Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

Swords and fists clashed fiercely, fires blazed, and Ace, Yamato, and Denjiro finally retreated, panting heavily after a long struggle. The protective barrier remained as pristine as ever, showing no signs of damage.

"Damn, isn't this barrier way too tough?" Yamato complained, rubbing her sore wrist.

Denjiro stayed silent, though his hand was bleeding. His sword, coated with haki, still hammered relentlessly against the barrier.

"It's useless, useless! You can't break the barrier!" the Kurozumi Orochi shrieked, his voice trembling as he shed tears.

Ever since learning that Kaido's "son" was present, the Orochi had been like this—nervous and defensive. Unaware of Yamato and Kaido's complicated "father-son" relationship, Orochi assumed Kaido's son had come to usurp his power.

In truth, Kaido once considered having Yamato take over as Wano's shogun. Even Kaido couldn't stand Orochi's mismanagement and the severe suffering he inflicted on Wano's people, which, in turn, disrupted the supplies sent to the Beast Pirates. Even someone like Kaido recognized the value of sustainable control.

"This scum only survives because of that barrier," Ace muttered angrily, flames flaring in his hands. "Without it, he'd be finished."

"Alright, you've all had your turn. Now, let me handle this." Shin stepped forward, glancing at them all with a slight smile.

Earlier, Shin had assured Yamato and Ace that he could crack the barrier, so they agreed to join the fray. They had just tested their strength against the barrier; otherwise, Shin would've stepped in sooner.

Hearing this, Ace and Yamato immediately stepped aside. Even Denjiro, who had been relentlessly slashing at the barrier, looked at Shin with newfound hope.

"What… what are you doing? No one can penetrate the barrier's defense!" Orochi stammered, his gaze filled with terror as Shin approached.

"Oh, it's true. Physically breaking this barrier is tough," Shin sneered. "But I have techniques beyond physical attacks."

"Kamui!"

Shin's body turned intangible as he phased right through the barrier. Instantly, he stretched out his hands, emitting a dark, smoky mist. Moments later, both the Kurozumi Orochi and Kurozumi Semimaru vanished from sight.

"They just… disappeared?"

Denjiro, astonished, stammered as he took in the empty space.

"What did you expect? A drawn-out battle?" Shin smirked. "Those two had almost no combat power. Once the barrier's down, they're as good as dead."

"B-but… doesn't Orochi have eight lives?"

"Hmph, even if he had eighty lives, it wouldn't matter in the dark dimension I sent him to." Shin scoffed. "Now, let's focus on preparing for what's next."

"Preparing… for what?" Denjiro asked, still dazed.

"The reason I agreed to this plan instead of charging straight into the palace to kill Orochi wasn't only to increase our odds of success." A devious smile crossed Shin's face.

For a highly skilled shinobi like Shin, even a complicated trick like switching identities was second nature. 

Moments later...

Standing before them was Shin's wooden clone, transformed to resemble Orochi. The clone's appearance was so lifelike it even carried Orochi's smug expression. Denjiro stroked his chin as if glimpsing a whole new world.

"With this, the position of Wano's shogun is within our grasp," Shin said with a grin. "This is the perfect opportunity to gather the Nine Red Scabbards and secretly relocate some samurai from the mines. Then, when the time is right, we'll launch a full-scale assault on the Beasts Pirates. And, of course, we'll let 'Orochi' lead the charge as a distraction!"

"Well, how does that sound?"

Denjiro took a deep breath, visibly relieved. Then he turned to look at the restrained members of the Orochi Oniwabanshu, who were glaring at him in fear. "I'm sorry, but to keep our plans a secret, I must dispose of you."

He raised his sword, and the frightened ninjas struggled against their bonds, faces stricken with terror.

"Leave this to me." Shin intervened. "I have a way to ensure their silence."

As he spoke, Shin touched each of their mouths, and dark markings appeared, spreading like ink across their faces.

Seeing the others' curious expressions, Shin explained, "This is the Curse of the Tongue Eradication. Anyone afflicted by it can't reveal our secrets. If they even try, the curse will activate instantly."

"Not only that but as the creator of the curse, I can control it directly. I'll give you a demonstration." With that, Shin made a hand sign, and one of the captured ninjas—a rotund, yellow-skinned man—suddenly convulsed, rolling on the ground in silent agony.

The other captured ninjas visibly paled. Most of these men had been former retainers of the Kozuki family, coerced into service by Orochi. Seeing Shin's demonstration, their remaining loyalty to Orochi melted away instantly.

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