Chapter 170: The Haunting Absolute Justice! Orochimaru Panics

Minutes earlier, deep within the forest, branches sliced through the pale moonlight, their shadows warped and trembling under the flickering glow of lava and fire.

Orochimaru’s silhouette darted through the trees like a phantom, golden vertical pupils gleaming with cold urgency in the dimness.

“Fighting a Leaf Village brat… and still forced to flee… Hoho… what a disgrace,” he muttered to himself, voice raspy and low, a twisted smirk twisting his face.

To buy time, he didn’t hesitate—hands flashing through seals.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of puffs of Shiro smoke erupted, and dozens of identical Orochimarus—eyes sharp with malice—appeared behind him, splitting like a swarm of serpents. Without pause, they scattered in every direction, even fleeing away from the real Orochimaru.

Each clone moved with relentless speed.

One hurled poisoned senbon into the air, scattering them like a deadly rain.

Another carved explosive tags onto tree trunks and boulders with lightning speed.

A third tore open a scroll, summoning hissing swarms of venomous snakes that coiled across the path ahead—

The entire forest had become a vast, deadly trap. Every corner now bristled with hidden death.

If an ordinary ninja stepped into this web, they’d be dead before they could blink.

But Orochimaru’s traps weren’t meant to kill. They were only meant to delay Uchiha Iizumi.

Because he knew—these traps couldn’t kill the boy.

“Ten minutes… no, maybe just eight,” Orochimaru licked his cracked, dry lips, his lungs burning.

“Once I’ve put enough distance between us… he’ll never catch me.”

A wave of fury and humiliation surged through him.

He’d thought his preparations were enough to subdue—perhaps even capture—this prodigious container.

But Uchiha Iizumi’s power had surpassed even his worst fears.

“Hoho… I underestimated him… completely misjudged his growth,” he whispered, the bitter taste of failure thick in his throat.

The memory clawed at him—years ago, when he’d tried to claim those divine eyes, only to be crushed by the Rinnegan’s overwhelming might.

The same cold, relentless power.

The same fanatical mind.

Justice…

The boy was like the leader of Akatsuki—unyielding, extreme, beyond reason.

“Hoho… Perfect. Let Akatsuki fight him. Let them tear each other apart. Whoever wins, I’ll still be the one waiting in the shadows.”

“Uchiha Iizumi’s corpse will still end up in my hands—just a small cost to pay.”

“And if the brat survives… Akatsuki will be crippled. That’s even better. A golden chance to break free from their control.”

Either way—he couldn’t lose.

Even now, battered and desperate, Orochimaru still felt he was winning.

He dared to believe that Uchiha Iizumi’s future would be even more miserable than his own.

Then—

Whizz—!!

A piercing, ear-splitting crack of air exploded from directly behind him!

A deathly warning stabbed down his spine like an ice spear.

His body—restructured countless times—reacted in a fraction of a second, bending backward like a snake, spine liquefying, head snapping back at a grotesque angle.

The next instant, a visible half-transparent Wind Blade screamed past—so close it shaved the tip of his nose and whipped through his black hair.

It slammed into the forest ahead—crack-crack-crack-crack!

Like a hot knife through butter, dozens of ancient trees—wide enough for a dozen men to embrace—were severed clean in half. The stumps were smooth, mirror-like.

The upper trunks groaned and crashed down, shaking the earth.

“That’s… Wind Slash Technique?” Orochimaru’s sweat poured down his face.

But the danger didn’t end.

It tightened—a cold, suffocating killing intent, like a parasite clinging to his back.

No hesitation.

His wrist snapped—Kusanagi Sword was back in hand.

He didn’t even turn fully, relying on instinct alone. Chakra flooded into the blade, and in an instant, the edge was sheathed in razor-sharp Wind Release energy.

A chilling arc of light flared in the dark.

Pfft!

A dull, wet sound—steel slicing through flesh.

The sword had severed the neck of the figure behind him.

Uchiha Iizumi’s head—half off—tumbled to the ground.

But no blood sprayed.

No gushing wound.

Instead, the severed neck oozed thick, crimson, viscous liquid—like molten lava—spilling and dripping.

