"That brat… I have to admit, he truly is Orochimaru's disciple. This scene is… a bit excessive. Is it Sharingan, or Mangekyō?"
Watching the Sand ninja slaughter one another on the battlefield, Orochimaru—currently engaged with Rosa—relaxed slightly. At least until he defeated Rosa, Konoha could still hold its ground.
"Still… I'm very curious about that technique he just used," Orochimaru muttered, his eyes glinting. The power of Uchiha Ran's ability fascinated him.
Once this battle was over, he would need to investigate. Such a potent Sharingan ability could be invaluable in wartime for Konoha—but in peacetime, it could be dangerously unpredictable. And the audacity… Ran hadn't even mentioned it to his teacher.
Orochimaru's assessment was sharp. He might not know exactly what Ran had done, but judging by the threat it posed, it was far more formidable than many of his own jutsu.
Of course, if Orochimaru knew Ran hadn't even tapped into the Sharingan's full power yet, he might be even more alarmed.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already acknowledged Rosa's skill. The Fourth Kazekage truly deserved his title. His Magnet Release: Gold Dust was an excellent kekkei genkai—strong in offense and even stronger in defense. But Orochimaru couldn't help thinking how much potential Rosa was wasting. If Orochimaru wielded it, Magnet Release: Gold Dust would be far more devastating.
He shook off the thought and refocused.
"Then… let's continue."
"Ninjutsu—Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Orochimaru spat wind-infused bullets toward Rosa.
"Boom—!"
Watching Rosa use Gold Dust to intercept the attack, Orochimaru's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Could it be that the Kazekage's wind techniques aren't even a match for a single Konoha ninja?" he mocked.
Rosa's face darkened, but he didn't stop manipulating the Gold Dust. Such petty taunts were nothing new to him.
Seizing the brief opening while Orochimaru unleashed his jutsu, Rosa activated his signature technique:
Magnet Release: Gold Spear!
Several spear-shaped constructs of golden sand formed in front of him, launching toward Orochimaru.
"Summoning: Triple Rashōmon!"
Orochimaru snorted. He wouldn't just stand there. Biting his finger, he slammed his palm to the ground.
Three colossal gates, each crowned with a demonic head, erupted from the earth, blocking the piercing Gold Spears. Yet the rotating projectiles continually battered the Rashōmon, chipping away at its defenses.
"Hahaha! Useless!" Rosa roared arrogantly. "You cannot defeat me!"
Even though Orochimaru had blocked his Gold Spears, Rosa had far more powerful techniques in reserve.
Magnet Release: Grounded Gold Spears!
Suddenly, spikes of gold dust shot up from the ground beneath Orochimaru. He had no choice but to abandon the Rashōmon defense and counter the emerging projectiles.
"Boom!"
A spike struck before he could fully dodge, sending Orochimaru flying.
"Phew~"
He landed, catching his breath while surveying the cratered terrain. Rosa's technique was dangerous, no doubt.
"Not over yet!" Rosa shouted. From beneath the earth, more golden spears erupted, aiming to finish Orochimaru once and for all.
Forced to leap into the air to evade, Orochimaru briefly left the ground, just as Rosa had anticipated. This was the moment he had been waiting for—the opening when Orochimaru was airborne and had no leverage.
Clapping his hands together, Rosa summoned countless particles of gold dust from beneath the soil.
Magnet Release: Gold Pellet Barrage!
In an instant, the golden dust rained down like bullets, striking Orochimaru midair.
Unable to dodge, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, bracing for impact.
Thump… thump… thump…
One by one, the gold pellets pierced his skin and entered his bloodstream, leaving dozens of small wounds. Yet when Orochimaru landed, he spoke, almost casually:
"Is that all? A bit of damage… but far from enough."
Despite the blood seeping from dozens of punctures, his calm tone remained, utterly undisturbed.
Rosa clenched his fists. "Hmph. Fine. You'll be nothing but a corpse soon enough."
He had achieved his goal. With the golden particles now embedded in Orochimaru's blood, Rosa felt certain of victory.
"Orochimaru, the battle is over. You are no longer a threat."
Rosa's left hand rested in his pocket, his right hand pointing disdainfully at Orochimaru. His Gold Pellet Barrage had infiltrated Orochimaru's veins, restricting his movements. Soon, a lower-rank ninja would just need to strike his heart.
"Fourth Kazekage… you've gone too far—"
"Hmm?!"
Orochimaru was about to form a hand sign… but then his body froze completely. He could not move a muscle.
"What… what's happening?"
Rosa, grinning, made no effort to explain. He intended to end Orochimaru's life with humiliation.
"Farewell, Orochimaru."
With his right hand still controlling Orochimaru, Rosa signaled a young ninja nearby. Trembling, the child thrust a kunai directly into Orochimaru's heart.
"Now… I can deal with that damned Uchiha brat!" Rosa muttered confidently.
Killing Orochimaru would solidify Rosa's status in Sunagakure, proving his dominance and strength.
But as he turned to face Uchiha Ran, he froze. A strange, wet squelching noise came from Orochimaru's body.
"Huh?" Rosa spun around, scrutinizing the body.
What he saw made his stomach churn. Orochimaru's corpse writhed unnaturally. Then, with a sudden, sickening motion, he emerged from his own mouth.
The sight of Orochimaru covered in drool made Rosa recoil. No normal person could stomach it.
"Seems like I won't be taking Orochimaru down anytime soon… this time, I'll have to let these Konoha ninja go—for now."
Rosa turned to see Ebizō and Chiyo surrounded, the Sand forces beginning to spiral into chaotic, fratricidal fighting.
"Everyone, strategically retreat!" he commanded.
At the same time, he activated Magnet Release: Gold Funeral.
Immediately, a tide of golden sand surged forward, crashing toward the Konoha shinobi like a violent ocean.