Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 440 Chaos is the ladder

Click, click, click!
The scalp-chilling sound of bones shattering and the muffled thud of flesh being forcibly crushed exploded!

Hiruko's arms, strengthened by the Steel Release technique, finally twisted, deformed, and broke under this punch.

Broken bone fragments and flesh spurted out, and the remaining force of the fist slammed solidly into his chest!

"what!!"

Hiruko let out a shrill scream and was thrown backward uncontrollably, crashing through several piles of rubble before finally embedding itself in the thick city wall in the distance.

Centered on him, radial spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the solid city wall, and dust and gravel fell down in a flurry.

"Pfft!" Hiruko's chest caved in, and a mouthful of thick blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted out.

Pain, humiliation, and madness intertwined on his contorted face.

He clenched his teeth so tightly they were almost completely shattered, coughing up blood as he stared intently at Tsunade in the distance with his blood-red dragon eyes.

"Why?" he screamed hysterically. "Why?!"

"I already possess such immense power!"

"I have plundered so many bloodline limits!"

"Swift Release, Steel Release, Explosion Release, Hurricane Release, Storm Release, Dark Release, Blood Dragon Eye..."

"I devoured so many powerful ninjas; I obtained their destiny and power!!"

He struggled, using his arms, the bones piercing through his flesh, to pull himself out of the crater. He staggered to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably from the pain and rage.

"You're a guy who has almost nothing except superhuman strength and medical ninjutsu!"

He looked down at his mangled body, then suddenly looked up, his eyes almost blazing with bloodlust: "How dare you defeat me?!"

"I didn't lose!"

"I haven't lost yet!!"

With this roar, the black stitches covering Hiruko's entire body suddenly began to writhe wildly.

"Ughhhh!" he roared, grabbing the deepest sutures on his chest and abdomen with both hands and tearing them apart violently.

Tsk! !
Black threads, like countless living nematodes, surged and burst forth from his body and wide-open mouth!
These black lines are a product of combining the techniques of Earth Grudge and Demon Sparrow.

They intertwined, merged, and expanded, enveloping Beiliuhu's broken body!

In just a few breaths, there was no longer just one person in front of the city wall.

Instead, it was a terrifying monster that was over ten meters tall, constantly wriggling and deforming, and made up of countless black nematodes!

On the monster's "head," you can vaguely see Hiruko's crazed and twisted face floating among countless black lines.

"Roar!!"

Countless black lines converged to form tentacles as thick as a giant python, which stretched out and grabbed at everything around them, including the air ninjas still circling in the air!

"what?!"

"Lord Beiruhu! No..."

Amidst the shrill screams of the air ninjas, the black thread tentacles dragged them back along with their aircraft and stuffed them directly into the writhing black thread body!

Gudong!Gudong!
A chilling sound of swallowing rang out.

Whether it was the sturdy metal body or the flesh and blood of the air ninjas, everything was quickly decomposed and absorbed!
The monster's size expanded again at a visible rate, and the aura emanating from it became even more chaotic and violent, filled with a pure desire to devour.

It's like a greedy black hole, constantly devouring everything around it and turning it into its own power.

Several thicker tentacles, accompanied by a foul stench, reached out to grab Tsunade in the distance!
Tsunade's pupils contracted, her forward steps came to an abrupt halt, and she retreated without hesitation, quickly creating distance.

At the same time, she shouted to the allied ninjas who were trying to approach to provide support: "Don't go near him! Stay away from this monster!"

Tsunade was certain that if she were captured by Hiruko, even in her current state, she would probably find it difficult to break free instantly.

Once the Hollow power within its body is devoured, the already terrifying monster is very likely to undergo an unpredictable transformation, or even evolve into a Hollow of the Espada level!

That would be a disaster ten or a hundred times worse than that of Hiruko himself!

Tsunade's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the command post in the center of the capital, where flames soared into the sky, and the roar of battle was just as intense as the fluctuations of chakra. She quickly weighed her options in her mind.

