"You noticed so quickly?"
"Amazing!"
"You've already adapted to my killing intent... Sasuke-kun, I'm so happy~"
"You make me excited~"
Despite the odd expression on her face, Orochimaru still exuded that unique... unsettling aura.
Sasuke felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he stood frozen for a moment.
Sasuke-kun?
It had been a long time since someone called him that…
No!
A sudden chill ran down Sasuke's spine. He tensed instinctively.
"Don't... look at me like that!"
Irritation flared within him as his unease grew.
"If you want to fight, then fight! Don't waste time with these pointless mind games!"
But Orochimaru's burning gaze only intensified.
Sasuke cursed internally. He should have let Naruto and Sakura handle this.
"Hehehe~"
Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle and raised a hand.
With a sharp bite to his thumb, he swiftly formed hand seals.
"As you wish."
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind whipped through the clearing.
Orochimaru slammed his palm onto the ground, a surge of chakra pulsing outward.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
A loud explosion erupted as thick white smoke filled the area.
Orochimaru took a few steps back, watching intently. He wasn't planning to attack just yet—he wanted to observe his future vessel carefully.
After all, this was the Uchiha he had coveted for so long.
As the smoke cleared, a massive snake emerged.
Its unblinking pupils locked onto Sasuke, its cold breath and pungent stench assaulting his senses.
Sasuke frowned. The snake's eyes were as large as his head.
The earlier fire had cleared part of the Forest of Death, removing any terrain advantage.
But Sasuke only smirked.
"If this is the best you can summon, you might as well not bother."
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly but said nothing.
"Then let's see for ourselves."
The snake flicked its tongue, its aura growing more violent.
Then, like a cannonball, it shot forward.
Its maw gaped open, aiming to swallow Sasuke whole.
But Sasuke simply closed his eyes.
"Naruto-kun, Sasuke's doing it again."
Sakura sighed, exasperated.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was on the verge of being devoured.
"Hmph!"
He casually tossed a kunai upward.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Sasuke-kun, what are you up to?"
"Don't disappoint me now."
Whoosh!
Boom! Boom!
Before Orochimaru could finish his words, Sasuke vanished.
The snake's jaws snapped shut on nothing but mud.
Up above, Sasuke had reappeared.
"I see."
"A substitution?"
"Flawless timing."
Orochimaru was genuinely impressed. He hadn't expected Sasuke to take the initiative so boldly.
Clang!
Sasuke pulled a sword from his sealing scroll.
Crackle!
"Chidori!"
Electricity crackled through the blade, emitting the signature cry of Chidori.
Slash!
As Sasuke descended, he swung his sword in a deadly arc, sending a Chidori-laced current outward.
There was no resistance.
As he retracted the charged blade, the snake's severed head tumbled to the ground.
"Show me your real strength."
Orochimaru stared for a few seconds, then broke into a sinister grin.
"That's Kakashi's Chidori, isn't it?"
"Hah… I didn't expect you to not only master it but even refine it into a new technique."
"Marvelous!"
Whoosh!
Sasuke had heard enough. In a blur, he appeared behind Orochimaru.
Pierce!
To his shock, Orochimaru didn't move. He allowed the Chidori spear to run him through.
"I overestimated you."
"A simple illusion, and you just stood there like an idiot."
Sasuke's eyes darkened.
"Are you so sure I'll die?"
And then, it happened.
Orochimaru's most infamous trick.
He shed himself.
Crack!
A grotesque sound rang out.
Sasuke whipped his head around.
Orochimaru, facing away from him, tilted his head back at an unnatural angle.
Splurt!
A pale hand burst from his gaping mouth.
Goosebumps crawled over Sasuke's skin.
He leapt back instinctively.
Sakura's eyes widened in horror.
A second hand emerged, pressing down forcefully.
Orochimaru crawled out of himself.
His hair was disheveled, his body slick with mucus.
"Aaaah!"
Sakura screamed and clung to Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, I'm scared!"
Sasuke kept his distance, watching as Orochimaru's body shook with laughter.
"You... are you even human?"
"Am I not?"
Orochimaru flicked his long hair aside, smirking.
