Although he knew that this was how the timeline played out in the original world, when Danzō personally witnessed Hiruzen Sarutobi so easily letting Orochimaru escape, he couldn't help but sigh—
Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old fool, is truly weak...
His own disciple was about to betray the village, and yet he just stood there and let him go.
You must understand, Orochimaru's life isn't just about him alone.
Once he successfully escapes, not only will the village's reputation suffer a blow, but the sheer amount of leaked intelligence alone would cost Konoha dearly.
And these costs would translate into the lives of countless Konoha shinobi in the future.
Hiruzen's actions were utterly irresponsible toward the entire village!
"I didn't expect Elder Danzō to react so quickly."
Orochimaru, seeing Danzō blocking his path, finally dropped his usual smile.
To be honest, in his plan to escape Konoha, his biggest concern was this old man before him.
Because Danzō had been giving him an increasingly... ambiguous feeling lately.
It was as if a layer of mist shrouded him, making it impossible for Orochimaru to see through him or understand him.
Moreover, Danzō's strength was something Orochimaru deeply feared.
If possible, Orochimaru would have preferred not to fight him at all.
But now, it seemed that wasn't an option.
"Indeed, the position of Root leader alone couldn't satisfy your ambitions, Orochimaru."
Danzō's face didn't show the same anger as Hiruzen's.
He wasn't even particularly disappointed, as he had never held much hope for Orochimaru in the first place.
If anything, he felt regret.
Regret that Orochimaru had ultimately chosen this path.
A path that would pit him against the entire village.
"My teacher couldn't understand me, but you always could, couldn't you, Elder Danzō?"
Orochimaru licked his lips.
Unlike Hiruzen, Orochimaru had collaborated with the "Darkness of the Shinobi World" multiple times.
He knew just how deep the darkness in Danzō's heart ran.
Therefore, Orochimaru believed that Danzō could understand him.
Danzō nodded.
"I do understand your relentless pursuit of truth, no matter the cost..."
"But I also have my own principles, and that is to never allow anyone to harm Konoha."
As he spoke, Danzō drew the katana from his waist.
The message was clear: no more talking, it's time to fight.
Orochimaru understood the subtext and immediately formed hand seals.
"I've always admired your decisiveness, Elder Danzō."
With that, he launched his attack.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru flicked his wrist, and several venomous snakes shot out from his sleeve.
They twisted and turned, hissing menacingly as they lunged toward Danzō.
Their open mouths revealed sharp fangs, showcasing their deadly nature.
Danzō had no doubt about their toxicity.
As a master of biology, Orochimaru's biological toxins were likely on par with that old hag Chiyo's!
Therefore, Danzō had no intention of letting them get close.
He swiftly drew his katana and wrapped it in a dense layer of Wind Release chakra.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
With a single slash, the Wind Release chakra attached to the blade transformed into sharp air currents, slicing the incoming snakes into pieces!
Only chunks of snake flesh remained, writhing on the ground.
"As expected of one of Konoha's few Wind Release masters."
Orochimaru praised without hesitation.
"However, since you're skilled in Wind Release, let's try this."
As the most talented disciple of the "Professor," Orochimaru excelled at exploiting elemental weaknesses.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
He opened his mouth, and a torrent of flames spewed forth.
The orange-red flames instantly engulfed the surrounding forest, turning it into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye!
"Elemental advantage, huh? Quite similar to that monkey's fighting style."
Danzō couldn't help but remark as he observed Orochimaru.
In the end, Orochimaru was indeed the most similar to Hiruzen among his three disciples.
No wonder that weak old fool couldn't bring himself to strike him down...
"But you're still too young."
Danzō's gaze sharpened as he looked at the flames before him.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Instead of countering with an advantageous element like Orochimaru, Danzō chose to attack with a disadvantageous one, unleashing a dense and terrifying wind sphere that collided head-on with the sea of fire!
In an instant, the flames and wind clashed!
According to the conventional wisdom of the shinobi world, Wind Release should counter Fire Release.
Orochimaru's sea of fire should have been fueled by the wind, spreading even further.
But to everyone's surprise, Danzō's Wind Release was unexpectedly powerful.
The terrifying wind pressure completely suppressed the flames, not only resisting the fire but also turning it back toward Orochimaru!!
In just a moment, the tide of battle had shifted.
The sea of fire, under the pressure of the wind, turned against its creator.