Just as she was pondering whether to first help resolve the trouble over there, and then work together to deal with the monster that Hiruko had transformed into.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tsunade suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure walking slowly and steadily towards the terrifying monster, going against the flow of fleeing people.

The man, dressed in a divine robe, stood out conspicuously in the crowd. His gait was almost eerily steady, as if he were not facing a monster that would devour everything.

Tsunade stared intently, recognizing the pale, familiar face. Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she blurted out, "Orochimaru?!"

She never expected that Orochimaru, who had been missing for many years, would appear here in this way at this time, and even wear the Kazekage's robe.

"Don't go over there!" she shouted instinctively, without thinking too much.

However, Orochimaru ignored her warning and didn't even look back, continuing to walk towards the roaring monster.

His snake-like eyes reflected the terrifying scene, but instead of fear, they shone with an almost fanatical excitement.

Hiruko's remaining crazed consciousness immediately noticed Orochimaru approaching.

"Orochimaru!!"

Hiruko let out a deafening roar, and the thickest tentacle shot out, instantly covering a distance of tens of meters and wrapping around Orochimaru's waist without dodging or avoiding!
Orochimaru didn't even put up any resistance or struggle, letting the tentacles easily roll him up and drag him toward the writhing body!
"Hahaha!" Hiruko let out a maniacal and gleeful laugh, as if he could already see this genius, whom he had envied all his life, about to be devoured and merged by him.

Orochimaru's figure was completely swallowed up, pulled into the depths of the constantly writhing body, and disappeared, making Hiruko's laughter even more rampant.

However, the laughter lasted for less than two seconds.

The massive body of the black-lined monster suddenly trembled.

Immediately afterwards, the wildly spreading black line convulsed and spasmed violently, uncontrollably collapsing and flowing back into its interior, the very spot that had just swallowed Orochimaru!

It was as if a black hole with even greater devouring power had suddenly appeared there, and was frantically absorbing and draining everything from it!
"W-what's going on?" Hiruko's laughter turned into a scream of shock and anger.

"This posture is so ugly it's disgusting, Hiruko."

A hoarse voice, laced with undisguised sarcasm, rang in his ears.

Hiruko's gaze immediately shifted to the side, where Orochimaru's face slowly emerged from the surface of the torso made of black lines.

That face seemed to have always been there, blending perfectly with the writhing black lines around it, looking at Hiruko's face with a half-smile.

"Orochimaru!" Hiruko exclaimed in terror, "What are you doing?!"

He could feel that he had lost control of his body, and his powerful strength was rapidly dissipating.

"What are you doing?" Orochimaru's smile grew even more frenzied. "Of course, it's..."

"I'll plunder everything from you, my dear old friend."

That's right.

This is Orochimaru's goal.

From the very beginning, one of the rewards he demanded in his collaboration with Nagato was Hiruko herself.

Not allies, not tools, but sustenance.

A feast that can help him become the ultimate being, a carefully prepared and nutritious feast.

"You!" Hiruko tried to roar and struggle, but suddenly let out a scream, "Ah!!"

Everything that made up the monster's enormous body began to surge uncontrollably toward Orochimaru's location.

Its speed was so great that a visible inward-rotating vortex formed on the surface of the enormous monster's body, with Orochimaru at the center of the vortex.

"Come, Hiruko!" Orochimaru said gleefully, "Open up everything you have, and let everything you have plundered, everything you have accomplished in your life, become a part of me!"

"No! Orochimaru! You can't do this!" Hiruko screamed in terror. "I...we used to be friends. You and the Akatsuki were partners!"

"Nagato, there's one more move, and I'll definitely kill you! You can't..."

"Friends? Cooperation?" Orochimaru smiled. "You know what, Hiruko? I've always felt that you and I are quite similar in some ways."

"We are all aware of our own shortcomings beyond our bloodline, we all loathe our own mediocrity and weakness, and we all greedily crave power that does not belong to us."

