Chapter 402: Impure World Reincarnation

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Impure World Reincarnation

Neither the Mist Squad nor the Sound Four, locked in the midst of their fierce battle, noticed Orochimaru standing atop the distant cliff.

Even Ryū, who possessed the Red Eye Kekkei Genkai, was no exception.

The pressure both sides were placing on each other was simply too great—so great that none of them dared allow themselves even the slightest distraction.

Sheltering behind Jūzō Biwa and Kisame, Ryū observed the enemy with his Red Eye while saying in a low voice, "Judging by their appearance, they must have used some kind of secret technique. And any secret technique powerful enough to produce this kind of effect is bound to place an enormous burden on the body. At their age, there’s no way they can maintain it for long."

Jūzō and Kisame exchanged a glance and immediately understood what to do.

The two swiftly formed hand seals and shouted at the same time, "Hiding in Mist Technique!"

Whoosh...

As both of them exhaled streams of thin mist, an incredibly dense fog rapidly engulfed the surrounding area.

The density of the Hiding in Technique could be adjusted according to the amount of chakra poured into it. The more chakra that was supplied, the thicker the resulting mist became.

However, even Kirigakure shinobi who specialized in the Silent Killing Technique generally avoided creating mist that was excessively dense.

After all, if the fog became too thick, it would obstruct them as well, since the overwhelming majority of Kirigakure shinobi did not possess a dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai.

But this time, Jūzō and Kisame joined forces to produce a fog so dense that one could barely see a hand held in front of their face.

In an instant, the ruined village was swallowed by a hazy darkness.

"Dōjutsu: Red Phosphorescence!"

At that moment, Ryū activated a dōjutsu of his Red Eye.

Soon, streams of chakra glowing with a reddish phosphorescence began emanating from his body.

The strands of chakra slowly gathered together, eventually forming a crimson phantom shaped like a human figure.

Ryū patted Jūzō and Kisame on the shoulders.

"Follow the phantoms I create. They’ll guide you toward the enemy!"

Like the Byakugan, the Red Eye also possessed the ability to see through objects, so the dense fog had virtually no effect on Ryū.

On the contrary, he could use the phantoms created by his Red Eye to guide Jūzō Biwa and Kisame toward the enemy after their vision had been obscured by the fog.

Guided by the Red Eye phantoms, Jūzō and Kisame each brandished their ninja swords and charged into the dense mist.

Clang! Clang! Clang...

Boom! Boom! Boom...

In an instant, the sounds of metal clashing and ninjutsu exploding rang out from within the fog.

After activating the Cursed Mark of Heaven, both Yamato and Haku had undergone a qualitative increase in chakra, strength, and even speed.

Moreover, the Cursed Mark state was, in essence, a form of Sage Mode, so their sensory abilities had also increased dramatically. Although the mist blocked their vision, they could still barely determine the enemy’s position by sensing hostile intent.

For a time, all kinds of ninjutsu intertwined within the dense fog.

There were razor-sharp ice senbon, tangled masses of trees, and even shark-shaped Water Style techniques.

The thunderous explosions of ninjutsu, the whistling of ninja swords, and the warning shouts exchanged between comrades rose and fell continuously throughout the mist.

The fierce battle lasted for roughly seven or eight minutes.

Then, accompanied by two muffled groans, Haku and Jūgo were violently sent flying.

They crashed heavily onto the ground, and the Cursed Mark states covering their bodies gradually receded, returning them to their original appearances.

As the dense fog slowly dispersed, only the slightly older Yamato was still holding on.

In his Cursed Mark state, the power of his Wood Release far surpassed what it had been before. However, just like Haku and Jūgo, he lacked experience fighting against truly powerful opponents, leaving him severely suppressed in that regard.

On the Mist Squad side, Jūzō and Kisame were also in an extremely sorry state.

Their clothes had been torn open in numerous places, they had lost quite a bit of blood, and many ice senbon were still embedded in their bodies.

Only Ryū, who had been responsible for observing the battlefield and guiding the others, was in slightly better condition and had escaped without injury.

Resting the Kubikiribōchō over his shoulder, Jūzō spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and cursed, "Damn it! I almost died at the hands of a bunch of brats. What rotten luck!"

Kisame glanced toward the distance, where Kimimaro was still locked in a fierce battle with Renge, and sighed inwardly.

"We’re all shinobi who should’ve belonged to Kirigakure, yet not a single one of us is fighting for Kiri. How ironic."

Ryū urged, "Enough talking. Hurry up and finish them off. These brats are way too strange. We can’t let them live!"

Jūzō and Kisame both understood just how formidable these youngsters were.

Give them another five or six years, and neither of them could say for certain that they would still be able to defeat these brats.

Not to mention, one of them could even use Wood Release.

Watching Jūzō and Kisame slowly approach, Yamato’s expression darkened.

While in his Cursed Mark state, Yamato could perform an advanced Wood Style technique known as the Wood Golem Technique.

It was an immensely powerful technique capable of contending with a Tailed Beast. However, the burden it placed on the body was enormous, and Yamato had yet to completely master his Cursed Mark state.

Once he used the technique, there was a real possibility that the Cursed Mark would corrode both his mind and body, turning him completely into a monster.

But the situation had become desperate.

If he refused to use this double-edged trump card, the Sound Four might very well be completely wiped out here.

Glancing at the injured Haku and Jūgo lying on the ground, Yamato thought,

"I have to make sure they escape. They’re subordinates Lord Orochimaru values. I absolutely can’t let them die here!"

...

On the distant cliff.

Orochimaru, who had been watching the battle all this time, naturally noticed the predicament the Sound Four had fallen into below.

The corner of his mouth curled slightly as he said indifferently, "So this is their limit..."

Kabuto was growing anxious.

"Lord Orochimaru, we should hurry and reinforce them!"

Orochimaru smiled. "There’s no need for us to personally intervene."

Kabuto looked puzzled. "Did you arrange for someone else to be here?"

Otogakure had only recently been established, so both its manpower and funds were limited. Aside from himself and Orochimaru, there was currently no one else in the Land of Rice Fields capable of matching the Mist Squad below.

Naturally, Kabuto was extremely curious.

A sinister smile appeared on Orochimaru’s face.

"Don’t you think this is the perfect opportunity to test that technique?"

Kabuto’s expression changed drastically.

"Y-You’re going to use that technique?!"

Orochimaru slowly began forming hand seals before suddenly slamming his palm onto the ground.

"Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"

Rumble...

Amid a deafening rumble, two coffins burst out of the earth.

The characters "First" and "Second" were written across their respective lids.

Then, the coffin lids opened, revealing two figures with dull complexions and vacant expressions.

Orochimaru slowly walked behind the two figures and drove a kunai with a talisman attached to its hilt into the back of each of their heads.

As the talismans entered their bodies, steam began rising from the two figures.

Warmth returned to their bodies, while traces of life gradually appeared in their vacant expressions, as though souls had been injected into them in an instant.

Orochimaru folded his arms across his chest and smiled.

"Let’s stay here and witness the might of the Hokage of old!"

Kabuto excitedly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Amid Orochimaru’s quiet laughter, the two figures suddenly shot forward like arrows released from a bowstring.

They leaped from the towering cliff and, moving at astonishing speed, charged straight toward the distant Mist Squad...