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[One Piece: Heroic Spirits Straw Hat Pirates!]
[Dragon Ball: West City High Schooler, Captures 18!]
No one expected Tenten's so-called trump card to be… explosive tags.
But the moment those densely packed tags swarmed toward the giant snake, and everyone realized there were ten thousand of them, they had to admit—it was definitely a big move.
After all, a single explosive tag could seriously injure even a Kage-level ninja if detonated point-blank. Ten thousand? That was devastating.
The massive serpent was instantly plastered with tags before it could even do anything. It didn't even have time to cry.
BOOM!!!
Ten thousand explosive tags detonated all at once, and the shockwave swept out like a blazing tide.
Sasuke and Team Guy turned and ran, dragging Sakura and the unconscious Naruto with them. They dove behind a huge rock. Lee kicked open a pit in the ground, and as they jumped in, Tenten summoned a massive shield to cover the hole's opening.
Outside, the forest was a furnace of roaring explosions.
They looked battered and dusty, but thankfully avoided the worst of the blast.
Still, everyone gave Tenten some strange looks.
Lee was the first to speak: "Tenten, that was incredible! You actually threw out ten thousand explosive tags in one go. Truly… the power of a rich person!"
Tenten giggled. "Natsuki taught me that. He said it's the purest form of power that money can buy—he called it Money Release. Explosive tags are amazing! With enough of them, even their simple destructive power becomes terrifying. Being rich really is strong!"
Lee gave her a thumbs-up of approval, while Neji and Sasuke both fell silent, eyes shifting with thought.
The more they thought about it… the more useful money seemed to be.
Sasuke even began thinking: if he prepared ten thousand explosive tags in advance, and managed to cling onto Uchiha Itachi and detonate them at once… maybe, just maybe, he could take his brother down with him.
It sounded naive—but with that kind of firepower, not impossible.
The explosions gradually subsided, but no one dared to go out just yet.
Neji activated his Byakugan to scan the area. His face darkened. "As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin… even after all that, Orochimaru's chakra is still there."
Sasuke didn't seem surprised. "Of course. If we can dodge it, he can dodge it even better. And he's like some undead monster—you just can't kill him. That's the most despairing thing. No matter how long we last, we'll never beat him."
That wasn't cowardice—it was the truth. After fighting Orochimaru firsthand, Sasuke understood the overwhelming gap in power.
"Don't worry. Right now, our only job is to buy time."
Tenten's eyes held a glimmer of hope. "Natsuki promised me he'd come find me. As long as we keep holding out, he'll make it in time. We can't run anymore—this is the only path left."
Everyone nodded. All they could do now… was wait for Natsuki to arrive.
When Neji saw Orochimaru approaching again, he gave a warning.
Tenten opened the shield. Everyone jumped out of the hole and stood ready.
What they saw outside left them speechless.
The giant serpent had been blown to pieces—mangled and lifeless.
Orochimaru grinned wickedly. "Hehehe… that was quite the move. Ten thousand explosive tags. If I hadn't reacted fast, you might've actually killed me."
Tenten didn't reply. Instead, she pulled out two more scrolls.
"If ten thousand didn't do it… then I've got a hundred thousand. A million. I brought plenty. If I can't kill you—I'll keep bombing you until I do."
Orochimaru: …
Everyone else: …
This girl… how rich is she?! Carrying a million explosive tags?!
Still, Tenten knew that mass detonations weren't always practical. If Orochimaru survived again, the resulting chaos could hurt her own teammates too. So instead, she summoned two short-barrel cannons and began firing.
Orochimaru instinctively dodged. But as soon as he did, the bullets exploded right beside his ears—each one packed with an explosive tag.
The blast sent him flying.
Tenten sighed, "Shame… if only one of them exploded inside his body."
Even so, she kept firing—continuously summoning explosive-tag bullets. She didn't believe she couldn't wear him down.
But Orochimaru wasn't so easy to deal with.
His legs turned to serpents again, twisting through the air as he zigzagged around the shots, rapidly closing the distance toward Tenten.
Sasuke tried to intercept him but was quickly sent flying—his short blade shattered, and a gash sliced across his arm.
Lee opened the Fourth Gate and rushed in to block, while Neji used Kaiten (Rotation) to shield Tenten.
But Orochimaru had clearly decided to end things quickly. He kicked Lee aside with brute force, then used Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld) to trap Neji's feet, breaking his rotation.
BAM! Neji was sent flying too.
Still, both of them quickly leapt back to stand in front of Tenten.
Tenten raised the Raiken: Kiba and said helplessly, "Why are you doing this? Let me fight him!"
But they said firmly, "We promised Natsuki we'd protect you. Even if we know you're strong, you're no match for him alone. We won't let you take that risk."
"You two…"
Tenten clenched her twin blades and launched another lightning strike.
But once again, Lee and Neji were knocked away—this time injured far more severely. Even so, they collapsed right in front of her, shielding her to the last.
Tenten's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't hold back as she shouted, "Natsuki! Hurry up and get here!"
"Hehehe… Natsuki's too far away. He won't make it in time."
Orochimaru let out a sinister laugh as he lunged, Kusanagi sword thrusting straight for her. Even uninjured, Tenten couldn't block this—she just wasn't strong enough.
But just as the blade was about to pierce her—
A shadow dropped from the sky.
A foot slammed into Orochimaru's face, shattering his head in a single kick.
Everyone froze in shock—then erupted in joy.
The figure landed, shrouded in a torrent of chakra.
It was Natsuki—his Eight Gates blazing with power.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone. Tenten, are you okay?"
His voice was gentle, tinged with guilt. But when his eyes shifted to Orochimaru's headless body, they turned icy with killing intent.
After sensing something was wrong, Natsuki had immediately opened the Third Gate and used Geppō (Moon Step) to rush over. He even heard the thunderous explosions in the distance, and his heart grew more and more anxious.
Without hesitation, he opened the Fifth Gate and sprinted at full speed.
Just as he arrived, he saw Neji and Lee being knocked aside—and Orochimaru's sword poised to strike down Tenten.
In that instant, Natsuki snapped.
With one devastating kick, he exploded Orochimaru's head.
(End of Chapter)
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