bookbashuk Chapter 435 Defeat (Part 2)
Chapter 435 Defeat (Part 2)
The mysterious masked man flashed by like a ghost, instantly creating distance between himself and Orochimaru. His single remaining eye burned like a raging fire, its gaze fixed intently on Orochimaru's elusive figure, not daring to relax for a moment.
Recalling the terrifying moment just now, the masked man still felt lingering fear. Just moments before, Orochimaru had launched an incredibly fierce attack, a strike as swift and powerful as a storm, seemingly tearing the entire space apart. If it weren't for his powerful Mangekyou Sharingan, which allowed him to barely perceive Orochimaru's lightning-fast movements, he would likely already be headless and a cold corpse.
Even so, faced with Orochimaru's terrifying offensive, the masked man found himself only able to barely discern the general direction and path of Orochimaru's attack. Completely avoiding such a fatal attack remained a pipe dream for him at this stage. Despite his desperate attempts to dodge, he only managed to narrowly avoid the most critical vital points, and other parts of his body inevitably suffered considerable injuries. Blood slowly seeped from the wounds, staining his clothes red, but the masked man felt no pain, his entire focus concentrated on the terrifying opponent before him.
"Not bad! I didn't expect you to be able to barely dodge my attack." Orochimaru's narrow eyes revealed a hint of amusement as he slowly spoke. To be honest, even he himself hadn't expected the person before him to so narrowly avoid his sharp and swift strike. He had poured all his strength into that attack, expecting it to be a fatal blow, but the result had greatly surprised him.
Just then, Orochimaru's gaze fell upon the opponent's constantly shifting Sharingan, and he instantly understood the reason. It turned out that these mysterious Sharingan had helped him perceive the trajectory and weaknesses of his attacks, allowing him to successfully dodge. However, despite understanding the situation, Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged, still cold and disdainful.
"Hmph, but even if you possess this peculiar Sharingan, don't expect to have such good luck next time." Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold smile as he continued in a chilling tone. It was as if he already foresaw that in their next encounter, his opponent would be utterly powerless against his overwhelming offensive, ultimately becoming his defeated foe.
Just as the words left his mouth, Orochimaru's ghostly figure flashed like lightning, pouncing on his opponent with lightning speed. His speed was astonishing, like a sudden storm, giving his opponent no time or space to breathe.
The masked man opposite him felt a chill run down his spine. He knew all too well the astonishing power of Orochimaru's attack. He had only managed to dodge a fatal blow thanks to luck and years of accumulated combat experience, and had still inevitably suffered some minor injuries. Now, seeing Orochimaru launch another such fierce attack, he knew he absolutely could not allow this terrifying enemy to get any closer. Because if Orochimaru were to get close, with his terrifying strength and unpredictable speed, he would likely be mercilessly killed on the spot in the blink of an eye.
"Wood Release: Wood Splintering Technique!" The masked man uttered a low shout, his voice seeming to emanate from the deepest hell, sending chills down one's spine. At the same time, half of his body appeared to be controlled by some mysterious force, with countless branches suddenly sprouting wildly from within him. These branches, like ferocious venomous snakes, twisted and writhed, launching themselves with lightning speed towards Orochimaru's location.
In the blink of an eye, these branches formed a giant net, completely covering all of Orochimaru's attack routes. Each branch gleamed with a cold, chilling light, seemingly carrying endless killing intent and the aura of death, sending shivers down one's spine at a single glance. They whistled through the air, creating a sharp gust of wind, as if to tear any enemy in their path to shreds.
Orochimaru's previously rapid and aggressive advance suddenly paused for a very brief moment, as if a pause had been pressed. However, after only this brief pause, he nimbly dodged to the side with dazzling speed, his figure disappearing like a ghost from the dangerous area that was about to be covered.
At this moment, Orochimaru's narrow and cold eyes revealed an undisguised look of surprise. His slightly open mouth seemed to want to utter a sound of astonishment, but he was too shocked to speak for the time being.
