The overwhelming mud river receded, gradually revealing the stronghold's original terrain.
The rows of formerly neat and sturdy buildings, after Sarutobi's powerful ninjutsu, were now shattered into a field of rubble and ruins.
On the houses, which were either leaning, broken, or completely pulverized, brownish-black mud mixed with crimson flesh and blood formed shocking clumps of purplish-black sludge, adhering to the walls. Occasionally, they would drip down, forming small pools of fleshy blood on the ground.
As one's gaze swept across the area, they could occasionally see the lifeless bodies of ninja, sprawled on the ground in various postures after the mud river had passed.
Orochimaru's dark-golden snake eyes carefully scanned the stronghold, sensing if any fish had slipped through the net and escaped with their lives.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. A section of wall violently shook and then collapsed with a loud crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Orochimaru and the others clearly saw that behind the wall, a protective sphere made of thick yellow sand, acting as a shock absorber, was slowly dissolving onto the ground, gradually revealing several surviving ninja with powerful auras inside.
Sarutobi's gaze swept over the few surviving ninja, and he immediately sensed their current status and strength. His cold, murderous voice entered everyone's ears: "The original plan remains unchanged. Aoki-den, Aoki-ya, the two of you stay here. The remaining six members of the squad, plus Orochimaru, go! Go and deal with these ninja!
"One Suna Jōnin with nearly depleted chakra and internal injuries, and three elite Suna Chūnin. Is that a problem?"
"Yes, Lord Sarutobi!" Orochimaru and the others bowed in response and set off.
Seeing Orochimaru's group rushing toward them, the few surviving Suna ninja in the stronghold showed expressions of panic. The Jōnin, though somewhat better composed, still had a hint of anxiety written on his face.
Orochimaru sneered coldly. To be intimidated before the fight even began instantly reduced the combat power of these Suna ninja by several notches.
Inhaling the thick scent of blood in the air, the atmosphere of battle excited Orochimaru. He licked his lips and, with an evil, domineering demeanor, said to the six elite Anbu Chūnin following him, "Leave that Jōnin to me. Don't interfere!"
The six elite Anbu Chūnin exchanged glances. Recalling the formidable strength Orochimaru had displayed earlier, they silently acquiesced.
Using chakra to cling to the still-dissipating mud river beneath his feet, Orochimaru rushed toward the surviving Suna ninja like an arrow shot from a bow. The killing intent radiating from his body, almost on the verge of materializing, surged forth. Behind him, it faintly transformed into a towering giant python, locking onto the Suna ninja, ready to strike and devour.
This almost materialized killing intent slightly stirred the air, impacting the hearts of the Suna ninja.
Sensing this vast and powerful killing intent, the Jōnin, whose chakra was more than half depleted, was startled. He quickly whispered a few words to the Chūnin behind him.
Lip-reading was not difficult for Orochimaru. Keeping his eyes fixed on the mouth movements of the Jōnin and the other Chūnin, he easily understood everything they said. He gave a sinister smile: The Jōnin was preparing to face the enemy alone to create an opportunity for his companions to escape.
This kind of courage and spirit earned Orochimaru's respect. Therefore, he did not intend to hold back, using his full power. His feet shuffled quickly, increasing his speed by a few more points.
The Suna ninja keenly noticed Orochimaru's increased speed. The Jōnin angrily shoved the Chūnin away, then grabbed a sharp kunai and charged forward himself.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He's almost out of chakra, so he's resorting to close combat? Fine, I'll indulge you!
Orochimaru likewise grabbed a kunai and met the Suna Jōnin's charge.
Clang!—
A sharp, even somewhat piercing, collision sound echoed. Orochimaru fiercely pressed his kunai against the opponent's, pushing toward the Jōnin.
While Orochimaru engaged the Suna Jōnin, the six Konoha elite Chūnin had already bypassed the two of them and rushed toward the three elite Suna Chūnin. The three Suna Chūnin, hesitant to abandon their leader, were not fast. The six Konoha Chūnin caught up to them in an instant, and they immediately became entangled in combat.
Clang! Clang! Clang!—
Continuously clashing kunai with Orochimaru, the Jōnin noticed that his three Chūnin companions had also been intercepted, and his concentration faltered.
Orochimaru seized the chance. The kunai in his hand, like a small, agile viper, instantly swept diagonally upward, carving a narrow, several-centimeter-long bloody gash on the Jōnin's forearm.
Caught off guard, the Jōnin was taken advantage of by Orochimaru and instinctively retreated backward. Facing this child who was certainly no older than ten, he felt a tremendous pressure. He knew that the shadow of death was gradually enveloping him!
Orochimaru watched the Jōnin retreat calmly but didn't press the attack. The sharp kunai, like a docile pet snake, flipped and danced flexibly between the five fingers of his right hand, nimble and lively.
He looked at the Jōnin opposite him, whose expression was growing grim. He licked his lips slightly and said with a sinister smile, "You're a Suna ninja from the Land of Wind, aren't you?"
Orochimaru's rhetorical question received no reply. The Jōnin knew Orochimaru was difficult to deal with. He shook off his turbulent thoughts and began to take the fight seriously.
Seeing the Jōnin's determined expression, an unconcealed glint of excitement flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He said faintly, "Yes, that's more like it. Excite me a little more!"
Orochimaru's snake pupils, due to intense excitement, narrowed into thin, light-golden vertical slits, fixed on the Jōnin. The massive killing intent—chilling, cold, and enough to instantly plunge an ordinary person into a Shura-like illusion of corpses and blood—surged out from his body!
The Jōnin slightly crouched, adopting an aggressive stance. A powerful aura also emanated from him, holding its own against Orochimaru. He said faintly, "Don't underestimate a Jōnin from the Land of Wind. You will pay the price!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru responded with a look of disdain. However, the blood within him flowed faster and faster, and he became increasingly excited. A prey like this is finally getting interesting!
The auras of the two constantly clashed. By now, the Great Mud River had completely dissipated. The rubble and debris between the two were churned and rolled back and forth by the force of their auras.
Thump! Thump!—
Both of them simultaneously slammed their feet to the ground and charged out, kicking up two small clouds of dust and stone mist from their starting positions.
The powerful acceleration from the recoil made both their figures trail a faint afterimage.
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