"Excellent analysis!" Orochimaru clapped his hands and extended his long tongue to lick his lips. "Then can you guess my true identity?"
"What's so difficult about that?" Sakura suddenly smiled. "You're none other than Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha. Though, I think it'd be more appropriate to refer to you as 'Hebihime' now."
Orochimaru's expression immediately darkened. Though he had unwillingly taken over a female body, that didn't mean he wanted others calling him Hebihime. Despite appreciating Sakura's intelligence, Orochimaru now decided he would kill her.
"Heheheh, little girl, should I call you courageous or simply reckless?" Orochimaru cackled coldly, his laughter sending chills down anyone's spine. "Since you clearly know I'm Orochimaru, how dare you speak to me like this? Have all the brats in Konoha become this ignorant of death nowadays?"
"So what if you switched from a guy to a girl?" Sakura shrugged, completely ignoring the killing intent radiating from Orochimaru. "Besides, I don't think you've got us cornered just yet!"
Chapter 173: Naruto's Blood, Sakura's Rampage [Part 1]
"Is that so?!"
Orochimaru's sinister laughter echoed through the forest. Suddenly, several poisonous snakes slithered out from his sleeves, lunging toward Sakura and her two companions.
"Move!"
The three didn't dare to be careless. They leaped sideways and drew their weapons, slicing the heads off several snakes.
"Your reaction speed is quite impressive, though merely impressive." A spark of delight lit in Orochimaru's eyes. Originally, his only target had been Sasuke, but he hadn't expected to encounter two surprisingly talented Genin. In an instant, his old habit of kidnapping children kicked in again.
[Hidden Shadow Snake Hands]
Yet thinking about Sakura's attitude earlier, Orochimaru made a decision—he would demonstrate his strength first. Once these kids realized the gap between them, they'd naturally come begging to him.
Several venomous snakes, hissing loudly with dripping fangs, rushed toward them at high speed. The distance was short to begin with; dodging these attacks would prove extremely difficult.
"If we can't dodge, then we won't bother dodging. Water Release: Water Fang Technique!"
Sakura stood firm, forming hand seals, and spewed a powerful jet of water from her mouth. It sliced straight through the snakes charging at her. At the same time, Naruto and Sasuke also formed hand seals and unleashed their techniques.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!]
[Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!]
[Sickle Weasel Technique]—like gusts of wind shredded the snakes before Naruto into pieces, while the snakes rushing at Sasuke were completely charred.
"My interest in you three keeps growing," Orochimaru said without anger, actually smiling instead. The stronger Sakura and her team showed themselves to be, the happier he became. [Ninjutsu: Summoning Technique — Giant Snake!]
A massive brown python appeared beneath Orochimaru's feet. Then, coiling its body slightly, it shot forward like a cannonball straight toward Sakura and her companions.
The giant summoned python moved like a tank, crashing through trees as it advanced. Despite its massive size, it was incredibly fast, its flexible body allowing for exceptional maneuverability through the forest.
"Such a large body means small-scale ninja techniques won't have much effect. If that's the case—"
After dodging several attacks from the summoned snake and taking advantage of the distance between them, Sakura quickly formed hand seals. A massive surge of water rose from the ground, swirling around the summoned serpent.
"Water Release: Water Pulse Wave! Naruto, Sasuke!"
"On it—Wind Release: Vacuum Air Waves!"
"Got it—Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Naruto and Sasuke responded in unison, unleashing their jutsu alongside Sakura. Sasuke's lightning chakra merged into the spiraling water, flashing with arcs of electricity. The summoned serpent's body seized up instantly from the electric shock. At the same time, Naruto's wind technique arrived.
Several razor-sharp wind blades, like sickle weasels, sliced into the water vortex, cutting continuously along the summoned snake's body as it rotated. Unable to resist due to the paralysis caused by the lightning attack, the serpent was slashed multiple times within moments and immediately dispelled the summoning technique, returning to Ryuchi Cave to recover.
"You've certainly impressed me!" Orochimaru's figure appeared atop a tall tree, his eyes filled with astonishment. "To perform a massive technique like Water Pulse Wave without any nearby water source—and the two of you working together so skillfully—it's truly rare to see such coordination!"
Looking at the three standing shoulder to shoulder, Orochimaru was briefly reminded of Konoha's legendary Sannin. Back then, they had worked together seamlessly, three jonin-level ninja who resisted Hanzo Sansho'o's assault in the Land of Rain, earning the title of Konoha Sannin. This moment felt eerily similar—the same teamwork from a three-man squad facing an opponent far stronger than themselves, displaying the exact same defiant spirit.
"Because we're a three-man squad!" The three exchanged knowing smiles as they stood side by side on the water created by the Water Pulse Wave, each raising a fist before them in defiance. "Konoha Genin Team 7 — Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha — have arrived!"
"A three-man team… how nostalgic." Orochimaru's eyes showed a trace of reminiscence, and he too raised one hand, forming a defiant seal. "In respect, I — Orochimaru, Konoha's rogue ninja — make my stand!"
[Water Style Water Dragon Bullet Technique]
Dropping the opposing sign, Sakura immediately formed a single-handed seal. A water dragon erupted from the water beneath her feet, surging forward toward Orochimaru, while Naruto and Sasuke rapidly charged after him.
[Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!]
A whirlwind burst from Orochimaru's mouth. It was just a basic Wind Release technique, but in his hands, it carried unimaginable power. The Water Release: Water Dragon and the whirlwind clashed, briefly held against each other, then canceled each other out. By now, Naruto and Sasuke had already reached Orochimaru by scaling the tree trunks.
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