Before this, Orochimaru had never imagined that half of the mysterious masked man's body was actually constructed from diluted Hashirama Senju cells! What was even more unbelievable was that, after such a complex and difficult process, the masked man not only successfully fused with these cells, but was also able to unleash powerful Wood Release ninjutsu that only Hashirama Senju possessed! This incredible situation completely exceeded Orochimaru's previous knowledge and imagination.
Orochimaru's research on Hashirama Senju's cells was extremely thorough and comprehensive. He knew every detail, especially their chillingly potent phagocytic properties. The consequences of transplanting these cells into someone else were unimaginable. They would frantically drain the recipient's life force at an alarming rate, like a ravenous wolf pouncing on its prey. This plundering was so swift and ruthless that the recipient would completely lose their life force in a very short time, as if the flame of life had been extinguished instantly by a sudden storm.
However, after a long period of dedicated research and frequent, in-depth discussions with Hyuga Kanan, Orochimaru gradually unveiled the mystery hidden within Hashirama Senju's cells—they contained a powerful force of life rules! When these cells were transplanted into other people's bodies, this force of life rules began to operate quietly. The problem was that maintaining this force required an enormous amount of energy, far beyond what an ordinary human body could provide. After all, the energy stored in an ordinary body was far from sufficient to support the continuous operation of such a vast force of life rules. Thus, the unfortunate transplant recipients were ultimately drained of their already limited life force in this brutal battle for energy, their life force ruthlessly converted into fuel to fuel the life rules, until they were completely consumed, leaving not a trace.
Surprisingly, despite being implanted with a large amount of life rule power from Hashirama Senju's cells, his seemingly fragile body was able to stubbornly resist the erosion of this powerful force! This phenomenon was truly unbelievable, considering that life rule power is an extremely domineering and highly devouring energy that ruthlessly strips the life force of any living being it comes into contact with.
The person before him not only successfully contained this power's frenzied devouring of his own life force, but also seemed to have completely grasped its secrets, finding the key characteristics that could effectively suppress its destructive effects. Even more astonishing was that this person hadn't merely attempted this transplantation on a small scale, but had massively integrated Hashirama Senju's cells into his own body, and in the process, hadn't experienced even the slightest adverse reaction or complication. Such a situation was nothing short of a miracle, undoubtedly concealing untold secrets and extraordinary skills.
If he could master this technique, then using it as a starting point, it would be very likely that he could comprehend the power of the rules of life, paving the way for him to reach a higher realm. In Orochimaru's eyes, the masked man was now merely a tool for pursuing greater strength and a higher realm; the man's body was already like the Rinnegan. Orochimaru looked at the man with a greedy expression, as if he could see the path to the future.
The masked man keenly sensed the subtle change in Orochimaru's eyes; in that instant, he seemed to see through the schemes and plots the other was plotting deep within. However, despite this understanding, the masked man clearly realized that with his current strength, he was no match for Orochimaru. At this moment, all he could do was try his best to maintain the precarious situation before him.
The masked man knew that Orochimaru's space-sealing ninjutsu was incredibly powerful and extremely difficult to counter, and he himself couldn't find an effective way to break it for the time being. However, he didn't despair, because he firmly believed that Orochimaru couldn't maintain this ninjutsu for long. As soon as the space seal loosened or was lifted, he could unleash Kamui without hesitation to quickly escape this place and get out of his current predicament.
In this fierce confrontation, both sides harbored ulterior motives and harbored unfathomable schemes. Like two trapped beasts, they confronted each other in a confined space, their gazes seemingly capable of sparks flying when they met.
Black Zetsu, standing nearby, looked anxious. He didn't want the masked man, this excellent tool, to die here. He had been planning for nearly a thousand years, and finally had a sliver of a chance to succeed; he absolutely didn't want to wait another thousand years. What he needed now was to ensure the masked man's safety and keep him following his plan.