Crunch, crunch, crunch~~~
The severed giant tree crashed down, continuously pressing against other massive trees. Countless branches collided, squeezed, and shattered, emitting a bone-jarring sound.
Caw, caw, caw~~~
Innumerable flocks of birds took flight, fleeing the perilous area.
The cut of the giant tree, sliced open by Chidori Sharp Spear, was as smooth as silk, just like Orochimaru's body, which was now cut in half.
"Is he dead?"
Sasuke breathed a slight sigh of relief. This was his actual body, and he had attacked so suddenly; the enemy surely wouldn't have time for a substitution jutsu. Now that his body was severed, he should have eliminated the enemy, right?
However, in the next second, Sasuke witnessed a shocking sight.
The enemy, like a shedding snake, opened his mouth bonelessly, forming a gaping abyss. Then, a hand emerged from within, and subsequently... the entire person crawled out. The whole process was incredibly bizarre, leaving only a useless 'snakeskin' behind.
What a strange substitution jutsu.
"Sasuke-kun, how surprising. You actually found my location."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement. He had thought that Sasuke, having just awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, wouldn't yet know how to apply it. He hadn't expected both his genjutsu and doujutsu to reach such a level. Not only that, Sasuke's strength was also astonishing. Both his Lightning Release and Fire Release... he was only twelve, wasn't he?
"As expected of one who inherited the Uchiha name, your talent is equally astounding."
"I want you even more now!"
Images were already forming in his mind: he, in Sasuke's body, appearing before Itachi, using those Sharingan eyes to exact revenge for the 'Eternal Mangekyo' illusion from last time. Furthermore, the Uchiha clan and the Sharingan both held immense research potential. This body, Orochimaru would claim it!
However, before that, there was a prerequisite. First, Sasuke had to endure the side effects of his Cursed Mark. After that, he had to bring Sasuke to a safe place before performing the Impure World Reincarnation. This place wouldn't do! Inside Konoha was even less suitable.
So, he would proceed with the original plan. He saw hatred in Sasuke's eyes, and a desire to become stronger. Since that was the case, he would let Sasuke witness true power. He would show him how truly powerful a strong individual could be. Only then would Sasuke, in pursuit of strength, choose to defect and, in turn, choose to follow him. Only then would he have a chance to obtain this body!
"As expected of brothers, your eyes have the potential to surpass Itachi's."
Striking a raw nerve for Sasuke's hatred, Orochimaru crouched down, preparing to unleash a ninjutsu.
Itachi? This person knows Itachi?
"Who exactly are you?"
But Orochimaru didn't answer him. What awaited Sasuke was an even fiercer attack.
"Myriad Snake Array!"
Tens of thousands of snakes spewed from Orochimaru's mouth, slithering up the tree trunks and rushing towards Sasuke at an extreme speed. The dense swarm of snakes was enough to trigger trypophobia. Sasuke did not retreat. He leaped up, quickly closing the distance, and rapidly formed hand signs.
"Lightning Release: Myriad Flashes!"
Crackle, crackle~
Countless bolts of lightning erupted from Sasuke's hands. The powerful current swept across everything in a fan-shaped arc. The approaching snakes were all charred by the excessive electricity, and even the trees were scorched black.
'Naruto's jutsu is truly useful,' Sasuke thought to himself, his expression growing more serious. He had almost used all his trump cards, yet the enemy had only used basic attacks, giving him the illusion that no matter what he did, he could only force the enemy into a regular attack.
What a powerful enemy! Even so, he had to fight with all his might to get information about Itachi.
Eating another blue Carefree Pill, Sasuke quickly formed hand signs. "Chidori Sharp Spear!"
In the dim, dense forest, a ten-meter-long light blade reappeared. Its brilliant colors flashed, and a giant tree, wide enough for five people to embrace, was cleanly severed. The efficiency would make Baldy Qiang's nuts turn purple with envy.
Next, a more intense battle began! Compared to before, Sasuke clearly felt that the opponent's intensity had increased by two magnitudes. The serpentine body moved incredibly fast, the ninjutsu varied greatly, and the eerie substitution jutsu nullified the results of his attacks.
