"Hiss…"
In the silent forest, a foul-smelling hiss erupted behind Sasuke and the two others, startling both Sasuke and Naruto.
"S-such a huge snake…"
Naruto's jaw dropped when he turned around and saw the colossal brown python, thick enough for ten people to embrace.
It was his first time seeing a beast of this magnitude… Sasuke, who was also looking, was equally surprised and delighted!
He hadn't expected a summoned snake to be as large as a small train… If Manda were to appear, wouldn't it crush a bullet train?
"Damn it, he's caught up… This guy isn't after the scroll!
Sasuke, take Sakura and go…"
Seeing the giant snake approaching rapidly, Naruto gritted his teeth, stopped, and formed hand seals.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu…"
Sasuke had been hogging the spotlight, so this time, he was determined to turn the tables. "Naruto…"
Sakura instinctively cried out, feeling Naruto's reliability for the first time.
"I'll be right back…"
The situation was urgent, so Sasuke didn't hesitate and immediately agreed.
Under Sakura's surprised gaze, he burst chakra from his feet and sped dozens of meters away.
"Sasuke-kun, you don't have to worry about me.
Go help Naruto…"
Realizing she was a burden, Sakura reacted and struggled, calling out.
She didn't want Naruto to get hurt because of her; her conscience wouldn't allow it. "Don't worry, that guy is very strong… I don't want anything to happen to you in the upcoming battle!"
Sasuke said without thinking, quickly searching for a temporary hiding place.
Naruto had the Nine-Tails' power-up inside him; how could Orochimaru easily kill him? "Sasuke-kun…"
Hearing Sasuke's words, which sounded almost like a confession, Sakura's pretty face flushed, and her eyes glazed over.
Sasuke-kun really cared about her… But in an instant, her eyes turned red again, and her expression became serious.
No, she still wasn't working hard enough!
If this continued, she would never meet Sasuke-kun's standards… And she didn't want to be a burden to them anymore!
She wanted to fight alongside them… [I've decided, from now on, I'll spend all my free time training… I absolutely, absolutely must not let this happen again!]
People can't teach people, but events can. One event is enough to teach.
In less than a breath, Sakura's gaze deepened, and she gained a new understanding!
Unlike her previous empty words on the bridge, this time, she truly had the belief and goal to become stronger.
At the same time,
"Boring brat, swallow him…"
Looking at the dozens of Naruto clones that appeared again, Orochimaru's eyes were filled with murderous intent as he commanded.
"Hiss…"
Receiving the order, the summoned snake's eyes flashed with ferocity, and its monstrous mouth suddenly opened wide, lunging at Naruto.
The giant snake's mouth instantly enveloped many Naruto clones, and a foul stench assaulted them. "I've been waiting for you!
Wind Style: Multiple Great Breakthrough…"
Although Naruto was terrified by the terrifying snake mouth, he simultaneously unleashed a combined attack.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… Gusts of wind erupted fiercely from Naruto's clones, forming a wind wall that pushed the summoned snake back dozens of meters.
This surprised Orochimaru… but only to that extent!
"Then you can stay here and play with him…"
Glancing at Sasuke's disappearing back, Orochimaru coldly commanded the giant python.
He tapped the snake's head with his foot, and his figure swiftly pursued Sasuke.
"Don't even think about it…"
Naruto shouted, chakra erupting from his feet, intending to stop Orochimaru.
But the summoned snake was even faster… Its flexible tail, like a long whip, swished through the air!
In a flash, it violently shattered most of Naruto's shadow clones!
The snake's body then rapidly moved in front of Naruto, its bloodthirsty eyes fixed on Naruto and the remaining clones, poised to strike. "Damn it… I'll have to take you down first!"
Seeing this, Naruto roared, summoning his clones to swarm the snake.
The battle between Naruto and the snake officially began… On the other side.
"Hehehe… How gentle, Sasuke… So, that girl is the one you cherish… I suddenly have an idea… If I kill her, will you become stronger!
For example: activating the Three Tomoe Sharingan…"
As soon as Sasuke settled Sakura and returned, Orochimaru's voice suddenly appeared, filled with murderous intent.
"You… want to die?!"
Hearing this, Sasuke's pupils constricted, and his crimson two-tomoe eyes stared at Orochimaru, revealing killing intent.
For the first time, he felt anger… Admittedly, he didn't have much affection for his original partner, Sakura, at the moment… But after several months of being together, they had at least formed an inseparable bond.
If he couldn't even protect Sakura, what right did he have to face future powerful enemies!
"Hehehe… It seems I guessed correctly, so let's try it.
If you can satisfy me, I might spare her life…"
Orochimaru's eyes glowed with a cold light as he taunted, firing three kunai in a triangular formation.
Sasuke's Sharingan swiftly captured the trajectory of Orochimaru's kunai, and he casually threw two shuriken, which arrived first.
"Bang, bang, bang…"
The shuriken and kunai collided in mid-air, instantly changing their attack direction… And almost at the same time, Sasuke quickly completed hand seals with his other hand.
'Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu…'
Instantly capturing the flight paths of all the kunai and shuriken, Sasuke immediately unleashed his attack.
"Puff, puff, puff…"
A dozen small fireballs rapidly spewed out, directly blocking all possible escape routes… And, hidden by the other fireballs,
five of them directly covered five shuriken and kunai, concealing murderous intent.
All these actions seemed complicated but were completed in an instant.
The next moment,
Orochimaru was engulfed by all the attacks, letting out a scream… But Sasuke, seeing this, remained unmoved, instead vigilantly looking around, forming hand seals with both hands.
And at that very moment, the heavily wounded Orochimaru dissolved into earth and scattered on the ground.
"To be able to see through my Substitution Jutsu, your Sharingan is quite good… The power it contains is comparable to your brother, Itachi Uchiha!"
In the next breath, Orochimaru reappeared, staring at Sasuke with a look of desire.
"You talk too much… Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu…"
Hearing this, Sasuke roared, spewing out a powerful five-meter diameter fireball.
"This attack is too childish…"
Orochimaru sneered disdainfully, his legs moving like a snake, dodging and weaving as he lunged at Sasuke.
"Now's your chance… Lightning Style: Swift Lightning Arrow…"
Looking at Orochimaru charging at him, Sasuke's eyes hardened, and he instantly drew a kunai.
The moment the kunai appeared, it was imbued with Lightning Style and thrown with lightning speed.
"Do you think you can use different ninjutsu with one hand seal to create a time difference?
How naive…"
Orochimaru scoffed again at the lightning-fast kunai, his body moving again to dodge it.
But the moment he brushed past the swift lightning kunai, the kunai suddenly exploded with a bang.