"My inner self is no more glamorous than yours."

"But, unfortunately," Orochimaru said in a calm tone, "the reason you plunder is merely to prove that you are no weaker than anyone else. How pathetic."

"And I want more!" "I want to understand all the truths, to transcend the definitions that fate and life have given me, to become the only one who transcends all rules and forms!"

“This is destined…” He glanced one last time at the face of Beiruhuna, whose mouth was clenched and twisted in the vortex, “You can only become sustenance on my journey.”

Collaborator?
Who his collaborators were—whether it was Obito, Danzo, Nagato, or someone else—was unimportant to him; they were insignificant.

The important thing is the chaos.

Chaos is a ladder.

This chaos and catastrophe that swept through the ninja world was the ladder that Orochimaru climbed to the top!
Beiluhu is merely a stepping stone that is of some importance on this ladder.

"Do not!!!"

In the final shriek of Hiruko, filled with endless resentment, fear, and unwillingness.

His remaining face and consciousness, along with the enormous monster body that was over ten meters tall and made up of countless black lines, were completely swallowed up by the vortex!
Only Orochimaru, shirtless and with his arms outstretched, remained on the spot.

His skin was undulating, as if countless tiny creatures were struggling inside him, trying to break free.

"what……"

Under Tsunade's bewildered gaze, and amidst the horrified stares of countless Allied Shinobi, Orochimaru let out a long sigh.

It's not regret, but the satisfaction after a good meal, and the joy of taking another solid step towards the goal.

With that sigh, the writhing beneath his skin gradually disappeared, and finally, he fell into complete silence, all the overflowing chakra perfectly contained.

Ice Release, Storm Release, Explosion Release, Magnet Release, Hurricane Release, Crystal Release...

Six of the ten bloodline limits required for the second stage have already been obtained.

Four more are missing: Boil Release, Lava Release, Wood Release, Scorch Release...

With only these last four types remaining, his understanding of chakra and his mastery of nature transformations will reach unprecedented perfection.

This body will also undergo a true transformation.

"Orochimaru, you..."

Tsunade stared intently at Orochimaru, sensing the incredibly dangerous power hidden within him, and a few beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

What did Orochimaru do?
This guy swallowed up Birukhu?

"Tsunade." Orochimaru lowered his arm, looked at Tsunade in the distance, and smiled. "It must have been a long time for you."

"Trying to stop me?" he said calmly and confidently. "You'll die."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing herself to recover from her surprise and doubt, and said in a deep voice, "Stop you?"

"No, I just want to smash your disgusting face to pieces with one punch, Orochimaru!"

“But…” her fists clenched so tightly they cracked, “that idiot Jiraiya still clings to a ridiculous illusion that he wants to ask you for clarification.”

When Jiraiya's name was mentioned, Orochimaru's smile faded almost imperceptibly, and a complex emotion flashed in the depths of his eyes, but it was too quick for anyone to catch.

"You are still so naive and childish." Orochimaru shook his head slightly.

boom! !

Before she could finish speaking, the ground beneath Tsunade's feet suddenly exploded, and she hurtled towards Orochimaru like a cannonball.

Without any probing or feints, it was the simplest, most direct, and most ferocious full-force punch, aimed directly at Orochimaru's head!

Faced with this attack, Orochimaru merely raised one hand slightly, his tone remaining calm: "Then, let's see what my new little thing is."

Whoops! !
As soon as she finished speaking, Tsunade's powerful punch, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, slammed into Orochimaru's face with unparalleled force.

Wherever the fist passed, the air was compressed into visible ripples, and the gravel and dust on the ground were violently swirled up and spread outwards in a ring.

However, the scene of Orochimaru being blasted away as expected did not occur.

Her fist was blocked.

Black lines, writhing like living things, surged from Orochimaru's hands and coalesced in front of him into a headless, sexless, and completely naked black humanoid monster, over two meters tall.

