is not someone we can easily provoke; you're no match for him!" The humanoid creature was anxious, its eyes revealing worry for its companion's safety. It naively believed that the masked man was still there because he was unwilling to accept defeat and wanted to try to reclaim the lost Rinnegan from Orochimaru. Therefore, it was eager to warn the masked man to leave this dangerous place immediately.
However, he was completely unaware that it wasn't that the masked man was unwilling to retreat, but rather that he was now in dire straits. For some unknown reason, the masked man was unable to use his signature space-time ninjutsu—Kamui—to escape Orochimaru's control. At this moment, the masked man was extremely anxious, large beads of sweat constantly seeping from his forehead, his heart filled with despair and helplessness.
"Shut up!" the masked man roared, his voice filled with barely concealed anxiety and anger. "Do you think I don't want to retreat? But the current situation doesn't allow us to escape easily! The surrounding space has been turned upside down and is in complete chaos by Orochimaru's ninjutsu, making it impossible to use space-time ninjutsu!"
As the masked man spoke, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, a hint of panic in his eyes. He simply couldn't understand how Orochimaru, whom he usually knew somewhat, could use such a powerful and bizarre ninjutsu to disrupt space today—it far exceeded his original understanding. He had always been invincible, relying on his unique Kamui spatial eye technique. Yet now, this prized technique seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, completely rendered useless.
The masked man stared at Orochimaru not far ahead, a chill creeping into his heart. Judging from the intense aura and terrifying pressure emanating from the other man, Orochimaru before him was no longer the person he remembered. The strength he displayed had surpassed the reach of ordinary ninjas, as if he had stepped into an unknown and mysterious realm. Moreover, through his keen senses, the masked man could clearly perceive that Orochimaru was absolutely serious this time, his killing intent ignited, determined to put him to death as quickly as possible.
This direct confrontation with death seemed to transport the masked man back to that unforgettable moment. Years ago, when he faced the immensely powerful Hyuga Kanan, he experienced the same profound sense of powerlessness and despair. Now, the impending crisis rekindled that painful memory, plunging his heart into despair.
In that life-or-death moment, the masked man involuntarily conjured up the beautiful and gentle image of Nohara Rin. Her smile was as warm as the spring sun, and her eyes were full of kindness and care. Thinking of her filled the masked man with a powerful sense of resentment.
How could he accept dying like this? He hadn't yet realized his dream! He wanted to create a world that belonged only to them, an ideal place without war, without killing, without cruel struggles. There, he and Nohara Rin could live freely, far away from the turmoil of the ninja world.
He imagined them strolling along flower-lined paths, a gentle breeze caressing their faces, bringing with it a sweet fragrance; he imagined them sitting side by side by a tranquil lake, watching the sunset, the afterglow illuminating their faces; he imagined them embracing in a cozy little house, spending every ordinary yet beautiful day together.
These beautiful dreams burned like a raging fire in the masked man's heart, giving him endless courage and strength to fight against the threat of death before him. He gritted his teeth and secretly vowed that no matter the cost, he must survive and fight to the very end for the beautiful future he envisioned for Nohara Rin!
"Fire Release - Storm Dance!" The masked man, who had been lost in his own complex thoughts, snapped back to reality in an instant, his eyes sharpening and focusing. His hands, hidden behind the mask, moved with dazzling speed, rapidly forming hand seals.
In an instant, an extremely violent power erupted from his body, and the raging flames raged wildly through the surrounding air like a runaway horse. These flames seemed to possess a life of their own, intertwining and merging, eventually transforming into several enormous and scorching fire serpents.
These fiery serpents, baring their fangs and claws, charged towards Orochimaru with boundless power and a determination to destroy everything. Wherever they passed, even the air seemed to ignite; the entire space was filled with a scorching heat, the temperature rising rapidly, creating the illusion of being in a furnace. Even Orochimaru's space-sealing technique began to show signs of instability under this terrifying heat, threatening to break free.
Orochimaru faced the blazing fire serpent that struck like lightning, yet his expression remained completely unchanged, as if everything was under his complete control.
That seemingly mighty and scorching fire-style ninjutsu, while indeed possessing considerable power at first glance, was nothing special in the eyes of Orochimaru, a peerless powerhouse who had already entered the Golden Core stage.
To put it simply, for a top cultivator like Orochimaru who has long since comprehended the laws of heaven and earth and grasped the true essence of the elements, this somewhat crude and rigid way of using the power of the fire element is as childish and laughable as children playing house. It poses no real threat to him, let alone make him take it even slightly seriously.
Orochimaru's narrow, cold eyes narrowed slightly. With a mere thought, an invisible force suddenly erupted. In an instant, the surrounding earth elements seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force, rapidly gathering together and forming a thick and incredibly sturdy wall in the blink of an eye. This wall, formed from earth elements, stood like an indestructible barrier, successfully blocking the ferocious attack of the menacing, clawing fire serpent.
However, Orochimaru had no desire to continue his playful entanglement with the person before him. For him, the most urgent task was to complete the retrieval of the Rinnegan as quickly as possible. After all, the immense power contained within the Rinnegan, and the countless secrets hidden within it, were things he had long coveted.
In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru's figure flashed like a ghost, rushing towards the masked man at a speed beyond the reach of ordinary people. Almost instantly, he had silently closed in on the masked man. At the same time, a layer of extremely sharp wind element had appeared on Orochimaru's right palm, gleaming with a chilling light like a sharp blade. Then, without hesitation, he swung his right palm, striking straight at the masked man's neck with the force of a thunderbolt, attempting to kill him with this earth-shattering blow.
The masked man's single Sharingan eye spun wildly like a burning flame, as if trying to see through everything around him. However, even so, he couldn't immediately detect Orochimaru's elusive movements. He only vaguely glimpsed a dark figure flashing past him like a ghost.
Although he managed to catch that fleeting glimpse of the enemy's trajectory, it was only a very brief and negligible opportunity for the masked man to dodge. Unfortunately, Orochimaru's attack speed was astonishingly fast, like lightning streaking across the night sky, leaving virtually no time for thought or reaction.
In that critical moment, the masked man made an instinctive defensive move with all his might, trying to avoid vital parts of his body. But Orochimaru's attack was too fierce. The wind blade that had gathered on his palm slashed across his chest with a sharp whistling sound. In an instant, a shocking wound appeared, so deep that the white bone could almost be seen!