Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 250

As the universally recognized head warden of the ninja prison, Mui not only had a complete grasp of every prisoner under his watch, but he also knew the wanted criminals that various ninja villages might send to the prison in the future.

And Orochimaru, being one of the legendary Sannin and a Class-S wanted criminal from Konoha, was someone whose information Mui had memorized thoroughly.

The moment he saw Orochimaru's face, Mui recognized him instantly.

Wasn't Orochimaru killed three years ago during the Chunin Exams hosted by Konoha? How could he be here again? Were these ninja attacking the prison all summoned by him?

As Mui was pondering Orochimaru's motive for attacking Hōzuki Castle, Orochimaru, standing atop one of the three giant snakes, also looked up and locked eyes with Mui midair.

Their gazes met, and Orochimaru gave a sinister, mocking smile.

That instantly ignited the fury in Mui's heart. He stepped onto the railing and leapt straight from the terrace toward Orochimaru standing on the snake's head.

"Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru didn't command the giant snake to attack Mui midair. Instead, he allowed him to land on the middle snake's head where he stood.

"Weren't you already dead?"

Mui shouted angrily, demanding answers. But Orochimaru ignored him and simply kept smiling.

"What's your purpose in attacking Hōzuki Castle?!"

He roared again, and this time Orochimaru finally responded.

"You'll find out once I've defeated you."

"Arrogant!" Mui let out a furious yell and charged toward Orochimaru. A faint glow of fire began to form in his palm.

Though standing before him was one of the legendary Sannin, Mui held his own pride as the warden of Hōzuki Castle.

As long as he could land his Heavenly Prison on Orochimaru's chest, even someone as powerful as Orochimaru would be reduced to a mere ordinary person, unable to use chakra.

If he could subdue Orochimaru, then the other attacking ninja could be quickly suppressed with his own strength.

But just as Mui charged at the defenseless Orochimaru, a figure suddenly jumped out beside him. A hand blade glowing with blue light slashed down in an instant.

Mui immediately leapt backward, narrowly dodging the deadly strike. Still, a lock of hair on his forehead was sliced clean off by that blue flash.

Looking closely, he saw it was the bespectacled young man who had been standing next to Orochimaru earlier who had attacked him.

"Orochimaru-sama, leave this one to me."

"Very well. He's yours, Kabuto."

With Orochimaru's permission, Kabuto charged toward Mui, his razor-sharp chakra scalpels slashing repeatedly at Mui's body.

Although Mui dodged back and forth, avoiding the strikes, he still couldn't find a chance to hit Kabuto's chest either.

Even the medical-nin by Orochimaru's side is this troublesome?

For the moment, Kabuto had gained a slight upper hand against Mui, forcing him down from the snake's head to the ground below.

At this point, the gates of Hōzuki Castle had already been breached. In the courtyard, normally used for prisoner exercise, the large group of ninja brought by Orochimaru were clashing fiercely with the prison guards. It was clear that the guards of Hōzuki Castle were on the losing side.

Although the ninja Orochimaru had gathered were initially intended as test subjects, many of them were quite powerful. Even just this group alone was more than what the castle guards could handle.

And as is often the case, strong warriors recognize each other and band together. From the start of the attack on Hōzuki Castle, the elite had already grouped up to form a nearly impenetrable formation.

Among them, five individuals from Guren's team had come together, forming a tight unit: Kigiri, Onihō, Nurari, Rinji, and Gozu.

"Hey guys, don't you think there's something strange about this situation?"

After knocking a guard away with a backhand strike, Rinji slowly retreated to the side of the other four and said, "Don't you guys think something's strange?"

"What's strange?" asked Kigiri.

"According to the intel my bats have gathered, there are only a few prison guards left in Hōzuki Castle. But more than half of us ninjas brought here by Orochimaru-sama and Guren are still alive."

Rinji's ability involved using bats to gather information. While not strong in direct combat, he was an exceptionally perceptive sensory-type ninja.

