Chapter 25 Ending or Harvesting

"Ka-ka-ka..."

Under Uchiha Shinsuke's shocked gaze, the crimson barrier of the Uchiha Flame Formation began to crack. Fissures spread from the impact of the serpent's tail, spiderwebbing across the wall of fire—until the entire barrier shattered inch by inch.

Uchiha Fugaku quickly retreated.

Yamata no Orochi, having broken free, let out a deafening roar that echoed through the sky. The soundwaves rippled through the air like physical shockwaves, shaking the battlefield and the resolve of the Uchiha elites.

For a moment, none of them could muster the will to fight.

Looking up, they saw the monstrous serpent stretching its heads toward the heavens, dominating the sky. It felt less like a creature and more like a force of nature.

"How are we supposed to defeat something like that...?"

But before anyone could answer that silent question, the beast vanished in a puff of smoke with a sharp bang.

As the haze cleared, standing amidst the shattered earth was a pale, weakened Orochimaru. Though he seemed drained, his presence still radiated overwhelming power. Not a single Uchiha dared to underestimate him now.

They had always heard of the Sannin's strength. But only now did they understand.

One Sannin—just one—could single-handedly decimate the entire Uchiha Guard.

A thousand years of bloodline and pride meant little in the face of such overwhelming force.

The Uchiha elites were left stunned, emotions tangled between shame and awe.

Unlike them, Orochimaru showed no strong reaction. Everything had unfolded more or less as expected. Very little in this battle had surprised him.

He stepped lightly through the ruins and approached Uchiha Fugaku, a faint, amused smile on his face.

"Patriarch Fugaku, your barrier technique wasn't bad. But why did you pull back midway?"

Fugaku shook his head calmly.

"I only recently learned the Uchiha Flame Formation. I'm still not fully familiar with it... and my chakra control has some gaps."

Unlike the typical Uchiha, Fugaku had taken a different path since the night of the Nine-Tails' attack. As captain of the Guard, he had begun researching methods to restrain tailed beasts within the village—without leveling it.

Barrier techniques had been his answer. After all, it was meaningless to win a fight if nothing remained but rubble.

Hearing their patriarch's explanation, the nearby Uchiha clansmen felt some of their heaviness lift.

"Uchiha Flame Formation..." Orochimaru murmured with interest. "An impressive technique."

As a master of ninjutsu, Orochimaru had dabbled in barrier techniques too. He recognized them as a branch of sealing arts. In the village, the Four-Purple Flame Formation was well known—an advanced barrier requiring four jonin to activate.

But Fugaku's technique was something else.

With a sharp eye, Orochimaru could tell immediately: this was a clan-specific secret jutsu. Unlike the village's Four-Purple Flame Formation, it had bloodline restrictions—but in return, its power had been refined and enhanced.

More intriguingly, it was formed by blending two chakra natures—fire and earth. A rare and elegant fusion.

Smiling, Orochimaru tilted his head.

"If you don't mind, Patriarch Fugaku, why not let me study it?"

Fugaku hesitated, looking uncomfortable.

After all, the Uchiha Flame Formation was a closely-guarded clan secret. Even someone like Orochimaru, who had just demonstrated monstrous strength, couldn't be given access so easily.

But Orochimaru continued with a sly grin.

"Don't worry—I wouldn't ask without giving something in return. It's a fine technique... but its flaws are quite apparent, aren't they?"

Orochimaru hit the mark with a cold chuckle. "Trying to maintain a barrier that can restrain a Tailed Beast with just one person's chakra? If someone could actually pull that off, they might as well fight the beast head-on."

Fugaku remained silent. Deep down, he already knew it. Even if he managed to activate the Uchiha Flame Formation perfectly, his chakra wouldn't have lasted long against the relentless assault of Yamata no Orochi.

Orochimaru gave a smug smile. "For me, improving that barrier technique and turning it into a team-based formation—like the Four Violet Flames Formation—isn't difficult."

Fugaku no longer hesitated. "Then I'll leave it to you, Lord Orochimaru."

"We'll discuss it later," Orochimaru replied, turning his gaze ahead.

While he and Fugaku had been talking, the Uchiha Guard had reassembled. But their demeanor was very different from ten minutes ago.

Now, they looked like defeated roosters—disheveled, humbled, and many of them injured.

Orochimaru gave them a gentle, almost mockingly kind smile. "Sort yourselves out. I'll heal you."

"Heal us?" The guards exchanged uncertain looks. The idea of getting medical treatment from the man who had just pummeled them felt... wrong.

But it didn't take long for the realization to hit: if they didn't accept Orochimaru's help, their only option was the Konoha Hospital.

And imagining the entire injured Uchiha Guard limping through the village streets under the curious stares of the villagers made them feel far more uncomfortable than the awkwardness of being healed by their "enemy."

They knew that news of this battle wouldn't stay hidden for long. Orochimaru fighting the Uchiha alone was just too big to suppress. Still, hearing about it was different than seeing it. And the Uchiha, with their Sharingan, saw more than most.

Fugaku gave a sharp command, snapping everyone to action. "Form up by teams. Those seriously injured—move to the front."

The security team moved with a bit more purpose, though murmurs still rippled through the ranks. Orochimaru, meanwhile, created twelve shadow clones and summoned three sets of medical equipment from a scroll.

Seeing this, many of the Uchiha elite stiffened. Their eyes narrowed.

Their first thought wasn't suspicion about being beaten on purpose. Instead, they were unnerved by the fact that Orochimaru still had enough chakra to make so many clones.

Just how much had he been holding back during the fight?

Soon, the injured lined up in three orderly rows. Some lay on makeshift beds, others sat, all receiving medical treatment from Orochimaru and his clones.

And yet, something felt... off.

As they were being treated, one shadow clone kept scribbling notes in a notebook. That caught Uchiha Shinsuke's attention.

"Lord Orochimaru... what exactly are you doing?" he asked. "This doesn't feel like normal treatment."

All eyes turned to Orochimaru. The Sannin narrowed his gaze slightly. "Are you a medical ninja?"

"No... but even I can tell this isn't—"

Shinsuke paused, struggling for the right words. But his meaning was clear: You may not be a pig, but I've seen pigs run. This is no ordinary pig.

Orochimaru scoffed. "Other medical ninjas? They're just mediocrities."

He glanced at the clone still taking notes. "I'm collecting physical data to refine treatment methods in the future."

It sounded like an excuse—but somehow, it fit Orochimaru's eccentric genius. The Uchiha, proud as they were, could respect that. A powerful man deserved to operate on a different level.

Still, Shinsuke couldn't help asking, "Is that really necessary?"

Orochimaru gave a smile that was more snake than man.

"Of course," he said, voice smooth and cold. "Do you think this will be the only Tailed Beast exercise?"

"There will be... many more injuries to come."

__________

Support me on patreon

patreon.com/Silver757