Chapter 32: Hagane Ritsuo's Final Stand, Kamizuki's Sacrifice, and Escape
As Iwa's barrage of Earth Release: Rock Cannon Technique ended, Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold smile. His hands flashed through seals: "Hidden Shadow Multi-Snake Hands!"
The moment the words left his mouth, multiple large snakes shot out from Orochimaru's arms. They coiled around Hagane Ritsuo while simultaneously searching for vital points to strike.
"Damn it!" Hagane Ritsuo cursed inwardly, but he had no choice. He squeezed out every last bit of stamina, activating Earth Spear to harden his body once again, then forcefully tore free from the snakes wrapped around him.
However, when Hagane Ritsuo opened his eyes, he did not continue fleeing. Instead, he stared fixedly at Orochimaru. In that moment, a powerful resolve to die surged in his heart.
He knew escape was highly unlikely. So he decided to fight Orochimaru in a do-or-die, one-for-one final duel. Even in death, he would slow Orochimaru's pursuit of the retreating Iwa forces as much as possible—making his sacrifice meaningful.
Orochimaru saw the dangerous glint in Hagane Ritsuo's eyes and recognized that this version of the man was the most perilous. He immediately shifted from offense to defense.
Hagane Ritsuo once again felt the wound he could no longer suppress, then glared at Orochimaru with fury: "Orochimaru! I never expected Konoha to stoop to the Mist's tricks! You only beat me because of that sword!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru seemed to recall something. A faint, eerie smile curved his lips as he replied: "Heh, that's right! This sword did help me greatly—but it's merely a tool. What truly defeated you was your own arrogance! Since you're so curious, remember this blade's name—Kirikabe Ichimonji!"
Hagane Ritsuo's heart filled with unwillingness and rage. He glared wide-eyed at the sword in Orochimaru's hand, as though trying to burn its image into his soul. Yet he clearly understood the situation was beyond salvage.
Thus, Hagane Ritsuo completely abandoned defense. He knew he had no chance left—only one final struggle remained. He concentrated all his remaining strength into his fists and legs, preparing his last desperate attack.
Though he understood it might be futile, he still wanted to try—at the very least, he wouldn't let Orochimaru win easily.
His body became impossibly hard. Every punch carried devastating impact; every kick shook the ground. Yet Orochimaru remained unaffected. Using Body Replacement, Shadow Clones, and agile footwork with masterful precision, he evaded Hagane Ritsuo's attacks repeatedly.
As time passed, Hagane Ritsuo's movements slowed. His stamina was rapidly depleting. Orochimaru seized the moment, pouring even more Yang-attribute chakra into Kirikabe Ichimonji, preparing a fatal strike.
When Orochimaru swung the sword once again, Hagane Ritsuo instantly noticed the black glow. He recognized the danger signal and hurriedly tried to distance himself—unaware this was precisely the trap Orochimaru had set.
Just as Hagane Ritsuo attempted to retreat, he suddenly found himself sinking into a swamp. Orochimaru had already prepared this trap, waiting for Hagane Ritsuo to step right into it.
"Ten Thousand Snakes Formation!"
Orochimaru dropped flat to the ground and vomited a massive swarm of snakes from his mouth. The snakes surged toward Hagane Ritsuo with terrifying speed. It was clear that once the encirclement completed, Hagane Ritsuo would die without question.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Suddenly three thick earth walls rose around Hagane Ritsuo, blocking the snakes attempting to attack him.
"Kamizuki! What are you doing here? Get out of here! Didn't you hear my order?" Hagane Ritsuo saw his subordinate coming to save him and felt not gratitude, but fury!
Kamizuki said nothing more: "Brother Hagane, you've saved me many times. Let me save you this once. Remember—this is all for the village! Bring the information back!"
With that, Kamizuki leaped out of the Earth Flow Wall.
Orochimaru coldly observed the unfamiliar ninja before him and inwardly judged: This must be Hagane Ritsuo's bodyguard.
He had no intention of tangling with the man—he only wanted to bypass him and finish Hagane Ritsuo.
Orochimaru flickered and darted to the side.
"Your opponent is me! Orochimaru!" Determination flashed in Kamizuki's eyes. He no longer held back any chakra, his hands flashing through seals.
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Prison!"
With Kamizuki's low shout, thick earth pillars instantly rose around Orochimaru, forming a sturdy cage that trapped him inside.
But this so-called prison couldn't hold Orochimaru for long. A disdainful smile curled his lips. With a casual wave of his hand, a sharp wind blade easily sliced through the pillars.
Yet Kamizuki was undeterred. He took a deep breath and formed seals again.
"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Flow!"
Kamizuki finished the seals and slammed a powerful fist into the ground. The earth shook violently, shattering into countless tiny fragments that surged toward Orochimaru like a raging tidal wave.
Facing this overwhelming sand-and-stone assault, Orochimaru frowned slightly. Earth Release techniques could indeed be troublesome—they excelled at controlling opponents and delaying attacks.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Orochimaru gave a low shout. From his mouth erupted a tremendous torrent of water—like a ferocious flood—that instantly scattered Kamizuki's earth-and-stone wave.
Orochimaru concentrated chakra in his throat and spewed forth enough water to form a lake, blasting against Kamizuki's earth flow.
Kamizuki hadn't even considered whether Orochimaru could counter his previous technique. He poured every last drop of his remaining chakra into one final move.
"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!"
Using his earth-nature chakra, Kamizuki shaped a massive amount of earth and stone into a dragon of astonishing presence that lunged toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had no time to dodge. The majestic earth dragon struck him head-on, slamming him violently into the ground.
At that moment, Kamizuki did not follow up with an attack. Instead, he panted heavily.
Orochimaru—the man with perhaps the strongest survival ability among all Hokage—naturally would not be finished by a mere earth-and-stone dragon.
He activated "Great Snake Flow Substitution Technique" and slowly crawled out from his own mouth.
Kamizuki, gasping for breath, saw Orochimaru reappear before him. Gathering every ounce of remaining strength, he launched a suicidal charge at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru watched the enemy's stubborn resolve. He drew Kirikabe Ichimonji and beheaded Kamizuki with one clean stroke.
When Orochimaru leaped back onto the earth wall, Hagane Ritsuo had already used Earth Release: Underground Submarine Voyage (chakra turns solid underground sand and rock into fluid, allowing rapid movement through soil) and escaped far away.
Even Orochimaru could not determine exactly where Hagane Ritsuo had gone!
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