Chapter 481: Jiraiya
"Hokage?"
Orochimaru sneered and asked in return, "The age of shinobi has long ended. Does the title of Hokage still mean anything?"
As the leader of the Fire Empire, in some ways, he was the one who should be called Hokage.
Konoha as it stood now was nothing but a band of exiles and fugitives—a tattered remnant squatting on borrowed land, with no claim to legitimacy.
And yet,
Even though his schemes had once succeeded, and he'd served as acting Hokage, later as a royal advisor, and finally as the head of state—
Orochimaru felt no pride or complexity. His thoughts focused solely on how to use the Fire Empire to generate more wealth, convert it into reward points, and grow stronger.
"It still has meaning!"
Minato Namikaze's expression didn't waver. He said solemnly, "Behind me are the civilians the Hokage must protect—my comrades, Konoha's shinobi, my child, and my home!"
He didn't react to Orochimaru's mockery. His belief was as unshakable as steel.
"Is that so?"
Orochimaru paused, then let out his signature gesture—a snake-like flick of the tongue.
Like a serpent sniffing a sudden unfamiliar scent.
"No wonder I lost to you back then. I suppose it wasn't undeserved. That fool Jiraiya actually raised a good student."
His black-scaled tail whipped the ground.
The necrotic aura of his undead army surged, charging outward in all directions.
Orochimaru glanced at Minato with a complicated expression and smiled. "Such a pure will."
Compared to the fool Jiraiya, Minato was far more composed and intelligent.
Riling up Jiraiya was easy—just chant the Will of Fire, and he'd follow like a fanatic, ready to sacrifice himself.
But someone as clever as Minato choosing to believe in the Will of Fire? That was rare.
Most smart people,
Were like Orochimaru and Aizen—distrusting of others, believing only in themselves.
A man who was both wise and driven by pure conviction… Even Orochimaru didn't dare underestimate Minato, regardless of any current power disparity.
"This farce ends now!"
Minato's body remained where it was, but his voice rang out from just above the cursed serpent's seventh vertebra.
Crack!
Orochimaru's tail whipped through the illusion, tearing the figure in half—only to realize it was a mere afterimage.
His serpent scales exploded.
Dark, necrotic blood—thick with death energy—burst like fireworks.
"How is this possible?!"
A ghastly wraith made of undead energy emerged. Its decaying arms flailed, knocking Minato away from Orochimaru's blind spot.
Orochimaru's eyes widened.
[Necro-Eye Lv. Max] had failed?
Once the undead army had arrived, its death aura blanketed the entire residential district. Hidden in the mist were countless black eyes—
Designed to detect enemy movements from every angle.
That's why even when Minato's voice came from behind, Orochimaru confidently struck the afterimage—he hadn't detected any real movement.
Not even spatial ripples could escape max-level Necro-Eyes.
"Orochimaru, if you leave now—"
Minato's words were cut off as the wraith's blow destroyed the afterimage.
Another scale burst apart.
Orochimaru sensed the lingering venom left by the attack—it ignored his dark curse resistances and continued to drain his HP.
"So that's what it is…"
He coiled his tail, stabbing it into the wounded spot. Then, like a snake drinking water, he slurped the poisoned blood into his mouth.
[Nether Assassin].
A rare class. Those who mastered it could step into the Nether Realm—
A dimension layered over reality, invisible and silent, completely devoid of life energy.
No sensor skill, no matter how advanced, could detect a Nether Assassin within it.
They were the ultimate assassins: unrivaled in stealth, critical strikes, and execution.
Nightmares for any mage or squishy class.
"I've met a Nether Assassin once. Wanted to turn him into an undead minion, but he got away. Never thought I'd see one again."
Orochimaru's voice trembled with excitement.
As he spoke, his cursed serpent opened its abyssal maw like a python devouring its prey, swallowing the stone tomb coiled within.
A thick layer of necrotic rock covered his scales.
Each individual scale now bore a miniature tombstone, forming an armor of death.
"Then let's see if you're strong enough to do it, rogue ninja Orochimaru!"
Minato's tone was grim. Just sensing Orochimaru's aura made it clear—he wasn't holding back anymore.
Though Nether Assassin was powerful, it lacked world-breaking offense.
And it was especially weak against tanky foes like Orochimaru.
Clang!
Minato's short blade struck the serpent's underbelly—its weakest point—
And rebounded with the sound of steel on steel.
His arms numbed from the shock. Gritting his teeth, he channeled more Nether energy.
Nether Blade Dance!
A toxic green light coated his blade—the kind of poison that could kill a Tailed Beast.
Orochimaru's necrotic aura rapidly corroded under the poison, and the blade was on the verge of slicing through the scales.
Two ghouls tore off their arms and hurled them like spears.
Minato had no choice but to retreat, phasing into the Nether Realm to dodge and create distance.
"Minato!"
Tsunade, surrounded by divine light, swept through the undead horde with a holy warhammer and chain.
Two blows smashed the frost Buddha summoned by [Dōma], crushing both him and his construct.
In the opening,
She conjured a holy cross in her palm and fired it into Minato's chest.
Dōma's mangled corpse was quickly shielded by undead minions. Enveloped in death aura, his body visibly regenerated.
"Orochimaru! You actually dare return to Konoha?!"
A voice roared with fury.
The Mobile Division, having cleared the [Deep Abyss Layer], had finally received word of the crisis in Konoha.
Per Tsunade's orders, the news of Hiruzen's death had been kept secret—to prevent Naruto from losing control.
Even Jiraiya didn't know the full truth. All he'd been told was that the village was under attack.
By the time he found an excuse to keep Naruto behind and rushed back—
He discovered the enemy was Orochimaru.
"Old grudges and new—Orochimaru, are you begging to die?"
Jiraiya clasped his hands, fingers interlocked. An orange-yellow prophet's eye manifested on his forehead.
Several ghostly arms appeared behind him, pulling elemental energy from the folds of space.
In a blink,
A volcano erupted beneath Orochimaru's cursed serpent.
Fire element energy exploded upward like a bomb.
The Land of Hot Water was full of hot springs—beneath them, countless volcanoes.
[Oracle] class's strongest ability was drawing elemental energy from the environment, converting it into raw power.
In simple terms: they mastered the field.
"Foolish Jiraiya. If you want to kill me, is that really all you've got?"
Orochimaru's charred serpent raised its head and shattered the summoned volcano.
Like shedding skin, it cast off its scorched scales.
"He's this strong?!"
Even Konoha ninja who could barely maintain minor spells or jutsu were stunned.
Both the Fourth Hokage and Jiraiya had attacked—yet neither could deal a decisive blow.
"Necromancers are supposed to be fragile... How is rogue ninja Orochimaru this damn tanky?"
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