The Eight-Headed Serpent?
"I remember you using the Eight-Headed Serpent Technique, and you also wield the Kusanagi Sword, which is said to be one of the treasures from the body of the legendary serpent," Jiraiya remarked.
Orochimaru nodded without hesitation. "That's right. I happened to come across a shed skin from the Eight-Headed Serpent long ago and managed to harness some of its power."
So he planned to devour the original owner of that power outright? That was so typical of a snake.
Orochimaru and the White Snake Sage really were two of a kind.
Without further conversation, the three quickly made their way toward the outer seas of the Land of Lightning.
As for Sasuke and Kimimaro, Deidara had sent them back to Tengakure Village using one of his clones.
Speaking of the outer seas of the Land of Lightning, the last time Deidara had been there was right after he crossed over into this world. Back then, he and Sasori had hunted the mutated giant turtle, only to accidentally run into Killer Bee, resulting in an unexpected battle.
Even then, Deidara had found it odd—since the ninja world was an actual planet, shouldn't some ninja have attempted a global journey by now?
Something like that should have been discovered long ago.
But the truth was far more terrifying than expected.
After a full day of travel, the three arrived at a remote part of the sea, not far from the seal that Kaguya Otsutsuki had once placed.
Suddenly!
Before they could even get their footing, an enormous, mountain-like figure seemed to force its way out of the void itself.
It was entirely snow-white, with eight ferocious snake heads, each covered in scales—signs that it was on the verge of transforming into a dragon.
The Eight-Headed Serpent let out a deafening roar, its heads writhing as it bellowed, its voice thundering like a storm: "Damn you, Otsutsuki! I am finally free!"
"I am finally free!"
Perhaps it had been sealed for too long because merely roaring wasn't enough. It lashed its tail violently, causing its eight heads to dive into the sea.
SPLASH!
As it thrashed through the water, the ocean churned violently. When it suddenly surged out again, the cascading waves resembled a tsunami.
"Oh? Three weak little humans?" One of its massive heads loomed over Deidara and his companions, each of its eight heads examining them from different angles.
Then, one head focused on Orochimaru. "One of you has even absorbed some of my power."
"The Kusanagi Sword is often summoned—so you must be its wielder."
"Perfect. I'm feeling a little hungry. The three of you will make a fine snack!"
Deidara almost wanted to retort that, given their size, they wouldn't even be enough to get stuck between its teeth.
But Jiraiya and Orochimaru clearly weren't in the mood for jokes. They had already shifted into battle stance, ready to fight at a moment's notice.
"Sage Art: Majestic Fire Annihilation!"
Jiraiya opened with a devastating Fire Release jutsu. The scorching flames spread rapidly, covering the entire expanse of ocean within sight.
Needless to say, the Eight-Headed Serpent was caught off guard. It hadn't expected a random attacker to be this powerful.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
It plunged its tail into the water, whipping up massive waves to douse the flames. While Jiraiya's Sage Art-enhanced Fire Release was formidable, the endless ocean provided an unfavorable battleground.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Orochimaru made his move.
By this point, his mastery of Wood Release had become quite formidable. However, in front of the Eight-Headed Serpent, even a technique capable of restraining tailed beasts looked like nothing more than a slightly longer earthworm.
"The power of Asura... My power's inheritor... How exhilarating!" The Eight-Headed Serpent's eyes gleamed with excitement. It had been suppressed by the Otsutsuki for so long—what it craved most was their power.
One of its monstrous heads lunged toward Orochimaru with terrifying speed, jaws wide open.
"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!" Orochimaru used his Wood Release to create a brief opening and dodged the attack just in time.
But what happened next was unexpected. The snakehead didn't appear frustrated at missing its target. Instead, its mouth opened wide—and a familiar long blade extended outward.
The Kusanagi Sword!
Orochimaru was skewered through the chest before he could react, clearly never expecting to fall victim to his own technique.
"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya roared, leaping forward. "Sage Art: Giant Rasengan!"
The massive spiraling sphere smashed into one of the serpent's heads, dealing significant damage. The head recoiled in pain, forcing it to withdraw momentarily.
Crack! Crack!
A fresh, rejuvenated Orochimaru crawled out of his old body, looking thoroughly displeased at his previous humiliation.
"Deidara! What are you waiting for? Get moving!"
"Relax... I'm already... working on it," Deidara mumbled, his mouth already chewing. Preparing a C4-level explosive required time.
Against a Six Paths-level opponent like the Eight-Headed Serpent, anything weaker than a C4 was basically useless.
Clang!
One of the serpent's heads swung sideways, its mouth still clutching a long Kusanagi Sword, forcing Deidara and the others to leap high into the air.
But this was its real objective—three of its heads lunged simultaneously at them midair, while the other four were coiled and ready to strike at any moment.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Barrage!" Jiraiya transformed into a bristling porcupine, shielding both himself and Orochimaru.
As for Deidara, he tossed out a C3, using its flexible form to maneuver around the Eight-Headed Serpent in midair.
"Jiraiya-sama! Hurry up... and give me some support!" Deidara's muffled voice called out.
The Eight-Headed Serpent had eight heads—there was no way he could evade forever.
"Leave it to me!"
"Sage Art: Clay Rain!"
A massive rift opened in the sky, and reddish-brown clay rained down, coating the serpent's body. The heavy, sticky substance slowed its movements considerably.
"Now to roast it!"
"Sage Art: Dragon Flame Bomb!" Eight massive, blazing dragons surged toward the serpent's eight heads.
ROAR!
The heated clay stuck to its body, burning into its flesh, causing the Eight-Headed Serpent to wail in agony.
"Damn humans! Die!" It became even more frenzied, five of its heads launching an all-out assault on Jiraiya.
He was beginning to struggle. "Deidara, is your so-called art ready yet?!"
"All set!" Deidara's voice became clear once again as he held a palm-sized clay sea monster in his hands.
The creature resembled a whale but had numerous writhing tentacles. Its body was covered in hardened scales, and beneath its appendages were countless barbed spikes.
"Isn't that the same monster from last time?" Jiraiya asked, surprised but also slightly worried.
Would this one be stronger than the previous dragon?
Deidara tossed the clay sea monster into the water. The moment it touched the surface, it expanded exponentially, growing to a size that could rival the Eight-Headed Serpent itself.
"Relax."
"This is my latest masterpiece."
"C4: Enhanced Leviathan!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (241 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)