Sasuke's eyes snapped open as he rose from the ground. Above him the fluttering form of Kagero flew, the wings behind her buzzing. He cursed, blood dripping from his mouth onto the cracked ground below. He cursed, slowly attempting to rise to his feet. The woman was different ever since she had activated that jutsu. He couldn't track her speed anymore, at least not clearly. She was a vaguely shaped blur to him, nothing intelligble. He couldn't tell her limbs apart from her torso. Even with his processing speed increased thanks to his new jutsu, it didn't matter. She was simply too fast. She had sacrificed some of her physical strength from that hunchback form, but it didn't much matter. The speed made up for the lack of raw power. She landed more blows in succession.
His crimson orbs stared up at her. What was his solution here? He couldn't dodge her attacks, nor could he block them. He wasn't fast enough to hit her. In a situation like this, fighting someone with these abilities, he had no counter. He grit his teeth at the oppressive feeling. The sickening feeling he had felt back in Rain began to flood his body. The realization that there was nothing he could do against a foe that far surpassed him. He hated it. It made him sick. He refused to let it be his reality once more. But how did he fight it? He couldn't compete physically, and he had no competency for stalling tactics. Stealth wouldn't work either. The battlefield was too flat, she'd see if he tried to slip away.
He frowned. He was clearly capable of harming her. The wounds on her body were proof enough of that. He just needed to land an attack, one that she wouldn't get up from. That was all that he needed. And that was what he would accomplish. He had to hold her in place for long enough for him to be able to hit her in the first place. There was only one method he had available to him that could do that. His eyes. His genjutsu.
A plan in motion Sasuke finally reached his full height, only for his eyes to widen as Kagero appeared in front of him, fist cocked back. The woman lashed out with a punch that smashed into his stomach. Blood and spit shot from his mouth before he shot backwards, his feet skidding across the ground. Chakra rushed to his feet, desperately trying to gain traction and stop his movement. He slowed, but it was time consuming. By the time he stopped Kagero was in front of him again, a kick flying at his head. Desperately his chakra rushed, her kick plowing through a pile of snow instead of his head. The snow shot throughout the battlefield, splattering against the ground and rubble of buildings.
The servant of Orochimaru turned her eyes finding Sasuke standing behind her. Electricity sparked around his form, a sign of that jutsu of his still being active. She snorted.
"You already know that can't save you. Why do you bother?"
Sasuke gave a small smirk, one that tried to radiate confidence he didn't feel.
"Don't get too cocky. I'm just adjusting right now."
Kagero's eyes narrowed.
"Your arrogance knows no bounds."
Kagero shot forwards, a trail of snow following her in her speed. She appeared in front of Sasuke, leg flashing out at his head, but the Uchiha disappeared once more in a flash of snow. Kagero's eyes narrowed before she flew high into the air. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down on the battlefield, watching as the Uchiha stood below her.
"You think you can just Kawarimi (Body Replacement) around the battlefield and avoid me? That won't work! I'll rip that reaction time away from you or blow away all the snow! Your choice."
The woman weaved through handseals, a grin on her face. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what jutsu she was planning on using. He quickly reached into his shinobi pouch just as her hands finished in the tiger seal.
"Katon: Kasumi Enbu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Mist Blaze Dance Technique)!"
The flammable gas from before shot from Kagero's mouth straight towards the grounds. This time the Uchiha was prepared, having seen the technique before and knowing what to expect. She was trying to force him into deactivating his Raiton: Ōbādoraibu (Lightning Release: Overdrive). It would worsen his ability to respond to her. If he didn't deactivate it the lightning would spark the gas and unleash a devastating explosion, one that he would either die in or all of targets for the Kawarimi would be destroyed. It was a good strategy. One that placed him between a rock and a hard place. But it wasn't good enough. Lightning sparked around a kunai of his that he launched into the gas, watching as it detonated high above the ground. The shockwave rolled forth, sending a small shower of snow in every direction. Sasuke smirked. She hadn't thought he would do that?
The foot that impacted with his stomach disabused him of that notion.
The Uchiha shot backwards, rolling through the storm of snow as he did so. Kagero smirked as she watched him slowly come to a stop. She walked towards him, her feet echoing across the battlefield.
"You fell for it."
Sasuke grunted, slowly rising. His stomach felt like lava. With a kick like that she could have aimed at his head. She could have put him out of commission or killed him, but she hadn't. There was only one reason. She was enjoying this. That was the reason she hadn't gone for a kill shot yet. He was alive thanks to her desire to beat him into submission. The realization infuriated him. She was looking down on him just like the Amekage had!
He would make her regret it.
He swore it.
His crimson eyes stared at her with hate in his heart. Kagero smirked, shooting forwards once more. Sasuke's eye twitched at the movement before they widened as a surge of snow exploded in front of him. Kagero's fist had stopped just before she reached him. The abrupt stoppage of her momentum kicked up a surge of snow around the duo. A smirk danced along her lips. Sasuke lashed out with his blade, only for Kagero to stop the attack by catching his wrist. She smashed her other hand against his forearm, throwing his arm wide and forcing him to let go of the blade. She then placed a foot on his chest before lightly kicking him back. Sasuke skid across the ground from the force behind the attack.
"Come on Uchiha," Kagero stated. "I'm enjoying this. How does it feel to be so thoroughly outclassed by someone not from a noble clan?"
"Like it won't happen," Sasuke remarked.
Kagero smirked, waving him onwards. Sasuke paused, eyes watching her body. She smirked.
"Don't worry. I'll hold back for you. Give you a sporting chance."
Sasuke snarled at the mockery, charging forwards to lash out with a cross aimed right at her face. Kagero slipped the attack, her hand deflecting it wide before she launched a punch at Sasuke's face that he only just barely dodged. The air pressure shot from the punch, blowing his hair wildly. His eyes widened.
'That's holding back?'
Kagero kept the assault up, unconcerned with what the Uchiha was thinking. Her hand swung wide, a haymaker that Sasuke leaned backwards to avoid. Once more the force behind the attack whipped his hair around wildly. Kagero didn't seem bothered. Her other hand shot downwards, grasping Sasuke's shoulder. His eyes widened. He tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong, rooting him in place. Kagero smirked, before her other hand tightened into a fist before smashing into his stomach. Sasuke keeled over, blood flying from his mouth onto her arm. His body creaked and strained at the force. Kagero didn't stop, her fist smashing into his stomach once more. Sasuke cried out; air forced from his lungs at the force. Kagero smirked, launching a leg forward in a front kick that was aimed directly at his chest.
Sasuke's eye twitched.
The Uchiha's arms snapped down in an 'X' shape to block the kick with his elbows. He stepped backwards from the force, but his eyes widened as he realized what he had done. While Kagero's eyes widened in shock that he had managed to deflect her attack, even if she had held back, a bloody grin flashed onto his face. He stepped forwards, sucking air back into his lungs at the same time. Kagero swung at him desperately, but his eye twitched once more. He managed to duck underneath the attack, forcing the woman to spin backwards as his feet continued to stomp forwards, breaking into her space. When he felt like had her sufficiently on the backfoot he spun, his leg swinging up to crack against her face only for the servant of Orochimaru to lean backwards and avoid the attack. Sasuke's eyes widened. Kagero's eyes gleamed. He was still spinning.
Vulnerable.
She spun herself, leaping into the air at the same time Sasuke's spin ended. He stepped back, but she had leapt forwards. Her leg flashed out, and Sasuke prepared to raise his arms, only for the move to curl back in as she continued to spin. A feint! The Uchiha tried to raise his arms, but the other leg whipped around too quickly, cracking against his jaw. Blood and a tooth shot from his mouth like a missile, splattering onto the ground. They were soon followed by Sasuke's body, falling like a bag of bricks. Kagero smirked.
"You blocked one attack and thought you could stop me? How cute."
Kagero picked up him by the back of the throat, whispering in his ear.
"Don't get carried away off one lucky attack."
The woman cocked her hand back, a grin on her face.
"Any last words?"
Sasuke's head slowly rose, a grin dancing along his lips not that Kagero could see it.
"Yeah...Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current)."
Kagero's eyes widened at the sudden application of the jutsu but had no time to respond. She was fast. But not fast enough. The electrical current arced through her body, seizing it. She stiffed and Sasuke dropped. His throat burned. He wanted to cough. He didn't. He didn't have the time. He had done so much work to get her to close enough where he could stop her movement and strength, even if temporarily. He couldn't afford to waste it now. He needed to capitalize! His blade wasn't here. He couldn't cut a limb off and have her bleed to death. He couldn't even break her kneecap to slow her down, because the speed came from the wings that buzzed at her back. No, traditional methods of slowing down a quick opponent didn't apply here. He wasn't a Hyuga. He couldn't slow her down physically.
But if one could increase their processing speed, then it could also be slowed down. The Raiton: Ōbādoraibu flared to life. His body shot forwards as he snatched a kunai from his shinobi pouch. Kagero, still locked still by the electricity, could do nothing. She couldn't even manipulate her chakra to get away from the attack. The Uchiha's fist cracked against Kagero's head, forcing it backwards. Blood shot from her eyes and nose from the force. Sasuke snarled, but he wasn't done yet. His kunai lanced with electricity. He stabbed the weapon deep into Kagero's side, puncturing her kidney. Blood shot from her mouth and side as she regained control of her body. Her foot snapped up, but this time it was far slower than her previously shown top speed. Slow enough that the Uchiha could react once more. His dove out of the way, air pressure from the attack rocketing into the air. Sasuke wanted to curse. Even after those attacks, she still had that much strength left in her? What type of monster was she?
