Koushin: Konoha’s Dragonborn[Completed]

"Orochimaru-san, always a pleasure," Koushin addressed the snake sannin with a slight bow of his head. His tone was respectful, yet there was a quiet confidence in his voice that held a promise of a challenge.

Orochimaru turned his serpentine gaze towards Koushin, his yellow eyes flickering with interest. "Koushin," he replied, the edges of his mouth curling into a faint smile. "Since the years ago I saw you in Chunin Exam, I knew you were a unique individual. You never cease to surprise me."

Koushin chuckled at that, his fingers cracked with static electricity. "Well thank you, Orochimaru-san," he replied, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. "But can I ask you to take your hands... or rather claws, from my pumpkin and her friends, please?"

Orochimaru let out a dry laugh, his pale face lighting up with amusement. "Sure, I can do that," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "But I want to battle you one on one first."

From her dragon form, Ino let out a sharp protest. "Koushin, you can't possibly—"

But Koushin cut her off with a raised hand, his expression resolute. "Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Asuma," he addressed his teammates, "Step back. I've got this."

There was a moment of silence, then Shikamaru sighed, a nod of approval gracing his usually impassive face. "Alright, Koushin," he conceded, his voice firm yet laced with concern.

Ino, from her dragon form, hesitated, her apprehension clear. But eventually, she gave in to Koushin's insistence. "Please be careful, Koushin," she said, the dragon's massive head inclining in a silent agreement.

"Always am," Koushin responded, a small, reassuring smile on his face. He then turned to face Orochimaru fully, his eyes reflecting his determination. "Well then, Orochimaru-san. Shall we begin?"

The battlefield fell into an uneasy silence as the two shinobi squared off, their intense gazes locked on each other. Even in the face of such a formidable adversary, Koushin's demeanor remained calm and composed. His voice, when he spoke, was steady, reflecting his confidence.

"Whenever you're ready, Orochimaru-san."

As the two warriors stood facing each other, the tension on the battlefield was palpable. The onlooking shinobi, their breaths held in anticipation, watched the impending clash with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

The initial silence was shattered by Orochimaru's laughter, a chilling sound that echoed ominously across the battlefield. "You've always had a knack for lightening the mood, Koushin," he said, a wicked smile stretching across his face. "I've always admired that about you."

Koushin merely shrugged, his lips curving into a half-smile. "One does try," he responded, not breaking his gaze from Orochimaru. His eyes, however, shimmered with an icy resolve. This was no time for levity. It was a moment of truth, a battle that would decide the fate of his friends and comrades.

As Orochimaru's laughter died down, the battlefield fell silent once more. A hush fell over the arena, a stark contrast to the chaos of moments before. It was as though time itself had paused, waiting with bated breath for the epic clash that was to come.

"Oh, I forgot. Genjutsu doesn't work on you," Orochimaru chuckled as he ended the Kagami Mirage technique. His eyes held a glint of both annoyance and fascination, as if Koushin's immunity to Genjutsu was a puzzle that he couldn't quite solve.

"Details, Orochimaru-san. They do matter," Koushin quipped, his face serious, but his eyes held a playful twinkle. "Besides, I much prefer the tangible things in life."

Orochimaru laughed at that, a throaty sound that echoed around them. "Well then," he said, the amusement clear in his voice, "Let's get physical, shall we?"

He moved then, with a speed that was nothing short of astonishing. His body weaved and undulated like a serpent, shooting towards Koushin with his fingers extended, razor-sharp claws glinting menacingly.

Lightning erupted around Koushin, bright arcs of pure chakra crackling and fizzling in the air around him as he countered Orochimaru's strike. His speed picked up as he dodged and weaved around the Sannin, the space around them buzzing with the static electricity of his chakra.

As they danced around each other, Koushin deftly threw a volley of shurikens and kunai at Orochimaru, making the Snake Sannin swerve and slither in a frenzy to avoid the projectiles.

Koushin's hand flashed, his fingers gripping a shuriken tightly as he deflected Orochimaru's rushing attack. His other hand pulled back, forming a sequence of hand signs at lightning speed. "Lightning Release: Thunderbolt!" he called out, lightning gathering around his hand before shooting towards Orochimaru in a bright arc of raw energy.

Orochimaru twisted his body, avoiding the thunderbolt by mere inches. His smirk widened as he retaliated, his hands swiftly forming a sequence of signs. "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

The ground around them trembled as a massive dragon made from earth and mud emerged, its open mouth spewing a torrent of mud bullets towards Koushin.

Koushin moved in a blur, his lightning chakra cloak shimmering and sparking as he dodged the mud bullets with an incredible speed. His hand flashed, pulling out a kunai that glowed with his lightning chakra. He flung it at the earth dragon, the kunai cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning.

There was a thunderous boom as the kunai collided with the dragon, causing it to explode into chunks of mud and earth. Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise, the smirk on his face momentarily fading. He quickly recovered, his smirk turning into a chuckle. "Impressive," he acknowledged, "but can you keep up with this?" He swiftly formed another sequence of hand signs. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A fierce gale erupted from Orochimaru's mouth, the wind whipping up dust and debris, creating a mini tornado that tore towards Koushin.

"Oh, I have a great jutsu for this one." Koushin grinned, his hands deftly moving through the hand signs. Fire Release was superior to Wind, "Fire Release: Reverse Blaze!" His voice echoed through the dust-churned air.

His hands released a tide of flame that met Orochimaru's wind head-on. Instead of being extinguished, the fire roared to life, riding on the wind, becoming stronger with each passing second. The blaze surged forward, consuming everything in its path, a fiery testament to Koushin's control over his chakra.