At Sasuke's insistence, the trio ultimately decided to stay and watch the fight.
None of this escaped Orochimaru's keen perception. He let out a raspy laugh.
"Hohohoho... It seems they have a lot of confidence in you, Shigeo-kun."
"Maybe," Shigeo Aburame replied, lightly adjusting his sunglasses as a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Honestly, though, I don't have much confidence in myself. After all, I'm facing you, Orochimaru-senpai. Judging by your appearance, it doesn't look like you're just passing through, right?"
"Who knows?" Orochimaru grinned, his pale yellow snake-like eyes revealing a chilling killing intent.
"You being here isn't a coincidence, is it? Could it be that you've come to hunt me down as your prey?"
"You misunderstand. That wasn't my intention. However..." Shigeo's tone shifted sharply, his smile vanishing as his eyes narrowed slightly beneath his sunglasses.
"If Orochimaru-senpai insists on staying, then I'd like to try and see what it feels like to be the hunter for once!"
"Then go ahead and try—**Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!**"
As he spoke, Orochimaru's right hand transformed into a venomous serpent, which lunged toward Shigeo with lightning speed.
*Hiss...*
The snake opened its fanged jaws wide, emitting a menacing sound, its sharp venomous fangs gleaming ominously. Faced with such a swift and deadly attack, Shigeo didn't dodge. Instead, he grabbed the incoming snake firmly with one hand and yanked hard.
*Swish!*
With the sound of rushing air, Orochimaru was forcefully pulled forward, crossing a distance of over ten meters in an instant.
Feeling the immense strength traveling along the snake's body, Orochimaru's expression betrayed his shock.
"This power... It's on par with Tsunade!"
Despite his astonishment, Orochimaru's vast battle experience allowed him to respond swiftly. He opened his mouth, spitting out a sword, and used the force of the pull to drive it straight toward Shigeo's chest.
This was a lightning-fast attack. Even if Shigeo released his grip, Orochimaru could still deliver a devastating blow using the momentum.
"Your combat experience is too immature, Shigeo-kun!" Orochimaru sneered cruelly, as though he could already see Shigeo's blood spilling.
But the unexpected happened.
Shigeo didn't let go. He allowed the sword to pierce his chest while swinging a powerful punch at Orochimaru.
*Boom!*
A thunderous impact echoed as Shigeo's fist smashed into Orochimaru's face. His head caved in like a battered ball, and his body was sent flying, smashing through over ten trees before finally coming to a halt.
Dust filled the air.
When the dust cleared, Orochimaru's twisted body was slumped against the jagged remains of a tree trunk like a snake with a broken spine.
But suddenly, his mouth opened wide, and a pale, mucus-covered hand emerged.
Shigeo instantly recognized the jutsu.
"**Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Jutsu!**"
It was one of Orochimaru's signature techniques, allowing him to shed his external body like a snake's skin to avoid damage. The technique required no hand signs and could be activated in an instant, making it the ultimate substitution jutsu.
Its only drawback was the high chakra consumption.
But compared to life, what was chakra worth?
Watching a new Orochimaru slither out of the old body, leaving behind an empty shell, Shigeo grimaced.
"Effective jutsu, but it's disgustingly grotesque. Orochimaru-senpai, you really are a monster."
"Hoho... I wouldn't want to hear that from you!" Orochimaru licked his lips with a long tongue, grinning as he pointed at Shigeo's chest.
"Taking such a severe wound and recovering completely in such a short time... Shigeo-kun, you're the real monster here!"
As he spoke, a knowing smile crept onto his face.
"It seems your research has borne considerable fruit. If I'm not mistaken, that was the First Hokage's superhuman strength and regeneration technique, wasn't it?"
"Congratulations, you guessed right!" Shigeo shouted, slamming his chakra-filled feet into the ground. His body shot toward Orochimaru like an arrow.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap. His right fist, glowing with blue chakra, was raised high.
"Here's your reward!"
*Boom!*
Shigeo's punch struck Orochimaru's position with explosive force, sending wood fragments and dirt flying. Orochimaru narrowly evaded, but seeing the half-meter-deep crater left behind, his face paled.
"If that hit landed, I'd need another skin..."
"Just like Tsunade, terrifying in close combat. I can't let him get near!"
With this realization, Orochimaru quickly pulled out several shuriken and threw them at Shigeo, forming hand signs.
"**Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"
In an instant, the shuriken multiplied, turning into dozens of projectiles that rained down on Shigeo like a storm.
Normally, one would block or dodge such an attack, but doing so would give Orochimaru the chance to widen the distance, introducing more uncertainties to the battle.
Shigeo wouldn't allow that.
Once again, he chose to face it head-on—using chakra to harden his body.
*Clink, clink, clink...*
The shuriken hit him directly but failed to penetrate the dense chakra surrounding him and fell harmlessly to the ground.
Orochimaru's expression darkened, but the next moment, a glowing blue fist loomed before him.
"Throwing shuriken? Who do you take me for?"
There was no escape.
*Boom!*
Orochimaru's face was deformed again, the sound of bones shattering faintly audible. Before his body could be sent flying, Shigeo grabbed his belt.
*Rip!*
The belt snapped instantly, and within that fleeting moment, Shigeo delivered an upward kick to Orochimaru's chin.
*Crack!*
The force elongated Orochimaru's neck slightly, sending him flying into the sky like a rocket.
Shigeo wasn't done.
Launching himself upward, he overtook Orochimaru, clasping his hands together above his head.
"Final strike!"
*Boom!*
The devastating blow sent Orochimaru hurtling back to the ground, shaking it violently. Dust and debris shot into the air, creating a massive plume.
From afar, Sasuke and the others watched with wide-eyed amazement.
Sakura, mouth agape, finally found her voice after a long pause.
"So... so strong. Is this the combat style of the renowned Aburame clan?"
Sasuke smirked.
"The Aburame fight with insects. This guy... is different."
Naruto, meanwhile, looked unfazed. Scratching his head, he turned to Sasuke and Sakura.
"The guy fighting Shigeo-dad seems super weak. He can't even fight back. This is boring. Let's leave already!"
Sasuke and Sakura: "..."
*(End of Chapter)*