Chapter 272: Hiruko’s Ocular Power

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Hiruko’s Ocular Power

Orochimaru’s Earth Style ninjutsu, "Clay Quicksand," had been timed to perfection. Almost the exact instant before Hyuga Kagami’s "Fire Style: Fireball Technique" struck Hiruko, the technique bound Hiruko’s legs, temporarily immobilizing him in place.

However, Hiruko merely let out a disdainful chuckle. He extended his right hand toward the enormous fireball rushing straight at him.

"Dark Style: Inhaling Maw!"

As the Dark Release Kekkei Genkai activated, a vortex formed around his palm, completely absorbing the "Fire Style: Fireball Technique" Kagami had unleashed.

Then, using the exact same method, Hiruko aimed his Dark Release at the mud and sand beneath his feet, absorbing the chakra contained within Orochimaru’s Earth Release ninjutsu.

Without chakra sustaining it, the mud and sand binding Hiruko’s legs immediately reverted into a loose pile of earth. Hiruko did not even need to deliberately struggle free before it crumbled apart and scattered across the ground.

Hiruko grinned. "Your chakra is truly delicious!"

There was no question about it. Whether it was Hyuga Kagami’s chakra or Orochimaru’s, both possessed extraordinarily high quality and exceptional potency.

Kagami curled his lips, thinking to himself, "As expected, he can freely use the Dark Release Kekkei Genkai. In that case, ordinary ninjutsu won’t have any effect on him."

Orochimaru’s expression darkened as well.

Orochimaru was the quintessential ninjutsu-type ninja. Snake-based ninjutsu was his specialty, but given the current situation, he obviously could not casually use those techniques. As a result, his combat effectiveness was severely restricted.

And now that Hiruko could freely wield the Dark Release Kekkei Genkai, he was effectively immune to the vast majority of ordinary ninjutsu. Even someone as experienced as Orochimaru found himself momentarily at a loss as to how to deal with him.

Thus, Orochimaru glanced toward Hyuga Kagami.

From the very beginning of the battle, he had been keeping an eye on Kagami, because he had noticed that, just like himself, Kagami had remained calm and composed from start to finish.

In Orochimaru’s eyes, there was nothing unusual about him remaining calm and composed. After all, he was one of the Legendary Sannin and had mastered numerous forbidden jutsu.

But for a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Uchiha girl to remain equally composed while facing Hiruko, who had just completed his Kekkei Genkai fusion ritual and had practically transformed into a monster, was extremely conspicuous.

Even as Kagami’s temporary teammate, Orochimaru could not help thinking to himself, "That Uchiha arrogance—the way they act as though everyone else is beneath them—really is irritating!"

Crackle! Crackle!

At that moment, Hiruko raised a hand, and the thunderclouds blanketing the sky above the mountaintop erupted with dazzling flashes of lightning.

Surrounded by crackling lightning, Hiruko declared, "That’s enough warming up. Now I’m getting serious!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hiruko’s figure flickered and vanished from where he stood.

Massive arcs of lightning followed Hiruko’s movements, leaping across the platform. At first glance, it seemed as though the entire platform had been engulfed in dazzling lightning.

Hyuga Kagami pushed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, currently in its three-tomoe state, to its absolute limit. He quickly identified the critical convergence point of Hiruko’s Storm Release ninjutsu and, without the slightest hesitation, drew the longsword at his waist and hurled it forward.

Clang!

The instant the sword left its sheath, a sharp metallic cry echoed across the platform.

The flying sword struck the exact convergence point of Hiruko’s Storm Style technique in midair. Using itself as a conductor, it redirected all of the lightning into the sky.

After dispelling the lightning surrounding Hiruko, Kagami immediately launched several kunai.

Each kunai had specially treated steel wire tied to its end. With the aid of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Kagami sent them flying with flawless precision around Hiruko, using the durable steel wires to restrict his range of movement.

And almost simultaneously with those wire-bound kunai, Kagami launched several more kunai, each trailing a long string of explosive tags. They flew in from extremely tricky angles, targeting Hiruko’s eyes, throat, armpits, ribs, and every other vulnerable vital point on his body!

Kagami’s entire offensive sequence was completed in the blink of an eye. Not only was it decisive and efficient, but its precision was extraordinary, leaving even the observing Akatsuki members amazed.

Naturally, Hiruko was caught off guard as well, and several strands of steel wire instantly wrapped around his body.

Hiss... Hiss...

Just as Hiruko was about to break free of the wires, the kunai carrying explosive tags reached him.

The explosive tags trailing behind them were already letting out the ominous hiss of their ignition.

"Steel Release!"

With an enraged roar, Hiruko activated his Steel Release Kekkei Genkai, causing his entire body to turn pitch-black and hard as steel.

Snap! Snap!

With Steel Release reinforcing his body, Hiruko instantly snapped every steel wire binding him.

But just as Hiruko was about to break free, Orochimaru’s arms suddenly stretched out like rubber and shot forward, replacing the severed wires as they wrapped tightly around Hiruko once more.

Since Orochimaru’s arms could stretch and contract like rubber, Hiruko struggled several times but was unable to immediately break free.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

At that moment, the explosive tags attached to the kunai finally detonated!

A chain of violent explosions shook the earth and mountain, as though the entire summit itself were trembling. Smoke and dust surged outward, completely engulfing the platform.

The experienced Orochimaru retracted his arms, then immediately raised a hand and cast a low-level Wind Release ninjutsu, blowing away the smoke and dust obscuring the platform.

As the smoke and dust were swept away, Hiruko’s figure at the center of the explosions was immediately revealed.

From his outward appearance, however, he did not seem to have suffered much damage at all.

At that moment, Hiruko activated Swift Release once again. His figure flickered, and in an instant, he appeared directly in front of Orochimaru.

Their eyes met.

In that single instant, Orochimaru froze where he stood, as though his very soul had been stripped from his body.

"Genjutsu!?"

Kagami was inwardly startled. Only then did he notice that, at some unknown point, Hiruko’s eyes had transformed into a pair of blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan!

In the original timeline, Orochimaru had indeed suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of genjutsu. But his opponent at the time had been Uchiha Itachi, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and had extraordinary talent and mastery in genjutsu.

After all, before Uchiha Itachi, even Kurenai, a genjutsu specialist, and Kakashi, who likewise possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan, had both been utterly defeated.

Therefore, while Orochimaru being instantly subdued by Itachi’s genjutsu showed that his resistance to genjutsu was relatively poor, that was only when measured against his status as one of the Legendary Sannin. It certainly did not mean that just anyone using just any genjutsu could easily subdue Orochimaru.

In Kagami’s estimation, to defeat Orochimaru with genjutsu in a single exchange required ocular power at least on the level of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

And the fact that Hiruko had accomplished exactly that meant that he had not only successfully fused the Sharingan ocular Kekkei Genkai into himself—

His ocular power had actually reached the level of the Mangekyō Sharingan...