For some reason, Sasuke suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
He narrowed his eyes at the strange figure before him.
Something about this enemy was deeply unsettling.
Just then, Naruto and Sakura rushed over.
Naruto scowled. "Tch, these guys again?"
His gaze landed on the scroll in the woman's hand. A spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Ha! That means we can complete our set!"
Without hesitation, Naruto charged straight at her.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"No! Naruto! Stop!"
The woman—whom Naruto mockingly called Aunt Snake—smirked.
Just as Naruto was about to reach her, she unleashed a massive wave of killing intent.
Naruto froze mid-step.
His entire body locked up. His breath hitched.
It was as if he was staring straight into the jaws of death.
The overwhelming aura hit Sasuke and Sakura just as hard—their entire bodies trembled involuntarily.
Naruto's voice quivered.
"Wh-what… is this?!"
His stomach churned. His instincts screamed.
"I… I'm gonna die!"
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke yanked out a kunai and stabbed it into his own thigh.
Squelch!
Blood gushed from the wound.
Pain seared through him—and with it, clarity.
The woman's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"As expected… of the Uchiha."
Sasuke's heart pounded. He knew.
This enemy was on an entirely different level.
This pressure…
It reminded him of that night.
The night his entire clan fell.
But there was no time to dwell on the past.
Sasuke reacted instantly.
Two kunai shot toward Aunt Snake as he yelled—
"Run! NOW!"
The woman merely tilted her head, effortlessly dodging both kunai.
As her killing intent vanished, Naruto and Sakura felt their bodies loosen.
Cold sweat dripped down their backs as they stared at her in horror.
But Naruto…
He refused to back down.
"What the hell are you saying, Sasuke?!" His fists clenched. "If I run, what about you?!"
Sasuke snapped at him.
"Idiot! You stay, and you die for nothing!"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"So what?!"
Aunt Snake chuckled.
"My, my~" she purred. "You children are so much fun."
Then, she bit her finger—
And pressed her palm to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu."
BOOM!
A massive cloud of smoke erupted.
And from it—
A giant snake lunged forward, its fangs bared.
Naruto created dozens of shadow clones without hesitation and charged at the massive snake.
"Sasuke! Sakura! I'll cover you—run!"
Sakura stood frozen, uncertain of what to do.
Sasuke gritted his teeth and quickly retreated.
Sakura hesitated, glancing at Naruto—then, clenching her fists, she turned and ran after Sasuke.
Orochimaru, standing atop the giant snake's head, barely spared Naruto a glance.
With a casual flick of its tail, the snake sent a massive wave of destruction through the clones—scattering them in an instant.
Naruto's real body was caught in the impact and sent flying.
Orochimaru paid him no mind. She simply directed the giant snake forward, closing in on Sasuke.
Sasuke glanced back, watching the massive creature gain on him.
"Sakura! Get away from here!" he ordered.
Without waiting for a response, he changed direction abruptly.
Sure enough—Orochimaru followed.
"[So it's me she's after…]" Sasuke thought grimly.
Realizing that escape wasn't an option, he began formulating a plan.
But he had no time to think.
With a sudden burst of force, Orochimaru's snake smashed through a massive tree, aiming straight for Sasuke.
Reacting instinctively, Sasuke leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Orochimaru's gaze followed him lazily. Still standing on the snake's head, she licked her lips and sneered.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Sasuke clenched his fists, anger flaring in his chest.
His hands moved swiftly, pulling out a Fuuma Shuriken, followed by several regular shuriken.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, he hurled them at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's eyes glinted with amusement.
She watched the shimmering metal spin through the air, then deliberately dodged—her movements slow, mocking.
The shuriken sailed past her.
Sasuke's eyes lit up.
"Got you!"
He yanked the wire in his hands.
"Shuriken Jutsu: Shadow Wire Bind!"
Clang—
The shuriken spun mid-air, curving along the steel wire and wrapping tightly around Orochimaru, pinning her to a massive tree.
Yet, despite being restrained, Orochimaru's expression remained calm—almost amused.
"Oh? Not bad~" she murmured, her tone mocking.
Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, his hands flashed through hand signs.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Flames raced along the steel wire, consuming it within seconds, and reaching Orochimaru in an instant.
The fire engulfed her completely, crackling violently as it burned through flesh and fabric alike.
Sasuke exhaled, watching as the flames reduced his enemy to charred remains.
But—
Squelch.
A sickening noise cut through the air, making Sasuke's stomach drop.
He stared at the burning corpse—where had that sound come from?
A terrifying thought crept into his mind.
"No way…"
And then—
The impossible happened.
From within the blackened husk, a pair of pale hands burst forth.
With a single, effortless motion, the scorched body split apart—
Revealing a completely unscathed Orochimaru.
She stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off an old coat, then licked her lips with that unsettlingly long tongue.
Sasuke's face went pale.
"W-what the hell… is this thing?"
Hiss—
Suddenly, a massive tail lashed out from the overlooked giant snake.
Sasuke barely had time to react—
Thud!
The blow struck him square in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.
His face contorted in pain, his body launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a tree several meters away—the impact leaving a deep dent in the trunk.
Sasuke trembled as he forced himself upright.
"I… I haven't killed that man yet! I can't fall here!"
A loud roar echoed through the forest.
"Saaasuke!"
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.
Naruto came crashing through a tree, charging straight toward him.
At this moment, Naruto's eyes were slitted like a fox's, his fangs bared.
But more than his appearance, what truly shocked Sasuke was the raw power radiating from him.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. Something about this didn't feel right. She carefully observed the red chakra flickering around Naruto.
"Oh… so he's the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki?"
But rather than worry, Orochimaru simply smiled. Without hesitation, she ordered the giant snake forward.
The beast moved too fast—Naruto didn't even have time to react.
With a powerful lunge, the snake slammed into him, sending him flying through the forest.
CRASH!
Naruto smashed through tree after tree, the impact finally stopping as he slammed into an enormous trunk.
The giant snake's head pressed down on him, pinning him against the bark.
Naruto struggled, his body wracked with pain.
Sasuke's stomach twisted with concern.
"Naruto!"
Naruto gritted his teeth, pressing his hands against the snake's head. Despite his injuries, he wasn't breaking.
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
"…Is it the Nine-Tails?"
Naruto, hearing Sasuke's voice, glared at Orochimaru with burning fury.
A faint red glow flickered in his eyes.
"Damn it…"
The crimson chakra exploded outward, and slowly, the massive snake's head began to lift off him.
Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly.
"…Tch. The Nine-Tails really is a nuisance."
Without hesitation, she raised her palm. Suddenly, each of her five fingers radiated a different chakra nature—
Wind. Fire. Earth. Lightning. Water.
"Five Elements Seal!"
Her hand slammed into Naruto's stomach.
Naruto's entire body convulsed. His pupils rolled back, and with a sharp gasp—
He collapsed.
Sasuke's heart pounded. Naruto had been overpowered in an instant.
A creeping sense of helplessness gripped him.
Orochimaru turned back to him, her serpentine smile widening.
"Heh~ Now then… Sasuke, shall we continue?"
Suddenly—
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
CLANG!
Orochimaru froze in place, her body suddenly going rigid.
From the shadows, Shikamaru stepped forward, his hands in a seal.
"The Shadow Possession Jutsu worked!"
He turned to Sasuke.
"Take Naruto and get out of here!"
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"...!"
__________
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