Orochimaru silently severed the heads of several mercenaries, blood spurting as he gazed into their lifeless eyes. Orochimaru remained calm amidst the chaos.
Such is the life of a ninja, bound by their destiny.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had witnessed this scene countless times, yet it still disgusted them. This was the real world, not a manga where one could become a Hokage without taking lives!
Orochimaru sealed these heads in a scroll, and Jiraiya eagerly burned the corpses with a fire jutsu.
The billowing black smoke rose into the sky, and Nanmu wanted to say something but held his tongue.
Mucheng also woke up, aware of Orochimaru's "remarkable achievements." He was left speechless, filled with envy and shame.
While Jiraiya and Tsunade attended to the two Chunin, Orochimaru took the lead. As the strongest among them, it was an unspoken agreement.
Dianan, the timid girl, trailed behind alone, responsible for guarding the rear.
Despite some casualties during the mission, the Sannin performed exceptionally well. For them, it was a resounding success. Orochimaru began reflecting on the battle they had just experienced. They were quite close to the Land of Water and estimated it would take three or four days to return.
Although Orochimaru had previously killed a Chunin, it was still a battle. However, this time, the two ninjas Orochimaru dispatched could be described as slaughter. Regardless of the Chunin's skills, they had no chance to fight back. Orochimaru now believed that his regular combat prowess was on par with a Jōnin.
Orochimaru's trump card was his immense mental power and the sneak attacks with the Kusanagi sword. The technique of snake summoning was just the beginning.
Nevertheless, Orochimaru wasn't ready to showcase the Kusanagi sword's stealth effect just yet.
Regarding his mental power, Orochimaru encountered a significant challenge when dealing with the second-in-command named Crow. His mental power proved formidable in defending against illusions, surpassing the level of strategic planning or Sharingan techniques. Shaking his will was nearly impossible.
However, using that power for offense proved to be more challenging. Firstly, Orochimaru was not yet proficient in illusions, given his limited training time and lack of a bloodline limit. Sarutobi had yet to teach him.
Secondly, his body wasn't sufficiently strong to handle an excessive amount of power; otherwise, his brain might explode.
Therefore, aside from increasing his physical strength, Orochimaru needed to learn illusions. Illusions were like slingshots, amplifying the damage caused by mental power. The Sharingan was akin to a slingshot that used metal and more potent projectiles, while the Mangekyou Sharingan was like a gun.
At present, Orochimaru couldn't fully utilize his strength, akin to a powerful man with his fists wrapped in cotton—able to fight but weak when it came to counterattacks.
However, Orochimaru possessed an advantage. Even if a ninja skilled in defending against illusions faced an overwhelming attack of pure mental power, they would be left in a dazed state for a certain period. Orochimaru's foundation was exceptional!
Yet, when it came to physical strength, he had to rely on personal training. The talent of the White-Scaled Snake was a promising asset for the future.
The Naruto world was a paradoxical one. Ninjas within it possessed incredible power, capable of leveling entire cities with a single jutsu. Their destructive capabilities were awe-inspiring, but their bodies remained fragile. Most ninjas could be defeated with a mere touch, especially when caught off guard. It was even said that the Fourth Kazekage was slain by Orochimaru's blade. Even the existence of Uchiha Madara, though formidable, left their defenses vulnerable, shocking many.