"Sasuke-kun, I sacrificed a vessel just to show you my power."
Sasuke's expression turned icy.
This bastard... he wants my body.
"Die!"
Sasuke lunged, Chidori spear poised to strike.
But this time, Orochimaru slithered away effortlessly.
Meanwhile, Anko stood before the corpses of three Kusagakure ninja.
She kicked one over.
"They've been dead for a while. Orochimaru's as disgusting as ever."
She vanished.
A moment later, Konoha's gatekeepers, Izumo and Kotetsu, arrived.
They gasped.
"We've seen these guys multiple times today!"
"We failed our duty..."
"It's Orochimaru. Sneaking into Konoha like this... we wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Let's take the bodies to Ibiki!"
Meanwhile, Kakashi stopped Anko.
"Follow protocol. Report to the Hokage and request two more Anbu squads."
She nodded before dashing toward the Hokage's office.
Elsewhere, Sasuke panted.
"Damn it!"
"Chidori!"
Lightning surged around him.
But Orochimaru vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only a kunai.
"Substitution technique?"
Sasuke's eyes widened.
What does that mean?!
Are you saying you countered me the same way I countered that giant snake?
His Sharingan spun wildly, quickly locating Orochimaru's position.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled several kunai wrapped with steel wire.
Orochimaru tilted his head, effortlessly dodging them.
Puff—
The kunai embedded themselves into the tree trunk behind him.
"Hah, such an attack won't harm me."
Click—
Sasuke formed a seal with one hand, gritted his teeth, and jumped onto the wire.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Boom!
A stream of fire roared down the steel wire, surging toward Orochimaru at alarming speed, engulfing him instantly.
However, when the flames receded, only the edges of his clothes were singed.
"A decent application of fire nature chakra... but still too naive."
In a blur, he vanished and reappeared behind Sasuke.
"You're still too weak."
Orochimaru reached out, his hand aiming for Sasuke's throat.
The next moment, his hand passed straight through Sasuke's body.
"A Genjutsu clone? Reminds me of Shisui."
Orochimaru barely had time to be surprised before he turned and punched—
Buzz—
Once again, his fist went right through Sasuke's body.
At the same time, his surroundings distorted.
"Genjutsu? ... Release!"
Puff—
Too late.
A sharp pain shot through him as his entire arm was severed by Sasuke's blade.
"Chidori!"
Sasuke turned, his voice filled with cold conviction.
"What incredible eye power... Simply marvelous!"
"Orochimaru, none of your tricks work against my eyes."
With that, Sasuke spun and kicked off the ground, launching himself toward a tree in the distance.
Orochimaru, who had just been gloating, collapsed like a deflated husk.
"You're so arrogant."
His tone wasn't angered—he had heard these words before.
Sasuke's Chidori surged forward.
Orochimaru raised his hand calmly.
With a swift motion, he caught Sasuke's wrist, completely suppressing the Chidori.
"Your eyes are excellent, but don't over-rely on Chidori."
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Orochimaru's pupils shrank slightly.
This kid had impressive battle instincts.
Releasing Sasuke's arm, he opted to dodge, flickering out of the fireball's path.
Sasuke quickly canceled the jutsu, trying to recover his stance—
But he was too slow.
Orochimaru's foot struck him squarely, sending him flying.
"He's so fast!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth as he tumbled through the air.
Orochimaru's speed had just surpassed the limits of his current Sharingan.
If he wanted to keep up, he needed better control of his eyes.
Yet Orochimaru didn't press the attack.
He simply watched Sasuke, admiring his cautiousness.
Then, his slit-like pupils narrowed.
"Binding Technique."
Sasuke's body seized up, frozen in place.
His face darkened.
"I still have a long way to go before I can beat you with my strength alone."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Orochimaru's face.
Then, something unexpected happened.
A surge of chakra erupted from Sasuke's body.
The binding jutsu shattered instantly.
"What...? He broke free from my full-powered binding jutsu?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Sasuke-kun, you truly amaze me."
"This power... You've been hiding it all along. Your potential rivals even Uchiha Itachi's!"
"I want you even more now."
Sasuke's eyes turned cold as he sensed Orochimaru preparing to use the Binding Technique again.
