Ch-27 A Desperate Battle: The Shadow Guards vs Orochimaru

The five shadow guards remained ever-watchful, refusing to budge from their positions. Their caution was well-founded; they had no intention of needlessly engaging in combat with a Kage-Level powerhouse like Orochimaru. Instead, they opted to retreat immediately. However, Orochimaru had other plans. He couldn't let them escape so easily, and so he unleashed a cunning trap to lure them out.

With a very fast sealing, Orochimaru employed his Earth Release technique, known as "Opening Earth Rising Excavation." The ground within a radius of 10 meters around him began to heave and churn. The earth rose up, one mound after another, until the five shadow guards were forced to reveal themselves in front of him.



Perched atop a craggy outcropping, Orochimaru stood with an air of superiority, his arms folded across his chest. From the depths of the shadows emerged five figures, all members of the Sharingan Uchiha clan. Orochimaru's trained eye could easily discern the telltale sign of their power - the Three Tomoe Sharingan - present in each and every one of them.

"This fight can't be avoided so give your all."said Eleventh.

The Shadow guards fanned out, surrounding Orochimaru and closing in on him from all sides. They moved in perfect synchronization, their movements fluid and graceful as they prepared to attack.

Orochimaru waited until they were within striking distance before he made his move. With lightning-fast reflexes, he unleashed a flurry of attacks, his body twisting and contorting as he dodged their strikes and landed powerful blows of his own. In this round of battle it clearly showed the battle prowess of a Sanin who had faught for more than 40 years.

Despite fighting tirelessly against Orochimaru, Eleventh's efforts had yielded no advantage. He realized that he needed to change his strategy and thus resorted to "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" technique. Meanwhile, Twelfth combined his "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique" with it, creating a potent combination that could rival even S-rank ninjutsu.





Orochimaru, however, was not one to be outdone so easily. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a giant serpent from the ground, its iridescent scales shimmering in the moonlight as it coiled around him, shielding him from the onslaught of their attacks. The intense flames incinerated the serpent to charred remains, but Orochimaru emerged relatively unscathed, despite receiving severe burns.



To their utter shock, they watched as two hands emerged from Orochimaru's mouth, slowly pulling the rest of his body out of his own mouth. It was the exclusive Orochimaru substitution jutsu, which allowed him to appear unharmed and make a clean escape.



The way in which you performed just now is quite amusing, Orochimaru thought to himself. He had been attempting to display his superiority over his opponents, but he was interrupted mid-speech by the sudden appearance of a sword through his heart. The pain was overwhelming and he was momentarily stunned. It was then that he noticed there were only four shadow guards in front of him, not the five he had seen moments before.

Realization dawned on Orochimaru - he had been caught in a genjutsu. Despite the fatal wound, he did not die. Instead, his neck elongated and he lashed out at the nearest shadow guard, his body transforming into that of a snake in an attempt to capture it. However, before he could do so, the shadow guard disappeared and reappeared among the others.

Using his Body Substitution Technique once more, Orochimaru managed to escape the deadly attack. However, it had cost him a large amount of chakra. He knew he couldn't continue to rely on this technique, as it consumed too much of his chakra.

Following that event, Orochimaru realized the gravity of the situation and ceased speaking nonsense. He unsheathed his sword and engaged in Kenjutsu combat, but despite his extensive battle experience, he found himself struggling to fend off the five shadow guards. The shadow guards utilized disappearing tactics and attacked Orochimaru from blind spots, making it increasingly challenging for him to counter their moves.

Initially, Orochimaru believed that the shadow guards had mastered space ninjutsu, but after a lengthy battle, he finally comprehended that they were using the shadows to travel. This revelation was unexpected, and Orochimaru's obsession with blood limits, especially Sharingan, intensified, as it allowed the shadow guards to effortlessly parry his attacks and inflict wounds.

Realizing that he needed to retreat, Orochimaru distanced himself from the shadow guards and employed his body replacement technique once again. However, this time he was panting slightly, indicating that the exertion from the prolonged battle was taking its toll on him.

As both sides prepared to resume their battle, they abruptly ceased their movements. Orochimaru spoke up, "It appears that we can only continue our battle some other day."

With that, Orochimaru used the "Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique," and vanished from sight. The shadow guards did not pursue Orochimaru, but instead disappeared into the darkness, leaving the area devoid of any presence of anyone.

Following the departure of both parties, a team of ninja arrived on the scene, led by the Fourth Kazekage, Rosa himself. Accompanying him were several Jonin and Anbu members. Upon arriving, they surveyed the area and discovered that everything within a radius of 50 meters had been destroyed.



The Anbu members began to search for clues regarding the battle that had taken place. After conducting their investigation, the captain of the Anbu team approached Rosa and reported, "Kazekage-sama, it appears that primarily earth and fire ninjutsu were used in the battle. We also discovered remains of a burned snake and a skin that closely resembled Orochimaru's Body Substitution Technique. Based on our findings, it seems that Orochimaru was engaged in a fight with someone proficient in fire style ninjutsu, and they both managed to escape before we arrived."

Rosa furrowed his brow and contemplated the gravity of the situation. "If it is indeed Orochimaru, then this is a matter of utmost seriousness. Alert everyone immediately and put the village on high alert. We cannot afford any disruptions during the Chunin exam," he ordered.

Rosa's tone turned stern as he continued, "This matter must not be allowed to spread beyond those who need to know. If word of this leaks, it will only cause panic and chaos and we cannot have any unwarranted panic or chaos during Chunin exam."

He looked directly at the captain of the Anbu team and emphasized, "Do you understand the gravity of this situation? We must act with extreme caution and ensure that everything is handled with the utmost care and secrecy."

Upon receiving Rosa's instructions, all those present at the scene responded affirmatively and immediately went to their designated positions. Each member knew the importance of their role in maintaining the safety and secrecy of the matter at hand, and they carried out their tasks with great diligence and focus.

The Anbu members dispersed to gather more intel and keep a close eye on any suspicious activities, while the Jonin began reinforcing the village's defenses and spreading the word among their teams.

Amidst all this, Rosa returned to his office.