Rasa stared in disbelief as Orochimaru moved like a ghost through his densely packed Iron Sand World Method.
As Rasa tried to control his Gold Dust for an attack, he was shocked to find that whenever he targeted Orochimaru, the latter instantly changed positions. The Gold Dust spikes seemed to avoid Orochimaru on their own.
This gave Rasa the eerie feeling that Orochimaru could see into the future.
But Rasa refused to believe anyone truly possessed such supernatural foresight—it had to be some technique Orochimaru was using.
As a seasoned Kage with extensive combat experience, Rasa quickly figured this must be the power of Orochimaru's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Rasa manipulated a mass of Gold Dust beneath his feet, trying to propel himself upward.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically. He sharply turned his head backward, eyes widening in shock.
At some point, two snakes had bitten both his calves, injecting venom that paralyzed his body.
Orochimaru raised both hands toward Rasa.
[Bone Pellet!]
He fired another volley of Bone Pellets from his finger bones at Rasa.
Despite the numbness spreading through his body, Rasa still had the Gold Dust surrounding him actively defending, automatically intercepting Orochimaru's Bone Pellets.
Enduring the physical numbness, Rasa pulled out an antidote from his Ninja Tool Pouch and injected it directly into his body.
While the Gold Dust continued defending against the incoming Bone Pellets, the antidote began taking effect, gradually relieving the venom-induced paralysis.
Just as the numbing sensation began to subside, Orochimaru suddenly appeared right in front of him.
When Rasa tried to retreat, a sharp pain pierced his back—a blade had penetrated his body.
His movement faltered, and in that brief hesitation, Orochimaru's bone blade stabbed into his chest.
Behind Rasa, the Kusanagi Katana—the Sword of Kusanagi controlled by Orochimaru even when not held directly—had pierced through his back.
With his Mangekyo Sharingan locked onto Rasa's eyes, Orochimaru said, "Your identity—allow me to take it for myself. Thanks."
Spitting out blood, Rasa collapsed onto the ground.
From a distance, Chinya witnessed the battle's end. With the Shifting Body Technique, he appeared next to Orochimaru, looking down at the dying Rasa before asking, "Sensei Orochimaru, how did it feel using the Dojutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Orochimaru replied, "Excellent. The right eye that tracks counterattack paths feels far more practical than the left one that predicts attack trajectories. The opponent's evasion routes appear as visible lines inside my vision. Earlier, my snakes and the Kusanagi Katana followed those lines and successfully hit him.
But as soon as he detected my moves and started to defend, the trajectory lines shifted dynamically, always forming the perfect path.
The two Dojutsu abilities also come with drawbacks though—they only activate when the opponent attacks first. So if they're passive, I have to provoke them into attacking first for these visual techniques to work."
Even if you can predict the trajectory, without sufficient strength, you still cannot seize the opportunity. Therefore, these two dojutsu only serve to make those who are already strong even stronger, while being practically useless to the weak."
Hearing Orochimaru's analysis, Chinya nodded in agreement.
Indeed, just like with Fugaku Uchiha—although his movements were predicted using these techniques, since Fugaku couldn't match that speed himself, knowing the trajectory posed no real threat to him.
Chinya asked Orochimaru, "Then, Lord Orochimaru, you'll be temporarily staying in Sunagakure under Rasa's identity now, correct?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes. I will use Rasa's position as Kazekage to lead Sunagakure into invading Konoha, so I must remain here for now. When the Chunin Exams begin, I'll meet back up with you midway and enter Konoha together."
In his dying moments, Rasa heard what Orochimaru and Chinya had said. He wanted to act, but impaled by the Sword of Kusanagi from behind and pierced through the chest with a bone blade, he had no strength left. With nothing but resentment, he slowly closed his eyes and passed away.
Orochimaru crouched beside Rasa's corpse and laid his hand firmly over the man's face.
[Face Copying Technique!]
Rasa's entire face peeled off like a mask. Orochimaru put it on, and his aura immediately became identical to Rasa's.
Even Chinya's sensory abilities couldn't detect any flaws in the disguise.
"Tch, Lord Orochimaru, this transformation technique of yours is amazing."
"Do you want to learn it? This technique is actually pretty simple."
Chinya waved his hand dismissively. "Too cruel—I'll pass."
At this point, Kabuto Yakushi, having confirmed that the battle was over, approached as well.
Orochimaru said to Kabuto Yakushi, "Kabuto, take Rasa's body back with Chinya. His Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai still had some research value. If you wish to study it, feel free to handle it at your discretion—just leave me a part."
Kabuto Yakushi replied, "Understood, Lord Orochimaru."
Chinya sensed someone approaching. "Some Sand ninja must've noticed the commotion and come investigating. We should get going now, Lord Orochimaru."
Kabuto pulled out an empty scroll and sealed Rasa's corpse inside it before leaving with Chinya.
Not long after, the Sand ninja Chinya had sensed arrived at the scene. They saw Orochimaru impersonating Rasa and the three Jonin corpses lying on the ground.
Leading the squad was Baki. Approaching from behind, he asked, "Lord Kazekage, what happened here?"
Orochimaru answered, "Two uninvited guests came to the Land of Wind seeking cooperation with our Sunagakure Village."
"Uninvited guests?"
"The Konoha rogue ninja Orochimaru and Chinya."
Baki's heart leapt violently. "Those two? What business could they possibly have seeking cooperation with us? And if they truly wanted cooperation, why kill our people?"
Orochimaru snorted coldly, "Hmph. They're just trying to warn me off to get more out of this. Enough. Gather the bodies on the ground and summon the village leadership for a meeting. The upcoming Joint Chunin Exams are our chance. If we seize this opportunity, we can reverse our position against Konoha."
Assuming Rasa's identity, Orochimaru, together with Baki and other Sunagakure ninja, openly entered Sunagakure Village. Orochimaru summoned a meeting of Sunagakure ninja inside the village and laid out the current grim situation. Then he directly announced that they would collaborate with the real Orochimaru and Chinya, launching an official invasion against Konoha during the final match of the Chunin Exams.
Although the Sunagakure leaders were shocked by their Kazekage's sudden decision to invade Konoha, upon further reflection, the village really was in a desperate situation. Minato Namikaze of Konoha had awoken but was still weak; once he recovered, things would get dangerous.
Right now, Minato was still weak, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had grown old. This might be their only window, so they expressed agreement one after another.
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