Chapter 30: Kotoamatsukami

The two men finished speaking, sheathed their blades, and began to weave hand signs simultaneously.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

Under the influence of chakra, the ground surrounding Uchiha Touhuan instantly liquefied into a swamp. From within, countless venomous snakes emerged, slithering toward Touhuan at the center.

"Mandala of Ten Thousand Snakes."

Facing these myriad serpents, Uchiha Touhuan remained composed, completing his final hand sign.

In an instant, a violent sea of lightning erupted. Bolts of electricity, as thick as a man's thigh, danced like silver serpents. Wherever they struck, the rushing snakes were incinerated into ash. The snakes on the periphery displayed fear in their reptilian eyes; though Orochimaru’s meticulous breeding had granted them intelligence, biological instinct took hold when faced with such a cataclysmic display.

As the surviving snakes faltered, the lightning sea around Touhuan converged, and a towering, hundred-meter-tall manifestation of the Immovable Wisdom King rose from the earth.

"Lightning Style: Fudo Myoo!"

The thunderbolts gathered and compressed into the vajra held by the manifestation above. The weapon, forged entirely from concentrated chakra, took on a tangible, physical weight, hinting at the terrifying energy contained within.

"Fall back, further!" Sensing the horrific fluctuations of chakra, Kakashi shouted.

During the Nine-Tails incident six years ago, the Tailed Beast Bomb likely possessed power of this magnitude.

Uchiha Touhuan raised his hand and clenched his fist. The Fudo Myoo above hurled the vajra toward Orochimaru.

Thunder roared in an instant. Orochimaru had intended to defend with Wind Style, but the entire area for hundreds of meters was swallowed by a massive explosion. Once the hyper-compressed lightning was released, the pure energy obliterated everything in the zone, turning it into nothingness.

When the dust settled, only the mangled corpse of a giant snake remained.

Uchiha Touhuan walked slowly toward the remains. He had no illusions about whether Orochimaru had survived; he was, after all, the most difficult person in the ninja world to kill.

Just as Touhuan expected, the lifeless snake carcass began to writhe. Orochimaru emerged from the charred maw, his robes pristine, though the Akatsuki cloak was soaked in viscous fluid.

"Is this the power of the Uchiha clan, Touhuan-kun?" Orochimaru flicked his tongue, licking the slime from his face. "After releasing a jutsu of that caliber, your chakra must be nearly exhausted."

"So what?" Uchiha Touhuan frowned slightly. Even in this world, where killing had become routine, the sight before him was revolting.

In the original timeline, it was Uchiha Itachi who ignited Orochimaru’s greed for the Uchiha body. Now, Uchiha Touhuan had taken that place. A sickly smile played on Orochimaru’s lips; he could not wait to claim Touhuan’s body for his own.

Orochimaru’s neck suddenly elongated, his head lunging toward Uchiha Touhuan.

*As long as I can plant the Curse Mark, this body will be mine.*

Yet, at that very moment, a piercing eagle cry tore through the sky.

Driven by the primal fear of raptors ingrained in a snake's genes, Orochimaru looked up. In that split second, his eyes met the scarlet gaze of the hawk descending from above.

*What is that? Mangekyo Sharingan?*

The ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, was unleashed!

The swirling ocular power and chakra carved a permanent brand of loyalty to Uchiha Touhuan into the depths of Orochimaru’s soul. His eyes instantly turned clear.

Uchiha Touhuan drew his blade and decapitated the body.

It was only then that Kakashi and the others arrived.

"Is it over?" Hyuga Kenya looked at Orochimaru’s severed head and let out a long breath.

"As expected of the Uchiha clan head; even a renowned ninja like Orochimaru is no match for him," Nagai Seiichi remarked with emotion.

"No, I fear it isn't that simple." Kakashi’s brows were furrowed as he stared at the corpse.

As they spoke, the remains of the body turned to ash and scattered in the wind.

"This..." Inuzuka Fu frowned, "What is happening?"

"I suspect he isn't dead," Uchiha Touhuan sheathed his blade and sighed, "Damn it, I let him slip away."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. A man like Orochimaru has survived the village's pursuit for years; he naturally has his ways," Kakashi said.

"Fu, have Mokumaru track him. There must be a hideout nearby. Once I recover my chakra, we’ll move out," Touhuan commanded.

...

Twenty miles away, inside one of Orochimaru’s bases, a body in a large incubation tank suddenly opened its eyes.

The tank shattered, and the figure stepped out, his features shifting into the likeness of Orochimaru. After donning his robes, he immediately began to reorganize the laboratory.

...

Two hours later, after Touhuan had recovered his strength, the group followed the scent tracked by Mokumaru and discovered the base.

"There is no one inside," Hyuga Keito reported after scouting with his Byakugan.

"It seems he’s gone," Kakashi said. "Let’s go in. We might find something."

Deep inside, the traces of human experimentation were laid bare. Even for seasoned ninjas accustomed to bloodshed, the sights were nauseating. Uzuki Yugao, the only woman in the squad, couldn't help but cover her mouth to suppress her nausea.

"That man truly has no humanity," Inuzuka Fu gritted his teeth.

"Find the clues," Kakashi ordered.

While consoling his girlfriend, Gekko Hayate searched the area and soon discovered a pile of scattered files. Upon picking one up, his pupils constricted.

The document detailed how Danzo’s Root had kidnapped children from minor clans with bloodline limits to serve as test subjects for Orochimaru. There were also records implicating the Koharu and Homura clans. Hayate suddenly recalled a four-year-old cousin from his own clan who had vanished years ago, and a chill ran down his spine.

Just as he was about to speak, Uchiha Touhuan appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking his head, signaling him to remain silent.