The heat was so intense it ignited the grass instantly. Even the soil caught fire beneath it.

Orochimaru’s pupils contracted.

Alarm bells screamed in his mind.

The next instant, a monstrous fist—made of pure lava, larger than a human head—was already blazing toward him in his vision.

The air warped from the heat. He could see his own hair curling and blackening.

“Sssss—!”

A guttural, inhuman scream tore from his throat.

He dropped low—his body twisting in a way no human should—just barely avoiding the molten punch.

At the same time, his neck snapped back like rubber, then twisted with snake-like precision, looping around Uchiha Iizumi’s lava-limbed arm.

His jaws snapped shut—teeth sinking into what looked like a fragile neck.

Sssssss—!

No flesh. No bone.

Only the sound of a red-hot iron pressed onto ice.

A searing, soul-crushing heat flooded his mouth, throat, and jaw—burning through nerves, carbonizing tissue in an instant.

He didn’t even feel the pain.

His tongue, gums, throat—gone.

What remained of his lower face crumbled like burnt charcoal.

But in that split second—Orochimaru had succeeded.

Thousands of writhing, black Cursed Marks surged from the bite site—like ink spreading in water—crawling up Uchiha Iizumi’s lava body.

“Got him!” A cruel, triumphant grin flickered across Orochimaru’s face.

He yanked back his ruined head—and slashed Kusanagi across his own throat.

A geyser of blood erupted—painting the dead leaves crimson.

But from the wound, a new head forced its way out—slick with mucus and blood.

Wet hair clung to pale, lifeless skin.

Orochimaru inhaled deeply—the scorching, sulfur-laden air—his new golden eyes fixed on the motionless Uchiha Iizumi.

“Hoho… Incredible speed… and perception,” he gasped, voice trembling but chilling.

“Never thought the First and Second Hokage—Undead Resurrection—would be so pathetic before you… Even my Shadow Clone distraction failed. You locked onto my true form in an instant.”

“Clearly, my technique is still far from perfected. I couldn’t even replicate a tenth of their peak power. If I had… I could’ve held you for half an hour. Maybe even… killed you.”

He licked his new lips.

“But you made a mistake… you were careless.”

Then—

His words stopped.

Like a hand had closed around his throat.

His golden eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Before him—Uchiha Iizumi’s lava body melted.

Like wax in fire, it began to drip and collapse.

The cursed marks—the black lava—separated from the core, falling like molten slag.

Plop.

A pool of hissing, black lava hit the ground.

And the real Uchiha Iizumi stood there—whole, unmarked, his lava body pristine.

No trace of the Cursed Mark.

Elemental Dispersal?

Had he deliberately shed the cursed lava—along with the curse itself?

“Damn it!”

Orochimaru’s mind reeled.

This boy’s mastery of his Bloodline Limit was beyond comprehension.

Physical attacks? Useless.

Cursed Mark? Expelled.

What was his weakness?

Was there only one way to defeat him—overwhelming force?

The rising panic forced a decision.

Kusanagi’s tip snapped toward Uchiha Iizumi—like a snake’s tongue.

Shhhhk!

The blade became a silver streak—faster than sight—piercing the chest of the newly formed Uchiha Iizumi.

Lava spilled.

No real damage.

Just a feint.

Orochimaru’s hands were already weaving seals—complex, rapid, terrifying.

“Ninpo: Snake Swallow Technique!”

The ground shuddered.

A massive, tooth-studded maw burst from the earth—big enough to swallow a house.

Foul wind, thick with saliva, hit Orochimaru’s face. The drool hissed as it burned the soil.

The jaws slammed shut—engulfing Uchiha Iizumi, soil, stones, everything.

The serpent’s belly swelled violently.

Inside—gurgling, acidic digestion began.

But it lasted less than a second.

BANG!

A volcanic explosion erupted from within.

Lava, red-hot and violent, tore through the snake’s hide—blasting it into charred fragments.

Amidst fire and smoke, Uchiha Iizumi stood—unharmed.

His eyes—icy, like eternal winter—cut through the haze.

The murderous intent in them was tangible.

Orochimaru flinched—reflexively turning away.