He stood, crimson eyes spinning. He had to keep the pressure up. Lock her down. Genjutsu would do the trick. He leapt forwards, desperate to make eye contact with her and for once regretting refusal to take his mother's offer and learning how to activate genjutsu without the use of his Sharingan. Kagero wasn't dumb enough to look him in the eyes in her current position. No, her body instead glowed a bright blue before it disappeared in a flash of light just as his kunai lanced through the air where her neck once was.
"What?"
He heard the familiar buzzing sound high above him. He looked upwards to see Kagero looking down on him from the sky, one hand on the wound on her side. Blood trailed from her lip, and rage and disappointment flashed through her eyes. Sasuke smirked at her. He had got her. She was hurting. That was the only reason she would retreat like she had. Kagero on the other hand was frustrated, but mostly with herself.
'I was foolish! Overconfident! If I had simply killed him when I activated the Kagerō Ninpō: Utakata (Antlion Ninja Arts: Ephemeral) I wouldn't be in this position! I acted...I acted just like a noble clan member!"
Kagero's wings buzzed as her wings sent her body backwards. She tracked her Uchiha opponent with narrowed eyes. The Uchiha looked back at her, a smirk on his face. Her mouth curled into a frown.
'You think you can just mock me like this!'
Kagero's wings fluttered. Sasuke's eye twitched.
She shot forwards, buzzing towards the Uchiha at top speed. It didn't matter. She was fast, but he could see her now. The Uchiha dodged underneath her punch, a smirk on his face. Kagero wasn't done, lashing out with blow after blow that rocked the air near him, but no matter what she did she couldn't land a blow on him. Sasuke danced between her attacks, the smirk on his face slowly extending into a full-blown smile.
'She can't move fast because of the head strike, and she can't attack me fast because of her kidney. I have her!'
Sasuke's fist lanced out, smacking against her cheek and stopping her momentum cold. Kagero stumbled backwards, her feet touching the ground. Sasuke capitalized, lashing out with a kick that cracked against her chest and sent her flying backwards. He smirked before he dashed after her, picking up his sword along the way. His feet pounded on the ground, chakra surging through his legs. It was not long before he caught the woman, his foot lashing outwards to smash against her chin and send her flying into the air. Sasuke leapt after her, his body glowing slightly due to the electricity coursing through his nervous system. His sword lanced with electricity, and he roared his victory. The sword would pierce through her heart.
The fight was over.
Kagero had lost.
She knew as much when she saw him nearby. She couldn't react in time. She couldn't turn in time.
But she had to try.
So, try she did. The woman used all the strength in her body to turn herself, but it wasn't enough. The sword would still pierce through her.
Blood leaked from Sasuke's eyes.
The Uchiha coughed blood, the glow underneath his skin disappearing as pain racked through his body. The pain interrupted his attack and he collided with the woman in midair. His blade pierced her body, but not her heart. No, instead Kagero's stomach was pierced. The woman heaved, pain flickering through her form. The two collapsed to the ground below, pain racking their bodies. It was Kagero who recovered first. Slowly she wrenched the blade from her gut, throwing it to the side. Blood leaked from her body. She crawled across the ground, pain flaring in her eyes until finally she rested on a rock. Her wings buzzed behind her. She looked at the Uchiha who lay on the ground before her. His body spasmed with pain, blood leaking from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Kagero wanted to laugh, but the pain that shot through her body made her stop.
"You idiot," Kagero whispered. "You don't think there's a reason all Raiton (Lightning Release) users don't just supercharge their nervous system? Why Kumo is the only shinobi village to effectively use a Raiton-based armor? You think the Raikage simply accelerates his nervous system to make his armor work? No, you fool. Raiton chakra is dangerous. Risky. Speeding up your nervous system has serious repercussions if you aren't a master, and you clearly aren't. You need precise chakra control. A layer of lightning to protect your nervous system from the rapidly enhanced speeds you're pushing it to function at."
The spasms on the Uchiha finally stopped, letting him release deep, heavy gasps of air. He couldn't find it in him to respond to her taunting. Kagero didn't mind. Instead, she continued.
"Just like a noble clan member, to think they can pull off something that took others years to master in a single moment because they've heard of it before. An Uchiha especially. Those eyes of yours give you such confidence you can copy any jutsu. Well look at you now."
Kagero smirked and her wings began to flutter strangely, glowing an even brighter blue than they were before.
"I won't make the same mistake. It happened once, and unlike you I learn from my mistakes," Kagero muttered. "Now witness. The strongest technique of the Fuma Clan. Kagerō Ninpō: Utakata."
Kagero's wings buzzed with power before they transformed into four streams of chakra that shot towards Sasuke. His crimson orbs widened as he saw the beams of chakra approaching. He could see it. The density of the chakra in that attack. They were bright blue lines that snaked towards him. If that attack hit him, he would die. He knew it. Sasuke grit his teeth. She had another card to play. But what did he have? His own jutsu had harmed him. But he couldn't avoid this attack without it. He would die without it.
Raiton roared.
Sasuke disappeared as the streams of chakra struck the ground and detonated. A massive explosion ripped through the battlefield, the shockwave kicking up clouds of dust and snow. Eventually the storm of dust and snow settled, revealing scorched earth underneath, but it was distinctly missing a corpse. Kagero's eyes narrowed. Her head snapped around to see the Uchiha kneeling on the ground not far away, blood leaking from his mouth. The faint blue glow faded from his skin. Pain wracked his form.
But his eyes never left her.
The two locked eyes, seeing the desperation in one another. For the first time in the fight, they felt like they understood exactly what the other was thinking.
'She can't launch that attack multiple times.'
'Even activating that jutsu briefly causes retaliatory damage now.'
Both of their eyes narrowed.
'One more time! I can do it one more time!'
The two tightened their fists before both rose to their feet, prepared to clash one final time. Their eyes met and then...they charged.
Mikoto and Orochimaru rushed each other. Orochimaru's blade descended in a vertical slash that Mikoto's rose to block. Their weapons and chakra clashed, the pressure of their roaring energies cracking the ground underneath their feet. Orochimaru grinned, but Mikoto acted. She tilted her blade, batting Orochimaru's to the side before she shifted into a horizontal slash aimed at his neck. The man blocked it before he smacked her blade downwards with his free hand. His sword hand twisted, the blade twirling before it came down in a slash that Mikoto stepped to the side to avoid. Her blade shot up, batting his wide before she thrusted at his stomach only for Orochimaru to sidestep and bat the weapon wide with his own blade. He slashed at her head, but Mikoto spun backwards to avoid it. The Sannin pursued, lashing out with a slash that she met with one of her own, their blades clanging together and sending snow flying in every direction.
Mikoto grunted, thrusting forwards from their locked position to try and stab at his face only for Orochimaru to tilt his head to avoid the attack. He swung his blade upwards, his cross guard throwing her blade up before he slashed at her throat horizontally only for the woman to roll out of the way. Mikoto rose, slashing at his side only to be met with the sound of clanging steel as he deflected. Orochimaru swung his blade once more, aiming to slash her head in two only for her blade to rise up and deflect the attack. Orochimaru grinned and pushed, stepping forwards into the attack and forcing Mikoto backwards. She grunted, her free hand going up to rest on the dull side of her blade for extra leverage as she pushed against the man. Her feet dug into the ground, chakra roaring in her legs as she stood her ground.
Orochimaru grinned.
He leapt up, his knee flying into her wrist and forcing her arms to the side. The Snake Sannin lashed out with the pommel of his blade at her throat, only for Mikoto's forearm to fly upwards and block the attack as she collided with his wrist. Orochimaru snarled, his free hand grabbing her arm and pulling it away only for her blade to swing up and hit his own. Attention diverted, Mikoto managed to force his arms to the side before slashing at his waist only for him to deftly flick his blade upwards to deflect the attack before he caught it in his other hand. Mikoto kept moving, attempting to smash him with the cross-guard of her blade. He mimicked the action. The two caught the other's wrist with their free hand, their muscles straining as they fought for dominance.
It was Orochimaru who changed it. He shot his shoulder forward, smashing into the wrist of the hand that held her blade before he used his now free hand to smack her other hand away from his blade. Mikoto stumbled but was quick. Her blade tilted downwards, stopping his. Before he could pressure the blade and break her defenses Mikoto worked to distract the man, her fist smashing against his side. Orochimaru grunted at the blow, eyes watching with a frustrated gaze as she pulled back to hit him again. His foot snapped out, cracking against her knee and pushing her leg back. The Uchiha dropped to a knee and Orochimaru pounced, immediately pressuring their locked blades. Mikoto cursed, raising her free hand to the dull side of her blade to help defend against the attack. She grunted, feeling Orochimaru slowly begin to press downwards. The edge of the Kusanagi kissed her neck, drawing a thin line of blood. She wouldn't win like this.
The matriarch grunted, kicking off with her free leg to roll away, forcing Orochimaru to stop the attack lest she wrest the Kusanagi from his hands. She ended the roll on her knees, lashing out with a slash at Orochimaru's ankles only for him to step backwards. Using his superior reach he slashed downwards, but Mikoto leaned out of the way of the attack, allowing the tip of the Kusanagi to touch the ground. She lashed out with her elbow, hitting the side of Orochimaru's knee, and dropping him to the ground. Mikoto pounced, slashing out with her blade to cut the man only for him to raise his own and stop the attack cold. The man's snake-like eyes narrowed before he thrust his blade upwards, the cross-guard slamming into Mikoto's blade and forcing her arm upwards. The man capitalized, his leg leaping forwards to smash into her chest and send both of them flying apart.
