"Buzz!"
In its chaotic state, the Four-Tails finally completed its Tailed Beast Bomb. The dark, abyssal sphere, enveloped in a hazy purple glow, emitted a vibration that shook the air as it shot towards the four figures like lightning.
"Summoning: Five-Headed Rashomon!"
Orochimaru’s figure abruptly appeared, shielding Kushina. He crouched low and slammed a hand onto the ground. Five grotesque, hellish gates erupted from the earth.
"Rumble!"
The Tailed Beast Bomb collided with the gates, unleashing a deafening explosion.
Slowing, weakening, dispersing, deflecting, repelling.
The five gates, with their extraordinary abilities, had once been used by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, to redirect the Tailed Beast Bomb fired by the Nine-Tails under Madara Uchiha's control, steering it away from Konoha.
In the original story, after his hands were sealed by the Reaper Death Seal, Orochimaru used this very technique to block the Tailed Beast Bomb from the Four-Tails in its awakened state, launched by Naruto Uzumaki. At that time, Orochimaru could only summon three gates.
While Orochimaru's current strength might not match the peak of the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, it was believed that the Five-Headed Rashomon should be sufficient to block the Four-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb.
As expected, after crashing through three of the gates, the Tailed Beast Bomb, the Four-Tails' full-power attack, was finally stopped by the fourth gate. As it forcefully pushed the fourth gate into the final one, the Tailed Beast Bomb's residual impact was completely absorbed before it exploded into pure chakra energy.
Orochimaru calmly rose from the ground, Sage Mode's green aura surging around him, effortlessly shielding his disciples from the storm of the Tailed Beast Bomb's aftermath.
"Compared to the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb that could pierce through five gates of Rashomon, the Four-Tails is still a bit lacking!"
The Yin-Kurama sealed within Kushina scratched its chin in confusion.
"Strange, when did I ever use a Tailed Beast Bomb to break through five gates of Rashomon?"
"Girl, ask him for me. I have no recollection of such a thing."
Kushina ignored Kurama's bewilderment, her eyes filled with admiration as she gazed at her teacher's imposing figure. A profound sense of security filled her heart.
"Teacher, you're so amazing!"
Orochimaru glared at her good-naturedly and then released the remaining two Rashomon gates. As for how to defend against the Four-Tails' next attack...
Heh, Orochimaru wouldn't give the Four-Tails another chance to launch a Tailed Beast Bomb!
The Four-Tails, its thought processes clouded by confusion, saw its Tailed Beast Bomb attack yield no results and began to gather a second one.
"Sage Art: Water Release: Great Waterfall!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, his figure flashing forward to appear before the Four-Tails. He raised a hand, and a torrent of water erupted from his mouth.
The crackling sound of flames being extinguished by water echoed as the lava battlefield created by the Four-Tails instantly cooled and solidified under the impact of the powerful Sage Art Water Release.
Waves surged, and the Four-Tails' massive body, as it gathered its Tailed Beast Bomb, lost its footing and was swept away from the ground, its body uncontrollably suspended in the center of this land-turned-ocean.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
The transparent water, empowered by the Dragon Cave's Sage Mode, formed countless invisible tendrils, binding the Four-Tails tightly as it struggled to break free from the water.
The elemental advantage, coupled with Orochimaru's mastery of Sage Art, rendered the Four-Tails completely immobile. The lava on its body gradually extinguished, and its chakra fluctuations rapidly subsided.
Being in Tailed Beast form wasn't the same as being a true Tailed Beast. The Tailed Beasts' existence in the outside world was fundamentally tied to their Jinchuriki. The Four-Tails might not need to breathe, but Roshi did! To avoid dying along with his Jinchuriki, the mentally confused Four-Tails instinctively retracted its chakra back into Roshi's body, doing its best to sustain Roshi's life force.
As Roshi gradually returned to his human form, a glint of killing intent flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He casually dispelled the chakra maintaining the Great Waterfall and instantly appeared beside the unconscious Roshi.
The Yin-Kurama, sensing Roshi's condition through Kushina's sight, gravely instructed Kushina's mind:
"Girl, tell Orochimaru to forcibly extract the Four-Tails from that Iwagakure ninja!"
"With Sun's gentle nature, having his mind corrupted to this extent, he has no right to be a Tailed Beast partner anymore!"
Kushina nodded vigorously and trotted over to Orochimaru.
"Teacher, Kurama says to pull the Four-Tails out of this old guy's body. As for this person, let him die!"
Orochimaru let out a soft hum.
"Mm!"
"It's time to extract it. If we wait any longer, the Four-Tails will die with him!"
As Orochimaru stated, Roshi himself was not a perfect Jinchuriki. When the Four-Tails' chakra broke through the seal and forcefully entered full Tailed Beast transformation, Roshi's body could not withstand the erosion of the Four-Tails' wild power. In just a few short sentences, Roshi's life force had significantly weakened. Even if Orochimaru didn't act, the moment Roshi reverted from his Tailed Beast form, he would perish.
"Using the negative energy generated at the moment of human death to ignite the Tailed Beast's violent side, thereby breaking the seal I placed for you..."
"Heh, Onoki's understanding of Tailed Beast power is still too shallow!"
Orochimaru sneered and placed his hand on Roshi's abdomen.
"Five Elements Seal Release!"
A flash of five-colored light emanated, and the seal runes on Roshi's body, already shattered by the Four-Tails' rampaging power, vanished. The remaining inferior sealing technique set by the Iwagakure sealing ninja was so crude that Orochimaru couldn't bear to look at it. With a flicker of Yin-Yang Release energy from his palm, he completely erased it.
The instant the seal completely disappeared, the Four-Tails, which had been sustaining Roshi's last breath, sensed the arrival of life and had no time for anything else! The Lava Release power scattered throughout Roshi's body was immediately retracted by the Four-Tails into its own body. The Tailed Beast transformed into a furious lava river and instinctively surged outwards.
"Stop!"
As the Four-Tails' chakra emerged from Roshi's body, Orochimaru's dark chakra instantly enveloped it. With a strong pull, the Four-Tails, about to flee elsewhere, let out an angry roar. The entire beast was forcibly dragged out by the dark chakra and restrained in place.
Dark chakra rapidly spread across the Four-Tails' body, spawning dense tendrils that dug deep into its form, greedily absorbing the negative energy emanating from its mental world. The negative emotions within its mental world quickly dissipated, and a flicker of clarity flashed in the Four-Tails' confused eyes. Its wild struggles froze, and it surprisingly cooperated with Orochimaru's actions, obediently ceasing its resistance.
Kushina was watching her teacher extract the Four-Tails with curiosity when the Nine-Tails within her suddenly cried out a warning:
"Girl, danger! Hurry and dodge!"
Orochimaru, who was focused on cleansing the Four-Tails' mental pollution, suddenly felt a premonition. He grabbed Kushina, who hadn't reacted, and with the dark chakra tendrils pulling the Four-Tails, the three of them instantly vanished from their original position.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu!"