# Chapter 36: The Second Confrontation with Orochimaru
Using his Kagura Mind's Eye, Rubik sensed that cold, viper-like chakra rapidly moving toward the direction where Anko and the others were escorting Karin.
"So you couldn't resist after all, you gluttonous snake."
Rubik thought to himself as chakra suddenly erupted from his feet, his speed increasing dramatically once more. He left a blur in the dense forest that was nearly impossible to track with the naked eye, the wind from his passage tearing through leaves and branches.
"How greedy—having Sasuke isn't enough, you want to capture Karin too?"
...
Meanwhile, in the area that Rubik had locked onto with his sensory abilities.
Mitarashi Anko was on high alert, her pupils contracted to their limits, body tensed, both hands already gripping kunai and ninja tools.
She firmly shielded the trembling Karin, who could barely stand, behind her back, while several chunin quickly formed a defensive formation, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.
"Fight Orochimaru? Seriously...?"
The chunin silently lamented in their hearts.
Not far ahead of them, the shadows of the trees seemed to come alive, slowly coalescing into a human form.
Orochimaru's figure appeared ghost-like. He licked his lips, those serpentine pupils gleaming with a chilling, greedy light, looking directly past the vigilant Anko and others to lock onto the red-haired girl behind them.
"Hehehe... What a delightful surprise."
Orochimaru's hoarse voice carried barely suppressed excitement, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.
"I never expected to encounter a survivor of the Uzumaki clan in this Forest of Death... Such a rare constitution, truly perfect experimental material..."
Orochimaru wondered if his luck had finally turned today. Not only had he accomplished his purpose in coming to Konoha, but he'd also encountered descendants of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans. Including Jiraiya's disciples, it was practically a jackpot—it had to be Konoha; the drop rates here were just that high.
He looked at Karin with the eyes of a venomous snake eyeing a defenseless fledgling.
Thanks for nature's generosity.
Karin, feeling that naked gaze, was instantly overwhelmed by fear. Her whole body trembled, her teeth chattering, her pupils behind her glasses filled with nothing but despair as she instinctively clutched tightly at the back of Anko's clothes.
Anko's heart sank to the bottom. She had thought Orochimaru had come to eliminate them, but she never expected his target to actually be Karin!
"Orochimaru! Your opponent is me!"
She shouted sharply, trying to draw his attention while secretly signaling the chunin behind her to prepare to break through with Karin.
"Anko, you're still so naive..."
Orochimaru smiled coldly, his figure leaning slightly forward, clearly preparing to forcibly seize his target!
"False Darkness!"
A cold, low shout rang out like thunder!
Crackle——!!
A massive, blindingly brilliant, violent lightning beam—like a spear tearing through the air—carried a destructive aura and deafening thunder as it instantly crossed dozens of meters with extreme speed and precision, shooting straight at Orochimaru's back!
"Hmm?!"
Orochimaru's serpentine pupils contracted sharply. The intense sense of danger made him immediately abandon his attempt to grab Karin. His body twisted at an angle that defied human anatomy while his hands formed seals at lightning speed.
Bang!
The violent energy of the Lightning Release: False Darkness struck hard at Orochimaru's original position, blasting a charred crater in the ground, earth and stones flying! Only a substitution log, instantly carbonized by lightning, remained in place!
"Quick reactions."
Rubik's figure appeared before Anko and the others as if teleporting, his eyes locked on Orochimaru, who had just revealed himself on the other side.
"You again..."
A rare flash of annoyance crossed Orochimaru's eyes. The "unexpected harvest" he had finally discovered was being disrupted by this guy again. He wasted no more words, forming seals once more as his chest swelled dramatically:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Whoosh——!!!
A violent hurricane far exceeding the scale of ordinary jutsu instantly formed! Like an invisible beast roaring as it lunged toward Rubik and Anko's group behind him! Wherever the hurricane passed, trees as thick as bowls were uprooted, and deep furrows were plowed into the ground. This terrifying power was enough to tear Anko and her team to shreds!
"Watch out!"
Anko's expression changed dramatically as she immediately prepared defensive jutsu.
However, facing such a fearsome Wind Release, Rubik, standing at the forefront, made a move that left everyone dumbfounded!
He didn't dodge, nor did he defend!
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Rubik called out as his hands formed seals! His exposed skin instantly covered with a deep brown, stone-like luster, his muscles bulging and knotting, his entire body seeming to transform into an indestructible stone statue!
"Eight Gates: Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain: Open!!"
