"Tsk."
Mamoru threw a heavy punch at the ground in frustration, then leaped out of the deep pit. He stood by the edge of the pit, scratching his hair irritably, his gaze locked tightly on the ground slowly bulging not far away.
Orochimaru's head broke through the soil again, his snake-like body winding out from underground like a worm. His tail twisted and deformed in the air, finally turning back into human legs.
"Damn it!"
Mamoru's fingertips sunk deep into his hair.
He took a deep breath, and the boiling Chakra around him gradually calmed as he exited the Eight Inner Gates state. Although the consumption was minimal thanks to the Six Eyes' exquisite control over Chakra, Taijutsu clearly had little effect on Orochimaru. Continuing to maintain the Eight Inner Gates was meaningless.
He frowned almost imperceptibly, then quickly regained his usual calm expression.
"Truly a series of surprises..." Orochimaru opened his arms, his voice trembling with excitement. "To have even learned the Eight Inner Gates, just how many more surprises are you hiding?"
Mamoru raised his fist to his chest, assuming a combat stance, a sneer flashing in his narrowed eyes. "What Eight Inner Gates? This is my self-created 'Kaioken'. You really are ignorant."
"Hehehe..."
Facing his mockery, Orochimaru was delighted rather than angry. That pair of always-cold snake eyes burst with an almost fanatical greed—this vessel was more perfect than he could have imagined. He could hardly suppress the urge to occupy this body immediately.
But that invisible "barrier" around Mamoru was always a problem. However, after such a fierce battle, his Chakra should be nearly exhausted, right?
Just a little more effort.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly, his gaze clinging to Mamoru like a poisonous snake. He suddenly tore open his sleeve, revealing the winding black seals on his arm, and bit his fingertip to smear blood upon them.
Summoning Technique!
The moment the seals were completed, a violent whirlwind swept up from around him. The wind pressure was like countless blades, shredding the nearby trees completely. Amidst the flying sand and rolling stones, a giant snake that blotted out the sky appeared out of thin air in the center of the whirlwind.
The snake's head, covered in an armor-like horny layer, reared up high, its golden-brown vertical pupils looking down coldly at the tiny figure below. Its scales glinted with a black-brown metallic luster under the setting sun, its upright upper body alone was comparable to a mountain.
Mamoru stared dumbfounded at this behemoth, secretly groaning in his heart, 'He actually called for backup? The color of this one is wrong. Although it's not Manda, this size is just too ridiculous, isn't it?'
He did a rough estimation, the upright part of the snake's body was at least thirty or forty meters high.
"How many years does it have to live to grow to this scale?"
"Now then..."
Orochimaru stood atop the snake's head, looking down with eyes full of calm confidence. "How do you plan to respond?"
Mamoru's eye twitched slightly as he watched the scene before him with mixed emotions. His opponent clearly hadn't given his all, even summoning a mere "small fry" as a beast.
Just as he was momentarily distracted, the enemy struck first.
The giant snake's thick tail tore through the air, sweeping toward him with a piercing whistle. Mamoru instinctively lowered his shoulders and stepped forward, meeting it with his fists.
Bang!
The moment their strikes collided, Mamoru's feet carved deep grooves several meters long into the ground, while the snake's tail was sent swinging back by the counter-force, only stopping after smashing through several trees.
Their first exchange ended in a draw.
The intense pain from its tail caused the giant snake to let out a roar, the sound waves nearly tearing the air apart. However, Mamoru remained unmoved under the protection of Infinity, with not even a corner of his clothes fluttering.
The enraged giant snake opened its bloody maw, a foul wind blowing as it lunged fiercely at Mamoru.
Mamoru sneered, a cold glint appearing in his eyes. Chakra rapidly spun in his right palm, condensing into a humming sphere of Chakra. He leaped forward to meet the beast without a hint of fear.
"Rasengan!?"
Orochimaru's exclamation was drowned out by the following explosion. Mamoru soared through the air like a hawk, darting into the snake's mouth and slamming the Rasengan against its upper jaw.
Squelch!
The sickening sound of shredded flesh echoed through the forest. A gruesome, bloody hole was instantly gouged through the snake's upper jaw. The agony caused it to thrash its head wildly, letting out a shrill howl.
After the successful strike, Mamoru's figure moved like lightning, flipping out of the giant snake's maw in an instant.
Just as he was about to land, Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands struck like a phantom toward him mid-air.
In the nick of time, Mamoru slammed his palms together. His figure vanished instantly and reappeared a second later standing firmly atop the giant snake's head, right beside Orochimaru. Without hesitation, he threw a sharp uppercut straight at the man's face.
Perhaps having been hit by Mamoru's elusive combat style repeatedly, Orochimaru managed to twist his body and dodge at the critical moment out of pure instinct.
His flexible body leaned back at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. Almost simultaneously with his dodge, one of his hands extended abruptly, coiling around a nearby branch like a snake. He used the leverage to swing himself, landing lightly on the branch.
Seeing his strike miss, Mamoru was momentarily stunned before realizing he was still standing on the giant snake's head.
The master ran away, but can the pet escape?
His thoughts raced, and in the next moment, a rain of punches hammered into the giant snake's head like a machine gun.
Shrill howls rang out through the forest, shaking the leaves until they fell.
The more he fought, the more startled Mamoru became—this giant snake's head was as hard as cast iron.
The tough cuticle acted like natural armor, neutralizing most of his punching force. Although the snake's head was now covered in pits and dents, he had yet to land a fatal blow.
Perched on the branch, Orochimaru secretly rejoiced, a calculating glint flashing in his golden snake-like pupils.
Fight! Fight to your heart's content! When you're exhausted, that's when I'll officially make my move.
However, he didn't just sit by. He suddenly opened his mouth wider and wider until it formed a bizarre arc.
Countless black snakes poured from his mouth, splashing onto the ground and instantly converging into a writhing black sea.
"This is..." Mamoru couldn't help but gasp.
As far as the eye could see, there were dense swarms of snakes, their numbers enough to make one's skin crawl.
The giant snake's upright head suddenly dropped to the ground. As if receiving a signal, the swarm of snakes surged toward Mamoru on the snake's head like a black tide.
However, as the sea of snakes approached Mamoru, it was blocked by an invisible barrier.
The black snakes writhed along the edge of "Infinity," eventually trapping him within a circular space about one meter in diameter.
"Oh?" Orochimaru stood on the tree trunk, observing with great interest. "So this is your 'barrier'..."
He licked his lips and muttered to himself, "It seems it can change its range and distance according to your will."
"Hiss—"
The sound of countless venomous snakes flicking their tongues echoed around, sending shivers down the spine.
The snakes continued to writhe, baring their fangs as if to pounce, trying to break through the invisible barrier but unable to cross even an inch.