He unleashed "Fūton: Devastating Hurricane," a howling storm that slammed Makima into a column, cracking her back.
She gasped, blood dripping from her mouth, but she got up, her eyes injected with rage. He's starting to piss me off. She charged, faster than ever, her fists and feet flying in a storm of blows. She broke his nose, shattered his cheekbone, and slammed a knee into his stomach, making him vomit blood.
But Orochimaru countered with "Suiton: Raging Wave." A massive wave, bristling with liquid fangs, crashed into her. Makima tried to block it with a telekinetic wall, but the force overwhelmed her, tearing her torso and legs.
She collapsed to her knees, panting, her body screaming in pain. Orochimaru advanced, his broken Kusanagi still in hand. "Is that all?" he sneered, raising the blade.
Makima looked up, a smirk on her lips. "No, bastard." She rose, sacrificing her right hand to block a Kusanagi strike. The blade sliced cleanly, severing her arm with a bloody SCHLACK!
But she ignored the pain, her left fist slamming into Orochimaru's sternum with devastating telekinetic force. CRUNCH! His chest caved in, blood spurting from his mouth as he collapsed, eyes wide.
Makima grabbed him by the throat, lifting him like an empty sack. Her eyes, injected with blood, burned with hatred. "You're inferior, snake. You'll obey me, or I'll rip your throat out." Her voice was a primal growl, and she activated her control power, the one that hadn't yet weakened.
An overwhelming mental pressure invaded Orochimaru, shattering his will like glass. His yellow eyes, so arrogant, became empty, soulless.
"Okay..." he whispered, his voice broken, barely audible.
Makima clenched her teeth, her blood dripping onto the ground, and sent him flying with a brutal blow. He crashed into a wall, unconscious, a disjointed puppet.
She stumbled, her vision darkening from blood loss. Her severed hand pulsed with pain, but she chuckled weakly. He's mine, now.
***
Konoha ninjas burst into the clearing where Yamato and the Anbu had been killed, the air reeking of blood and burnt earth. Shikamaru, leading the group, stopped short, his eyes scanning the Anbu bodies—limbs torn off, torsos opened, faces unrecognizable.
"Fuck," he muttered, clenching his teeth so hard his jaws cracked. "It's a massacre. Yamato... damn, what killed him like that?"
Rock Lee, just behind, closed his eyes, his fist trembling. "This violence... it's not human," he whispered, before advancing toward Orochimaru's cave entrance.
The mist inside clung to his skin, and he squinted, spotting a figure slumped against a wall. "There! A survivor!" he cried, distinguishing a mop of red hair. It was Karin, barely conscious, blood dripping from her mouth, her clothes in tatters. "Quick, medics!"
Sakura sprinted inside, her gaze falling on Karin before landing on Sasuke, who was advancing, his Sharingan activated. She ran to his side, her heart pounding.
"Sasuke, she's alive, but badly hurt," she said, already assessing Karin's injuries. "Fractures, hemorrhage... we need to stabilize her now."
Sasuke crouched beside Karin, his face closed. "We're taking her back to Konoha," he growled, his voice low but sharp. "Her life is valuable. She knows what happened here. Why Makima attacked Orochimaru."
He looked up, staring at the cave as if it could answer. "That madwoman left a massacre, but Karin will talk. She has no choice."
Shikamaru nodded, lighting a cigarette despite the smell of death. "Yeah, but we gotta be careful. If Makima did this, she's not just strong—she's insane."
***
Two days after breaking Orochimaru, Makima was in her office in Kumogakure, an austere space lit by harsh light. The stone walls still bore the marks of the chaos she had unleashed to seize power.
She sat behind a massive desk, her right stump bandaged where her arm had been severed, a dull pain pulsing under the bandages.
Before her, Orochimaru stood, his gaze empty but his twisted smile still there, a sign he was her puppet, subdued by her mental control. Despite that, he retained an aura of a serpent ready to bite if she loosened the leash.
Makima tapped her fingers on the desk, her golden eyes narrowing. "It won't be long before they attack Orochimaru. The shinobi world will come down on me like a pack of dogs. I messed up by striking too hard, too fast." Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of bitterness in it.
'I underestimated their power or rather overestimated my strength,' she thought, revisiting the carnage in the cave.
Orochimaru nodded, his black hair falling over his pale face.
"You're right, Makima. You should have played the manipulation game, stayed in the shadows. Now, you've got a big target on your back. There's a chance you'll die." He spoke without filter, his tone almost amused, but his eyes remained those of a slave.
Makima waved him off with a sharp gesture that cracked the air. "Shut up with your lessons. When are you going to make me a new arm to replace this mess?" She raised her stump, the pain wrenching a grimace from her. Damn, it sucks to depend on him.
Orochimaru tilted his head, his lips stretching. "I need materials, genes, seals, raw chakra I have in my other bases. But I can make something... interesting. Got any specific ideas?" He crossed his arms, his fingers tapping as if already imagining twisted experiments.