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Chapter 189 - The Frost Giant Dragon Illegally Enters the Land of Iron!

Standing on the head of the bone dragon, Orochimaru was utterly stunned. The chilling air from the Frost Giant Dragon quickly brought him back to his senses.

"Did you really craft this from the bones of a true dragon?" he asked in disbelief. "It's enormous... like a Tailed Beast from the ancient records."

Hibari chuckled, then waved his hand dismissively. "There are no true dragons. I pieced this together myself. This is the result of a new formula I've been developing, a fusion of the Edo Tensei and the Jiongu (Earth Grudge) technique. By using the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit, I can generate a massive proliferation of bone to create this."

Orochimaru had some understanding of both the Jiongu and Edo Tensei at this point, so Hibari's explanation clicked instantly. He realized this technique was likely based on a principle similar to the Walking Corpse Jutsu Hibari had in his possession.

Orochimaru nodded, but a puzzled expression quickly replaced his look of comprehension. He pointed at the pale-blue ice coating the giant dragon below their feet. "What about this ice, then? You call it a Frost Giant Dragon, so I imagine the ice itself is the key feature, isn't it?"

Hibari smiled and nodded. "This is a derivative of Jiongu. Kakuzu can steal an enemy's heart to gain their jutsu and chakra nature, but his ability has a limitation. It can't copy a bloodline limit. We've done some research, and there's always a repulsive reaction."

Hibari paused for a moment before continuing. "I believe this limitation is due to the 'life' within the individual. Although Kakuzu has turned himself into something neither human nor ghost, he is still 'alive.' Not only is he alive, but his life force is incredibly potent; he is the man with five hearts, after all. That's what limits him... but..."

"...But the dead are different, aren't they? The deceased have no limitations. On the contrary, they're full of infinite possibilities," Orochimaru finished softly, completing Hibari's thought.

Hibari's smile widened with satisfaction. "Exactly. Your mind is incredibly sharp. That's what I like and value about you. You will become a truly outstanding researcher!"

"That's only because you're a good teacher, Hibari-aniki," Orochimaru said modestly.

He spoke sincerely. He'd been studying under Hibari for over a month, and while their relationship wasn't a formal one of master and student, it felt even closer.

Orochimaru had absorbed an incredible amount of knowledge from Hibari—knowledge his other teacher, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, could never teach him.

After all, everyone has their specialty. Hibari had grown up studying and researching these things, so naturally, he was far more proficient in this field than Hiruzen.

And by pure coincidence, this was also what Orochimaru was most interested in, so he learned extremely quickly.

"Hahaha, let's not get into a mutual admiration society here. In short, just as you said, the deceased don't have the same limitations as the living. Jiongu can be modified in any way you want in this regard, without any repulsive reactions. So I took a heart from an Ice Release shinobi that Kakuzu had stored away, one he couldn't use, and modified it. By combining it with the Edo Tensei and some of my new, innovative methods, I developed this powerful summoning beast. This is also one of the reasons why I wasn't in a rush to go to Ryūchi Cave." Hibari said with a hearty laugh.

"An Ice Release shinobi, the Jiongu technique… so the reason this dragon is called a Frost Giant Dragon is because it can use the power of Ice Release?" Orochimaru asked.

Instead of answering, Hibari just smiled. "Watch."

With that, Hibari snapped his fingers. The motionless Frost Giant Dragon let out a roar, then opened its mouth and blasted a gust of chilling frost at the ground below. The frosty breath instantly froze the earth, turning the rocky terrain into an icy plain.

"I call it 'Frost Breath.' Unfortunately, it's the only Ice Release jutsu this dragon can use. After all, it's just an inanimate object." Hibari's tone became more complex and tinged with regret. "But its bones are still incredibly tough. It can also attack by ramming into things. All in all, while it looks impressive, it has a lot of flaws. I'm proud of it, but in reality, it's just 'average'."

Hibari felt a bit disappointed, but Orochimaru thought this was already amazing. Other people's summoning beasts were just cats or dogs, but Hibari had conjured a giant dragon that could breathe ice, and he still wasn't satisfied? His standards were too high.

But this was an issue of perspective. Orochimaru hadn't yet experienced much, nor had he acquired powerful summons like Manda. He didn't know that legends like Madara Uchiha treated the Nine-Tails like a mere summoning beast, and even then, he didn't think much of it.

This Frost Giant Dragon was, in truth, incredibly powerful against ordinary shinobi, but against true masters, it had many weaknesses. Not to mention that legendary shinobi like Madara and Hashirama could easily dismantle it into a pile of bone fragments.

Even the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, could just use Dust Release to turn this Frost Giant Dragon into a target and erase it from existence, leaving not a single particle behind.

But what it lacked in combat, it made up for in other ways. Summoning techniques aren't always used for battle; most of the time, they are a form of auxiliary jutsu. For example, why would Hibari summon this Frost Giant Dragon when they weren't facing any enemies?

The answer, of course, was to fly. It's a dragon, so how could it not fly? Hibari mentioned that his self-made summoning beast had both advantages and disadvantages compared to the giant snakes of Ryūchi Cave. The snakes couldn't fly, but this dragon could.

