Naruto: Konoha's Psychic

Orochimaru, unfazed by the overwhelming mental pressure radiating from Inoiki, licked his lips with a twisted grin. "I've been curious to see how much you've improved over the years," he said. "Let's find out."

Without warning, Orochimaru unleashed a jutsu—Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. From his sleeves, a horde of serpents shot toward Inoiki, their fangs bared and each carrying a small, razor-sharp blade between its jaws.

But Inoiki was faster.

The sword strapped to his back flew into his hand as if summoned by thought. In a blur of motion, he sliced through the attacking snakes with precise, fluid strikes. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them and lunged forward, aiming a direct stab at Orochimaru's face.

But just before the blade could connect, more snakes erupted from Orochimaru's body, swarming around Inoiki and launching a coordinated assault from all directions.

Inoiki responded instantly. A dome-like barrier of shimmering force snapped into place around him—Psychokinetic Shield. The snakes collided against it, but before they could regroup, Inoiki's sword began to glow with crackling lightning.

With a sudden burst of speed, the blade slashed through the air in wide arcs, cutting down every serpent surrounding him. The electrified steel left nothing behind but ash and smoke.

Orochimaru watched with narrowed eyes and a gleam of fascination.

"This power of yours continues to surprise me," he said. "Your Kekkei Genkai… I underestimated it. If I had seen its potential back then, I would have marked you with a Curse Seal without hesitation. You could have been the second-best vessel I've ever had."

The sword returned to Inoiki's hand with a smooth, practiced motion. He smirked. "Only the second-best? That really hurts, Orochimaru."

Without hesitation, Inoiki launched another attack—this time aiming straight for Orochimaru's neck. His intent was clear: he was going for the kill.

But defeating Orochimaru was never that simple.

In a grotesque display, a sword emerged from Orochimaru's mouth, clashing with Inoiki's blade at the last second. Sparks flew from the collision.

Inoiki, however, wasn't caught off guard. He had anticipated a counter. After all, he knew Orochimaru's tactics well—his twisted methods, his habits, his tricks. While their swords locked in a clash, Inoiki calmly raised his left hand.

At his fingertip, a fireball began to form—small at first, but radiating intense heat. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, immediately sensing the danger.

He attempted to leap back, but Inoiki mirrored every movement, staying locked in close range. The fireball condensed rapidly into a tight sphere, no larger than a fist, glowing white-hot.

Without warning, Inoiki released it.

The fireball shot forward like a cannon, slamming directly into Orochimaru's midsection.

The impact was explosive. Orochimaru was launched backward, flying through the air like a missile, smoke trailing from the wound as he crashed into the far end of the bridge.

Orochimaru survived the impact thanks to the extensive modifications he'd made to his body over the years. His internal structure was no longer entirely human—soft, malleable, and resistant to conventional damage. If he had retained a normal physique, that fireball would have torn straight through him, leaving a gaping hole. Of course, he would have healed even after such an injury, but he would have needed to expend a significant amount of chakra to do so.

He crashed violently into the far end of the Tenchi Bridge and didn't rise. Instead, he remained sprawled on the ground for a moment, motionless.

Then his mouth opened wide—unnaturally wide—and from it, a mass of writhing serpents began to pour out. In the blink of an eye, the bridge was overrun.

'Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes.'

Inoiki watched the grotesque spectacle unfold, his expression twisting in disgust. "Ugh. I really hate this part. So revolting."

But Orochimaru wasn't waiting to see the results. He already knew the snakes wouldn't be enough to stop Inoiki. They were a distraction—nothing more.

Without hesitation, Orochimaru activated 'Slithering Snake Mode', his lower body morphing into a serpentine form. He darted off the bridge at blinding speed, slithering away into the surrounding forest.

As this was one of his methods for shedding his skin, the damage from Inoiki's fireball had vanished. He was completely healed.

Inoiki stared at the swarm of serpents surging toward him. With his Observation Haki, his senses extended far beyond the chaos in front of him. He could clearly detect Orochimaru's presence—he wasn't fleeing the battlefield entirely, just repositioning toward an open area nearby. That alone was a relief. It meant Orochimaru wasn't done yet.

Still, Inoiki didn't pursue.

He couldn't afford to.

Behind him, Team Kakashi was engaged in a fierce battle with Kabuto. If Inoiki left now, the field would be overrun with snakes, and Kabuto could easily use the confusion to escape. Given his long history with Orochimaru, there was no doubt he knew a few tricks to slip away unnoticed.

Inoiki exhaled slowly, focusing his energy. Then, in a calm but commanding voice, he said:

"Ice Age."

Instantly, frost burst outward from where he stood. A wave of subzero cold swept across the bridge. In seconds, the entire horde of snakes was frozen solid—mid-slither, mid-strike—encased in flawless, shimmering ice. The entire battlefield fell silent, the temperature dropping sharply.

This technique, a perfect mimicry of Aokiji's legendary ability from One Piece, was one of Inoiki's signature moves—and he had even honoured it with the same name.

The threat was neutralized.

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