Mikoto skid against the ground from the force, losing her grip on her blade in the process. She twirled to her feet, crimson orbs watching the rising Orochimaru carefully. The man still held his blade. The man smirked as his eyes met hers, still unafraid of any genjutsu she could affect him with. He tossed the Kusanagi aside before he waved her onwards.
"Come, Mikoto-chan."
Mikoto snarled and charged the man. She leapt upwards, a kick lashing out at his head only for his forearm to block the blow solidly. Mikoto dropped the attack, landing and shifting to a punch that Orochimaru stepped into while raising his other arm to block the strike. The man countered with a punch of his own aimed directly at her jaw, but the Uchiha Matriarch's eyes were not simply for show. They spun, predicting the man's movement before he had even made it. Her hand shot up, batting his punch to the side before her other hand shot up. She attempted to backfist the Sannin only for him to meet her backfist with his own. The man wasn't satisfied with their evenly matched attack. His other hand snaked around their locked arms, batting Mikoto's arm wide before he lashed out with a punch towards her face. Mikoto swiftly swatted the arm away once more, turning Orochimaru to the side and leaving his body exposed. She pounced, her fist lashing out with a punch that smashed against his body only for coral to spring up to take the attack for him.
Mikoto grunted, her other hand flying down and smashing against the coral to no effect. Instead, the skin on her knuckles tore, dripping blood. The woman grunted, twisting and throwing a haymaker at the man's unprotected face only for his forearm to block the attack before his leg shot upwards. Mikoto's eyes snapped downwards, her crimson orbs spinning. She shoved chakra into her leg, the ground exploding with force and sending her twisting backwards. Orochimaru's leg careened through the air where her body once was. A smirk danced along the snake's lips at the display of skill. He shot forwards, his leg lashing out with a front kick that Mikoto expertly knocked back to the ground with her hands. Her head shot upwards to see Orochimaru already launching another punch at her, a left hook that she blocked with her own forearm. The man pressed his assault, shifting to a body punch that she batted down with her hand. Mikoto countered with a punch at his chest, but the man's elbow batted the attack away.
Mikoto's eyes narrowed, and her other arm shot out, pushing his defending arm down and preparing to punch him. Orochimaru smirked, leaping suddenly, and lashing out with a kick at her head. Mikoto managed to block the attack, but the force behind it forced her to stumble to the side. Orochimaru pounced as soon as he landed, lashing out with a wild haymaker Mikoto just barely leaned out of the way of in time. Still, she was on the backfoot. The Snake Sannin spun, twirling through the air to lash out with a tornado kick that cracked alongside Mikoto's jaw. Her head snapped, blood shooting from her mouth from the blow. Orochimaru smirked as she stumbled backwards.
"Come Mikoto-chan. I expected more."
Mikoto snarled, charging forwards. She feinted a punch to Orochimaru's face, and the man bought it. His hands slipped up as she went down, the woman smashing into his leg. One hand shot between his legs while the other went around and wrapped it. Mikoto's legs stomped to the side before she pushed, sending them both to the ground. She rolled with the impact, getting to a knee before lashing out with a one-two at Orochimaru's head that he blocked. The man then burst from his bundled-up position, hands snacking out to grasp Mikoto's bent leg. Mikoto in her desperation lashed out with a punch that Orochimaru caught before his other hand snaked around her ankle and grasped it. The man spun on the ground before rising to his knees, the chakra of his back allowing the unnatural movement. The man lashed out with a punch, the blow cracking against Mikoto's face and snapping her head once more. Mikoto tried to counter with a punch at his midsection only for one hand to catch her blow at the wrist while the Orochimaru's elbow pressed against her own, stopping the attack. The man then thrust his leg backwards, drawing Mikoto in before he rolled forwards. His body snaked awkwardly, latching around her leg before he rolled onto his feet before her prone form on the ground, hand cocked back for a punch.
Mikoto's legs shot upwards, one reaching behind his neck while the other kicked at his waist, allowing her body to extend and his punch to only hit air. The woman snarled, chakra burning through the leg that was behind the man's head before she pushed, throwing him to the side and allowing her the time to stand. Orochimaru rushed to stand but Mikoto was already on top of him, punch flying out and cracking against his chin. She tried to follow-up only for the man's forearm to block her neck strike, his snake-like eyes glowing in the darkness.
Mikoto didn't care. Her hand spun, pulling his arm wide and leaving him vulnerable for the punch she smashed into his face. The man's head snapped backwards, blood shooting from his mouth. The woman prepared to follow up with another strike only for her fist to impact on coral armor that covered his body once more. Her fist groaned at the impact, the skin on it tearing. Orochimaru grinned, his mouth opening to unleash a deluge of water that smashed against her body. Mikoto was sent backwards from the force, but quickly managed to escape the stream and land on a nearby pile of rubble. Orochimaru stood to face her. The two opponents stared down one another, their eyes never wavering.
"That armor of yours won't save you. I already know how to break it."
"Then try Mikoto-chan. If you can grab your blade again that is."
Mikoto smirked, hands speeding through handsigns at a pace Orochimaru hadn't expected. His eyes widened.
"Who says I need that blade to use Raiton jutsu? Raiton: Jinraisen (Lightning Release: Thunderclap Arrow)!"
A bolt of lightning shot from her mouth towards Orochimaru, but the man leapt out of the way of the attack. Mikoto capitalized on this, sprinting away from the man before snatching up the Kogarasumaru in the meantime. Orochimaru smirked, rushing to his own blade to do the same only for Mikoto to slash out at him from behind a piece of rubble. The man's eyes narrowed, dodging the attack. It was slow. Too slow. His hand lanced outwards, piercing her chest only for her body to explode in a cloud of smoke. Before the Sannin could act on the realization the real Mikoto appeared in front of him, blade thrusting forwards. Orochimaru grimaced, hands reaching up to catch the blade between his coral-protected palms. Mikoto smirked before lightning danced across her weapon. The coral around Orochimaru's body crumpled to the ground as the electricity surged through his body. His body seized and the woman pressed her attack. Her knee cracked against his chest, throwing him backwards and away from his blade. The Uchiha smirked, dashing forwards in pursuit. Flames sparked along her blade before she leapt in the air, blade raised high above her head.
"Katon: Uchiha Kenjutsu: Hiryu: Kaen (Fire Release: Uchiha Sword Technique: Flying Dragon: Fire Blaze)!"
Mikoto slashed downwards, a massive stream of flame shooting from her blade towards her opponent. Orochimaru glanced up at the technique, an irritated look forming on his face.
"I am the Jinchuriki of the Sanbi, and I shall show you exactly what that means."
The man made a single handseal before a titanic ball of water shot from his mouth, completely overpowering the trail of fire and aiming directly at Mikoto. The woman's eyes narrowed, her flaming whip coiling around her arm once more before she used it to relocate, the whip pulling against a piece of rubble. The Uchiha Matriarch landed, only for her eyes to widen as the snow she landed in instantly turned to water. It wasn't the heat of her jutsu. She could see the chakra in it. The water shot upwards, wrapping around her. Before she could escape a thick stream of water rose up in the form of Orochimaru before sticking his arm in the water, transforming it into a thick watery prison and putting out the whip of water that was around her arm. The original Orochimaru smirked.
"And now you've lost, Mikoto-chan."
Coral covered the man's arm.
"You see I could have killed you far earlier than this, but I've been trying to test my abilities. I've only recently gained Jinchuriki status, and simply overpowering an opponent as powerful as yourself wouldn't serve as a good barometer of what I'm capable of now other than that I can brute force my way through problems. No, if I intend on acquiring the power of that man...I need to be sure on what I can accomplish."
Orochimaru touched the ground with his coral covered arm, causing a large growth of coral to sprout from the point he had touched. The coral quickly began to ground, spreading over the ground until it slowly came to a stop right before touching the watery prison that contained the Uchiha. Her crimson orbs widened in horror as she saw the technique. One hit from that attack could be deadly. It would restrict her movement if given the chance. Orochimaru picked up on her thought process, the smirk growing on his face. Then, he dashed forwards aiming to slam his coral-covered arm into the woman's chest.
Mikoto wouldn't allow that. Her left eye spun before the water around her suddenly sunk into the ground. The water clone's eyes widened but Mikoto was quick to act. She dashed behind it before kicking it into the original version, leaving Orochimaru to cover his clone with water. The man's eyes narrowed at the sight.
"How did you escape?"
A trail of blood leaked from Mikoto's left eye, but she smirked despite what must have been uncomfortable.
"You underestimate me. And now you've shown me how your ability works. Unfortunately for you, I can counter that jutsu."
Orochimaru grinned, seemingly surprised at the confidence displayed by the Uchiha. He hadn't expected this, and it excited him. He charged forwards, coral covering his arms. However, despite his eagerness Mikoto seemed to want to stay at a distance if the flaming whip that shot towards Orochimaru's head was any indication. The man ducked underneath the weapon, the crack of fire that split overhead meaning nothing to him as he continued his charge. Mikoto continued her assault, lashing out with a crack of her whip for every step the man took, slowing his progress tremendously but she never managed to land a blow. With one last crack the air around Orochimaru glowed with embers and she smirked. The Uchiha formed a single handsign before the embers burst into a bright flame, engulfing the snake.
