A fierce wind swept through the forest.
From above, countless grains of golden sand rained down, thick as a storm. Each piece sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle, filling the ears with a maddening screech. The sand surged relentlessly toward Uchiha Ran.
Each grain carried an oppressive weight of chakra.
At this level of Magnet Release: Golden Sand Massacre, ordinary fire techniques would be useless. There was simply no way to counter it head-on.
Yet, without Ran even noticing the moment, Orochimaru appeared at his side.
"So, this is Roza's Golden Sand Massacre," Orochimaru murmured, his tone almost casual. "Interesting… its power is certainly impressive."
"Then… Sensei, are you going to intervene?" Ran asked.
In truth, large-scale jutsu like this could indeed be countered—but only by someone of Orochimaru's caliber. Just like when Aizen faced Yamamoto in Soul Society, the first thought is always to seal. Otherwise, against indiscriminate large-scale attacks, even someone as dangerous as Aizen would have difficulty. Seeing the Golden Sand Massacre, Ran's first thought was: Orochimaru should step in now.
Orochimaru extended his fingers and formed a series of hand seals with lightning speed. Then, pressing down on the ground, he unleashed his technique:
"Ninjutsu—Array of Ten Thousand Serpents!"
From the earth erupted an army of snakes, so dense they seemed to blacken half the sky. Thousands upon thousands wriggled and hissed, surging forward.
"What… what is this?!"
"So gross…""My eyes! My eyes!""Ahh, it's crawling everywhere!"
The Array of Ten Thousand Serpents was colossal in scale, more than capable of countering the Golden Sand Massacre. Naturally, it sent the Sand ninja into horrified panic. The sheer number of snakes was overwhelming. Tens of thousands filled the sky, and countless more crawled up from the soil below.
The two techniques collided violently—Golden Sand Massacre vs. Ten Thousand Serpents.
"What?!"
Fourth Kazekage Roza watched in disbelief as his golden sand was devoured, one grain after another, by the writhing serpents. His face contorted in shock.
"This technique… combines summoning and ninjutsu in an extremely complex manner. To perform it, the user must not only master ninjutsu but also summon with perfect control," Orochimaru explained coolly. "I call it the Array of Ten Thousand Serpents. As its name suggests, the user can summon countless snakes for combat."
He added casually: "Golden sand is nothing against this technique."
Ran was familiar with the Array of Ten Thousand Serpents. Its power was formidable—but could it really suppress Golden Sand Massacre? The notion seemed a stretch.
Yet, the reality was undeniable: the technique was holding back the torrent of sand. Perhaps, he thought with a small smirk, it might also be that the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure was simply underperforming.
Orochimaru turned to Ran. "Golden sand is powerful, but it has a weakness: when faced with its natural counter, its effect diminishes. And next…"
His words trailed off as his expression shifted, eyes flicking toward something in the forest.
Ran followed Orochimaru's gaze. A new wave of ninja had emerged from the trees.
"I'll handle Roza, Ebizo, and Chiyo—you Uchiha restrain them!"
"No, Sensei. Ebizo and Chiyo will be contained by our Uchiha. The remaining Sand ninja? I'll take them down swiftly!" Ran said, determination in his voice.
Orochimaru blinked, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Ran to refuse to remain with the Uchiha elite and instead leap directly into the fray.
"Then I leave it in your hands, Ran-kun, and the rest of the Uchiha," Orochimaru's hoarse voice whispered, fading as he vanished to confront the other high-level Sand shinobi.
With Orochimaru gone, Ran turned to the remaining Sand forces. He issued orders, rallying his squad to engage. Then, with a fluid motion, he drew his zanpakutō and charged straight at the Sand army.
"The real battlefield… starts now." Ran's lips curved into a faint smile as the enemies approached.
He was not a man obsessed with battle. But he felt the pulsing thrill of the Sharingan, the raw urge of the pure Ten-Tails chakra within him, hungering to confront the One-Tailed chakra.
"The Sand village's jinchūriki must be nearby…"
Though Ran's specialty was genjutsu, he often preferred the sharp edge of a sword in battle. His body shifted with unnatural speed, leaving a blur of afterimages, until his true position was directly in front of the main Sand forces.
With no hesitation, his zanpakutō swung downward.
"What?!"
The Sand ninja in his path froze. Their minds screamed one thought: Why me?
It was already too late to dodge.
"Puchi—!"
Blood splattered. The Sand shinobi collapsed, convulsed twice, and then lay still.
Shock rippled through the Sand forces. How could a single Uchiha charge so boldly into the midst of our ranks?
"Is he really that fearless?""We're over twenty here—how can one man face us alone?"
Confidence turned to disbelief as they watched the next moments.
The battle unfolded like art in motion.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!" Ran unleashed another signature technique."Water Release: Water Formation Barrier!"
The Sand ninja countered, raising their own water barrier. Where fire met water, steam billowed in dense clouds.
Exactly as Ran had intended. The obscured vision allowed him to slip into the enemy ranks, where they would hesitate and falter.
With the natural agility and adaptability of the Uchiha, enhanced by the three-tomoe Sharingan, Ran's swordsmanship and physical prowess made him a predator on the battlefield. Every motion was precise, every strike devastating.
In tight, confined spaces, Uchiha excelled. And in front of the Sand forces, Ran demonstrated exactly why the Uchiha were the greatest clan in the ninja world, and why the Sharingan struck fear into every opponent.
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