"Golden Sand Surge!"
Rasa roared as he maneuvered his golden platform through the air, dodging the swarming serpents conjured by Orochimaru. At the same time, he controlled the golden sand on the ground, sending waves of it surging toward his opponent.
"Your golden sand isn't refined enough," Orochimaru sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Its range and density are far inferior to that of the golden sand kid from your village..."
Wielding the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru's blade flashed twice, effortlessly dispersing the towering golden sand waves on either side of him.
Rasa's face remained grim and silent, but he secretly increased the amount of Chakra flowing through his body.
Halting his golden platform several dozen meters away, Rasa swiftly formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground.
Boom!
The sandy surface ahead transformed into a thick layer of golden sand. A river of shimmering golden grains surged forward, rushing toward Orochimaru in a formation that hinted at encirclement.
Seeing this, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. After licking the blade of the Kusanagi Sword with his tongue, his figure abruptly vanished.
"Hmm?!"
Rasa's hands remained pressed to the ground, but his expression shifted to one of alarm and dread.
In his sensory perception, Orochimaru's presence had completely disappeared.
Glancing around warily, a chill suddenly crept up Rasa's spine, as though the cold edge of a blade were pressing against his neck.
In an instant, his face contorted in shock. Fortunately, he retained enough presence of mind to stomp the ground with his foot, propelling himself into the air.
Just as Rasa leaped off the ground, a flash of cold light erupted from below, stabbing directly toward his throat.
Reacting on instinct, Rasa tilted his head back slightly, causing the Kusanagi Sword to miss its mark. Instead, the blade sliced across his chest and abdomen, leaving a shallow, bleeding wound.
Overwhelmed by anger and fear, Rasa barely registered the pain. He only felt the icy sting of the blade grazing his skin.
"Ha!"
Orochimaru, now airborne as well, wore a twisted, maniacal grin. A bloodthirsty gleam shone in his eyes.
Long before his encounter with Sōmi, Orochimaru had honed his mastery of Earth Release, enabling him to analyze and bypass the structure of golden sand. Compared to Sōmi's highly refined golden sand, Rasa's was significantly less dense and resilient.
Thus, even with a layer of golden sand as a barrier, Orochimaru had easily concealed his presence underground using Earth Release.
From their initial clash, Orochimaru had already discerned that this Magnet Release user was far less capable than Sōmi. Whether it was the quantity of golden sand he could summon or his control over it, Rasa was clearly a tier below.
More importantly, Sōmi, armed with the Starfall Rod, had managed to hold his own against Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword in their previous battle.
But this man? Empty-handed and relying solely on golden sand ninjutsu from a distance?
Against the gleaming, razor-sharp Kusanagi Sword, mere flesh and blood were utterly defenseless.
As Orochimaru soared through the air, he swung the Kusanagi Sword toward Rasa's waist. In his golden eyes, he could already envision Rasa's body splitting in two, blood spraying into the air as his opponent collapsed to the ground in agony.
However, something unexpected occurred.
With a sharp whoosh, the Kusanagi Sword slashed through empty air, leaving behind only a faint white streak. Rasa's figure vanished.
Crackle!
Before Orochimaru could react, several head-sized, pale purple lightning spheres hurtled toward him.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply. Despite being mid-air, his body displayed extraordinary flexibility. Twisting and contorting, he swung the Kusanagi Sword in a spinning motion, slicing through the incoming lightning spheres with precision.
Each sphere exploded with a loud bang as it was struck, scattering sparks in all directions.
When Orochimaru finally landed, he noticed that he was no longer facing Rasa alone.
Standing before him, besides Rasa and Sōmi, was a delicate-looking young man with fiery red hair. Floating in the air to the young man's left was a tall humanoid puppet.
The puppet's arms each held a bifurcated short blade attached to its body, giving it an integrated and menacing appearance.
To an experienced shinobi from Kirigakure, the puppet's dark gray body and black cloak would have resembled Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
And upon noticing the short blades in the puppet's arms, there would be no doubt: this was Raiga Kurosuki, wielding the Lightning Blades: Kiba, one of the Seven Swords of the Mist.
However, Orochimaru, having had limited interactions with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, did not immediately make the connection. He vaguely felt a sense of familiarity but dismissed it. After all, Raiga's appearance had been drastically altered after being converted into a puppet, with only his facial features remaining somewhat recognizable.
"...Orochimaru..."
The red-haired young man, Scorpion, muttered the name softly. His usually indifferent eyes now burned with intense desire and excitement.
This sudden display of emotion left Orochimaru puzzled. He was certain that he had never met this red-haired Sunagakure ninja before, and there was no apparent grudge between them.
"Scorpion! Calm down!"
Sōmi, who was tending to Rasa's injuries, called out a warning. Facing a formidable opponent, excessive excitement could be a dangerous liability.
Rasa's chest bore a deep, narrow wound that continued to bleed, soaking his clothes.
Sōmi's hands glowed with green light as he pressed them against Rasa's injury.
"Senior, the wound isn't serious. Don't worry," Sōmi reassured him gently.
"Cough... I'm sorry. Who would've thought that I, as your senior, would need to be rescued by you..." Rasa's expression was dazed, still shaken from his brush with death.
He had intended to showcase his skills and overshadow Sōmi, only to nearly lose his life in the process.
"It's fine. We're all fighting for the village," Sōmi replied with a warm smile.
Fortunately, Orochimaru hadn't coated the Kusanagi Sword with poison, so Rasa's injury, though severe, wasn't life-threatening.
Within moments, Sōmi stood up, having stabilized Rasa's condition.
"Where's the Kazekage?"
"Lord Kazekage has taken the troops to attack Kikyō Mountain!"
Hearing this, Sōmi glanced toward the distant mountain peak. Flocks of birds were flying away, as though fleeing the danger hidden beneath the verdant canopy.
Not spotting the Kazekage, Sōmi felt a vague sense of unease.
But for now, dealing with Orochimaru was the top priority!
"Senior, go assist the Kazekage. Leave Orochimaru to Scorpion and me!"
Gripping the Starfall Rod tightly, Sōmi left these words behind and turned his attention fully to Orochimaru, no longer concerning himself with Rasa.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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