Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 458 The Death of Orochimaru

The secret agents finally panicked, shouting, "Retreat! Retreat now!"

But Orochimaru wouldn't give them a chance to retreat.

"Snake Shadow Stealth!"

Several venomous snakes flew out from his sleeves, coiled around the ankles of a retreating ANBU, and dragged him back. The screaming ANBU was pulled into the darkness beneath Orochimaru's feet, and the screams quickly ceased.

The remaining members of the secret service scattered and fled, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Orochimaru didn't give chase. He turned around and looked at Yakushi Nonou and Kabuto, who were slumped on the ground. His smile faded and he became gentler.

"Yakushi Nonou, I've long admired your name."

Nono looked at him warily without saying a word.

"You don't need to be afraid." Orochimaru took a few steps closer. "I mean you no harm. It's just..."

Before he could finish speaking, two figures were rapidly approaching from the darkness in the distance.

One was deep blue, damp, and filled with intense killing intent. The other was pitch black, as if it wanted to blend into the night.

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an expression of surprise.

"Nagashinobu." Orochimaru murmured the name, a smile returning to his lips.

Changxin emerged from the darkness, his crimson eyes fixed on Yakushi Nonou. With a chilling excitement, he said, "Senior sister... I've finally found you."

Nonou's face turned completely pale. If being hunted by Konoha's Anbu was despair, then falling into Naganobu's hands was something even more terrifying than despair.

She knew her junior brother too well. His love was possessive, imprisoning, a cage from which he would never let go.

"Kabuto, run!" Nono used her last bit of strength to push Kabuto toward Orochimaru.

Changxin's gaze fell on the silver-haired boy, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This is your adopted son?"

Then, his face showed undisguised disgust and loathing; he wished he could peel off his skin and paint it into a picture.

Nonou stood in front of Kabuto, looking up at Orochimaru: "Lord Orochimaru, I beg you to protect my child."

"Nagashi," Orochimaru chuckled, "your senior sister doesn't seem willing to go with you."

Nagatoshi shifted his gaze from Kabuto to Orochimaru, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Orochimaru, this is none of your business."

"This land is mine." Orochimaru stood his ground. "What happens on my land is my business."

The two stared at each other, and the air seemed to freeze.

The next second, the two of them moved at the same time.

Changxin made the first move, drawing a picture in the air with his brush. It turned out to be a picture of a tailed beast, and the ink he used was the Nine-Tails' chakra, which he had obtained from who-knows-where.

Soon, the drawing paper was laid on his body and transformed into a tailed beast cloak. Sharp bone claws extended from his fingertips, and the crimson tailed beast cloak wrapped around his body. A violent wave of chakra spread out in all directions from him, causing the surrounding trees to bend and sway.

Instead of retreating, Orochimaru advanced, forming hand seals: "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Several enormous pythons flew out from his sleeves and coiled around Changxin, who had transformed into a half-tailed beast.

Changxin snorted coldly, and with a wave of his bone claw, several pythons were cut in half at the waist, blood splattering everywhere.

But more pythons kept emerging from Orochimaru's sleeves, wrapping around his limbs and trying to restrict his movements.

"This thing dares to stop me?" Changxin exerted his power, shattering all the pythons coiled around his body.

He flashed and appeared in front of Orochimaru, his bone claws aimed straight for Orochimaru's throat.

The Kusanagi sword was drawn, blocking the bone claw.

Sword and claw clashed, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound. Orochimaru's long hair was whipped back by the chakra storm, but his face remained calm.

"As expected of the power of a tailed beast..." he murmured, but his body suddenly twisted and slid like a snake, moving from the front of Nagashin to his side.

The Kusanagi sword thrust out, aiming straight for Nagatoshi's back.

Although Changxin's body was partially transformed into a tailed beast, his senses remained undiminished. He suddenly turned around and grabbed the blade of the Kusanagi sword.

Blood dripped from between his fingers, but he seemed to feel no pain. Instead, he pulled hard, dragging Orochimaru toward himself.

The bone claw of his other hand stabbed towards Orochimaru's abdomen.

Just as the bone claw was about to pierce Orochimaru, Orochimaru's mouth suddenly opened, and a wet hand emerged, followed by another hand, and then his entire body—"Orochimaru Style: Substitution Technique!"

Orochimaru crawled out of his own mouth, completely unharmed, while the body he had abandoned hung limply on Nagashin's bone claws, like a piece of clothing that had been taken off.

Changxin flung away the discarded body, his blood-red eyes fixed on the re-formed Orochimaru.

"Is all you can do to hide?"

Orochimaru wiped his mouth and smiled: "That's called strategy, not hiding."

His gaze passed over the long letter and fell on another lone figure approaching from afar. Kisame Hoshigaki, carrying the Samehada sword, was walking towards them at a leisurely pace.

When it's two against one, the situation isn't looking good.

Orochimaru quickly made a plan in his mind.

Changxin's strength far exceeded his expectations. With Kisame added to the mix, even if he didn't die, it would be difficult for him to protect Yakushi Nonou and Kabuto.

Just then, Kisame Hoshigaki made his move.

He raised his hands to form a hand seal, "Water Release: Water Dragon Bite!"

This is his improved version of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, which has higher chakra efficiency than the version by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, without diminishing its power.

A giant water dragon rose from the ground, opened its huge mouth, and bit Orochimaru.

Orochimaru dodged, and the Water Dragon Bite missed, crashing into the ground and creating a crater several meters deep. Mud and water splashed everywhere, soaking everything around it.

"As expected of Kisame Hoshigaki." Orochimaru's voice came from the darkness. "Your Water Release techniques have already reached Tobirama's level back then."

Kisame, carrying Samehada, grinned: "Thanks for the compliment. But I haven't used my full strength yet."

He formed hand seals again, "Water Release: Heavenly Water Cage!"

A massive wall of water rose from the ground, surrounding Orochimaru and blocking his escape route.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Changxin rushed forward, his bone claws sweeping across and tearing Orochimaru's robes, leaving three deep, bone-revealing wounds on his chest.

Orochimaru staggered backward, looking down at the wound on his chest, his brows furrowing slightly.

"What a barbaric way of fighting..." His body suddenly froze.

The long-handled bone claw pierced his chest.

Blood gushed from Orochimaru's mouth. He looked at the blood-stained arm on his chest, but there was no pain or fear in his golden vertical pupils, only extreme indifference.

"That was a good shot."

His voice grew softer and softer as he leaned forward.

died!