This time, he didn't evade.
Instead, he raised his hand and began forming seals—deliberately slow.
The First Gate—Open!
The Second Gate—Open!
The Third Gate—Open!
Blood surged through Sasuke's body, his skin turning red as visible veins pulsed beneath it. A vibrant green aura began radiating around him.
He was preparing to open the Gate of Pain, pushing his physical abilities even further.
However, before he could complete the final activation, the toll on his body forced him to stop. The damage from the technique was immediately counteracted by the regenerative properties of the Nine-Tails' chakra flowing through him.
"That's enough."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"The Eight Gates, huh?"
"Sasuke, I hope you don't resort to this technique again."
"Besides, I didn't come here to fight you to the death."
"If you truly desire power for revenge—"
Whoosh!
Sasuke suddenly appeared before Orochimaru, both hands forming the seals for Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation.
This time, there was no escape.
Orochimaru's pupils shrank slightly. Without hesitation, he crouched and swiftly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted, sending a shockwave that forced Sasuke back.
When the smoke cleared, Orochimaru stood atop the head of a gigantic serpent, his breathing slightly uneven. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead, though his twisted smile remained.
"Sasuke-kun… I desire you more than ever now."
"I will leave a token in the Uchiha district."
"If you truly seek the power of revenge, place it around your neck, and I will grant you what you desire."
"I look forward to seeing whether you will come to me after you've tasted true power."
With that, Orochimaru formed another set of seals.
But Sasuke was already behind him, aiming a punch to knock him away before following up with a Fire Release attack.
Boom!
The enormous snake beneath Orochimaru vanished back into the summoning realm, sending a gust of wind through the clearing.
Sasuke's strike hit nothing but air as Orochimaru disappeared in an instant.
A moment later, the Uchiha prodigy deactivated the Eight Gates. As soon as he did, his knees buckled.
With a dull thud, he collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by sudden weakness and fatigue.
"Now's our chance!"
Two rogue ninja, Kidōmaru and Jirōbō, who had been lying in wait, seized the opportunity and lunged toward Sasuke.
Unfortunately for them—
"Bastards!"
A fierce voice rang out as Sakura appeared, her fist rocketing forward.
Crack!
Jirōbō's ribs shattered instantly.
His eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't expected her to be strong enough to cause serious damage. But even in pain, he refused to falter. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through, still intent on eliminating Sasuke.
Snap!
More bones broke.
A tremendous force sent Jirōbō flying, slamming him into Kidōmaru.
Boom!
Both men crashed into a tree trunk with such force that their breathing stopped instantly.
Sasuke slowly pushed himself up, his fatigue still evident.
"I lost."
He lowered his head slightly, clenching his fists.
He knew the truth.
The gap between him and Orochimaru was still vast. If the Sannin had gone all out, there would have been no contest.
Even borrowing the Nine-Tails' chakra and pushing his body beyond its limits with the Eight Gates wouldn't have changed the outcome.
Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're already far stronger than you were in the original timeline," he said calmly. "But it's still too soon to take on Orochimaru directly."
Besides, Orochimaru wouldn't be killed that easily. He had too many escape techniques. Too many backup plans. Even Anko's Curse Mark had once been part of his contingencies.
Though, Naruto had dealt with that problem a long time ago.
"Come out."
A figure lurking in the shadows flinched. Realizing there was no escape, she stepped forward cautiously, gripping a sealing talisman.
Ajisai.
"You… you killed my comrades!"
Her voice was strikingly clear and melodious.
Even Sakura, despite being another woman, couldn't help but be surprised by its pleasant tone.
"I… I won't give in so easily…"
Even Sasuke turned slightly, watching her with mild interest.
But Naruto didn't give her a chance to continue.
His cerulean blue eyes shifted to deep crimson.
"Face reality."
"Don't dream of the impossible."
Tsukuyomi.
Ajisai collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Sakura frowned slightly. "Naruto-kun, you're not planning to—"
"She'll answer our questions," Naruto replied coldly. "I don't want any surprises messing up our plans."
He glanced toward the fallen enemy ninja.
"We'll deal with the rest later."