Orochimaru emerged from the blast, burnt but otherwise unharmed. But Mikoto was expecting that. She appeared in front of him in a burst of speed with lightning covering her blade. She slashed, her blade ripping into Orochimaru's skin and drawing blood. The man hissed, stepping backwards from the assault. Mikoto moved to press the assault only for countless snakes emerged from the robes covering Orochimaru's chest and lashed out at her. The Uchiha had seen the chakra charge and effortlessly carved her way through the venomous snakes, but the brief distraction had been all Orochimaru needed. The man leapt away before he formed a handsign. A water clone rose from the ground that similarly began to weave through handseals. Mikoto's eyes narrowed at the display of mastery over the element. He was using multiple jutsu at once if the way his chakra was rolling was any indication. That was a level of mastery that should not be possible naturally.
It had to be the Bijuu.
The clone and original unleashed their techniques at the same time.
"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Bullet Technique)!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"
The two jutsu's merged into one massive combination attack, a massive wave of water that threatened to crush anything underfoot. Mikoto grunted, dashing away from the wave as it surged across the ground. It collected anything that was in its way, whether it be snow, dirt, rubble, or corpse. Nothing could stop it. The wave didn't stop, pushing against the remains of the northwestern wall of the fort before it crumbled entirely underneath the wave. Orochimaru watched the destruction his jutsu wreaked with a smile dancing on his face. This was good. He had destructive power, the type that should allow him to stand against that man. However, straight forward jutsu would not work against that foe. No, he needed something more subtle if he wished to defeat that man. The man walked to the side as he mused these thoughts, picking up his blade and sealing it away.
His eyes danced as he saw a form slink out of the periphery of his vision. His eyes snapped to the form, coral covering his body on instinct. Not a second later black flames devoured the front of his coral armor, beginning to melt it away despite its previous display of resistance. Orochimaru's eyes widened before in his desperation his mouth opened wide. An entirely new leapt from his mouth away from the burning black flames as they turned the coral and the body that it housed into nothing but a pile of burning organic matter. Orochimaru's eyes snapped around wildly only for his eyes to widen as Mikoto appeared in front of him, now both of her eyes bleeding. Her fist shot out, smashing into his stomach. The man heaved before he felt a strange pulling sensation against his body. Before he could process the feeling Mikoto's foot smashed against his face. The man flipped, rolling against the ground before he rose to his feet to see the Uchiha charging at him.
She wasn't willing to give him time to process her abilities huh? That was fine. He could think on the fly. Coral shrouded his body once more, before he made a handsign. Two clones of himself puffed into existence before all of them shot forwards at the woman. Mikoto stopped right before she reached the trio, water splashing into the air from her sudden stop. The two clones shot forwards, but Mikoto weaved through handseals, eyes blurring in motion as she eyed each of her opponents. Just as their fists threatened to reach her, she smashed her hands into the water beneath her.
"Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)!"
The electric current sparked throughout the field of water, leaping upwards into the air to spark against the water droplets as well. Lightning coursed through the clones' bodies, making them seize before they disappeared in puffs of smoke. The real Orochimaru leapt into the air to avoid the attack, hands together in the horse seal.
"Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique)!"
Mikoto leapt away from the maws of the descending flaming dragon. The impact of the jutsu against the massive pools of water left from Orochimaru's prior technique caused large quantities of steam to spill into the air. Steam he was all too willing to use. His hands weaved through handseals once more before settling in the tiger position. While commonly associated with Katon (Fire Release) techniques, there were many Suiton (Water Release) jutsu's that also utilized the seal. One was the Suiton: Suigadan (Water Release: Water Fang Bullet). The steam in the air coalesced into a dozen spiraling drills of pressurized water directly at Mikoto. The woman's eyes narrowed as they neared. She flung her whip wide around her wildly, forming a tornado of flame that the tendrils of water could only extinguish. Steam floated into the air, but Orochimaru grinned. At the end of the day steam was still water, which meant he could use it.
Mikoto seemed to realize the issue and unleashed a storm of wind just as he turned the steam into blades of water that threatened to drop on top of the woman. The gust of wind destroyed the blades of water, sending them flying far away. But it left her open. Orochimaru appeared in front of her. His fist lashed out, smashing against her jaw. He felt a satisifying pop before she skipped across the ground. He chased after her, waiting for the coral to spring up across her body only for nothing to occur. His eyes narrowed but he did not hesitate. He continued his charge only to be met by another burst of black flame, that caused Mikoto's eye to bleed even more profusely. The man grunted, unleashing a blast of water only for his eyes to widen as he saw the water be devoured by the flame. It kept its approach, spreading across the ground and forcing him to leap away. Finally, the flame stopped, forming a blazing demarcation of black flame on the battlefield.
Finally given the opportunity Orochimaru began to speak.
"A thousand questions are running through my head Mikoto-chan. You freed yourself from my water prison and somehow stopped my coral from spreading on your body. And these flames...what are they?"
Mikoto smirked, the confidence in her eyes betraying the blood that streaked down her face. The woman's nose was shattered, blood leaking from it as well. Her mouth creaked open slightly to allow her to breathe better.
"These are the flames of God."
"Flames of God," Orochimaru stated, eyes narrowing. "I know much about the Sharingan. I had even heard the rumors of the Mangekyou Sharingan from my research into Madara Uchiha. But I have never heard of black flames. No flames of god."
"Perhaps your research is not everything you believe it to be, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru visibly recoiled, as if he were struck.
"You dare."
The natural slit of his eyes grew more pronounced. His eerily yellow eyes turned a violent crimson as red streaks of chakra licked his form. Mikoto's eyes widened as she saw the Bijuu's chakra leak more and more from his body.
"You think you can sit there and lecture me. I will pluck your eyes from your rotting corpse and figure out the secrets of your techniques myself."
Mikoto smirked with confidence she didn't feel.
"Go ahead and try."
Sasuke and Kagero collided in a contest of taijutsu, their bodies screaming at them in protest. The Uchiha had to admit that the Fuma woman was formidable, despite her grievous injuries. Sure, she was slower and less powerful, but her technique compensated. Her chakra control was impeccable. She was better than him at taijutsu, at least on a technical level. But he was faster than her now, and his eyes allowed him to utilize that advantage to its fullest potential. He could win.
Kagero had no intention of making that easy for him. As he hulked inwards, leading with a one-two punch she slipped the blow before countering with a backfist that cracked against his chin and sent him stumbling backwards. She pressed the advantage, a delicate smirk playing along her face. Yes, she could do this. She could beat him. She just needed to remain composed. She lashed out with a jab that Sasuke bat downwards, crimson orbs spinning. She frowned and continued her assault, but it wasn't just the jab. Any attack she sent at the Uchiha was batted down, jab or straight. She grunted. Direct attacks were too obvious with those eyes predicting her every movement. So, she changed her strategy. She feinted with a jab that was batted down before she swung wide with an overhand right, but Sasuke caught that as well. He stepped inwards, his fist flying up to smash into her stomach. The Fuma Clan woman leapt slightly with the blow, weakening the impact but it didn't change much. She felt it rattle her. She stumbled backwards as Sasuke rushed in to capitalize.
In an act of desperation her leg flew up, air pressure curling around it as she tried to smash it into his head. The Uchiha caught the attack, grunting as it almost jolted his shoulder out of its socket. Still, he had caught it, and she was vulnerable. His leg snapped forwards, tripping her and dropping her to the ground unceremoniously. Sasuke slammed his knee on her chest, knocking the air out of her before he unleashed a barrage of punches towards her fast that were blocked by a hastily thrown together guard. But such a defense couldn't be relied on. Eventually his fists broke through, and Kagero relied on her head movement to dodge his blows. Sasuke grunted, irritation growing. He changed strategies, lashing out with an elbow. The attack was too wide to avoid, and there was no way she could block it. She simply had to endure. The blow rattled her, her vision blurring from the sheer strength behind it. She refused to take another. Her body snapped to the side, throwing Sasuke's knee onto the ground before she kicked at his side, sending him rolling away from her and giving her the time to stand. Sasuke rose as well, an irritated look on his face.
The two came together in a flurry of blows again, only this time Kagero was more cautious. The Uchiha did well on the defensive. His speed and Sharingan allowed him to counter her with ease. So, she took that away from him. This time he was the aggressor, lashing out with a punch that she stopped at the wrist. Sasuke grunted, his other hand promising pain if it connected only for it too to be caught. Kagero twisted, forcing his arms out of position and allowing her to smash her feet against his chest. The force sent the Uchiha stumbling back, his head rattling from the force. His eyes not on her.
Kagero capitalized.
She rushed forwards, her fist filling his vision before the uppercut landed. The blow snapped Sasuke's head backwards. Kagero smirked and spun before her leg snapped outwards and cracked against his chest. The force knocked the Uchiha off of his feet and onto his back. However, she had no time to pounce. Sasuke rolled with the impact to flip back onto his feet before he charged her with anger in his eyes. He lashed out with an overhand right of his own, but the move was obvious. Telegraphed. Easy to block. Kagero struck him at his elbow, forcing the blow to turn early and miss before the back of her fist smashed against his jaw and turned his head. Sasuke grunted in pain but continued his assault, lashing out with a hook that she blocked. His leg snapped upwards, aiming to take out her knees only for the petite woman to check the attack with her leg. Sasuke grunted, lashing out with a straight only for Kagero to drop underneath it before lashing out with a chop that smashed against his stomach that made the Uchiha gasp for air. Kagero capitalized, leaping up and kicking the back of his knee to drop the Uchiha to the ground before she spun and lashed out with a hook kick that cracked against his skull.