And don't bother asking the silly question of why a dragon made of bone can fly. The answer is simple: it's a secret. Deidara can fly all over the place with his clay creations, Gaara can fly with his sand, so why can't I, Senju Hibari, fly with a dragon? That would be ridiculous. It'd be worse than a lizard.

"Hold on tight. If you fall, I'm not coming to get you," Hibari said with a grin.

Orochimaru channeled chakra into his feet, securing himself firmly on the Frost Giant Dragon. As soon as Hibari had the thought, the massive beast flapped its jagged, bony wings covered in ice, then, with a grace that seemed impossible for its size, it leaped into the air and soared into the sky, heading toward the Land of Iron.

That day, many people in the Land of Sound claimed to have seen a ferocious giant dragon flying through the clouds, giving rise to yet another mystical legend.

With the Frost Giant Dragon for travel, crossing a small country like the Land of Sound was incredibly fast. In less than a day, Hibari and Orochimaru had already arrived in the skies above the Land of Iron, riding their "dragon airplane."

The Frost Giant Dragon circled in the sky for a moment. Hibari looked at the mountain range below, patted Orochimaru's shoulder, and asked, "Should I take you down?"

Orochimaru shook his head without a moment's hesitation. He released the chakra from his feet, then stomped down, leaping directly from the back of the Frost Giant Dragon and falling freely from a great height.

Hibari watched from the dragon's back. Just as Orochimaru was about to be smashed into a pulp on the ground, he pulled a small scroll from his ninja pouch, tore it open, and broke the seal. A giant shuriken appeared in his hand. He threw it down as a "foothold," then stomped on it and pushed off. His movements were fluid and flawless, and he landed safely on the ground.

The giant shuriken also fell behind him, sticking into the ground. Hibari was slightly impressed by his slick maneuver.

"Quite talented, aren't you?" Hibari murmured with a smile.

He then undid his jutsu, and a puff of smoke exploded from the Frost Giant Dragon in the sky, causing it to disappear into thin air. Without a foothold, Hibari's body also began to plummet toward the ground, just like Orochimaru's had.

Orochimaru stared at Hibari, wanting to see how his older brother would land safely. Suddenly, Hibari's figure vanished from sight.

Before Orochimaru could even react, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Hibari smiling and asking, "What are you looking at?"

Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then immediately looked at the fabric on his shoulder. Sure enough, a Flying Raijin formula was there.

He recalled that Hibari had patted his shoulder just before he jumped off the Frost Giant Dragon. It was no surprise, then, that the Flying Raijin formula had been placed on his clothing at that very moment.

"The Flying Raijin Technique... I didn't realize you had inherited the Second Hokage's true teachings, Hibari-aniki," Orochimaru said quietly, his voice full of emotion.

"Hahahaha, not bad, right? This is a lesson for you, too. You always need to be aware of your surroundings and make sure no one places a jutsu on you without you realizing it. If I had had any malicious intent just now..."

Orochimaru finished his sentence for him.

"If you had had any malicious intent toward me, I would already be dead," Orochimaru said calmly.

"You understand, then." Hibari said as he took his hand off Orochimaru's shoulder. At the same time, the Flying Raijin formula on Orochimaru's body was also removed.

The two walked through the forest, chatting as they searched.

"This is my first time in the Land of Iron. I guess you could say we've 'illegally entered.' According to the records, it's a country of samurai, a neutral nation with no shinobi. However, with their incredible sword techniques, the samurai here are extremely formidable," Hibari said as they walked.

"I've read about it as well, but I heard that the Land of Iron has been slightly adjusting its policy of neutrality recently?" Orochimaru asked softly.

Hibari was taken aback for a moment. "You have a wide range of knowledge, kid. You know about this, too? I'm a bit out of the loop. Even though I have the title of Anbu Commander in the Hidden Leaf Village, I haven't been managing things for a long time..."

"I just heard my teacher, the Third Hokage, mention it not long ago," Orochimaru said, not trying to hide anything.

Hibari stroked his chin and murmured softly, "Hiruzen said so? Then there's really a possibility..."

After a moment's thought, he recalled that during the Second Shinobi World War, Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron, had fought the legendary "demi-god" Hanzo of the Salamander in the Land of Rain and had even managed to cover his subordinates' retreat.

In this way, it served as a testament to the fact that while the Land of Iron had long maintained a neutral stance, it occasionally had its moments of spontaneity.

But these things didn't have much to do with Hibari. The Second Shinobi World War was still a long way off, more than ten years away.

"That's none of our concern. We're just here to see if there's a Ryūchi Cave in the Land of Iron. And if we could get our hands on a couple of legendary blades from this country that's famous for them, that would be great, hahahaha." Hibari laughed heartily.

"I've heard that the Land of Iron has two legendary swords. One is the Kusanagi, and the other is the Totsuka Blade, but their locations are unknown," Orochimaru said thoughtfully.

According to Hibari's memories and classification of knowledge, the Totsuka Blade and the Kusanagi were one and the same legendary sword. But in this world, they were two different blades. Or rather, there were multiple Kusanagi swords, and the Totsuka Blade was just one of them. The Ame no Murakumo was also classified as a Kusanagi.

"If we get a chance, it would be great to find them, hahahaha." Hibari laughed.

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