Moreover, he had a secret identity, he was a spy placed beside Guren by Kabuto, tasked with monitoring and reporting her every move.

But in truth, Rinji had his own ambitions: to replace Kabuto and become Orochimaru's favored subordinate.

"If we keep advancing like this, nearly half of us will survive this mission."

"And then what?" asked Gozu asked , the massive, physically powerful man, after smashing away another guard.

"Think about it. Guren said that those who survive this mission will get to serve directly under Orochimaru-sama, and might even receive enhancements to their bodies."

"But if too many people survive—dozens, even—there's no way all of them will be allowed to stay by his side, let alone be enhanced."

The bizarrely dressed Nurari suddenly realized something. "You mean…"

"Hehe, that's right. He definitely wouldn't allow that many people to follow him. When the time comes, he'll surely find a way to get rid of the extras."

"Like some kind of survival competition… or forcing us to kill each other."

"So instead of waiting to be pitted against the survivors later, we might as well quietly take out a few people now, during this mission. That way we reduce our future competition."

Rinji's suggestion immediately gained support from Kigiri, Kihō, and Nurari.

"Sounds reasonable!"

"Count me in."

"Yeah, I'm in too."

Rinji silently praised his own cleverness, then turned toward Gozu and asked, "You're not joining us?"

With a low, heavy voice, Gozu replied, "Guren once saved my life. As long as I can stay by her side, that's enough for me. I don't need anything else."

Forget it, whether he joins or not makes little difference.

Rinji stopped bothering with the overly loyal Gozu, while Kihō had already begun attacking nearby "comrades."

Though short and physically weak, Kihō was a specialist in smoke-style ninjutsu, and his smoke cannon was a unique ninja tool.

Thick smoke spewed from the cannon, engulfing both guards and allied ninja alike.

"What's going on?"

"Where's all this smoke coming from?"

The ninja within the fog were still confused, while Kihō gave a cruel smile and activated another jutsu.

"Smoke Dragon!"

The smoke enshrouding the ninja and guards instantly took the form of a dragon. The smoke dragon coiled around several individuals, suffocating them inside.

Some of the ninja, through small gaps in the smoke, caught a glimpse of Kihō outside attacking them.

"Kihō! You bastard! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Let us go!"

"We're on the same side!"

As those trapped within clutched their throats in pain, their curses grew weaker and weaker until they finally died struggling. Kihō's twisted smile grew wider.

At that moment, like a figure of divine justice, someone in a red cloak leapt in front of Kihō.

"Fire Release: Heavenly Prison!"

A hand glowing with red light struck squarely against his chest.

Kihō's small body was sent flying by a single palm strike from Mui, who immediately leapt away afterward, as Kabuto was still relentlessly pursuing him from behind.

Kabuto, who had been chasing Mui all along, only glanced at Kihō without approaching or asking anything, and simply followed Mui as he jumped away.

Kigiri, Nurari, and Rinji looked toward the fallen Kihō, only to see flames suddenly erupt on his body, scorching him with searing intensity.

"Ahhh! It hurts so much! Help me!"

The effect of the Heavenly Prison was to restrict chakra usage. However, if the target is already using a sustained ninjutsu when hit, the Heavenly Prison curse mark on the chest activates instantly, generating flames that burn the victim's body.

Thus, the Heavenly Prison technique also had offensive capabilities.

Since Kihō had just used Smoke Dragon, a sustained ninjutsu, the Heavenly Prison technique immediately released flames.

Seeing the abnormality on Kihō's body, Rinji shouted to the others, "You go ahead, I'll save Kihō!"

The others didn't question it, nodded, and continued chasing the other ninja and guards up ahead. After the others had gone far, he leisurely walked up to Kihō.

In agony within the flames, Kihō whimpered and pleaded upon seeing Rinji.

"Please... help me..."

But by then, a change had come over Rinji's eyes, his pupils now held no trace of compassion. Instead, he looked at Kihō as if he were worthless trash.

It was only at this moment that Kihō finally realized. Wasn't he also someone Rinji intended to eliminate?

