-----
-----
The Konoha ninja were just about to tie up Hayato with ropes when they noticed his skin starting to change—faint traces of green began to appear on his body.
"Huh?" Orochimaru caught the subtle change on Hayato's skin and narrowed his eyes. "Step back, now!" he shouted loudly to the two ninja.
At this point, Orochimaru wasn't like the traitor he'd become later; he still cared about the Konoha shinobi.
"What?" The two ninja froze for a moment when they heard Orochimaru's command. But they were ninja after all—no matter what he said, they were trained to obey instantly. They quickly retreated on their toes.
Though their reaction wasn't slow, it was already too late. Suddenly, Hayato let out a furious roar, his height shooting up from less than two meters to nearly three. His huge fists smashed hard toward the two ninja.
One ninja reacted a bit faster, quickly forming hand signs and using the Clone Jutsu. Bang! The real person vanished, leaving behind a wooden stake, which Hayato's punch instantly shattered.
The other ninja was just a split second slower—and unfortunately, that split second decided his fate.
Bam!
That ninja flew backward like a ragged sack, hitting the ground hard. His body was a bloody mess, bones probably broken beyond recognition, almost losing all human shape when he crashed.
Everyone around gasped in shock seeing the ninja's state. Hayato's punch was insanely powerful. The ninja who barely escaped with the Clone Jutsu was sweating bullets—if he had been just a little slower, he would've ended up just like his comrade.
"Such incredible strength." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he watched Hayato. Now standing in the midst of the poisonous gas,
Hayato's towering figure was nearly three meters tall, his entire body glowing green like some hellish demon.
Roar!
Now transformed into a green giant, Hayato lost all rational thought. He roared again, jumped off the ground, and launched himself like a mountain crashing down right at Orochimaru.
Even though he'd lost his mind, instinct still told him Orochimaru was the biggest threat, so naturally, Hayato targeted him first.
Crash!
Hayato slammed into the ground hard. But Orochimaru immediately used Earth Style ninjutsu, shrinking into the earth and disappearing, dodging the blow completely.
Though Orochimaru temporarily vanished underground, Hayato's assault wasn't over. With a roar, his massive arms swung wide, sending the two ninja standing beside Orochimaru flying.
"Earth Style: Decapitation of the Mind Technique!"
Two pale hands suddenly grabbed Hayato's ankles, trying to drag him underground with a shout.
Roar!
Hayato violently kicked, breaking free from the underground grasp. He flung one of his attackers into a huge tree, snapping the trunk that was thicker than a waist.
"Orochimaru-sama!" The Konoha ninja shouted in alarm. The one who got thrown was none other than Orochimaru himself.
But Orochimaru was still Orochimaru—this kind of attack wasn't deadly for him. Pale hands crawled out from under the broken tree, and a figure slowly pulled himself free. It was Orochimaru, his already pale face now looking even paler.
"....."