NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: Chapter 40
Orochimaru didn't recognize the name of the toad Jiraiya had summoned, nor did he know its specific species. He only knew one thing no matter which toad Jiraiya managed to call upon, it wouldn't stand a chance against his snake. After all, snakes were the natural predators of toads.
Unless Jiraiya could somehow summon the two Great Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima, from Mount Myoboku, no matter what toad he summoned, it would only get beaten. Sure enough, when the flower patterned python behind Orochimaru hissed and flicked its tongue, the toad that Jiraiya had summoned began to tremble, sweat dripping down its forehead.
The toad seemed to regret being summoned, internally cursing its fate. In its mind, Jiraiya was sending it into the lion's den or rather, the snake's den. It had already endured plenty of training sessions with Jiraiya, but now, being thrown into a fight against Orochimaru's snake was far from ideal.
"Why do I always get dragged into these battles?" the toad muttered internally, bracing itself for the inevitable.
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Onlookers around the training ground couldn't help but gasp in astonishment as they watched the clash between the two young ninja prodigies.
"At their age, they're already summoning creatures with ninjutsu?" one student exclaimed.
"That's Orochimaru, right? He used to be in our class!"
"Yeah, he's always been incredible, but Jiraiya? I didn't think he had it in him to summon something like that!"
Other students, standing at a safe distance, marveled at the spectacle. Witnessing two kids barely out of the Ninja Academy engaging in such advanced techniques left them in awe. Most of them were only beginning to master basic jutsu, and seeing summons at play was a sight they couldn't even dream of achieving anytime soon.
Among the crowd, some of the more timid students began to back away, intimidated by the sight of the giant snake that Orochimaru had summoned. Its scales shimmered ominously in the sunlight, and its gaze was fixated on the toad with predatory intent.
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Meanwhile, in the trees surrounding the training ground, two shadowy figures observed the battle with heightened interest. Hidden by the dense foliage, they blended seamlessly into their surroundings, wearing the signature animal masks of the ANBU Black Ops.
One of the ANBU operatives held a monocular up to his eye, keeping a close watch on the ongoing fight.
"It's unbelievable that these two are still just genin," one of the operatives murmured in amazement.
"Yeah," the other replied. "Most chuunin can't pull off what these kids are doing."
"It's no wonder Danzo-sama ordered us to keep a close eye on them. With power like this at their age…"
"Wait, something's happening!" The first operative interrupted, noticing movement.
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Back in the middle of the training ground, Jiraiya gritted his teeth. He had just leaped through the air, riding on the back of his summoned toad, but the giant flower patterned python swung its tail with terrifying speed, knocking both Jiraiya and the toad through the air like ragdolls.
As they flew through the sky, the toad voiced its frustrations. "Jiraiya, if you summon me again for a fight like this, I swear I'm done with you!"
Before the toad could say anything else, it disappeared in a puff of white smoke, leaving Jiraiya to crash-land into the ground, creating a shallow crater upon impact.
"Ugh… Damn it… Orochimaru's too strong…" Jiraiya groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to use genjutsu on him and the toad so suddenly. Although the illusion had only lasted a moment, it was enough for the snake to take advantage and deliver a devastating blow. Jiraiya had barely managed to break the illusion and defend himself, but the snake's strike had left him dazed and in pain.
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Orochimaru stood calmly, observing the outcome of his genjutsu. Using a basic illusion technique like Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique had worked well enough against Jiraiya, but he knew that such simple illusions wouldn't be effective in a real battle against stronger opponents.
"Genjutsu is all about disrupting the opponent's chakra flow and creating a window of vulnerability," Orochimaru mused. He recalled the principles taught by his sensei, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen. Genjutsu required great spiritual power to interfere with the chakra system of the target. The stronger the caster's spiritual energy, the more effective the illusion.
However, when facing high-level opponents especially those with vast amounts of chakra simple genjutsu wouldn't suffice. It would take far too long to disrupt their chakra flow, and in the meantime, they could easily break free or counterattack.
"The true masters of genjutsu, like the Uchiha, use their Sharingan to amplify their spiritual power, making their illusions far more dangerous." Orochimaru's thoughts wandered to legends like Uchiha Madara and the unimaginable power of techniques such as Tsukuyomi and Izanami illusions that transcended the normal limitations of genjutsu.
Still, for now, using genjutsu against someone like Jiraiya was enough.
"Alright, you can go back now," Orochimaru whispered to the snake in his mind.
The python flicked its tongue before vanishing in a puff of white smoke, leaving Orochimaru standing alone in the middle of the training ground.
As the snake disappeared, an idea sparked in Orochimaru's mind. "Since I've already signed the blood contract with the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, most of them obey me unconditionally… Could I use my genetic research to create a more powerful snake? A snake even stronger than Manda? Perhaps something a hundred times more formidable?"
He could already picture it a snake with monstrous strength, one that could surpass even the greatest summons in the ninja world.
"System, is there any genetic technology that allows me to create a custom-made summoning beast?" Orochimaru asked in his mind, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, host," the system replied.
"Really? What is it?"
"Biological Genetic Evolution Fluid," the system answered.