Kagero turned to face her fallen opponent only to see him charging at her haphazardly from his grounded position. She snorted, prepared to counter only for the Uchiha to spit blood in her face, temporarily blinding her. She wiped the liquid off, but it had done its job. Sasuke's punch smashed into her stomach, right next to where he had stabbed her kidney, causing her to wheeze in pain. He pressed his assault, stepping on her foot to stop her from flying away as he hammered hook after hook onto the woman's head. Her head snapped around like a pinball, eyes beginning to glaze from the violent assault. That one blow had turned the tables of the fight. Her mind felt like mush and her body felt like fire. The heat originated from her midsection. From her pierced kidney. She tried to stumble back, but the Uchiha wouldn't let her. Sasuke roared, snapping one last punch into her cheek. The force behind the blow ripped her from underneath his feet as she flew backwards before she rolled along the cold snow beneath their feet.
The woman rolled to her feet, glaring up at the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked, charging forwards once more. He kicked up a surge of snow at Kagero that she batted down with her hand, but the momentary distraction was all Sasuke needed. His leg snapped out with a kick that cracked against her jawline. He wasn't done, flowing through the quick to lash out with a tornado kick that was aimed directly for her head. The Fuma Clan member ducked underneath the strike and stepped in, fists cocked back. Her fists flew forwards, smashing against Sasuke's torso. He shot backwards from the force, blood shooting from his mouth. Kagero pressed her advantage, flipping into an overhead kick Sasuke blocked. The force behind the kick made his arms feel like jelly as the ground cracked underneath the force. The woman didn't seem to mind. Her hands danced on the ground to hold her body aloft as her legs spun. Repeatedly they smashed against Sasuke's guard, but he blocked every strike. She smirked. Her legs coiled back as her knee bent, passing by the guard before she snapped out with her foot. The blow cratered into Sasuke's chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Kagero used the opportunity to spring off of her hands towards him. Her feet smashed into his chest, sending him flying onto the ground.
The duo landed in the snow; their eyes locked together with furious intent. They scrambled to their feet before both lashed out with a punch. Kagero was forced to concede first, slipping away from Sasuke's punch due to his reach advantage. The Uchiha pressured, lashing out with punches that maximized his physical advantages. His fists struck like lightning, giving her no daylight to close the gap between them. Another bit into her guard as she stepped away from the flurry, a frown forming on her face. She needed to press in. She steeled herself and then stepped forwards. Sasuke's fist blew through her guard, smashing into her cheek but her eyes remained focused on him. Her own fist lashed out, smashing against his stomach, and keeling him over with her superior physical strength. The Uchiha barely had any time to register his spit hitting the snow-covered ground as he suddenly felt a squeezing pressure around his throat.
Kagero had slipped behind him and put him in a rear-naked choke. He grasped at her arm, desperation in his eyes. She gave him no room to think, squeezing as tightly as she could to put him to sleep. It wouldn't be long. She only needed a brief moment. Sasuke pulled his head forwards, desperate to break it before suddenly he snapped his head backwards, his skull smashing against Kagero's nose. Her head flew backwards, and she momentarily lost her strength, enough for Sasuke to pull himself free. He lashed out with an elbow that cracked against temple, dazing her. She stumbled to the ground, desperately rolling out of the way of his successive stomps at her head. Eventually she her arms flared out, wrapping around Sasuke's ankle, and pulling with all her strength. The Uchiha clattered to the ground before she lashed out with a series of elbows that crashed into his face.
Blood decorated her skin and the snow below as she rolled on top of the Uchiha, hammering blow after blow against his body. Sasuke desperately tried to block but Kagero was stronger. She forced his arms away and continued her assault. The Uchiha bit his lip. With a roar of effort his hands lashed out at her eyes, desperate to gouge them out. Kagero had expected this, snatching his hand and breaking two of his fingers. Sasuke bit down on his lip even harder, drawing blood this time. He couldn't give up just because of pain. His head snapped up and smashed against Kagero's, forcing her to pause. He took the advantage, jabbing his thumb into her punctured kidney and causing her to shriek in pain. He ripped his thumb from the wound, eliciting another cry before smashing his fist into hers, forcing her away.
The two combatants slowly stood, each looking at each other with disdain. Then, they clashed once more. This time the Uchiha struck first, and he had no intention of giving away his advantage. He kicked up snow once more that Kagero batted down, but this time he spat another mouthful of blood at her. The woman had expected more underhanded tactics, easily avoiding the mouthful only for Sasuke to slam his thumb into her puncture wound once more, eliciting another scream of pain. He snarled, his fist flying out with a haymaker that cracked against her head and dropped the Fuma Clan member to her hands and knees. The Uchiha stomped on her back, forcing her to the ground. Kagero grit her teeth, her mouth filling with snow. She turned, prepared to attack him only for another mouthful of blood to clatter against her face, forcing her eyes shut. Sasuke pounced, his blows smashing against her face. She may be stronger, but he weighed more. It wouldn't be as easy for her to get him off of her from this position.
Kagero snarled, grabbing Sasuke's hand after her landed another punch. She trapped it in her arms before she pressed against the elbow, threatening to break it. In his desperation Sasuke rolled with the force, removing his body from hers. Kagero smirked. Her feet shot up before they smashed against his side, throwing him far from her. Slowly she stood, feeling satisfied with herself only to see Sasuke charging back at her, rage on his face. She frowned.
'He just keeps getting up!'
She lashed out with a kick that cracked against his crossed arms. The blow stopped his forwards momentum, sending him skidding in the opposite direction but he continued his charge immediately. Kagero slipped his first punch, eyes dancing across his body to see where he would strike next only for his foot to stomp on hers once more. She cried out, pain flittering on her face. The wings behind her buzzed and she desperately tried to fly away, but Sasuke wouldn't allow that. His hand lanced up, grabbing her by the ankle. Kagero roared, flying through the air with him attached to her. She lashed out with her other foot, trying to kick him off. The blows cracked against the Uchiha's face, but his grip never wavered. It only grew tighter.
"You're going down," the Uchiha roared. His other hand reached out, grabbing her higher on the leg as he began to pull himself up. Kagero snarled, now punching at him. His head snapped every direction but still his grip didn't loosen.
"Let go damn it!"
"No!"
Kagero paused at the ferocity in his voice.
"I'm not letting go until you drop dead! I won't lose to you. I won't lose to anyone ever again!"
His hand shot up, and finally he was eye level with her. His head repeatedly cracked against her skull, causing them both to tumble wildly through the air. After another clash both of their heads shot back, both of them stunned from the force. Sasuke recovered first, unleashing another mouthful of blood that clattered against her face. Desperately she tried to wipe her face off only for his fist to smash against her injured kidney once more. She screamed and lost control. She smashed a kick against his chest, forcing him off of her as they both plummeted to the ground. Pained groans came from their lips, both stunned.
Her blood stained the snow red as she stood, eyes glassily looking up at Sasuke. The Uchiha stared back, a bloody smile forming on his face. Kagero smiled.
"Why are you so proud of yourself? I didn't think you people would rely on underhanded tactics to win a fight against someone lesser than you."
Sasuke frowned, tilting his head at the woman.
"You really don't get it do you."
"Don't get what?"
"I don't care what clan you're from," Sasuke roared. He stood first, his eyes blazing. His voice burned like the rage of the heavens. "I don't care about your clan, or your village, or your sad fucking life. I don't care that Orochimaru saved you and you feel loyal to him. I don't care about any of that. To you this is a fight between clans. But for me this is me fighting for Konoha! This is me fighting to go help my mother!"
Sasuke's eyes bored into the woman.
"So, you can keep fighting for your clan honor, or Orochimaru or whatever. That doesn't matter to me. All that matters to me is that you're standing in my way. So, I'm moving past you or through you. Your choice."
Kagero frowned as she heard those words. A faint echo, a memory that filled her consciousness burned through her mind once more.
"The noble clans don't care about you Kagero-chan. They don't view minor clans as worthy of their time. They see through you. That's why they killed your family. Because they saw through them. But come with me. I will protect you. I will make you strong. So, one day, they'll have to look at you, instead of through you."
The words of the man who saved her life were etched in her head like a brand. She stood up, rage billowing across her face.
"He was right," she whispered. "He was right about you noble clan bastards! I'm not even worthy of your acknowledgement? Screw that. Screw you."
The wings on Kagero's back buzzed with life before she shot into the air, eyes glowing with power. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what was coming next. So, this was how she decided to use her technique? In a rage. He could handle that.
"I'll blast right through you. I'll blast through everything you care about and then I'll go kill your fucking mother too!"
Kagero's wings began to glow a bright blue. She let her hands drop from her wounds in her rage, no longer caring about how much it hurt. About the pain her body was in. About the blood leaving her system. All that mattered was Sasuke. All that mattered was the Uchiha! Because...because...
"If I die, I'm taking you with me, Uchiha!"
The wings on her back glowed a brilliant blue, more brilliant than the first time she had activated the technique. Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight. She was using too much chakra. More than she had used last time. But that shouldn't be possible! She had to have less. The only way she could do that was if...
His eyes widened.