He couldn’t meet those eyes.

Not for a single second.

Kusanagi trembled in his grip.

With each step Uchiha Iizumi took—lava dripping with every footfall—Orochimaru retreated.

Each step crushed the mud, mixed with the blood of summoned beasts.

“Tch!”

Realizing the danger, Orochimaru yanked out several scrolls and threw them forward.

They unfurled mid-air.

He slammed his palms together.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Five massive puffs of Shiro smoke—then five menacing, metallic missiles, tails blazing with fire, appeared in midair.

Orochimaru’s toys—high-tech, top-tier for the Ninja World.

They adjusted mid-flight—locking on with a high-pitched whine.

Then—like arrows from hell—they shot toward Uchiha Iizumi.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A chain of explosions—devastating, blinding.

The blast consumed the area—flames soaring into the sky.

Shockwaves ripped through the forest, uprooting trees.

The heat, the debris, the wind—a storm of destruction.

Even Orochimaru—far away—had to raise his arm, staggering back.

Smoke and fire obscured everything.

“Hoho… Uchiha Iizumi…” Orochimaru gasped, hair wild, clothes torn, more disheveled than ever.

He stared into the inferno.

“Think you’re alone?” he hissed, voice raw.

“Out here… in the shadows of the Ninja World… so many want you dead. Can you survive the hunt? Akatsuki… they’re after you too.”

He spoke bravely—but without pause—bit his thumb, drawing blood.

He grabbed a Summoning Scroll—opened it—pressed his bloody thumb to the center.

“And besides… you can’t hold me in Root!”

He tossed the scroll—slapped his hands together.

“Ninpo: Reverse Summoning Technique!”

…

Meanwhile, deep within the sacred Ryūjidō, a massive purple serpent, curled upon a stone throne, opened its cruel, cold eyes.

A bond—across space—flared.

It felt Orochimaru’s call.

But not a request for help.

A plea for rescue.

“Sssss… Orochimaru?”

The serpent’s voice—low, greedy, like thunder—echoed in his mind.

“Want me to save you? One hundred sacrifices won’t do. To pull you here… five hundred. Alive. Under thirty years old. One short… and I’ll devour you myself.”

“…Greedy, as always,” Orochimaru’s eyelid twitched.

Five hundred living people? He’d have to do it himself—his men were all dead.

“…Deal,” he growled.

…

In Ryūjidō, Tenja hissed—a satisfied sound.

It bit its own thick tongue, blood pouring onto the stone.

The blood drew a massive reverse summoning seal.

The Ryūjidō seal connected with Orochimaru’s scroll.

But then—

Whizz—

A golden chain, slicing the air, lanced toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru’s instincts screamed.

Too late.

Pfft!

The chain pierced his left shoulder—like hot steel through tofu.

He grunted in pain.

“That’s…” A cold dread filled him.

“Uzumaki Clan Sealing Technique?!”

He tried to cut his shoulder with Kusanagi—but it was too late.

He barely raised his hand—

Boom!

A puff of Shiro smoke engulfed him.

When it cleared—

Nothing.

Orochimaru was gone.

The golden chain—vanished.

But Orochimaru didn’t know…

The chain’s other end—Uchiha Iizumi—had disappeared with him.

…

Ryūjidō.

The air was thick, sticky—suffocating with centuries of serpent shed, and a faint, natural poison mist.

“Huff… huff…”

The foul, humid air—like icy water—flooded Orochimaru’s heaving chest.

He knelt on Tenja’s cold stone throne, one hand clutching his bleeding shoulder, the other pushing against the slimy ground.

He panted, breathless, unhinged.

Sweat and blood dripped from his ashen face—onto the slick rock.

“Hoho… finally… free of that Justice lunatic…”

In Orochimaru’s mind, Uchiha Iizumi had gone from “Justice kid” to “Justice lunatic”.

A wave of relief washed over him. His nerves—taut to breaking—could finally unravel.

He inhaled—desperately—even if the air was poison.

It meant safety.

“Hoho…” He forced a twisted, weary grin.

“Today… I showed too much. Next time… he won’t be so easy. Assuming he lives through Akatsuki’s endless hunt.”

