Chapter 59: Orochimaru: I'm in a Very Dangerous Situation

"Heh… Orochimaru, I used to be wary of you. But now, you can't even form a single hand seal. Do you really think those life-saving tricks of yours will be enough to keep you alive against me?!"

Seeing Kabuto rush toward Tsunade, Neji showed no concern. He continued sprinting directly toward Orochimaru.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Four jade-green serpents burst from Neji's left arm and wrapped around Orochimaru, slamming him backward with great force.

But just then, Orochimaru's mouth stretched grotesquely open. Another Orochimaru emerged from within, lunging forward and spitting out a gleaming sword aimed straight at Neji.

"A substitution technique, Orochimaru?" Neji sneered, crouching swiftly to evade the stab. At the same time, he pressed both palms against the ground and shouted, "Togakushi Ryūga!"

"What?!" Orochimaru's expression twisted in shock. Before he could react, a massive serpent erupted from beneath and hurled him skyward.

At that exact moment, two enormous snakes shot up from underground, spiraling around from either side to collide with Orochimaru midair.

Seeing this, Orochimaru's pupils constricted. That was a jutsu he had spent years developing how could Neji possibly know it?

But now was no time to hesitate. As the original creator of the technique, Orochimaru was well aware of its destructive power. He instantly used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.

"Neji… you continue to surprise me. I'm finding you more and more fascinating," Orochimaru cackled, his gaze growing feverish.

Perhaps… Neji might prove to be an even better vessel than Sasuke. But unlike Sasuke, he wouldn't be easy to control.

First take Sasuke's body, then find a way to capture Neji's.

The thought had only just appeared in Orochimaru's mind, yet it was already growing uncontrollably.

The abilities Neji had shown were already more shocking than the Mangekyō Sharingan. Orochimaru had a vague hunch that if he could take over Neji's body and gain access to that bone-like technique, he might just reach a whole new realm of power.

Neji, of course, had no idea what was going through Orochimaru's mind, but the twisted smile on that pale face was enough to make his skin crawl.

"Disgusting," Neji muttered with a look of disdain.

He was seriously considering finishing Orochimaru off with All-Killing Ash Bones. If it weren't for the fact that Orochimaru might still be useful, he would've already done it.

Besides, killing Orochimaru wasn't that simple.

The man's arsenal of jutsu was infuriating none were especially strong compared to top-tier techniques, but every single one could help him escape death.

Not to mention, Orochimaru had already seen All-Killing Ash Bones. He was constantly on guard against it. After all, he was the only antagonist from the early stages of the series who had managed to stay alive all this time.

"Neji… I'm curious. Is that power of yours part of the Byakugan?" Orochimaru asked, eyes narrowing. "A copy technique… no, even more terrifying than the Sharingan's. The ability to mimic your opponent's jutsu."

So this was the hidden potential of the Byakugan?

Neji blinked, then chuckled. "You've got a vivid imagination, but no. You're overthinking it."

With that, Neji vanished and reappeared in front of Orochimaru in an instant. He launched into Gentle Fist, his palms fluttering like blue butterflies, elegant yet deadly, striking at Orochimaru from every direction.

But in the blink of an eye, Orochimaru disappeared.

Neji instinctively jumped backward and just in time. Orochimaru erupted from underground, a sword already extending from his mouth and aimed at Neji's heart.

"You really are a snake. Guess it's true what they say: the son of a rat knows how to dig. You're pretty good at tunneling too."

Neji scowled.

Ironically, this was the same trick Naruto had once used to beat him. Now, history was repeating itself with Orochimaru using the same method.

If Neji's Byakugan weren't so pure and honed, he might have actually been caught off guard.

Irritated, Neji lunged forward without hesitation, his hands flashing through hand seals.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

Orochimaru stood his ground as Neji charged. Ignoring the roaring flames and rushing earth bullets, he smirked coldly and let the techniques hit him head-on.

A thunderous blast followed. Dust and debris surged in every direction. Flames engulfed the area, reducing the terrain to scorched earth.

Neji charged into the inferno without hesitation.

Just as he arrived, something unexpected happened.

Orochimaru burst forth from his own mouth again using the Great Serpent Substitution Technique, lunging with a sword aimed straight at Neji's chest.

Shhk!

The blade pierced through Neji's chest.

"Neji… you still underestimate the Sannin. You underestimate those at Kage level. But don't worry I won't kill you. You're far too valuable as a test subject."

Orochimaru grinned, revealing his long tongue in that signature grotesque gesture.

But Neji only stared at him coldly, his expression unreadable. The fact that he had been impaled didn't seem to faze him in the slightest.

Orochimaru blinked. That was wrong.

Most people, after being run through, would show some kind of emotion. But Neji looked like… nothing had happened.

"Wait " Orochimaru's eyes widened. He realized too late.

Just as he tried to retreat, a second Neji appeared behind him with a smirk.

"Great Serpent Substitution, huh?" Neji mocked.

In that moment, his right hand flared with chakra, forming a blade.