She was using all of her chakra. Usually, shinobi stopped just shy of using the bare minimum amount of chakra required to live. It was an obvious decision. If they didn't, they'd die. If they couldn't beat their opponent without doing that they'd die just as well. It was a lose-lose situation. Besides, one only had to near that point to reach chakra exhaustion, and by that point most shinobi couldn't use jutsu any longer. The bare minimum amount of chakra typically had by civilians with no talent for the shinobi life simply wasn't enough chakra to power most jutsu.
Typically.
But there were cases. In life-or-death situations one could sacrifice the bare minimum requirement. They could willingly choose death. In the process the chakra that was normally saved, potent chakra that poured the functioning of one's organs, was used. And it was dense. It was what allowed the tales of strength displayed by regular civilians that inspired many to try to become shinobi. Tales of mother's lifting entire trees off their children without training a day in their lives. Tales of people with broken limbs climbing to the tops of mountains to save their lives.
Hysterical Strength.
But those displays of power were usually only a fraction of the capabilities the body was truly capable of. If the Eighth Gate was the manifestation of pure Hysterical Strength, an embodiment of the raw power anyone was capable of at the cost of their life, civilians could tap into maybe a drop of it. Enough to accomplish their goal and not die if they were treated soon and given a chakra transplant which they often were. Kagero?
She was drawing much more than a mere drop.
No, it wasn't all of it. Sasuke could tell that this was nothing like that Eighth Gate or even a facsimile of its power. But it was enough.
Enough to kill if that attack landed.
Enough to make it significantly more dangerous than the last.
Sasuke wanted to laugh. She was so focused on opposing him she was planning to throw her life away. All in the name of a dead clan. To prove herself to the world. How foolish.
But he wouldn't disrespect her but not giving his all as well.
His crimson orbs spun. His legs tensed and he raised his blade to point at the threat that was before him. Kagero snarled before she let loose her jutsu, the beams of blue light firing at far faster speeds than Sasuke expected. He dodged the first beam, only for his eyes to widen as the destructive force released. A massive shockwave ripped through the land, blowing him off of his feet in a cloud of dust, dirt, and snow. He tumbled across the ground, his head snapping up just before another beam connected with the ground. It wasn't far from him. The wave of heat seared his skin as he was sent skidding across the ground once more. That was two attacks down, one that he had dodged, and the other had missed. But it had kicked up a cloud of dust, one that he couldn't see out of. It was too densely saturated with chakra. He could only dodge the remaining two attacks blindly. But if he couldn't see out there was no way that Kagero could see in. She would be aiming wildly.
But with blasts that powerful perhaps she didn't need to aim precisely.
He stood still; his muscles just barely constrained in his body. He couldn't move. That would make noise which would draw attention to where he was, and he couldn't risk using the chakra required to make a clone that made a clone either. No, he had to stay still and react to whenever the next blast came. So, he waited.
And waited.
Where was it?
Had she dropped dead?
Hysterical Strength wasn't something easy to use. If her body couldn't handle it, she would die. Maybe she had burnt through too much with the first two attacks? No, he had seen four streams. Maybe she had cancelled the jutsu after the first two to save herself? But then why utilize Hysterical Strength in the first place? Even if she did live by cancelling the technique, she would be so weak that she wouldn't be able to fight him afterwards. No, she would fire the attack. She had to. That was just what made sense. But why hadn't it come? Was she holding the attack back, waiting for the dust cloud to clear? Did she have that much control? She had displayed expert chakra control up to this point, this could be an extension. Could her body withstand the time of being under so much stress with so little providing it energy long enough for her to wait like this? Was she waiting simply for an opening in the smoke?
The Uchiha's mind raced with potential possibilities, trying to figure out what the most likely scenario was and act accordingly. But it was a pointless endeavor. He didn't have enough information, so he couldn't come to a conclusion. He would have to make a guess based on the information he knew about her. She wanted him dead. She would fire the attack.
Sasuke had no idea how right he was.
"There you are."
Sasuke whirled, his eyes wide, to see Kagero standing behind him. Sweat soaked her body, and one of her eyes was not focused on him. The skin on her face sagged and cracks splintered up and down her arms. Behind her two buzzing beams of blue light arced, ready to fire. She had held the attack and dived into the smoke to find him. Her body was breaking down under the strain. She was dying. Blood burst from her nose and ears. Her body slouched. His eyes widened. She was on her last legs. The injuries he had given her from before were ripping through her body.
This was her final death throw.
And he was too close to do anything about it.
The world exploded in a burst of fire and power. Kagero could no longer hold the attack back. The blast ripped through the ground. The cloud of debris completely swallowed the previous one, creating a wave of dust, dirt, smoke, and snow that washed over much of the fort. Then, a massive shockwave ripped outwards, blasting the debris cloud out of the fort and into the surrounding area. The dissipating debris revealed Kagero laying on her back, staring up at the sky. The woman had a small smile on her face despite the state of her body. Pieces of her arm were beginning to flake off of her body and her eyes were sunken deep into her eye sockets. Her hair had thinned and turned a sickly shade of gray. Blood oozed from her ears and nose, moving slowly. The blood stain on the ground from her kidney wound only grew, turning a sickly shade of black from the amount of blood leaking from it. Her body thinned, nothing but skin and bones. Her clothes were in tatters.
But she was smiling.
"I did it...Orochimaru-sama," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse. Weak. Soft. "I killed a noble clan member...just like you said I would."
The woman wanted to cry. Oh, so badly she wanted to cry. The joy she felt at this moment meant everything to her. Orochimaru had given her everything he had promised he would and more. The power to defeat a noble clan member. The power to protect herself. The power to fight for what she held dear. It was all thanks to him. She had seen it in the Uchiha's eyes. Moments before he died.
He had seen her!
Really, truly, seen her.
Her smile only grew, cracks ripping along her cheeks from the action.
She only wished she could have continued to serve Orochimaru just a little longer. Just a little more time to prove to him that she was worth saving. Just a little more time to kill more noble clan members in his honor. To help him on his quest.
"You almost had me there."
Kagero's blood, what precious little she had left of it ran cold. She tried to turn her eyes, but try as she might she couldn't. Her body wasn't responding to her anymore. She couldn't even stop smiling. She had lost control of her muscles entirely.
"Don't worry. I'll let you see me."
Sasuke stood above her; his body covered in serious burns. One eye was completely swollen shut. The skin on his left tricep had been completely melted off, revealing the muscle underneath. But he was alive. Blood leaked from his mouth. His stance was wavy by itself. Balance was something that was a conscious effort for him.
But it was there.
"What? No?"
"What, yes," he countered. "You weren't the only one that had one last chance to use their jutsu."
Sasuke smirked.
"And I was just able to outrun the initial explosion."
He looked at his wounds.
"Not the heat wave though. And the shockwave sent me flying. And using my own jutsu nearly brought me to my knees. If your jutsu had lasted just half a second longer I would have died. But it seems even with your Hysterical Strength, you couldn't beat me."
Kagero wanted to yell out. She wanted to scream! No! This wasn't how things were supposed to go! She was supposed to have killed him! A noble clan member! Proved her existence to the world! Made him see her! Proven Orochimaru right! Proven herself right!
Yet try as she might all of that was crumbling away.
The world.
Shattered.
Orochimaru's promise.
Shattered.
Her loyalty.
Shattered.
Her pride!
Shattered.
...Her dream...
Shattered.
Sasuke raised his sword, his eyes cold.
"Goodbye. Kagero of the Fuma Clan."
The blade sunk into her skull, piercing her brain.
The second Orochimaru leapt through the black flames, body covered with coral, was the second Mikoto Uchiha knew he was finished playing around. The coral shot from his body, a fast-moving flaming projectile that shot across the battlefield, creating more enclaves of flame. The Snake Sannin landed in a crouched position, his red eyes glowing in the darkness. Mikoto stepped backwards, blade raised. Above them the moonlight grew dimmer as the storm of snow picked up. Then, Orochimaru shot forwards like a bullet. Mikoto desperately raised her blade to stop the fist of coral that shot forwards. She blocked the blow, but the force sent her flying backwards through dozens of pieces of rubble. The woman coughed, her back screaming at her in pain only for Orochimaru to appear in front of her once more, fist covered in coral. He lashed out with the punch and Mikoto just barely managed to land. The blow impacted with the ground, erupting in a massive growth of spiky coral that tore through the ground. His eyes trailed Mikoto as she leapt away.
The Kusanagi was quickly unsealed before his tongue wrapped around it. The blade shot forwards with a flick of his tongue, aiming at Mikoto's throat. The woman deflected the attack, her eyes narrowed. Orochimaru seemingly didn't pay it any mind, dashing towards her once more. With every step he took the ground ripped apart from the sheer physical force. His knee smashed against her blade, blowing her arms wide. He snarled, lashing out with a punch that would have ripped through her throat had a gout of black flame not ignited on his body only for it to disappear in a puff of smoke, replaced with snow.
Mikoto spun, eyes wide as she saw Orochimaru behind her, one hand on his blade and the other in a handseal. Before she had any time to react a torrent of water shot from his mouth in the form of daggers, shredding against her skin. Mikoto desperately raised her guard, but the blades of liquid slashed open countless cuts along her body. Orochimaru smirked, lashing out with a kick that cracked against her stomach. Blood flew from her mouth as she was sent flying away, smashing into the ground. Orochimaru stalked forwards throughout the sudden snowstorm. The world became a sea of white as the temperature dropped, but his red eyes pierced the darkness.
"Do you still feel so confident in these flames of god," he spat.