Boom——!!
A violent flood of chakra erupted from within Rubik's body! Steam rose like flames, the powerful airflow even temporarily holding back the approaching hurricane! His muscles seemed to groan under the extreme conditions, blood vessels bulging like coiled dragons beneath his skin, his strength, speed, and defense instantly soaring to a terrifying level!
"What?!"
For the first time, Orochimaru's serpentine pupils showed genuine astonishment! The Eight Gates? This Uzumaki clan kid actually mastered such a forbidden technique? And judging from the color and intensity of the steam, he had directly opened the Fourth Gate?!
In that moment of Orochimaru's astonishment, Rubik moved!
Facing the violent Wind Release capable of tearing through the forest, Rubik charged like a meteor against the current, his feet stomping hard on the ground! The ground exploded! With the terrifying defensive power enhanced by Earth Release and the explosive strength brought by the Eight Gates, he actually forcibly advanced against the hurricane that could blow everyone away!
His figure left a blurred blue afterimage in the wind pressure!
"Wind Release: Rasengan!"
In the blink of an eye, Rubik had forcibly broken through the wind wall of the Great Breakthrough and appeared before Orochimaru! In his right hand wasn't an ordinary blue Rasengan, but a cyan chakra sphere spinning at high speed, filled with countless tiny wind blades inside! This was a Rasengan infused with wind nature transformation!
Orochimaru's astonishment instantly turned to shock! The speed at which Rubik forcibly closed in while enduring the Wind Release and the power of this sudden technique change completely exceeded his calculations!
These stats don't make sense! Shouldn't there be a clash of jutsu? Why did you tank it with your body? Are you cheating!?
Although Orochimaru had intentionally offset the attack range slightly away from Anko and her group so it wouldn't kill them, his attack toward Rubik was completely serious—not holding back at all. He didn't think Rubik couldn't handle this move, but he never imagined Rubik would respond to his attack in such an un-ninja-like way.
Splurch——!!
The Wind Release: Rasengan slammed hard into Orochimaru's chest!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a scalp-tingling tearing sound! The violent wind-natured chakra invaded Orochimaru's body like countless high-speed rotating blades! His supple skin and muscles were easily torn, bones making tooth-aching cracking sounds! Orochimaru's body arched backward as if struck head-on by a speeding train!
"Urgh——!"
A suppressed groan escaped from Orochimaru's mouth as his entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, propelled by this terrifying spiral force!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Orochimaru's body successively crashed through several thick trees before finally stopping amidst a mess of broken wood and dust, sliding limply to the ground, his chest a bloody mess where even white bone was visible!
Anko and the chunin behind her watched with jaws dropped, nearly hitting the floor. Tanking Orochimaru's Wind Release? Opening the Fourth Gate of the Eight Gates and advancing against the attack? Not to mention that seal-less jutsu at the end? This... was this really how ninja fought?
Karin covered her mouth, looking at that powerful figure in disbelief.
In the dust, Orochimaru's body twitched slightly. He raised his head with difficulty, his serpentine pupils fixed on the unscathed but panting Rubik in the distance, filled with incredible shock and... a trace of wariness.
"Cough... cough cough..."
The severe pain in his chest made even speaking extremely difficult. The terrifying speed, strength, and defense Rubik had just displayed, along with those ruthless techniques and brutal combat style, completely overturned his understanding of ninja combat methods!
This is a pure melee fighter!
Hearing sounds approaching from nearby, Orochimaru knew Konoha's reinforcements had arrived. For the sake of his plan, he had to retreat for now.
He turned his eyes with difficulty, finally looking unwillingly at Karin, still trembling and tightly protected behind Anko.
"How... regrettable..."
Orochimaru rasped in a low voice.
The next moment, his body violently convulsed, skin splitting inch by inch.
Splat!
A giant python emerged from his mouth and quickly disappeared deep into the forest. At the original spot, only a human-shaped snake molt remained, torn to shreds by the Wind Release: Rasengan, covered in blood and mucus.
The green steam around Rubik gradually dissipated, the Earth Release luster fading from his skin. He breathed slightly (pretending), coldly glancing at the snake molt on the ground, confirming that Orochimaru's true body had already escaped.
"Ran away pretty fast."
He muttered, then turned to look at the shaken Anko, Karin, and the others.
The crisis was temporarily over, but that deep glance Orochimaru had given before leaving had truly frightened young Karin. She clutched tightly at the corner of Rubik's clothes, as if only this could give her some sense of security.