Back on Mui's side, he had earlier encountered an arrogant ninja in the plaza and casually planted a Heavenly Prison curse mark on the man's chest.

However, he was still unable to shake off his entanglement with Kabuto.

After several exchanges with Kabuto, Mui came to fully understand that this seemingly unknown, bespectacled youth possessed strength on par with his own, a jonin from Kusa.

If this fight continued, the entire Hōzuki Castle would undoubtedly fall.

Yet at the moment, Mui had no other options than to be caught up with Kabuto.

His only hope was that news of the attack had already reached the outside world and that Kusa or other hidden villages would send reinforcements.

But when those reinforcements would arrive was uncertain, after all, Hōzuki Castle was located on a remote island, and reinforcements would likely take time to get there.

Until then, Mui had to hold the line. He couldn't compromise—he couldn't flee.

After all, that thing was here, the very reason Hōzuki Castle even existed was to protect it.

With that thought, Mui stopped in his tracks.

Seeing Mui stop, Kabuto also halted, cautiously.

Though he appeared to hold a slight advantage, Kabuto remained wary of Mui's Fire Style: Heavenly Prison technique and didn't dare press too aggressively, lest he expose a weakness.

In a battle between jonin, even a tiny opening could decide the outcome.

"What's wrong? Not running anymore?" Kabuto asked.

Mui, his head slightly lowered, let out a laugh.

It should've been the laughter of a desperate man—but there was a calmness within it, turning it into a sound of mockery.

"Run?"

"I am the lord of Hōzuki Castle. This is my domain. Why would I run? It's you who should be fleeing in panic!"

A massive sword of fire formed in Mui's raised right hand and slashed toward Kabuto.

Kabuto reacted instantly, dodging to the side. But as he avoided the incoming blade, Mui used the reflected light in Kabuto's glasses to mask his movement and closed in from the side.

Startled, Kabuto raised his hands in defense. But Mui didn't aim for his chest, instead, he spun around and struck Kabuto's handsome face with a powerful palm.

The glasses gifted by Nonō were sent flying. Kabuto spun through the air, then rolled several times on the ground before coming to a stop.

Kabuto wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Without his glasses, his vision was blurry, and he could only vaguely see Mui approaching, flames still flickering in his hand.

"You have great talent, but you're too young and inexperienced. If you trained for another year or so, I might not even be your match. But you won't get that chance now. Go to hell with your regrets!"

The flames on Mui's hand intensified, now spilling out from his palm. This was no ordinary Heavenly Prison, it was the more powerful Great Fire Heavenly Prison.

Once struck by this technique, the curse mark's restraining effect activates regardless of the target's state, and the intense flames consume the body instantly.

Mui clearly didn't intend to let Kabuto live.

Just as Mui raised his hand to strike Kabuto, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared behind him.

It was Orochimaru!

But Mui, though preparing to finish Kabuto off, had been cautious. The moment Orochimaru appeared, Mui's eyes flicked backward, and he immediately spun around, slamming his flaming palm directly into Orochimaru's undefended chest.

"I've been waiting for you, Orochimaru!"

Upon impact, powerful flames exploded from Mui's palm like ropes, binding Orochimaru from four directions.

"Ahhh!"

Orochimaru let out his signature raspy scream as the flames scorched him.

Hearing the sound, Kabuto instantly recognized the voice.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Mui watched as Orochimaru's body withered in the flames and then turned back toward the still-struggling Kabuto.

"Orochimaru is dead. You're next."

Mui gathered fire in his palm again, the same Great Fire Heavenly Prison, ready to strike Kabuto once more.

But just as he raised his hand, a raspy voice whispered in his ear.

"That's my most beloved subordinate. I can't let you kill him."

Mui's eyes widened in shock and turned his head. He saw Orochimaru's head atop an impossibly long neck suddenly appear beside his own.

The upper half of Orochimaru's body slowly emerged from the scorched, burned-out husk of his old skin.