With the aid of the Wind Release, it formed an even more violent and overwhelming inferno, engulfing Orochimaru and everything around him like a giant maw!
The notoriously dangerous Forest of Death was effortlessly torn apart by Danzō!
As the flames gradually dissipated, only a vast expanse of charred remains remained...
Danzō, his hand still resting lightly on the hilt of his katana, scanned the scorched battlefield with his Byakugan beneath the bandages.
He didn't believe Orochimaru would be taken down so easily.
Sure enough, he soon detected traces of chakra activity within one of the charred corpses.
The next second, the corpse's mouth was forcibly pried open.
A pair of pale hands pressed against the mouth, and a new Orochimaru, covered in mucus, emerged from within!
"It seems I underestimated your mastery of Wind Release, Elder Danzō."
Orochimaru slowly crawled out of his former body, his tongue licking his mucus-covered lips without hesitation.
In response to his praise, Danzō simply said calmly:
"It's nothing more than brute force."
"Brute force, huh?"
Orochimaru was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
Although he had never heard the phrase before, he quickly grasped its meaning.
"Quite an apt description."
Orochimaru said with interest.
To be honest, the essence of ninjutsu was exactly that.
The power of a technique depended on how much chakra you could pour into it.
Hadn't everyone seen how Madara Uchiha's single "Great Fire Annihilation" threw tens of thousands of Allied Shinobi Forces into chaos?
That was the charm of sheer volume.
Danzō's Wind Release earlier followed the same principle.
Forget about elemental advantages; with enough chakra, a Fire Release could even boil the entire ocean!
Orochimaru decided not to waste any more time.
If elemental advantage didn't work, he would have to rely on his signature techniques.
He suddenly dropped to the ground, his mouth opening to an inhuman 180 degrees!
"Ninja Art: Ten Thousand Snake Jutsu!"
In an instant, countless snakes poured out of his mouth.
They seemed endless, numbering at least ten thousand!
These innumerable snakes covered the entire battlefield, surging toward Danzō like a tidal wave.
Facing this onslaught, Danzō's expression remained unchanged, and he even sneered:
"You didn't think I only knew Wind Release, did you?"
He raised his hands, mimicking Orochimaru's earlier hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The next moment, a sea of flames, no less intense than Orochimaru's, erupted from Danzō's mouth!
In fact, it seemed even more massive and violent!
Orochimaru's snake army appeared pitifully small in the face of the inferno.
Under the scorching heat of the flames, the snakes writhed in agony, curling up before being reduced to charcoal!
"Another Sharingan technique..."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening.
In the entire shinobi world, only the Sharingan could replicate someone else's technique so quickly.
Moreover, Danzō's fighting style was essentially slapping him in the face!
"Unfortunately, if you think this is enough to stop me, you're sorely mistaken."
Orochimaru got serious. He lightly pressed his palm against the ground.
As Earth Release chakra flowed into the earth, a crack rapidly spread from his hand.
Like lightning, it crossed the entire battlefield, reaching Danzō in an instant!
"Ninja Art: Earth Snake Jutsu!"
With a soft cry from Orochimaru, the ground split open along the crack!
From the dark fissure, even more snakes surged forth!
Under the cover of the flames, they managed to reach Danzō!
Point-blank range.
Danzō thought to himself.
In the next moment, his body was overwhelmed by the swarm of snakes.
They hissed menacingly, tearing Danzō to shreds in an instant!
Hidden within the snake swarm, Orochimaru didn't show much joy on his face.
Just as Danzō was wary of him, Orochimaru was equally wary of Danzō.
He didn't believe that the infamous "Darkness of the Shinobi World" would be taken down so easily.
Sure enough, the moment Danzō was torn apart.
His body quickly turned into sheets of white paper, each bearing the character for "Explode."
Then...
"Boom!"
A surge of flames and shockwaves erupted from the explosive tags, obliterating the surrounding snakes!
Meanwhile, the real Danzō had already appeared in the sky.
Using his Byakugan, he located Orochimaru's position.
The next moment, Danzō descended like a god.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
The katana, wrapped in Wind Release chakra, sliced through the ground like butter, heading straight for Orochimaru, who was hidden within the snake swarm underground!
Orochimaru's golden pupils contracted sharply, reflecting the rapidly approaching blade.
But it was too late to escape. In the next moment, he was pinned to the ground by Danzō's blade, unable to move!
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