Time, at the moment the Phase Sword pierced Orochimaru's chest, seemed to stretch into a congealed amber.
There was no sensation of flesh being torn, no resistance of metal penetrating bone.
That strangely shaped energy scimitar, as if it didn't exist in this material world, plunged directly into Orochimaru's body like a moonbeam passing through glass.
Orochimaru lowered his head, and in his golden snake-like eyes, an incredible scene was reflected: his own chest, along with the internal organs and bones, became like a void, translucent Colored Glaze at the place where the scimitar passed through.
The next moment, a sudden change occurred!
A deathly, ghastly green flame, as if capable of devouring light, suddenly erupted from the transparent wound on his chest!
This flame had no temperature, no light; it did not burn flesh, nor vaporize water; what it incinerated was the soul.
Orochimaru felt no scorching pain; what he felt was something far more terrifying than pain... "Dissolution" — this green flame was erasing his existence.
"Ah—!!!"
A non-human shriek, mixed with the tearing of a soul, erupted from the depths of Orochimaru's throat.
The instinct for survival overrode all reason and calculation.
Orochimaru made the most humiliating yet decisive reaction without hesitation.
He suddenly opened his mouth, his jaw dislocating completely at an inhuman angle, and a brand new, smooth-skinned, perfectly intact Orochimaru, wrapped in a disgusting goo, slid out of the old body that was being consumed by the green fire, like a snake shedding its skin!
Orochimaru-style Body Replacement Technique.
However, when his new body landed on the murky water, he discovered with horror that a slender but stubborn wisp of green soul fire, like a maggot clinging to bone, was still quietly burning on the chest of his new body.
It had transferred with his soul.
"This... this... what is this!"
Orochimaru's already pale face now took on an even grayer hue.
He no longer dared to harbor any desire to continue fighting, nor even to glance at the young man who had summoned these devils.
He needed to quickly return to his familiar laboratory to deal with this flame; Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, all were irrelevant compared to life and death.
Orochimaru completed the hand signs with an almost convulsive speed.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several massive pythons appeared in the smoke, not to attack, but merely to create chaos.
They twisted their bodies wildly, crashing their flesh and blood against Yulian and the ghostly black figure.
Among them, a particularly agile small snake with black scales, wrapped around Orochimaru's body like lightning, and recklessly crashed into a corner of the Four Violet Flames Formation!
"Lord Orochimaru!" The Otogakure were stunned and helpless by the sudden turn of events.
"Retreat!" Orochimaru screamed hoarsely.
The Sound Four, in their shock, removed one side of the barrier and followed closely.
The summoned snake leaped down along the edge of the rooftop, while Orochimaru changed direction in mid-air, transforming into a white snake and fleeing in utter disarray from this hellish battlefield he would never forget.
In the center of the battlefield, the assassin code-named Nightingale watched Orochimaru's disappearing direction and did not pursue.
Her figure slowly faded in place, like a drop of ink dissolving into the air, eventually vanishing completely as if she had never appeared.
Only a cold mental message echoed in Naruto's mind.
"My assistance has ended. Unauthorized actions have been recorded; awaiting judgment from the Assassin's Court."
As the caster Orochimaru fled and was severely injured, the Four Violet Flames Formation, which had sustained the entire battlefield, lost its Chakra supply, emitted a mournful groan of overload, and shattered with a crash.
The sunlight, blocked for so long, finally shone in again, illuminating the scarred rooftop battlefield clearly.
With the source of their restraint gone, the Edo Tensei bodies of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, made of dust and paper, also began to peel away piece by piece.
Senju Tobirama's deep eyes, before completely dissipating, looked meaningfully at Naruto, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only turned into dust flying everywhere, returning to the Pure Land.
The talismans binding their souls also burned to ashes in the sunlight.
Naruto ignored the fleeing Orochimaru; the warning from the Assassin's Court, however, made him somewhat concerned.
"Judgment, huh?"
Furthermore, his gaze had never left the broken blue giant kneeling in the water.
Naruto quickly walked up to Yulian, looking at his severely damaged Power Armor, which was constantly spewing white steam, at the leg joint cut open by the Water Severing Wave, and the countless scratches made by the vines.
Yulian struggled to raise his head; based on a Space Marine's powerful recovery, just a moment's respite allowed his strength to surge back.
He slammed his steel-forged right fist against the double-headed eagle insignia on his chest.
"Bang!"
The dull metallic thud was the highest salute of an Astartes Brother.
"Loyalty... not bound by death..." Yulian's voice, due to the damaged communication system, became intermittent and full of static, "My mission... is complete, Political Commissar."
Naruto remained silent, reaching out and gently placing his hand on Yulian's broad shoulder pad; what he touched was smooth metal and the high temperature emanating from beneath, caused by overload.
He rarely showed such complex emotions, mixed with approval and solace.
"You did very well, Yulian." His voice was low and clear, "The people here will remember your deeds."
Beneath Yulian's helmet-covered faceplate, his gaze remained as resolute as ever.
"The danger this time doesn't even rank in the top ten of my combat career."
Hearing this understated yet arrogant statement, Naruto's tense lips, for once, broke into a smile.
"I know." He nodded slightly.
Beside them, Hiruzen Sarutobi's summoned beast, which had reverted to its Enma form, looked at Naruto and Yulian with lingering fear, sighed, "These young people nowadays are truly more exaggerated than the last," and then vanished with a "bang" into smoke.
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned on his knees, breathing heavily.
He looked at the scene before him, which had overturned his decades of Ninja life's understanding, and the shock he felt was beyond words.
He was about to step forward, wanting to ask Naruto, wanting to ask what all of this was about.
However, Naruto slowly straightened his body.
As he stood up, the blue giant kneeling on the ground also received new orders.
Yulian's damaged mechanical arm, with a smooth and cold motion, raised the menacing Bolter once again.
The dark muzzle, passing over Naruto's shoulder, precisely and emotionlessly aimed at the Third Hokage, who was utterly bewildered after narrowly escaping death.
The warmth of having just fought side-by-side was completely gone, replaced by a colder, purer killing intent than before.
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