Chapter Thirty-Five: The Eight Gates and Wood Release

Orochimaru possessed an immortal body; no matter what injury he sustained, he would always recover. The true strength of his vessel was now on full display. Having reverted to his original human form, Orochimaru gazed at the unmoving shell of the Ten-Tails, deeply impressed.

“With my current strength, I’m still no match for the Ten-Tails’ shell,” he murmured, shaking his head—he simply couldn’t break through its defenses.

The previous battle had involved no cunning or strategy, just sheer force. Orochimaru’s intention was to test the results of his recent research. Judging by the outcome, his progress was satisfactory—but not enough.

What dismayed Orochimaru was his utter helplessness against the Ten-Tails’ shell. In other words, he would be equally powerless against the resurrected Ten-Tails itself.

“I need to accelerate,” he told himself. He had to become stronger—and quickly.

Tendo Pain knelt on one knee, battered and shaken, gazing at Orochimaru with both shock and confusion. How could he still be alive? Was Orochimaru truly immortal?

Nagato, the one controlling Tendo Pain from afar, was now extremely weak; blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, the result of a recent coughing fit. If he hadn’t bound himself to the stone, he would have collapsed to the ground, incapable of lifting his head. The toll had been tremendous.

Yet, even after such exertion, Orochimaru remained unscathed.

Nagato had witnessed Hidan’s so-called immortality—being cut into countless pieces and still living—but the flaw was obvious: Hidan couldn’t reassemble himself. Orochimaru’s undying body was clearly a level above. He could not only survive being sliced apart, but also regenerate.

How could anyone fight that?

Nagato found himself at a loss for any method to defeat Orochimaru.

Orochimaru’s gaze did not linger on Tendo Pain, instead turning back to the shell of the Ten-Tails. He refused to let things end here. If he gave up now, he would never be satisfied. He decided to press on.

“I still have one technique I haven’t used,” Orochimaru muttered.

By now, his chakra was nearly depleted, but he had a way to gather his strength.

“Eight Gates Released Formation—First Gate, Opening! Open!”

“Eight Gates Released Formation—Second Gate, Rest! Open!”

“…”

“Eight Gates Released Formation—Eighth Gate, Death! Open!”

Orochimaru had mastered the Eight Gates technique long ago, but this was his first time using it.

The Eight Gates were a method of opening the chakra pathways within the body, unleashing immense power for a short period. Opening all eight was known as the Eight Gates Released Formation.

Once all eight were open, his strength increased severalfold in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru’s entire body was shrouded in a red, steaming aura—the unmistakable sign of all Eight Gates open.

If two words could describe him now, they would be: “Berserk Fury”.

He was the Crimson Fury Orochimaru.

Yet, instead of charging recklessly at the Ten-Tails’ shell, the Crimson Fury Orochimaru formed hand seals, pressing his palms to the ground.

“Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!”

Beneath his hands, a small blade of grass grew. On it, a seed, influenced by his jutsu, instantly transformed into a massive wooden dragon.

The wood dragon soared skyward, growing ever larger and more ferocious. As it expanded, the red steam around Orochimaru faded—he was channeling all the power of the Eight Gates into the dragon.

“Roar!”

With a thunderous bellow, the wood dragon lunged at the Ten-Tails’ shell, slamming into its chest with tremendous force.

“Boom!”

A deafening crash echoed as the Ten-Tails’ shell was sent flying.

At last, a satisfied smile appeared on Orochimaru’s face.

In the Sound Village, Jiraiya, Naruto, and the others had retreated to safety. Naruto was still training in the Wood Dragon Jutsu.

Tsunade watched Naruto’s tireless training and unyielding spirit. Unconsciously, she clutched the necklace around her neck.

The necklace was linked to those she cherished. Whenever she remembered them, she would hold it tightly.

Naruto was so much like the one she missed.

Suddenly, Naruto’s training ended with a furious punch to the ground.

“Damn it! I failed again!” Naruto gritted his teeth.

Tsunade and Jiraiya hurried over.

Naruto blamed himself; the Wood Dragon Jutsu was proving too difficult. He was stuck at this hurdle—how long would it take for him to reach the level of the First Hokage?

Tsunade comforted him, “Don’t worry. Even my grandfather spent a long time creating that jutsu.”

Jiraiya, standing beside Tsunade, added, “Few possess the Wood Release bloodline. You are the closest anyone has come to the First Hokage. Be patient.”

As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the teacher of Naruto’s father, both spoke with authority. Gradually, they persuaded Naruto.

“That’s true. I am the closest to the First Hokage right now.”

Feeling a little better, Naruto managed a smile for Tsunade and Jiraiya. “I’ll be fine. I will master the Wood Dragon Jutsu!”

Tsunade and Jiraiya both smiled with relief.

Suddenly, a piercing dragon’s roar echoed through the air.

The three of them turned toward the sound—it was coming from the direction where Orochimaru and Pain were fighting.

There, a colossal wooden dragon soared across the sky, crashing violently into the Ten-Tails’ shell.

“That’s—the Wood Dragon Jutsu!”

Tsunade and Jiraiya recognized it instantly, their faces full of shock. Orochimaru could use Wood Release!

Suddenly, they thought of Naruto and quickly turned to him.

Naruto, crestfallen, said, “I’m not the closest to the First Hokage after all. Orochimaru is!”

He looked utterly dejected.

Sasuke, who was closest to the epicenter of the battle and already gravely wounded, watched as the immense wooden dragon collided with the Ten-Tails’ shell.

He glanced up at the sky.

The sky was so blue.

Sasuke thought, This will probably be the last time I ever see the sky.

The clash between the wood dragon and the Ten-Tails’ shell would surely trigger an earthquake in the Sound Village. Buried beneath a massive boulder, even a slight tremor would be the end of him.

Perhaps death would be a relief.

Lingering for just a moment on the blue sky, Sasuke closed his eyes.

“Boom!”

The earthquake came, just as he expected.

The impact of the wood dragon and the Ten-Tails’ shell made the ground tremble; Sasuke felt the boulder above him begin to shift.

Pinned beneath the stone, a few more tremors would surely kill him.

But then, something strange happened. The boulder shook violently, yet not only was he not crushed—he felt himself recovering!

What was going on?

The Sage of Six Paths hovered in the air, his form transparent and invisible to all. He looked down at Sasuke, sighing repeatedly.

He had come from the realm of the dead to the living world to see how far the reincarnations of his two sons had progressed.

What he saw left him dumbfounded.

The reincarnation of Indra, who had inherited the Sage’s eyes and talent for ninjutsu, had not only failed to completely outclass the reincarnation of Ashura, who possessed only the Sage’s body, but had actually been surpassed by him.

Worse yet, the reincarnation of Indra was about to die.

The Sage shook his head, deeply disappointed in Sasuke.

This generation’s Indra reincarnation was truly lacking.