Kabuto, his voice edged with frustration, said clearly, "If you're serious about taking revenge on your elder brother, Itachi Uchiha, then you need to understand one thing—you won't get that chance unless you can survive today. Right now, the situation is critical. If we don't get out of here immediately, the likelihood of us being caught isn't just high—it's almost guaranteed. And if that happens, do you really believe you'll still have any path left to reach him, let alone fight him?"
Sasuke stiffened at Kabuto's words. The anger that had been boiling inside him didn't vanish, but it was forced to the side by a sharper, more sobering thought: Kabuto was right. Charging forward on emotion would only lead to disaster. If he were caught now—by Inoiki or anyone else from Konoha—he could be locked up for fleeing, even if only temporarily. But even a short delay could ruin everything. Every second wasted here was a second further from Itachi.
He exhaled slowly, letting his fists unclench. The fire of vengeance still burned, but now it was under control—contained, focused.
Orochimaru stood silently nearby, watching Sasuke with a calculating gaze. He saw the shift instantly. The boy had pulled himself back from the brink. The rage was still there, but now it had purpose. That was all Orochimaru needed to see.
Without a word, he raised his hand, bit his thumb, drawing blood, and slapped his hand onto the ground, where a summoning circle appeared. "Summoning Technique!" he intoned, his voice low but commanding.
In an instant, the air in the room twisted. With a thunderous burst of smoke, three massive serpents erupted into view, their eyes glinting, bodies coiling through the space like shadows come alive.
The time to run had come.
Sasuke understood the escape plan instantly. The moment the giant snake appeared, the method was obvious. But the idea of it left him uneasy. He recoiled slightly—not out of fear, but disgust. Hiding inside the belly of a snake wasn't just uncomfortable, it was revolting.
Still, there wasn't much choice. Time was slipping away, and this was the fastest way out. Inoiki was closing in fast, and every second of hesitation could cost them everything.
Just as the snakes opened their jaws to swallow them whole, a sudden shift in the air made them freeze. An invisible force surged into the room, heavy and oppressive. It wasn't aimed at them, not directly, but the pressure was undeniable—focused entirely on the summoned snakes.
Kabuto's eyes narrowed. "Damn it," he muttered. "It's Inoiki. He must've sensed we were about to escape the same way we did last time. He's interfering—projecting force from a distance."
Orochimaru immediately tried to reassert control, focusing his chakra to command the snakes forward. But something was wrong. The snakes didn't respond. Instead of slithering toward him, they thrashed violently, their massive bodies crashing into the walls and floor, as if agitated by some unseen disturbance.
Their escape route was falling apart—literally.
It was all Inoiki's doing. From a distance, he had sensed the sudden spike in chakra—the distinct signatures of three summoned snakes, separate from those of Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke. Instantly, he understood what was happening. They were trying to escape using the same tactic they had used minutes earlier on the battlefield.
Although still far from the room, Inoiki extended his mental reach as far as he could, focusing all his psychic energy on the summoned snakes. His goal wasn't to attack the others directly, but to disrupt the snakes' coordination—and it worked. The creatures writhed uncontrollably, as if struck by an unseen irritant.
But Inoiki wasn't done. Along with the pressure, he began transmitting a piercing psychic signal directly into the snakes' minds—a barrage of sound and thought that agitated them further. The noise, though silent to others, echoed violently inside the serpents' consciousness. Their bodies slammed against the walls, unable to hold their form.
The atmosphere inside the room grew heavier by the second. As Inoiki closed the distance, the psychic pressure intensified. The closer he got, the more force he could exert. Within moments, the tension peaked—an invisible weight crushing the air itself.
Then, without warning, the snakes' heads exploded in unison, ruptured by the sheer force of Inoiki's psychic assault. The room fell briefly silent as their massive bodies collapsed, lifeless.
An instant later, the heavy gate at the front of the room shattered. Metal and debris blasted inward, scattering across the floor. Standing in the ruined doorway was a boy with blonde hair, his body radiating a sky-blue aura that shimmered with raw energy.
Inoiki stepped forward, his eyes locked on them. "What's this?" he said coolly. "Planning to run away again?"
"You thought you could fool me twice with the same trick?" Inoiki said coldly, his eyes fixed on Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Sasuke, who had been visibly unsettled by the chaos in the room—the thrashing, panicked snakes, the rising pressure—steadied himself. His expression hardened as he turned to face Inoiki.
"It's been a long time, Inoiki," he said, voice calm but wary.
Inoiki shifted his gaze to Sasuke, ignoring Orochimaru and Kabuto entirely. His tone turned sharp, laced with disappointment. "Yes, it has. But you betrayed me, Sasuke. I offered you power—real power. I told you I'd train you myself. You didn't need to fall for anyone else's promises. You didn't need to take shortcuts."
His eyes narrowed as they flicked to Orochimaru. "And yet, you ran off for a cheap surge of strength from some filthy curse mark."
Sasuke shook his head slowly, unfazed. "You don't get it. It wasn't just about power. It was everything around me—the bonds, the friends, the village. All of it was holding me back. I wasn't growing fast enough. I knew what I needed to do, and staying there wasn't part of it."
Inoiki's tone shifted, a mocking edge creeping into his voice. "Oh, really? Or were you just afraid—afraid of being left behind by Naruto? The dead-last in your class, the one you always looked down on, the so-called weakling destined to stay that way. But he was catching up, wasn't he? No... more than that—he was starting to surpass you."
Sasuke flinched internally. Deep down, he knew there was truth in those words. But he refused to admit it, not here, not now.
"Think whatever you want," he said coldly. "But know this—I'm not going back to Konoha. And I won't be captured by you."
Without another word, he drew his blade. Sword of Kusanagi: Chidori Katana. Lightning surged down the metal, crackling with lethal intensity.
Inoiki met his glare with calm defiance, unsheathing his own sword. "Then show me," he said. "Let's see how much stronger you've really become."
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