Threads of chakra stretched out in all directions, as if responding to Hakuryu's hand seals.
In an instant, they all shot toward Anko like a storm.
Uncertain of what kind of technique this was, Anko dared not take it head-on.
She held her breath, preparing to dodge.
But at the same time, the patterns on the ground lit up with a dazzling glow and began writhing on their own.
As the markings shifted, Anko was shocked to realize that the entire ground was changing.
A sudden sense of vertigo overwhelmed her.
The world around her twisted and distorted, colors blending together chaotically.
By the time the intense dizziness subsided, she found herself completely immobilized—her limbs tightly bound and suspended in midair by countless blue chakra threads.
She couldn't move.
Genjutsu…
Anko's heart pounded in alarm.
No! This wasn't just genjutsu!
These chakra threads were continuously draining her own chakra.
As the energy within her became unbalanced, the Kite Seal forcibly expelled her from Sage Mode.
The markings around her eyes faded, and the terrifying chakra aura, along with her overwhelming presence, vanished completely.
Hakuryu sneered as he looked at the restrained Anko.
"So this is the so-called Sage power granted by Hyuga Makoto? Anko, you're still too inexperienced. Looks like I never really taught you how to fight back then."
But Anko furiously retorted, "You're not Lord Orochimaru at all!"
Hakuryu remained expressionless. "It doesn't matter. I will become a new Orochimaru! Shedding my mortal shell, transforming into a true dragon! I will be the one and only Supreme God!"
He walked toward Anko slowly, shedding the last traces of his disguise.
But just then, a figure suddenly stepped in front of Anko—Princess Kushinada.
Anko froze in shock as she stared at the person before her.
Princess Kushinada grabbed Hakuryu's wrist with one hand, pleading, "That's Anko! Please let her go—there must be another way!"
Hakuryu, however, frowned and, with a swift motion, backhanded Princess Kushinada, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Anko's pupils contracted as she shouted in fury, "Bastard! What do you think you're doing?!"
Hakuryu cast a glance at the fallen Princess Kushinada and said to Anko in an indifferent tone, "Relax. She won't die. If she did, that would be a hassle for me."
Princess Kushinada clutched her swollen cheek and the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, gazing at Hakuryu with a sorrowful expression.
"I'm begging you, let her go! That's Anko! Have you really forgotten?!"
Hakuryu sneered coldly. "If you pity her so much, then why did you help me in the first place?"
He tilted his head back slightly, his tone devoid of warmth. "Of course, I know she's Anko. I remember too much… ever since I first met this child…"
He then began to recount various moments from the past, each one spoken with precise accuracy, without a single mistake.
Yet there was no warmth in his words.
Hearing them, Anko felt an unbearable sorrow welling up inside her.
Lord Orochimaru… Lord Orochimaru…
Hakuryu continued, "But so what?"
His cold gaze locked onto Anko, and he let out a chilling laugh. "Abandoning useless emotions has always been my pursuit. I may not be the complete Orochimaru, but I am Orochimaru's most perfect form."
"…Is that so?" Anko murmured softly.
Hakuryu responded indifferently, "That's right. There were two emotions my past self wished most to discard—one was my attachment to the Third Hokage… and the other was you."
…
Anko lowered her head, her hair falling over her eyes.
But a quiet, low chuckle suddenly escaped her lips.
Hakuryu frowned slightly at her seemingly deranged laughter, unwilling to waste any more time.
Just then, Anko suddenly opened her tightly clenched right hand.
From her palm, a pile of black, crumbling residue fell to the ground—shaped like a magatama.
What… is that?
At that moment, a chilling sensation surged through Hakuryu's body, making him instinctively take a step back.
Whoosh!
A single flash of blue light—
In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before him.
The man wore plain clothing, his hair neatly styled in a kappa cut, with thick, bold eyebrows and a face radiating unyielding intensity.
Flickering remnants of blue chakra flames shimmered around him, accompanied by a mist-like steam rising from his body.
As he arrived, Hakuryu instantly realized that the sealing barrier he had meticulously prepared was shattered in an instant, and the chakra threads binding Anko were severed just as swiftly.
Fast! Too fast!
How did he get here?! Hakuryu hadn't even seen him move!
"Anko, who is he?" Guy's sharp eyes locked onto Hakuryu as he asked the now-unshackled Anko behind him.
Anko's gaze remained fixed on Hakuryu. Her expression hardened. "Enemy."
"I see." Guy muttered.
Before Hakuryu could even react, a sudden impact struck his abdomen with the force of a mountain crashing down on him.
A devastating pain tore through his body as he was sent hurtling downward, smashed into the ground with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The entire palace chamber trembled violently, the deafening explosion of impact echoing through the halls.
Hakuryu's vision blurred as he caught sight of the markings now etched across Might Guy's face—similar to Anko's, yet even more intricate, converging into a bold "三" (Three) character on his forehead.
One punch. Just one punch had completely taken him out of the fight.
His body felt as if it had been utterly broken apart.
If not for his uniquely resilient physique, he would have been reduced to a bloody pulp on the spot.
As he stared at the markings on Guy's face, shock filled his heart.
What kind of power is this?! How could a Sage Mode be this terrifying?!
Hyuga Makoto… HYUGA MAKOTO!
After the palace chamber stopped shaking, calmness returned.
Anko was still in shock at Guy's sheer power.
