Orochimaru shot backward for more than ten meters before crashing through a house with a thunderous boom.
The unlucky residents inside were dragged into the mess for no reason—if they were shinobi, they might survive… but if they were civilians, their fate was basically sealed.
Collapsed in the rubble, Orochimaru struggled to get up, but the pain in his abdomen made it impossible.
He was shocked beyond belief.
His Soft Physique Modification was complete—physical blows should have been neutralized, pain all but eliminated. He'd used this jutsu to shrug off countless taijutsu experts. Why had it failed… only against Arata?
Readers of the original know how broken Orochimaru's soft-body modification is. Even the physical attacks of a Tailed Beast could be softened; where normal humans would be pulverized, he remained intact, practically like an ability user made of rubber.
"That fist… something is wrong with it! That black layer… it's definitely abnormal!"
Thinking of the black energy coating Arata's fist, Orochimaru's eyes glittered with fanaticism.
He knew—whatever that black substance was, it could help him unravel the true nature of the shinobi world. His scientific research might achieve a breakthrough beyond imagination.
What coated Arata's fist was Armament Haki—a technique approaching Sage of Six Paths-tier, capable of striking the true body of any ability user, and massively enhancing attack and defense.
Arata had only just begun learning it—enough to cover a single fist. If not for Garp's training insights, he wouldn't have progressed so quickly.
Orochimaru was still dazed when Arata, who refused to waste a second, shot forward. He hadn't forgotten the system's requirement: defeat Orochimaru within thirty seconds. The snake wasn't fully incapacitated yet!
Sure enough, Orochimaru—though unable to stand—opened his mouth and spewed countless serpents.
"Ten Thousand Snakes Wave!"
Disgusted by the sight, Arata vanished instantly, turning into a streak of lightning.
Orochimaru's jutsu was powerful for entangling foes, but against Arata's thunderous speed, it couldn't land a single hit. It served almost no purpose.
Orochimaru's intent wasn't attack—it was to create a barrier. With thousands of snakes between him and Arata, surely Arata couldn't strike his true body?
But Arata was determined to end this quickly. His right hand turned into a blade of lightning—charged with the razor-sharp properties of the Thunder Fruit—and he slashed.
A brilliant blue arc tore through the air, vaporizing every snake in an instant.
That hand blade was a fusion of lightning and sword technique—a new move Arata derived from Dracule Mihawk's teachings.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in disbelief as his proud jutsu was erased in a heartbeat. He was just about to activate his signature "Orochimaru-style Substitution Jutsu" when Arata's fist struck again.
From above, Arata hammered down.
Orochimaru, unable to move, couldn't dodge at all.
The blow made the ground tremble violently. Orochimaru coughed up a massive mouthful of blood.
In canon, he'd been pummeled countless times without so much as spitting blood. But Arata's Armament Haki completely countered him.
Even his substitution jutsu failed—as if Arata's fist pinned down his intangible core, refusing to let him escape.
With that punch, Orochimaru lost all ability to resist. As merely a jōnin-level threat at this point, he couldn't withstand such force. The fact he was still alive was already impressive.
Arata kept his fist planted on Orochimaru's abdomen. As long as he maintained contact, this slippery snake couldn't move.
Orochimaru felt this clearly—and it only made him even more obsessed with that black substance.
Looking at Arata's thunder-god-like form and that inescapable black fist, Orochimaru—for the first time—felt an urge to worship.
This miracle-like power… perhaps this was the "origin" of ninjutsu he had been searching for his entire life.
For once, Orochimaru stopped being sarcastic and said with genuine admiration:
"Truly worthy of the Blue Lightning of Konoha… astonishing…"
Arata knew Orochimaru's ability to fight back was gone. The first requirement—defeating him within thirty seconds—was complete.
But the system hadn't issued the reward yet, which meant one thing:
Orochimaru wasn't submissive.
With someone like him, talk of love and peace wouldn't work. For Orochimaru, two things mattered:
Strength — overwhelm him completely.
Research material — offer knowledge, experiments, tools.
Arata had already achieved the first. Time for the second.
Orochimaru's brief compliment showed he had shed his arrogance, but Arata still didn't retract his fist. Instead, his lightning surged again—his entire body transforming into a storm of violent electricity. The arcs shifted from pale blue to deep, ominous navy.
Orochimaru felt death breathing on his neck, closer than ever before.
For the first time, fear wormed its way into his heart. Arata's silhouette burned itself into his memory.
If Arata released that lightning, Orochimaru's immobilized body would be reduced to dust.
He swallowed hard, unsure how to persuade Arata to stop.
At that moment, a squad of ANBU operatives rushed out of the darkness, shouting:
"Arata! This is still Konoha! You are forbidden to harm a comrade!"
Arata completely ignored them, lowering his head to murmur into Orochimaru's ear:
"You want my jutsus? I can give them to you.
The price is simple—submit to me completely."
He meant true submission—not superficial loyalty.
Orochimaru looked at Arata's expression and understood:
If he tried anything clever… he would die here.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, having sensed the commotion. Seeing Arata's posture, he shouted:
"Arata! Release Orochimaru at once!"
He was already forming hand seals, clearly ready to attack at the slightest provocation.