His entire body was bulging and grotesque with muscles as if cast in steel, and he stood firmly between Orochimaru and Tsunade's fists.

Tsunade's full-force attack, powerful enough to shatter a steel-style defense, slammed solidly into the black monster's chest.

This punch was delivered without any restraint. Tsunade knew very well how bizarre Orochimaru's life-saving methods were; this was a full-force punch capable of shattering Hiruko's Steel Release techniques head-on.

but……

boom! !

Centered on the point of contact between the fist and the humanoid monster's chest, a spherical shockwave exploded outwards, causing the ground to sink sharply and cracks to spread for more than ten meters!

However, the black monster merely plowed two tracks into the ground with its feet, enduring the terrifying punch without even a noticeable dent appearing on its chest.

"cough……"

Tsunade forcefully suppressed the pain in her internal organs caused by the recoil, feeling as if she had punched hard metal.

"This thing is called a 'Different Soul'." Orochimaru's voice came from behind the black monster, his relaxed tone as if he were introducing his new toy.

"The product of dozens of souls that I twisted, fused, and then injected into a physical body, I bestowed upon it the strength of steel and the speed of swiftness."

He tilted his head slightly, looked at Tsunade whose face was ashen, and smiled, "You're quite sturdy, aren't you?"

"You can play with it slowly. I have some other things to take care of, so I'll take my leave now."

Having said that, he actually turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked calmly out of the capital into the deeper night.

"Don't think about it!"

Tsunade snapped out of her shock, roared, and unleashed another burst of chakra, attempting to bypass the eerie black monster and pounce on Orochimaru's back.

However, the next moment, the black monster known as the "Otherworldly Soul" let out a low, eerie howl and moved with ghostly speed, instantly blocking Tsunade's path.

"Get out of my way!" Tsunade was furious and threw a heavy punch, wanting to smash this annoying thing to pieces.

The alien spirit also extended a huge, black, muscular fist and slammed it head-on with a speed no less than Tsunade's, without any fancy moves!

boom! ! !
The two fists, each carrying terrifying power, collided head-on without any fancy moves.

A violent gale exploded from the center of the two fists, shearing down another layer of the surrounding ground, with dust and debris shooting out in a ring!
Tsunade's body trembled slightly, and the ground beneath her feet cracked and shattered, but she stood firmly.

The alien spirit's body swayed backward, its feet carving two deeper furrows in the ground, but it only slid back half a step before regaining its footing.

He only took half a step back?!

Tsunade's heart sank.

This monster's strength, speed, and defense are even more terrifying than those of Hiruko, a human!
In that instant of stalemate, Orochimaru's figure was already disappearing into the distant night.

boom! Boom boom!

While Tsunade was frantically exchanging blows with the otherworldly spirits that were attacking her again, their fists and feet clashing with thunderous roars, she shouted into the distance, "Orochimaru!"

"If you dare to desecrate my great-grandfather's soul, I swear, I will chase you to the ends of the earth and never let you go!!"

The words echoed in the night wind, and in the distance, Orochimaru, who was about to disappear completely into the darkness, seemed to pause for a barely perceptible moment.

But he didn't turn around; he simply raised his pale hand and waved it casually behind him.

Does he care?

No.

He no longer cares.

Neither Orochimaru nor Danzo Shimura would ever let go of Hashirama Senju's power.

If I'm not mistaken, based on the plan and timeline, Obito Uchiha and Hashirama Senju should have arrived at that place by now.

"call……"

Orochimaru exhaled, suppressing a thrill of excitement, and whispered repeatedly, "Don't rush, it will be soon, very soon."

"Just take it one step at a time and you'll get to that position."

"Hyuga Kumokawa, hehe..."

He stopped lingering and no longer looked back at the blood-red carpet spread behind him. His figure completely blended into the shadows of the forest, as if he were a part of the darkness himself.

(End of this chapter)