"If I don't kill Hirakawa Seisui today… then none of you will live peacefully ever again!"
The man's voice trembled with both fear and desperation. He had already realized the truth—none of them were a match for Qing Shui. The gap in strength was not something that could be bridged with numbers alone.
In the face of such overwhelming power, threats were all he had left.
And so—
He turned his attention to Orochimaru.
Even if Orochimaru had no intention of intervening, he was now being forced into action.
After all—
If Hirakawa Seisui walked away alive, everything would be exposed.
Orochimaru narrowed his golden eyes slightly.
He did not immediately step forward.
Instead—
Several figures suddenly appeared, blocking Qing Shui's advance toward Wuwei.
They moved stiffly, their expressions lifeless.
Reanimated shinobi.
These corpses, summoned through forbidden techniques, were not particularly powerful. Compared to Qing Shui, they were insignificant.
And as expected—
Slash!
In a single motion, Qing Shui's blade cut through them cleanly. Their bodies split apart, collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
Yet—
They did not stay down.
Their severed forms twitched, beginning to regenerate as they entered a rigid state, slowly restoring themselves.
But that brief moment—
Was enough.
Wuwei seized the opportunity and retreated rapidly, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Qing Shui.
His face was pale.
His body trembled.
For the first time—
He truly understood.
Before this battle, Wuwei had always believed that Hirakawa Seisui was only slightly stronger than him.
After all—
Everyone present was at least a Jonin.
The difference in strength shouldn't have been too great.
That was what he had thought.
But now—
Reality had shattered that illusion completely.
If Qing Shui's chakra hadn't been sealed earlier…
He would have died instantly.
Without even the chance to resist.
A chilling thought crept into Wuwei's mind.
Had they… made a terrible mistake?
But then—
Reinforcements arrived.
Orochimaru.
And the Root.
Relief washed over him.
No matter how strong Qing Shui was—
With Orochimaru here…
Victory was still possible.
"Hehe… Qing Shui-kun…"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint, eerie smile.
"You truly exceed my expectations."
Even with his chakra sealed—
Such terrifying combat power.
His gaze sharpened.
A killing intent flickered within his golden pupils.
Now that things had reached this point—
There was only one option.
Kill him.
Completely.
"Orochimaru… and Root…"
Nonou's expression darkened.
She stood protectively in front of Kurenai Yuhi, Rin Nohara, and Shizune.
"So it was Danzo all along…"
Even though Danzo had already been imprisoned—
His shadow still lingered.
"Nonou-neechan…"
Kurenai asked softly, her voice filled with unease.
"Is Orochimaru… really that strong?"
"And… who are Root and Danzo?"
Orochimaru—
One of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.
A name known only to experienced shinobi.
For newly graduated genin like Kurenai—
He was little more than a distant legend.
As for Root—
And Danzo—
They existed in the shadows.
Hidden.
Feared.
Even many seasoned ninjas knew little about them.
But now—
There was no time to explain.
Nonou's gaze remained fixed on Qing Shui.
Filled with worry.
In this situation…
Could he still turn the tide?
She knew her own limits.
Her strengths lay in intelligence gathering and medical ninjutsu.
Charging into battle—
Would only make things worse.
The best she could do—
Was protect the others.
And trust Qing Shui.
Meanwhile—
Qing Shui stood calm.
Unfazed.
He had already anticipated this.
Orochimaru's appearance…
Was no surprise.
"Orochimaru…"
Qing Shui spoke coldly.
"So you've decided to betray Konoha."
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"Betrayal… is such a harsh word."
"As long as you die here…"
"No one will know the truth."
Even if the Third Hokage discovered something later—
What of it?
Would he pursue justice for the dead?
No.
Power—
Was everything.
Without another word—
Aburame Ryoma raised his hand.
"Attack."
The Root ninjas moved instantly.
Silent.
Efficient.
Deadly.
These were not ordinary shinobi.
They were assassins.
Raised in darkness.
Trained to abandon everything—
Even their lives.
For the mission.
Ryoma stepped forward as well.
His sleeves shifted slightly—
And from within—
A swarm of insects poured out.
Parasitic insects.
They buzzed through the air like a living storm, spreading rapidly toward Qing Shui.
This was the Aburame clan's signature technique.
Their bodies—
Served as nests.
Their chakra—
As nourishment.
"Hahaha! Hirakawa Seisui… you're finished!"
The elders of Kusagakure, who had been trembling moments ago, now laughed with smug satisfaction.
Reinforcements had arrived.
Victory—
Seemed certain.
But—
Qing Shui remained expressionless.
He raised his hand.
And in the next instant—
The seal restraining him shattered.
"Fire Release… Heavenly Prison—broken."
Then—
With a single hand seal—
He attacked.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Flames erupted.
A sea of fire burst forth, surging outward with terrifying intensity.
The heat distorted the air itself.
The ground cracked.
The sky glowed red.
The approaching Root ninjas—
Were swallowed instantly.
The insects—
Burned to ash.
The fire did not stop.
It spread—
Toward Orochimaru.
At this moment—
Even Orochimaru's expression changed.
Such power—
Was beyond expectation.
His hands moved rapidly.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A towering barrier of water rose before him.
But even so—
It trembled.
The flames clashed against it violently, steam erupting into the sky.
The water hissed.
Evaporated.
Struggled.
In the end—
It was only through the combined efforts of the Kusagakure elders—
That the attack was finally contained.
Silence followed.
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
He—
Who sought to master all ninjutsu—
Had been suppressed.
By Qing Shui.
"How… is this possible?!"
Wuwei stared in disbelief.
"He broke the Heavenly Prison…!"
For years—
No one had ever escaped it.
And yet—
Qing Shui had done so effortlessly.
"Hiss… what terrifying fire style…"
Kurenai, Rin, and Shizune gasped.
They had seen powerful ninjutsu before.
From Asuma.
From Obito.
But this—
Was something else entirely.
Was this—
Really the power of a ninja?
As the steam cleared—
The battlefield was revealed.
Burned bodies.
Charred ground.
And—
Qing Shui.
Unharmed.
The Kusagakure elders exchanged stunned glances.
"How can you be this strong…?"
Regret—
Began to creep into their hearts.
But Qing Shui ignored them.
His target—
Was Orochimaru.
Without hesitation—
He charged forward.
This time—
He would not let him escape.
Orochimaru reacted instantly.
He opened his mouth—
And a snake shot out.
From the snake's jaws—
A blade emerged.
The Kusanagi Sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel met steel.
In an instant—
The two clashed.
Their movements—
Blinding.
Too fast to follow.
"I… I can't see them!"
Kurenai's voice trembled.
Cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Rin and Shizune stood frozen.
Speechless.
This—
Was a battle beyond them.
A battle between monsters.
Blades flashed.
Wind howled.
Killing intent filled the air.
And at the center of it all—
Two figures stood opposed.
Qing Shui.
And—
Orochimaru.
The true battle—
Had only just begun.
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