Mikoto rose, able to see the man thanks to the crimson orbs that spun in her eye socket. She groaned, one hand on her stomach. He was stronger. Faster. She felt like she was fighting against Gai with at least two Gates open. And yet, if his word was to be believed, he had still not utilized all of his strength. She grit her teeth as the man sudden shot forwards in a burst of speed. He was a distortion in the snow, a wave of force that sent snow flying in every direction. Mikoto wanted to snort. At least he was easy to track. Before she could react a wave of coral shot towards her, ripping through the ground violently. She cursed, leaping away only to see the coral shatter in a surge of force as Orochimaru leapt off of it at her.
But she could see.
The snow around her burst into steam as her intense flame covered her blade once more. She lashed out with a series of slashes at the approaching missile, waves of fire washing over the man but they were unable to stop him. He appeared before her, fist cocked back and covered in coral. Mikoto snarled and raised her hand to catch the attack. Orochimaru's eyes widened at the display, causing Mikoto to smirk. She had to. Displaying fake confidence was essential in combat. She was sure some bones had broken from the act judging from the flaming pains she felt spike across her arm. Her blade lashed out, slicing against Orochimaru and sending him flying back in a searing wave of heat. The man skipped across the ground but quickly rose to his feet to reveal a deep burn mark crossing horizontally over his body. The Snake Sannin seemed unbothered as he walked forwards.
Before Mikoto could continue her assault, he slammed his hands together. The whipping snowstorm churned. The snow transformed into a rolling swirl of water that rushed around the duo. Orochimaru smirked, reaching his hand out and touching the water before a massive encampment of coral surrounded the duo. Mikoto's eyes widened at the sight.
"No there's nowhere to run, Mikoto-chan."
Mikoto cursed, raising her blade at her opponent.
"Who said I was going to run?"
Orochimaru snarled, leaping forwards in a burst of speed that shattered the ground where he stood. The Kusanagi flicked outwards, and she just barely managed to block it. Her arm and blade shook from the force behind the attack, completely stopping her from moving her arm. Orochimaru on the other hand was perfectly free to move his arm. His hand lashed out, the Kusanagi biting against Mikoto's flesh. She stumbled backwards, blood dripping from the wound that danced along her torso. The Snake Sannin pressed his advantage, lashing out with a series of slashes that Mikoto carefully dodged. The man smirked. Mikoto's eyes widened, leaping onto the coral, and kicking off of it into the air as a hole appeared in the coral where she stood despite Orochimaru not being near there. Her eyes narrowed.
'He's channeling Fūton (Wind Release).'
Mikoto swung her blade.
"Katon: Uchiha Kenjutsu: Menamu-gawa! (Fire Release: Uchiha Sword Technique: Destructive Hailing River)!"
Unlike Sasuke's version of the technique, Mikoto's was much more explosive. A bright light filled the darkness covered battlefield, causing the falling snow to evaporate as she descended like a flaming, angry god. Her blade lashed out to meet Orochimaru's only for the man to coat his blade and body in a layer of coral as their blades connected. A massive explosion ripped through the battlefield, causing the coral around them to shudder from the force. When the smoke cleared it revealed a crater. On the outside edge of either side of the crater stood Mikoto and Orochimaru, both of them glaring at one another. Orochimaru smirked and Mikoto frowned at the sight. That attack hadn't worked either. That coral armor of his was too durable. She could only pierce it with the Amaterasu and her Raiton. That wasn't a cost-effective way for her to fight, not when Katon was her specialty. Orochimaru seemed to pick up on the realization.
"You're not going to win that way Mikoto-chan," he stated. "Katon won't win you this fight, regardless of your proficiency."
"Bigs words coming from the guy who ran from my black flames."
"And you haven't used them in your regular Katon jutsu," Orochimaru stated. "Which means either you can't, or that it comes at a substantial cost. Chakra wise or physically. Those eyes of yours...they're bleeding. Surely that jutsu of yours comes at a cost."
Mikoto frowned, she couldn't argue against that. And that was a problem. He was beginning to figure her out.
"And judging from the fact you continue letting loose powerful attacks and show no signs of tiring you have some way of regaining your chakra as well. Now tell me, am I right?"
Shit.
He was really figuring her out.
Orochimaru smirked at her silence, letting the coral armor that covered him drop to the ground.
"That pulling sensation I feel when we make contact...that's it...isn't it? That is the key to why your chakra doesn't end. That is why you were able to escape the water prison. That's why my coral spread doesn't affect you. But there's only one reason for that."
Mikoto leapt into action, desperate to stop him from realizing her secret. Orochimaru blocked her blade swipe almost casually, his crimson eyes smiling in the light.
"But you can't absorb all chakra using it. There's a limit to how fast you can absorb chakra, otherwise you could absorb all ninjutsu and you have already demonstrated you can't do that against large numbers. No. You can absorb chakra, but not from multiple targets at once. Tell me, am I right, Mikoto-chan?"
Mikoto bit her lip, a frown on her face.
"The Yahata," she stated.
"The God of War," Orochimaru stated. "What an interesting name for such a technique. But if that ability is named after a god, then those flames..."
The Snake Sannin made eye contact with her, a grin on his face.
"Then those flames are the Amaterasu!"
Mikoto snarled.
"Knowing that won't win you this fight."
"Oh I disagree my dear Mikoto-chan," Orochimaru stated.
"You see, it's already won me the fight."
Orochimaru lashed out with a kick that smashed against her stomach, ignoring the pulling sensation against it. Mikoto smashed against the coral, cracking it. Orochimaru leapt forwards, blade poised to run her through only for electricity to course through her body and shatter the coral section behind her. She dropped backwards, avoiding the blade before letting loose another gout of black flame that forced Orochimaru to retreat lest he burn to death. Mikoto took the opportunity to escape her coral prison. Blood dripped from her eyes onto the ground.
Orochimaru grunted around her, twirling his blade at his side. The coral around him suddenly shattered before twirling around him in a storm of sharp shrapnel. Mikoto's eyes widened at the sight. Orochimaru smirked before he waved his hand in her direction, unleashing the storm of coral. The woman stabbed her blade into the ground as she spun through handseals. She slammed her hands onto the ground, erecting a wall of earth that stopped the initial wave of the attack, but it couldn't stop it all. There were too many pieces. Too many barrages. Eventually the wall crumbled, but Mikoto had moved by then. She dashed around the edge of the storm, watching as it turned to follow her. This wasn't an attack she could dodge, at least not while she didn't pressure her foe.
So, pressure him she did.
She shot forwards like a bullet, the ground cracking behind her thanks to her chakra. Her blade cupped at her side, lightning crackling around it. Her eyes narrowed as she approached her opponent. He thought she was limited to using Katon to enhance her blade?
If he believed that he was truly a fool.
"Raiton: Uchiha Kenjutsu: Daishinkan (Lightning Release: Uchiha Sword Technique: Great Dragon Shock)!"
Mikoto lashed out, swinging her blade with both hands at an upward angle to cut Orochimaru in two. Lightning danced around her blade, forming an aura of electricity that illuminated a deadly light to the world. Orochimaru snarled, raising the Kusanagi to block the attack.
Mikoto smirked.
The electricity along her blade danced upwards, through the Kusanagi and into Orochimaru's body. The man seized and the coral pursuing the Uchiha Matriarch crumbled to the ground useless. Mikoto pounced on her opportunity as the man's body froze from the electricity. She thrust her blade forwards, stabbing deep into the man's chest, piercing his heart. Blood burst from Orochimaru's mouth, dancing onto the woman's body. Mikoto grabbed his throat, and Orochimaru felt the tug of his chakra being drained. Mikoto smirked, crimson orbs looking up at Orochimaru. Her right eye spun.
"Amaterasu."
The black flames of God should have killed the man. They should have struck his body and burned the rest of his body to ash. It should have been the finishing blow and a notch to Mikoto Uchiha's belt. To have killed Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin and now, Perfect Jinchuriki of the Sanbi.
Instead, the flames struck the bubbly crimson chakra that swirled around the man. Mikoto's eyes widened as she saw the red chakra bubble out of his skin, catching the black flame and threatened to spread further. They touched her skin, causing her to scream out as the skin on her hands blistered and burned. She quickly pulled her sword out, leaping away from the man. Crimson chakra swirled around him violently. The man roared his rage to the heavens before he swung the chakra that held the black flame off of him and onto the ground. Two tails of chakra swirled violently behind him. A cloak of crimson covered his body. His already pronounced canine's became fangs. His red eyes burned in the darkness. The falling snow evaporated whenever it neared him.
Mikoto's eyes widened. The chakra cloak. And he was completely sane. This was bad. From what she had seen from Kushina and Naruto, along with her battles in the previous wars, she didn't have long before Orochimaru unleashed the full devastating power he was capable of as a Perfect Jinchuriki.
She had to end this.
Quickly.
Orochimaru seemed to mimic her sentiment. He raised his blade, water swirling around it violently. Mikoto's eyes widened as she saw the intense chakra that gathered there. What was that?
Orochimaru smirked before he slashed at the air. Mikoto desperately dove away, gaining a cut on her cheek for her troubles as the ground was sliced open by the miniscule blades of water Orochimaru sent flying her way from his water-coated blade. The water had dug deep gouges in the ground in a strange symbol. Some type of kanji. Before Mikoto had any time to think more about it she was on the move, desperately avoiding the repetitive blades of water that cut crevices in the ground. So focused was she in avoiding the lethal attacks that she lost track of the man who fired them, her eyes not tracking as he leapt high into the sky. She only realized she had lost him when the attacks suddenly stopped. She looked around desperately, looking at the kanji that surrounded her.