What a powerful enemy! Sasuke sighed for the umpteenth time. While the enemy's ninjutsu variety couldn't compare to Naruto's, the sense of being pressured to death, unlike their training matches, was utterly suffocating. One ninjutsu followed another, one attack after another; he had almost no time to breathe, almost no chance to retaliate, only able to passively defend. The few times he managed to counterattack, once the enemy got serious, they were as slippery as loaches, making it difficult to achieve substantial results.
The only attack he could land precisely was the Chidori Sharp Spear, which became almost his sole offensive method. And as the Chidori Sharp Spear was continuously used, more giant trees were affected by Sasuke's attacks, directly severed smoothly, and countless giant trees collapsed one after another.
Crunch, crunch, crunch~~~
As several giant trees were cut down, their terrifying weight continuously pressed against other enormous trees. A severe chain reaction occurred, like dominoes, forcing other massive trees to be uprooted one after another under this weight, falling sequentially. Countless tree trunks snapped, shattered, and compressed.
Not far away, listening to the terrifying commotion, the three Genin of Team Ten trembled in the bushes.
Crunch, crunch, crunch~ Thud~
A broken giant tree crashed to the ground, like an earthquake. The immense vibration propagated from the ground, shaking the ground and simultaneously shaking the three of them.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
This commotion, this destructive power, is this still the Chunin Exams?
Did they accidentally stumble into a Kage-level selection match?
At this moment, Choji didn't even want to eat his potato chips. He clutched his head. "Shikamaru!" He shouted, making sure Shikamaru could hear him amidst the intense noise, "Quick, use your clever brain and think of a way! How do we escape from here?"
"Idiot, the most dangerous place is the safest place. With a battle like this going on, who would dare to approach?" Shikamaru, also adopting a French military salute, explained, "We just need to maintain a safe enough distance from the battlefield!"
The three young Genin waited, trembling.
Finally, two hours passed, and everything fell silent.
The scene returns to the main battlefield.
Huff, huff, huff~~~
Sasuke barely maintained a standing posture, panting heavily. His Carefree Pills were depleted, and his chakra was nearly exhausted. Although the enemy was also scarred, his condition was much better than Sasuke's.
Earlier, he had initially thought that he could outlast the opponent with his reserve of 24 Carefree Pills. Who would have thought that the opponent would also pull out Carefree Pills without a word? What was supposed to be a maximum of ten minutes of intense fighting had dragged on for two hours. At this moment, he was utterly exhausted.
"I never thought you could push me to this extent." After the previous battle, Orochimaru was more than satisfied with Sasuke. His strength far exceeded his estimations. If the environment wasn't unsuitable, he would have wanted to perform the reincarnation immediately.
Suppressing the eager desire within him, Orochimaru clasped his hands together, activating a genjutsu!
"Heh! Can't move?"
Sasuke was shocked. To unleash a genjutsu at this moment, just as his chakra was depleted! He couldn't resist; he couldn't move!
"To have such strength at such a young age is truly exhilarating. I'll have you soon."
Excitedly suppressing the urge to immediately devour Sasuke, Orochimaru's neck stretched out like a snake, curving and flying towards Sasuke, preparing to forcefully inject energy!
'Move, body! I don't want to be bitten by this thing!'
Even though Sasuke exerted all his remaining strength, his body remained unresponsive. He was already completely exhausted; standing now was his last act of defiance. The snake head drew closer and closer. Just as it was about to bite...
Whoosh~
A light blade flashed, cutting the twisted snake neck in half at the waist.
"Sasuke, looking so pathetic!"
High on a tree branch, Naruto stood coolly in a white windbreaker. A smile played on his lips, his tone relaxed, as if everything was under control.
"Naruto!"
This guy! Sasuke had never felt such joy at seeing Naruto.
Naruto jumped to Sasuke's side, offering him a blue Carefree Pill. Then he looked at the opponent, who had transformed into a completely new enemy through the 'snake shedding' substitution jutsu. Naruto stopped Sasuke, who was about to attack again. This person was most likely the one who would lead Sasuke astray, and why would Sasuke defect? Without a doubt, it was his craving for power. The solution was simple and brutal.
Let Sasuke see how truly powerful a strong individual could be. Just once would be enough!
"Watch closely, Sasuke, I'll only teach you once how to beat up an enemy like this!"