Orochimaru’s “easy” had cost him two transformations, massive chakra, countless clones, elaborate traps—and now, a shoulder wound.

Anyone else would be dead.

“Orochimaru.”

A voice—like thunder rolling from above—crashed down.

Cold, mocking, greedy.

“Hoho… never thought I’d see you like this—like a dog returning to its den.”

Tenja’s massive purple head lowered—its cold, vertical eyes locking onto the tiny Orochimaru.

“Remember—five hundred live sacrifices. No exceptions. And must be…”

Then—

The serpent’s voice cut off.

Its head froze.

Its eyes slit—dangerously narrow.

Because a new presence—alien, burning with destructive heat—had invaded Tenja’s domain.

Like a red-hot iron plunged into ice.

Its gaze slammed past Orochimaru—fixing on a spot in the shadows.

“Orochimaru!” Tenja’s voice sharpened, snarling.

“Who did you bring?! Who is this brat?! How did he get into Ryūjidō?!”

The voice—like a dagger—pierced Orochimaru’s relief.

And then—

He realized.

The stench of sulfur—the one that should’ve faded—hadn’t gone.

It clung to him. Thick. Unyielding.

A chill—icy, soul-freezing—raced up his spine.

He looked down.

The golden chain—through his shoulder—was still there.

And its other end—reaching…

He turned.

In the shadows—

A figure stood.

Like a demon risen from molten hell.

Red lava flowed across its body—dripping, burning, steaming the air.

The heat hissed as it warped the mist.

The eyes—cold, ancient, like frozen voids—pierced the smoke.

Locked onto Orochimaru.

“…Uchiha Iizumi!”

Orochimaru’s voice cracked, distorted with shock.

Then—

Understanding.

The cruel smile faded.

His eyes flickered—dark, uncertain.

“You… used a Uzumaki Clan sealing technique. You bound your body to mine… tricking the reverse summoning.

So you used my jutsu… to bring yourself into Ryūjidō?”

“Correct.”

Uchiha Iizumi finally spoke—voice like ice.

Each word hammered into Orochimaru’s soul.

“You get a quick death. As a reward.”

The golden chain dissolved.

Uchiha Iizumi raised his lava-limbed arm.

Kill intent—a tidal wave—crashed down.

Orochimaru’s face twisted.

Being hunted by this obsessed, mad Justice lunatic—was worse than being bitten by the deadliest snake.

Why… why did the Third Hokage keep him in Leaf Village?

Didn’t Hiruzen fear being devoured by him?

This boy—didn’t respect the Hokage at all.

Then—

Alarm bells exploded in his mind.

Orochimaru sprinted, pushing beyond limits.

He kicked off the ground—ignoring the agony in his shoulder—flying backward.

“Tenja!” he screamed.

“He’s my enemy! Kill him! I’ll give you five hundred sacrifices—no, a thousand!”

Tenja’s eyes flared.

Its tail—like a purple steel whip—snapped forward—faster than sight—wrapping around Orochimaru’s waist.

It yanked him away—just as—

BANG!

The ground exploded where Uchiha Iizumi had stood.

A flood of molten lava—carrying annihilation—roared forward.

It melted the stone.

Burned the ancient serpent skins to ash.

Ignited the millennia-old poison mist.

A forest of moss and glowing fungi—was instantly transformed into a boiling, bubbling, smoking lava hell.

On the other side, Tenja placed Orochimaru atop its massive head.

Its eyes—cold, cruel—fixed on the lava inferno.

The new volcano.

The figure in the center.

Tenja raised its head—shadows swallowing half the platform.

It looked down—at the tiny intruder.

Its voice—a thunderous hiss—filled the cavern.

“Sssss… foolish little brat… Daring to defile Ryūjidō with your ninja tricks?”

Its forked tongue lashed—poison dripping from its fangs.

Even without Orochimaru’s “offer”—Tenja was furious.

“If I eat you alive… digest every bone… the White Snake Sage won’t dare say a word.”

Uchiha Iizumi lifted his head.

Looked at the giant Tenja.

“You… are a Red Mark Criminal.

Good.

You came to the right place.”

His voice—flat, emotionless.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end