Kanji?
Orochimaru dove from above, lancing downwards with his blade. Mikoto barely avoided the strike, her eyes widening as she saw him appear. The Snake Sannin's elbow bent as he lashed out with a kick from his upside-down position that Mikoto barely ducked underneath. He smirked, revealing that he had formed a single handsign. Mikoto's eyes went wide. A high-pressure jet of water shot from his mouth that she barely dodged, losing strands of her hair for her trouble. The jet carved through the ground, ripping up deeper crevices. Mikoto leapt away, fear on her face. Orochimaru landed on the ground and slammed his hands on the ground as a grin formed on his face.
"Fūinjutsu: Shishi Jūfūin (Sealing Technique: Four Limbs Weighting Seal)!"
Mikoto could do nothing as she realized the crevices along the ground all connected with the kanji, all of which trailed right back to where Orochimaru stood. He had created a sealing matrix in the midst of their battle with his Suiton techniques. The lines glowed red with chakra before she felt a pressure on her limbs, dropping her to her hands and knees. Orochimaru grinned.
"And now you've lost, Mikoto-chan. This seal presses unbearable weight against your body. You won't be able to move."
Orochimaru stalked towards her, leaving his sword where it was in the epicenter of the sealing technique. Crimson chakra flickered around it, likely the fuel for the technique. Coral covered his hands as he stalked towards her, a grin on his face.
"You dared mock my research into jutsu and look at where that left you. Unaware of how one can combine ninjutsu and fuinjutsu."
Orochimaru raised his fist.
"Your arrogance killed you."
Before the Snake Sannin could strike a blast of flame shot towards him from outside of the sealing matrix, forcing him to leap away. His eyes narrowed, turning to see Sasuke looking at him with rage on his face.
"Mother!"
"Stay back Sasuke," Mikoto screamed. "This isn't a fight you can win."
"It isn't a fight you can win either, Mikoto-chan."
"Shut up."
"What do I do Kaa-chan?"
"Run! Get everyone you can and run! Leave me! Tell Hokage-sama that Orochimaru is the Jinchuriki of the Sanbi! The Perfect Jinchuriki of the Sanbi."
Sasuke's eyes widened as the realization of what his mother had said hit him like a bag of bricks. That was why she was losing. That was why she was in this position. That was why the entire fort and everyone in it was in this position was in it. Orochimaru was a Jinchuriki and came here to test his power. That was clear. Fear lanced through his body like a poison as Orochimaru's eyes met his. He had heard the tales from Kiba and Konohamaru about the terror that was the Ichibi.
And that was by a Jinchuriki that couldn't control his abilities.
One vastly weaker than Orochimaru.
He couldn't defeat this man.
Could anyone?
A rising wall of steel filled his thoughts.
No. He didn't need to defeat the man before him. He just needed to free his mother.
He refused to let someone else he cared about suffer to protect him.
The Uchiha ran forwards, hampered by his injuries from his battle with Kagero. Mikoto's eyes widened in horror as she saw it. Orochimaru grinned.
"He's foolhardy, maybe more than you. What shall I do with him now that he's thrown away the only warning he'll get? Oh, I know. I'll kill him in front of you. Doesn't that sound nice, Mi-ko-to-chan?"
Mikoto's eyes glowed with hate.
"Bastard," she hissed. She began to pull. The crimson shroud around the Kusanagi fluctuated, but the Snake Sannin didn't notice, instead choosing to approach Sasuke.
"I won't let you."
The red sealing matrix fluctuated, finally getting Orochimaru's attention. He turned to look at Mikoto just as the sealing matrix broke and she charged at him, rage on her face.
"I won't let you touch him!"
Her body shot forwards like a missile, the ground where she stood exploding with a barrage of force. Her blade was covered in a storm of flame. Orochimaru snarled, covering his body in coral. Mikoto's blade smashed into the armor, but she was not done. No, she was going to use the fullest of her abilities. She had to begrudgingly admit that the Snake Sannin was right. Her specialty wouldn't be of much use against him thanks to his unique abilities. Her Katon release was useless against him.
Without amplifying it.
The black flames of Amaterasu burst around her blade and quickly devoured the man's coral armor. Orochimaru screamed, blasting the armor off of him in a desperate attempt to avoid being burnt to death. His eyes widened as he realized the potential combination Mikoto had available to her. He raised his arm, ready to counterattack only for another blade to pierce through his chest from behind him.
"Get away from her!"
Orochimaru roared with rage, ripping both of their blades out before leaping away.
"You insufferable Uchiha! Die!"
He formed a handseal and the snow above them transformed into a massive dragon of water that threatened to crush them whole. Sasuke's eyes widened but Mikoto reacted, grabbing Sasuke before activating Yahata. The water was drained of its chakra as it touched her, becoming nothing more than a deluge of water that soaked both of them to their core. Just as the jutsu ended Mikoto looked up, her eyes widened as she saw a wave of coral ripping the ground asunder in her direction.
"Sango No Nami (Coral Wave)!"
Mikoto quickly grabbed her son and leapt away from the offending attack, watching as it ripped through the fort and devastated it. Countless shinobi were caught in the crossfire, being pierced by the coral before they were covered in coral. It destroyed everything its path, even buildings. She landed on the edge of the attack, glancing out at the direction the attack came from. A red glow hulked towards them.
"Mother, you're safe."
Mikoto glanced at Sasuke, a frown on her face. She wanted to scream at him. To tell him to never do something so reckless as to fight Orochimaru of the Sannin ever again. But she couldn't. There wasn't time for that. He had introduced himself into the battle, and he clearly had no intention of running. He was heavily injured, whoever that Kagero was must have been quite difficult to put down.
"I'll help you fight."
"He's leagues above you," Mikoto stated. "He's leagues above me."
"All the more reason," Sasuke stated. "You almost died. You need help."
Mikoto wanted to bite her lip. She wanted to refuse. To tell Sasuke to run away. Her motherly instincts screamed at her to do so. This was her son. Her child. Her baby boy. He shouldn't be here. On the battlefield. He should be at home, finding a cute girl for him to settle down with. Giving her grandbabies. But that wasn't the reality they lived in.
A tear fell from her eye.
"Stay behind me, and do not attack him head on," Mikoto stated. "How much chakra do you have?"
"I ate a soldier pill on the way here. I'm back at full."
"Good. Whatever you do, do not engage him in close combat. He has a sure-hit kill that you have no way of countering. Attack him at range with ninjutsu. No more Katon, he's practically immune to it. Raiton is your best bet. "
Sasuke smirked.
"My specialty."
"Don't get cocky," Mikoto stated, looking at the crimson monstrosity that walked towards them. "He's coming."
Sasuke took her advice to heart, watching the man. The two Uchiha stood, their bodies tense. Before them hulked the monster, the ground caving with his every step. Two crimson tails twirled behind him, causing a deathly shriek. The snow whipped around him violently from the air current the tails produced before quickly evaporating into steam that only made him look larger with a trick of the light.
He was more akin to a monster given flesh than a human.
Mikoto cursed.
That was the power of a Jinchuriki. The Power of Human Sacrifice. The Uchiha resolved herself.
Orochimaru would not be the only one who would sacrifice today.
Her son was here.
And she would protect him.
Her crimson orbs spun, and pain filled her body like lightning. She felt like she was being bathed in fire, despite the snow that danced around her. Around her a spectral white ribcage appeared. Her eyes spun as she watched her foe approach. He stalked forwards, as if he was Death.
Mikoto refused.
"Watch closely Sasuke."
Mikoto's eyes burned as she looked at Orochimaru.
"And you watch closely you overgrown garden snake!"
Blood fell from both of her eyes, staining her cheeks.
"Amaterasu."
Another step.
"Yahata."
Another step forwards.
"These are the gods I gain power through. But neither of them are the apex of the Sharingan. Neither of them represents the true power of an Uchiha."
Another step.
"You see, Orochimaru, all Uchiha draw power from one god in particular. The apex of Sharingan ability."
Another step.
"Susanoo. The Storm God."
Hope y'all enjoyed! With this the battle begins to draw to a close. Next chapter will wrap up this section of the story and then we get to the part y'all are excited for. Naruto against Shukaku.
I hope you all really enjoyed Mikoto's Sharingan abilities. Designing her abilities and Fugaku's was something I really enjoyed doing. They're both somewhat broken, but they do have their limitations. I actually really like Mikoto's a lot. Designing all the Uchiha MS abilities are actually really interesting. Itachi's is obviously canon, but still. As for what Mikoto's abilities are based on, obviously there's Amaterasu. No need for explanation. As for Yahata, also known as Hachiman, he was Emperor Ojin who became deified as Yahata-no-kami. He's the diety of archery and war. His name is Hachiman, at least that's what he's more commonly called, after Shinbutsu-shugo which is an amalgamation of Shinto and Buddhism. He's the divine protector of the Imperial House, which I thought was fitting for Mikoto (especially because in this fic's timeline she isn't from the Clan Head's branch of the Uchiha).
Anyway, my wrist still hurts but I wanted to give you this chapter because frankly speaking I really like this Orochimaru and Mikoto (now with Sasuke included) fight. Orochimaru is a monster in this universe. Every time Mikoto gets an upper hand he just gets stronger. Which begs the question, how the hell is she living through this?