"Kyoichi-kun, you've become more and more fascinating to me."
Orochimaru stretched out his long tongue and licked his lips, his sharp gaze piercing straight through Kyoichi. Those golden, slit-pupiled eyes shimmered with an endless curiosity—eyes that no human should have.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested in you," Kyoichi replied bluntly.
"Not interested… for now?"
Orochimaru's brow lifted slightly, seizing upon that one intriguing word. "So you're saying you might be interested someday?"
"Your phrasing's… odd, but yes, that's roughly what I mean," Kyoichi said evenly. "To me, nothing in this world is truly eternal. I may want to punch you into the stratosphere right now, Orochimaru—but that's only what the current me feels. The future… who can say?"
"Nothing is eternal?" Orochimaru's eyes flickered.
He, who was devoting his life to the study of immortality, had always considered eternal life to be the closest thing to true permanence. Kyoichi's words were, in a sense, a quiet denial of his very pursuit.
And yet—
that only deepened Orochimaru's interest in him.
"Kyoichi-kun, are you sure you don't want to stay?"
As he spoke, his hands formed seals—lightning crackled violently.
A powerful Lightning Release technique blasted apart the towering earthen wall Kyoichi had raised with Earth Release.
The battle had never once stopped, not for even a single minute.
"Even if you asked a thousand more times, impossible things will still be impossible!" Kyoichi shot back.
"What a pity, then," Orochimaru murmured, halting his advance.
He now stood on the sandy shoreline, while Kyoichi had taken his position atop a reef in the shallow sea. Around him stood the vigilant trio—Biwa Jūzō, Hōzuki Mangetsu, and Terumī Mei. Even Orochimaru had to admit: the ocean was the Kirigakure's domain.
Though he was proficient in all five chakra nature transformations, he favored Earth and Wind. His mastery of Water Release was impressive—but not top-tier.
Here, amid the waves and the mist, he couldn't guarantee victory.
And after two days of nonstop fighting against Kyoichi, even he wasn't unscathed. His personally developed "Orochimaru-style Body Replacement Technique" could erase most physical damage he took, but it consumed vast amounts of chakra in return.
To be frank, his chakra reserves were now in a dangerous state.
"Orochimaru… your chakra's running low too, isn't it?"
Kyoichi's gaze sharpened as he watched Orochimaru's halted movements.
At that, Biwa Jūzō's pupils contracted sharply.
A daring thought crossed his mind.
"Jūzō, Mei, Kyoichi," Mangetsu whispered, lowering his voice, "should we… try to take Orochimaru down?"
That suggestion aligned perfectly with what Jūzō was thinking—but he didn't answer right away. He frowned, carefully weighing the risks.
Terumī Mei stayed silent.
At her current age, she was still developing her strength. Compared to veterans like Jūzō and Mangetsu, she was a tier below. If they truly engaged Orochimaru, she'd barely be able to assist, much less influence the outcome. So—she held her tongue.
Then—
"What's this? Kyoichi, are you planning to turn the tables and try to keep me here?" Orochimaru said with a soft, amused smile.
His gaze was mocking—yet also eager, as if he genuinely wanted them to try.
"Orochimaru, you think a little bluff like that will scare us off?" Kyoichi met his eyes directly.
"So… are you saying you'll attack me?"
"I never said that," Kyoichi replied calmly. "Your chakra is running low, that much is clear… but unfortunately, even with the four of us together, we can't bring you down. I know that much. If we act out of greed now—well, the ones who'll suffer for it will be us."
He stood atop the reef like a rooted stone, unmoving.
Then he turned to Jūzō.
"Jūzō-senpai, my suggestion is we withdraw. Trying to hunt Orochimaru in reverse… is far too risky. From what I know—among the Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya is the strongest in head-on combat, Tsunade is the greatest medical ninja in the world, and Orochimaru…"
Kyoichi's voice dropped slightly, his tone firm.
"Orochimaru is the most abnormal—and the hardest to kill."
"...Withdraw," Jūzō finally said after several long seconds of silence.
He had hesitated—seven, maybe eight seconds—but at last made the hard decision.
Mangetsu's expression fell in disappointment. He still remembered how badly Orochimaru had beaten him when he stayed behind to cover their retreat—he'd nearly been captured alive. He'd been waiting for a chance to even the score…
but it seemed that day wouldn't come soon.
"Kyoichi-kun… and all you Kiri shinobi," Orochimaru called out, his voice smooth and lilting. "You're sure you don't want to try? I really don't have much chakra left."
But his taunt didn't stir Jūzō's ambition—it only reinforced his caution.
Kyoichi was right.
Orochimaru was not normal.
He couldn't be read by logic or instinct.
The safest move was retreat.
Their mission was already all but complete; the final step was simply to get out safely—to reach the ships still waiting offshore.
There was no point in taking further risks.
"Mangetsu, you'll cover our retreat," Jūzō ordered.
"Why is it always me…" Mangetsu muttered bitterly.
"Quit whining," Jūzō said dryly. "This is your element. If you get captured here—then frankly, you deserve it."
As harsh as it sounded, he wasn't wrong.
For the Hōzuki clan, ambient moisture had a massive impact on their strength. Unless one reached the level of the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, that limitation couldn't be ignored.
"Che! You sure know how to make a guy feel appreciated," Mangetsu grumbled.
Jūzō didn't reply. He motioned to Kyoichi and Mei, and the three began their withdrawal—treading over the turbulent waves toward the two distant specks of shadow that marked their ships.
Only Mangetsu remained, stepping slowly backward, eyes locked on the pale figure standing calmly on the shore.
Orochimaru didn't chase.
He only smiled, the sea breeze rustling his hair like a serpent's whisper.