On the training ground, the dust from Nawaki's ninjutsu hadn't completely settled, but the atmosphere had already shifted abruptly.
Orochimaru's golden, slit-like pupils slowly turned toward Night, shining with undisguised curiosity.
"Nawaki's performance was within expectations."
His raspy voice carried a hint of playfulness. "Now then, Chunin Namikaze... show me exactly what kind of mettle you possess."
Night took a deep breath, suppressing all distracting thoughts. Facing one of the legendary Sannin, any distraction could lead to failure.
His hands formed seals rapidly. With just three or five signs, the jutsu activated instantly, seizing the initiative.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive water dragon surged from his mouth, rushing straight at Orochimaru with torrential force.
The scale and power of this Water Dragon Bullet far exceeded that of an ordinary Jonin, and the density of the chakra was particularly eye-catching.
A flash of surprise crossed Orochimaru's eyes, but he responded unhurriedly, forming his own seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
An earth wall, far thicker and sturdier than the one Nawaki had summoned, rose from the ground, precisely blocking the water dragon's impact.
Amidst splashing water, Orochimaru's hoarse voice carried a note of approval. "Good chakra control. Your mastery over water shape transformation is also proficient."
Night didn't pause. Under the cover of the lingering mist, he tapped his feet rapidly, flickering to Orochimaru's flank.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind whipped up gravel from the ground, forming a small storm that assaulted Orochimaru. While not lethal, it was enough to obscure vision and create an opening.
Orochimaru retreated like a ghost, easily dodging the range of the Wind Release. Simultaneously, several shuriken shot from his sleeves.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Using Hiruzen Sarutobi's signature jutsu, the sky filled with shuriken raining down like a storm, sealing off nearly all of Night's evasion angles.
Night's gaze sharpened, but he didn't panic. His hand signs blurred with speed.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
An earth wall, in no way inferior to Orochimaru's, rose up. What was surprising was that the top of the wall was carved with several lifelike dog head statues—a little detail Night had added in his spare time, mimicking a memory from his past life.
Seeing the dog heads on the wall, even Orochimaru paused slightly. Confusion flashed in his snake eyes; he wondered if there was some hidden mechanism behind them.
It wasn't until the shuriken slammed into the wall, kicking up dust, that he realized they were just useless decorations.
Although distracted for a split second, Orochimaru didn't stop moving. He appeared silently behind Night.
"Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hands!"
Hearing the whistling wind and the hissing of vipers, Night dared not be careless. He unhesitatingly threw several custom kunai.
With Night's heavy force behind them, the kunai forcibly halted the snakes' momentum.
Night seized the chance to create distance, his hands forming seals again.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!"
Scorching fire dragons roared out. The power of this jutsu was even greater than before; clearly, Night was no longer holding back.
The interest in Orochimaru's eyes deepened. He didn't take the hit head-on but suddenly sank into the ground.
When he reappeared, he was at the other end of the training field.
Seeing this, Night understood that a conventional ninjutsu exchange was merely probing against someone of Orochimaru's level.
Compared to fighting the Third Mizukage—who was also Kage-level—the pressure Orochimaru exerted was somehow heavier.
The Third Mizukage was a conventional ninja. His jutsu were powerful, but his moves followed a traceable logic.
Orochimaru, however, with his unique "Orochi-Style" techniques, was a nightmare for ordinary ninjas. If Night didn't focus completely, he felt he might genuinely screw this up.
"Let's end the conventional probing here."
Night inhaled deeply, the flow of chakra in his body changing abruptly.
"Eight Gates Released Formation: Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain—OPEN!"
Green energy flickered on the surface of his body, and his speed skyrocketed.
His figure blurred instantly. When he reappeared, he was right in front of Orochimaru. A fierce Konoha Great Whirlwind struck with a whistling sound.
Orochimaru raised his arm to block, dispersing the force like a mollusk. Even so, the immense power from Night's kick forced him back half a step. Surprise showed in his eyes for the first time. "Is this the Eight Gates?"
He knew from reports on the Rain Country battlefield that Night had used this forbidden taijutsu technique to forcibly break his squad out of encirclement, albeit suffering severe injuries.
But seeing it with his own eyes gave him a different impression. It was quite distinct from the intelligence reports.
As Night's movements accelerated, the green energy around him grew denser. His skin flushed slightly red from the high-speed friction with the air. His offensive unfolded like a violent storm.
Fists, feet, elbows, knees—every part of his body became a lethal weapon. Every attack was brimming with power.
Orochimaru drifted and dodged like willow catkins in the wind amidst the dense barrage. Even with his strength, he had to take this seriously.
After several exchanges, he keenly noticed that Night's Eight Gates were different from the records. With the Fourth Gate open, Night showed no obvious signs of physical strain.
"It seems your constitution is indeed special, able to withstand the side effects of the Eight Gates."
Orochimaru even had the spare capacity to analyze mid-combat, his tone filled with the fanaticism unique to a researcher.
Night didn't respond, seemingly fully immersed in the battle, while constantly observing the field.
"It's about time to end this," Orochimaru said casually.
He forced Night back and stopped engaging in taijutsu. Opening his mouth without forming seals, he unleashed a jutsu: "Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"
A massive horde of venomous snakes poured from his mouth. The dense mass was hair-raising. Night prepared to use ninjutsu to counter, but Orochimaru's hand signs were faster.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
Having read Night's file, Orochimaru targeted Night's weakness with precision.
Perhaps out of dark humor, he used the Hell Viewing Technique—which induced fear in the victim's heart—to end the spar.
Hit by the genjutsu, Night's body froze slightly.
In that instant, the snakes swarmed him, wrapping him into a writhing "snake cocoon."
Fortunately, the violent chakra from the Eight Gates provided some protection, preventing an immediate breach.
However, what Orochimaru hadn't noticed was that during the previous series of intense ninjutsu exchanges, Night had used specific positioning and attacks to unknowingly herd him into a specific area.
Just as the snakes were about to break through his defense and completely bind him!
Swish—
Night's figure vanished abruptly. The next moment, he appeared behind Orochimaru—right where those custom kunai had landed earlier.
They were extremely close. Although not touching, the distance was enough.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"