"Oh no, the time limit has expired!"
Uchiha Fugaku's expression shifted as he noticed the cracks spreading across the world around him. The illusion was breaking apart—the real illusion he had crafted had reached its time limit.
Despite his proficiency with the technique, maintaining such a complex and immersive illusion during a heated battle was taxing even for him.
Crack!
The final shattering sound reverberated, and the illusory space dissolved. The devastated battlefield where Fugaku and Orochimaru had clashed moments ago disappeared, replaced by the untouched high ground as it had been before their fight.
"What's going on?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes widened in astonishment as he scanned his surroundings. The sudden change in scenery was disorienting, and he quickly realized something unusual had transpired.
It didn't take long for him to piece things together.
"What a terrifying illusion..."
Fear flickered in his eyes as he turned his gaze to Uchiha Fugaku. Orochimaru was a Kage-level ninja, experienced and skilled, yet he had been trapped in an illusion for over half an hour without noticing.
The realization chilled him. If the space was an illusion, it explained how Fugaku had opened the Eighth Gate of Death multiple times and survived, yet the consequences of their battle had felt very real.
Orochimaru instinctively checked his chakra reserves, and his expression darkened. Over half his chakra was gone.
"The battles weren't fake... They happened in some form of altered reality."
A cold sweat ran down Orochimaru's back. His intuition told him that if Fugaku had killed him in that space, something far worse than mere death might have occurred.
"Your resilience is extraordinary, but your survival ability is the only thing keeping you alive."
Fugaku regarded Orochimaru with a cold, calculating stare. Despite unleashing the full might of the Eight Gates Formation, Fugaku had been unable to finish off the Sannin.
Orochimaru's regenerative abilities were unparalleled, allowing him to recover from countless devastating attacks.
"If I could use techniques like Amaterasu, I might be able to deal with you permanently," Fugaku thought grimly. He realized that only a fire jutsu as relentless as the eternal flames of Amaterasu could burn Orochimaru's body beyond regeneration.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, was piecing together the puzzle.
"The illusion just now wasn't ordinary. You must possess a bloodline limit... But I've never heard of such a terrifying ability. When did such a bloodline emerge in the ninja world?"
In the dim light, Orochimaru hadn't clearly seen Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving him unaware of the true source of Fugaku's power.
"Orochimaru, your time has passed," Fugaku said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You're a relic of an era long gone."
Orochimaru's face twisted with annoyance, though he quickly concealed it.
"Arrogant... but I admit, you've earned the right to speak that way."
In the past, Orochimaru would have attacked anyone who dared insult him, but now, he couldn't deny Fugaku's strength.
"You can leave now unless you want to fight again," Fugaku said, his tone dripping with warning.
Orochimaru hesitated, weighing his options. He had expended a significant portion of his chakra during the battle. Continuing would only risk his life.
"The corpse bone veins of the Kaguya clan... You can have them this time."
Though Orochimaru's words were calm, the anger in his expression was unmistakable. With a sinister smile, he sank into the ground using the Hiding in Surface Technique, retreating from the battlefield.
Once Orochimaru's presence faded from his senses, Fugaku turned his attention to the ongoing battle between the Kaguya clan and the elite ninjas of Kirigakure.
The confrontation had continued unabated, as neither side had noticed the skirmish between Fugaku and Orochimaru. The Kaguya clan, fiercely combative and reckless as ever, fought with unmatched ferocity.
The streets of Kirigakure were littered with the corpses of Kaguya warriors, their blood staining the ground. Yet the survivors showed no fear, no sadness. They fought with a wild and primal fervor, as if driven by sheer instinct.
Among the Kaguya clan, one figure stood out—a tall, muscular middle-aged man covered in bone protrusions. Wielding a sword crafted from his own bones, he carved through Kirigakure's forces with ruthless efficiency.
His opponent was none other than Mei Terumi, the future Fifth Mizukage. Utilizing her dual Kekkei Genkai, she launched wave after wave of corrosive mist and molten lava at the Kaguya leader.
The battle between them was fierce, but Mei's superior techniques and strategy prevailed. With a final attack, she dealt a devastating blow, leaving the Kaguya leader mortally wounded. His body crumpled to the ground, his internal organs exposed.
The remaining Kaguya clan members were few, their numbers rapidly dwindling under the relentless assault of Kirigakure's elite ninjas.
"It's time to act."
Fugaku's figure vanished into the ground, utilizing the Hiding Like a Mole Technique to infiltrate Kirigakure's battlefield unnoticed.
The Corpse Bone Bloodline, derived from the Kaguya clan, was one of the most unique and powerful Kekkei Genkai in existence, tracing its roots back to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Fugaku was determined to secure the bodies of Kaguya warriors to study and enhance his own abilities.
"The potential of the Corpse Bone Bloodline cannot be underestimated," Fugaku thought. If the Sharingan could evolve into the Rinnegan, and the Byakugan had its own evolutionary path, then the Kaguya clan's bloodline must also harbor untapped potential.
He had also confirmed through prior research that the bloodline disease affecting Kimimaro was an isolated case, not a widespread affliction among Kaguya clan members.
"A few corpses should suffice for now. If I can refine their abilities, I'll have another powerful weapon at my disposal."
As he moved closer to the battlefield, Fugaku steeled himself. The time had come to seize his prize.
(End of Chapter)
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