Shhk!

With a single swipe, Neji sliced Orochimaru clean in half at the waist. Both of Orochimaru's arms were severed, falling to the ground. His upper half flew into the air while his legs collapsed beneath him.

But Orochimaru's mangled body suddenly burst with snakes that slithered from his severed torso and reattached the pieces, restoring him again.

"Tch. This guy… using that trick again," Neji said with a scowl.

Orochimaru had used the exact same method to escape death during his fight against Four-Tails Naruto. It was just like him slippery and hard to kill, like a true serpent.

"Ah…" Orochimaru licked his lips again, his eyes narrowing as if amused.

But that smug expression quickly disappeared.

"Orochimaru… looks like those two arms of yours aren't going to reconnect," Neji said, smirking as he looked at Orochimaru, now a limbless stump of a man.

"Ugh…" Orochimaru glanced at his fallen arms and narrowed his eyes at Neji, his expression turning wary and cautious.

What kind of jutsu did this boy know? Could he copy all of Orochimaru's techniques?

Orochimaru wasn't sure anymore. And if it were true, then he was in real trouble.

His strength had always come from the unexpected. But if Neji had mastered all his jutsu and possessed that bone-manipulating technique as well, then Orochimaru was in serious danger.

Still...

"Neji… don't you care what happens to Tsunade?"Chapter 59: Orochimaru: My Situation Is Precarious

"Heh, Orochimaru, I once had my doubts about you but now that you can't even form hand seals, are you seriously relying on survival tricks to make it out alive?!" Neji snarled as he dashed toward Orochimaru, undeterred even as Kabuto lunged toward Tsunade.

"Stealth Serpent Hands!"

From Neji's left arm, four azure serpents emerged, coiling around Orochimaru and hurling him backward.

Orochimaru opened his mouth, and from within sprung another version of himself this one spitting forth a sharp sword aimed at Neji's chest.

"A substitute technique?" Neji smirked and dropped low, dodging the thrust. His hands slammed into the ground as he roared:

"Dragon Scale Surge!"

A massive serpent shot up from beneath, carrying Neji into the air, while two giant serpents burst out from below and wrapped around Orochimaru in a pincer strike.

Orochimaru's pupils constricted this was the technique he'd spent years perfecting. How could Neji know it? He immediately vanished in an instant, avoiding the attack.

"You surprise me, Neji," Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "You're growing on me…"

He eyed Neji with predatory curiosity. Perhaps a body even better than Sasuke's but so unpredictable.

Unaware of his fascination, Neji frowned at the unsettling smile.

"Ick," he muttered. Better to just wipe him out. If not useful…

He wasn't planning to kill him not yet. But Orochimaru's survival tricks weren't easy to avoid.

"You really think you can imitate my techniques?" Orochimaru taunted. "Your pure Byakugan lets you copy jutsu even better than the Uchiha?"

 Neji paused then scoffed.

"Wrong answer."

In a flash, he reappeared in front of Orochimaru and unleashed a flurry of Gentle Fist strikes. Orochimaru vanished again. As Neji prepared a follow-up, Orochimaru burst from beneath with his mouth open.

"Serpent Tunnel Roots!" Neji jeered, "The master of stealth himself?"

 Neji's Byakugan saved him once more.

Anger flared inside him as he drew closer, forming seals at lightning speed:

"Fire Release: Dragon Blaze!"

"Earth Release: Dragon Mouth Burst!"

Orochimaru just smirked, letting the blasts strike and send up a sandstorm.

Within seconds, Neji reached him but Orochimaru split again using that same horrid substitution technique. A blade struck straight through Neji's chest.

"You," Orochimaru grinned maliciously, "underestimate a Sannin. Don't worry I won't kill you. You're far too valuable an experiment."

 Neji's eyes darkened. Turning pale or bothered wasn't his way.

Realizing the blade had passed through him without stopping, Orochimaru hesitated a reaction itself revealing fear.

"Shit!" He tried to retreat but Neji didn't give him the chance. Another version of himself appeared in an instant behind Orochimaru.

"Double Substitute Technique!"

 Neji unleashed a chakra blade at the exact moment.

Shikk! The blade sliced through Orochimaru's waist; both arms dropped to the ground, and his body trembled halfway upright.

Yet, from his severed torso emerged dozens of snakes they wove into the remaining body, seamlessly stitching him back together.

"Yawn," Neji frowned. "You still use that trick? You and Four-Tails Naruto both just snakes."

Orochimaru licked his lips as ever, but didn't laugh anymore.

"Looks like your arms aren't reconnecting." Neji smirked.

Orochimaru glared at his severed limbs scattered beside him and stared warily at Neji. Could this kid have learned all his forbidden techniques?

As he realized how dangerous Neji now was, he tightened his stance. His techniques were sly, reliant on the unexpected if Neji knew them too, and channeled that marrow-seal-like kenjutsu, Orochimaru would be in serious trouble.

Yet…

" Neji," he spat, "don't you care about Tsunade? Her life or death is at stake."