"Huh?"
"What about me?"
Naruto blinked at the stranger who had just appeared and pointed at himself in confusion. This strange man had already pointed at Sakura, Sasuke, and Karin one by one. Now, it was his turn to ask.
"Heh, interesting brat."
Orochimaru licked his lips with his slippery tongue, eyeing the four children before him. It wasn't difficult to guess Naruto's identity. Being on the same team as the Hokage's final apprentice, and having another teammate who was the last of the Uchiha clan, with Kakashi Hatake as their teacher—Naruto's background was all but obvious.
Blond hair. Blue eyes.
To Orochimaru, Naruto's identity practically spoke for itself. He had done his homework thoroughly before making a move.
"So…"
"What does a big shot like you want from a bunch of lowly genin?"
"Senior."
Sakura instinctively shielded Karin behind her. Her emerald green eyes were locked onto the man in front of her—if he could even be called that.
"Sharp little girl."
Orochimaru gave Sakura a look of appreciation. Then he pulled out an Earth Scroll. Under the horrified gazes of the four, he unceremoniously swallowed it whole.
"Let's have a scroll battle, shall we?"
He extended a hand toward the four genin, eyes full of provocation.
Sakura stayed silent, watching the scene unfold.
Honestly, if she could help it, she really didn't want that scroll he had just swallowed.
Ugh. The saliva. So gross…
"Naruto, you—"
"Cut the dramatics!"
Sakura was just about to tell Naruto and Sasuke to take Karin and leave, but before she could finish, a flash of yellow shot forward—Naruto charged straight at Orochimaru!
He had barely begun forming hand seals when Orochimaru moved like lightning. He grabbed Naruto's wrist mid-seal and ruthlessly kicked him, sending the blond boy flying backward like a ragdoll.
Naruto had dashed in fast, and now, he was flying back just as fast!
Truly shameless, Sakura couldn't help but mutter inwardly—an elite-level ninja interrupting a genin's jutsu? Really?
"Naruto, you and Sasuke, take Karin and go."
"Leave this to me."
Sakura stepped forward and looked over her shoulder at Naruto, who was groaning and pushing himself off the ground.
Orochimaru wasn't the brawny, brute-force type. And he wasn't taking the fight seriously yet. Naruto was sturdy enough to handle that kick, so it wasn't too bad.
"What?!"
"Sakura, what are you saying?!"
"You can't possibly take him on alone!"
Naruto scrambled to his feet, staring at Sakura's back in disbelief.
"Naruto, you heard what he said earlier, didn't you?"
"He called me the Hokage's disciple."
"He and I are both students of the Hokage."
"One of the Legendary Sannin—Orochimaru."
"His strength is said to rival the Hokage's."
"He is my senior."
Sakura pulled out a pair of black gloves from her pouch and calmly put them on under Orochimaru's amused gaze.
"Strength equal to the Hokage...?"
Sasuke stared at the man who radiated a bone-chilling coldness, his voice trembling.
"What...?"
Even Naruto couldn't suppress the fear that crept into his bones.
"So, this is a personal matter between me and him."
"Naruto, Sasuke, take Karin and go."
Sakura didn't look back.
"Oh?"
"Never expected a little junior I've never met to acknowledge me as her senior."
"But do you really have what it takes to get your teammates out from under my nose, little girl?"
With a flicker of sharpness in his eyes, Orochimaru released his killing intent.
In an instant, a monstrous, ocean-like wave of murderous intent swept over the four genin!
This was the killing aura he had cultivated on the battlefields of the ninja wars for the sake of Konoha...
And the same aura that had grown more twisted and mad over the years, as he abandoned everything in pursuit of immortality!
"W-What is this?!"
Sasuke trembled under the oppressive force, and his Sharingan activated involuntarily.
So this is what a true powerhouse is like?
This is what someone on the level of the Hokage feels like?!
Karin, a sensory-type ninja, felt it more acutely than anyone. The sheer terror of Orochimaru's chakra was overwhelming.
She hugged herself tightly, her entire body trembling like a leaf.
"D-Damn it…"
Naruto clenched his jaw, forcing down his terror as he shakily began to form hand seals.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF! POOF! POOF!
But under the immense pressure of Orochimaru's aura—nearly illusion-like in its intensity—what should have been hundreds or thousands of clones only resulted in three.
"Do I have what it takes?"
Sakura's lips curled into a smile, as if she remembered something.
"Well then, let's see how much you've really got, Senior."
What is strength?
Strength is power.
And power is explosive force.
With one step forward, the ground beneath her cracked and shattered.
Sakura shot toward Orochimaru like an arrow loosed from a bow!
Seeing her movement, Orochimaru's golden snake eyes narrowed sharply.
Tsunade!
In that moment, he saw Tsunade's shadow in this girl!
But he had no time to reminisce.
As someone who had once stood alongside Tsunade and Jiraiya as the "Three Legendary Nin," Orochimaru was painfully familiar with the devastation caused by her superhuman strength.
BOOM!
The colossal force behind Sakura's punch sent Orochimaru flying!
It was like he'd been hit head-on by a speeding, armored truck going 140 km/h. His body slammed into and shattered over a dozen massive trees before finally crashing into the ground.
"What are you all standing there for?! MOVE!"
Sakura snapped at the stunned trio behind her and darted toward where she'd sent Orochimaru flying.
She knew better than to think one punch could finish him off.
He wasn't the kind of enemy who'd die that easily.
She had only hoped to force him into using his chakra-intensive technique—Orochimaru-style Body Shedding.
"So interesting... to think you could utilize that technique to such a degree."
When Sakura reached him, Orochimaru was already standing, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground. His gaze no longer held idle amusement.
Now, he saw her as a true opponent.
Sakura glanced around, her heart sinking slightly when she saw no trace of his shed skin.
Damn… he hadn't used it.
"Such a shame… even when you're this weak, you still want to protect your friends."
"If you had run away, maybe you could have survived."
Orochimaru said, his hands flashing through a series of seals.
"Ninjutsu: Summoning—Multiple Snakes Binding!"
But Sakura didn't flinch. She quickly cut a wound into her arm and formed hand seals just as fast.
"You're wrong!"
"Being weak isn't scary—cowardice is!"
"And as it happens—I have neither!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"
(End of Chapter)
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