Sakura grit her teeth as she watched Orochimaru swimming toward her along the length of the Golden Staff.
The cursed seal on her forehead suddenly flared brightly!
Pff!
Scalding hot blood sprayed high into the air!
"What's wrong? Didn't you just feel so confident a moment ago?"
The shining, cold blade of the Kusanagi sword instantly pierced through Sakura's chest!
"Sakura!"
The Golden Staff transformed Sage Ape, hearing this, felt a chill run through his body and exclaimed.
"It seems your tolerance isn't as impressive as I thought, little junior sister."
Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes gleamed with malevolence as he looked at the pink-haired girl pierced by his blade.
Her pink hair was stained crimson with blood, coloring that soft hue with a touch of tragedy.
Slowly, Sakura lifted her head, her green eyes barely visible beneath the curtain of bloodied pink strands, shining with a fierce and indomitable spirit.
Black veins crawled like creeping shadows from the purple diamond-shaped cursed seal on her forehead down across her cheeks.
They extended further — tracing down her neck, arms, body, and legs — forming thick black lines.
This was the Cursed Seal's forbidden technique: Hundred Power Technique!
"You want to measure yourself against me?"
"Bring it on, Senju Hashirama!"
At that moment, Orochimaru's scalp tingled and a thick wave of danger washed over him!
Without hesitation, relying on years of battle experience, Orochimaru made the best choice.
The Kusanagi sword instantly elongated like the Golden Staff!
Sakura was blasted away, flying hundreds of meters into the sky!
Her blood rained down like a crimson shower, splattering Orochimaru's face.
Yet, even so, her hand gripped the Golden Staff tightly.
Seizing the moment, the Sage Ape took Orochimaru up into the sky!
"Still alive, huh!"
"I'll send you off to see the Six Paths Sage with this punch!"
Sakura roared, chakra flames visibly burning around her fist, ignoring her chest wound, and slammed a solid punch into Orochimaru's chest!
Boom!
Orochimaru's eyes rolled back, nearly going blank as he was sent crashing toward the ground!
The impact shattered the earth for dozens of meters in every direction!
Sakura yanked the Kusanagi sword from her chest, blood gushing uncontrollably again.
As she pulled out the blade, her nearly fatal wound rapidly healed; she wiped away the fresh blood and began rapidly forming hand seals mid-fall.
"Summoning Jutsu: Slug!"
Boom!
A massive cloud of white smoke exploded in midair, revealing a huge blue-and-white slug!
"Eh?"
"Little Sakura, what's going on here?"
The slug seemed confused, watching the pink-haired girl drenched in blood.
"Great Slug-sama!"
"There's Orochimaru down below! Crush him!"
Sakura quickly ordered.
She was barely managing to hold Orochimaru down with her blood-selling tactics, and she wasn't about to let him slip away now. Before he could use Edo Tensei, she wanted a quick and decisive end!
"Got it!"
Hearing Orochimaru's name, the slug obediently closed its eyes and crashed from hundreds of meters up!
Boom!
A nearly fifty-meter-tall slug slammed into the ground, unleashing a flood of smaller slugs spreading outwards.
Sakura wielded her Golden Staff, descending swiftly.
From the earth, Orochimaru tried to slip away with earth-style stealth, emerging awkwardly.
His sharp eyes burned with a fierce, mocking challenge.
"Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Three, and yet this is all you've got?"
Clutching his chest, Orochimaru assessed his chakra reserves.
Using his Kusanagi sword and substitution had drained a good portion of it.
And this damn pink-haired girl was like an indestructible cockroach, even summoning a slug.
At this moment, Orochimaru no longer wanted to continue fighting.
He had originally planned to use this Chunin Exam's second stage to implant a Heavenly Curse Mark on a descendant of the Uchiha, making them his vessel, and maybe get a peek at the old master's last disciple.
Who knew this pink-haired brat would be so tough.
A sword piercing her chest, blood all over the place, yet she could still drag him up and punch him cleanly, then act like nothing happened…
"Heh, the old man has good taste."
"Our next meeting, my cute little junior sister," Orochimaru hissed darkly, preparing to escape with Earth Style.
"Not so fast!"
Sakura hurled her Golden Staff forward, transforming it instantly into a diamond-hard cage trapping Orochimaru!
Diamond Prison Wall!
However, Orochimaru slipped through the gaps like a puddle of mud, disappearing from the Golden Prison.
That degree of Earth Style…
Sakura's heart jolted.
Damn, this snake maxed out his escape skills!
"Are you okay, Sakura?"
A small slug clung to her shoulder, looking worried at the bloodied girl.
"I'm fine, Great Slug-sama," Sakura shook her head, then stabbed her Golden Staff into the ground.
Instantly, the staff transformed into the towering Sage Ape.
"Sakura, you've done well. The opponent is a renowned fighter with nearly thirty years of experience."
The Sage Ape comforted Sakura, noting that he had almost thought she wouldn't survive this fight.
But this kid's resilience was astonishing — practically impossible to kill.
"Could you please send a message to the old man with the intelligence here?"
"Orochimaru's coming here must have a purpose."
"Tell the old man to prepare for defense."
Sakura felt a bit dispirited.
"Alright then."
"Sakura, remember to call me if you need anything."
The Sage Ape gave Sakura a deep look, then vanished in a puff of white smoke.
This summoning beast had no trace of softness or weakness — the toughness it witnessed in Sakura was rare even for the Sage Ape.
True strength isn't just power — it's an unbreakable will.
"Sakura, do you want me to help you heal?"
Countless slugs gathered around Sakura.
She touched her chest, the wound from Orochimaru's sword already mostly healed.
"Well, if you don't mind, Great Slug-sama, could you find a few people for me?"
"One blonde, one redhead, one black-haired."
"The black-haired one has an Uchiha ping-pong paddle symbol on his back."
"Easy to recognize."
After fighting so fiercely with Orochimaru, Sakura had no idea where Sasuke and Naruto had run off to.
At that moment, two figures were rushing over from a distance.
Kakashi and Might Guy.
Sakura grew silent, suddenly remembering she had told Azuki before entering the Death Forest to have Kakashi and Guy wait on the exam's edge for her signal flare.
She got so caught up in fighting that she forgot to send the flare…
(End of Chapter)
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