She took two steps forward.
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
The markings and shadows on Guy's face faded as he looked down at Hakuryu, who lay in the deep crater. "No. He's still alive."
Anko let out a breath of relief. "That's good."
She gazed into the crater, her expression complex as she looked at Hakuryu—his abdomen completely caved in.
From the depths of the pit, Hakuryu let out a ragged, wheezing sound.
His eyes, rolling in their sockets, finally fixed themselves on Anko.
"An… ko…" he croaked weakly.
Anko remained silent.
"You… will… belong… to me… sooner or later…"
With those words, his entire body suddenly sank rapidly into the ground.
Seeing this, Guy's expression changed in alarm.
He immediately threw another punch, but this time, his fist only struck solid rock beneath, shattering the stone and leaving deep cracks in the floor.
Without hesitation, he re-entered Sage Mode, expanding his sensory perception to cover the entire Daimyo's residence.
"He's gone..." Guy's eyes widened in shock.
Anko also realized that his method of escape was the same as that night.
"He got away."
Guy immediately got up to give chase. "I'll go after him!"
"No need." Anko stopped him.
Even back in Konoha, Hakuryu had managed to escape.
If they couldn't catch him then, how could the two of them possibly do it now?
Guy clenched his fists in frustration, blaming himself for letting his guard down just because the enemy had lost the ability to fight.
But Anko, on the other hand, felt surprisingly calm.
She turned to Princess Kushinada, who stood nearby, and walked over to her. "Are you… alright?"
Princess Kushinada's face was still swollen, but she simply shook her head lightly in response.
After a brief hesitation, Anko asked, "You… don't know how to fight?"
"No, I don't," Princess Kushinada replied.
Anko stared at the woman, uncertain of what to say.
According to Hakuryu, she was also a fragment of Orochimaru—yet why did she take the form of a woman?
But this woman didn't seem hostile toward her.
In fact, she had tried to protect her just moments ago.
Anko hesitated before speaking, "You…"
But before she could finish, Princess Kushinada interrupted.
"Anko, there's something I want to tell you."
Anko looked at her, waiting.
Princess Kushinada continued, "Before… no, to you, it would be before Orochimaru."
"I did want to discard certain emotions. But you… you were never one of them."
Anko froze in place, completely stunned.
Princess Kushinada gently reached out and stroked Anko's cheek, and this time, Anko didn't feel the slightest urge to resist.
"Anko, to me… to Orochimaru, you were always the most special. Otherwise, he would never have left a body like this for you."
"..."
Anko suddenly reached up and grasped the hand resting on her face. "Come with me. Come back to Konoha with me."
Princess Kushinada shook her head and softly replied, "I am a sinner there, and I have no desire to return. There are too many people there I don't want to see. Right now, I only want to stay by Lord Minamoto's side."
She lowered her gaze and added, "Of course, if you plan to take me back by force… there's nothing I can do. If Makoto finds out about me, I will undoubtedly become one of his test subjects, his research material. Anko, I hope you can let me go."
Anko stood there in silence.
The woman before her was gentle and fragile—it was hard to believe that she was a part of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was a criminal in Konoha's eyes. If Makoto, as Hokage, were to learn the truth…
Lord Orochimaru…
Anko tightened her grip on Princess Kushinada's hand, biting her lip, unable to say a word.
Princess Kushinada pulled her into a warm embrace.
Anko instinctively held her tightly, her body trembling ever so slightly.
"Lord Orochimaru… do you know how much I've missed you…?"
"Why… why did you abandon me?!"
Princess Kushinada let out a soft sigh, gently running her fingers through Anko's hair.
A long moment passed before Anko finally let go, her emotions settling.
Just then, noises suddenly erupted from outside.
Everyone initially thought the noise was just people drawn by the commotion Guy had caused earlier.
But then, a frantic voice shouted from outside—
"Something terrible has happened! Lord Minamoto is dead!"
Lord Minamoto… The Daimyo!
The three of them froze for a brief moment before the shock hit them like a tidal wave.
Princess Kushinada, in a panic, released Anko and bolted out of the sleeping quarters, nearly tripping in her haste.
The Daimyo was dead!
Dead in his own bed! Without any warning!
Although his health had always been frail, he was nowhere near the point of death's door.
A crowd had already gathered outside the Daimyo's chambers.
Princess Kushinada clung to his cold, lifeless body, sobbing hysterically, her entire being overcome with madness.
Anko and Guy stood among the crowd, watching the scene with conflicted expressions.
"Guy."
"…Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you."
Anko led Guy to a secluded corner.
"Guy, are we friends?"
"..."
Guy didn't answer immediately.
If Anko had asked him this before, he would have pounded his chest and said "Of course!" without hesitation.
But he wasn't a fool.
He had heard every word exchanged between Anko and Princess Kushinada.
Seeing his silence, Anko suddenly knelt before him.
Guy remained unmoved, his expression unreadable. "You want me to hide this from Lord Hokage, don't you?"
Anko's voice was steady. "To you, Orochimaru is an unforgivable criminal. But to me…"
Guy frowned. "Anko, do you understand what you're doing?!"
"I…"
Before she could continue, a series of rapid, heavy footsteps sounded from outside.
A squad of armored soldiers stormed in, weapons drawn.
Leading them was a stern-looking general, his voice booming—
"Kill the witch!"
--------------
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