Susanoo's Battle!

"... All Things in Nature?"

Orochimaru's pupils shrank suddenly, and his expression changed.

"What?!" He stared intently at Black Zetsu, a hint of tension in his voice, "Speak clearly!"

Black Zetsu simply smiled and shook his head.

"Reflect on this carefully, Orochimaru. You're a smart man; you can understand me!" he said, slowly sinking into the earth. "I've got it. You'll be absolutely satisfied with what we offer!"

"This hint is our way of showing our sincerity... If you want to know more, then it's up to you to choose!"

"I'll give you some time to verify it, take your time to think it over, Orochimaru. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer when we meet next time!"

Goodbye--

Then he disappeared underground.

Under the moonlight, the cracks in the soil healed, and the earth appeared as if it had never been cracked, smooth and even, without leaving the slightest trace.

Only Orochimaru, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, remained on the open ground.

He stared at the spot where Black Zetsu had left, lost in thought, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long pause, he turned and left.

A moment later.

In one of Orochimaru's bases.

"Suigetsu, I have a task for you." In the secret room, Orochimaru's expression flickered in the candlelight as he slowly said, "Starting tomorrow, you will spread a message that someone from Akatsuki has been appearing nearby, seemingly wanting to contact Orochimaru."

The young man Kubikiribōchō glanced at him, then leaned lazily against the wall, picking his teeth with Senbon needle as he said, "Orochimaru, these kinds of missions... aren't they always Kabuto's responsibility? Go call him, I'm too lazy to do jobs that no one else can handle!"

Orochimaru's face darkened, and he glared at Suigetsu with a sharp look, asking menacingly:

Are you going or not?

In an instant, the temperature in the sealed room seemed to drop below freezing.

The young man jolted, his whole body trembling, and he quickly stood up straight. "Understood, I'll go, I'll go!"

He shrank back, hurriedly sheathed his sword, and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Orochimaru:

"Wait a moment!"

"Be careful to keep your operations secret, don't reveal your identity, and don't... tell Kabuto."

Suigetsu paused for a moment, then said, "Yes... yes! I understand."

In the days that followed, rumors indeed began to circulate near the Land of Rice Fields, such as "Orochimaru appeared near the Land of Rice Fields" and "Orochimaru met with a mysterious person."

As Orochimaru had predicted, these rumors were also noticed by Konoha, which dispatched an elite team to investigate.

Stirring up the waters to fish in troubled waters—that was Orochimaru's plan.

He couldn't possibly contend with Akatsuki, a ferocious monster, on his own. However, the addition of Konoha as a variable actually gave him room to maneuver.

Everything seemed to be under his control.

Orochimaru's only miscalculation was that he underestimated the fighting force Konoha had dispatched.

Sakura Uchiha and Sasuke!

One is Uchiha boy who has awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

One is Super Kage Level ninja who inherited 80% of the original's combat power!

Hey, this question is way beyond the scope of the curriculum!?

If possible, Orochimaru hopes everyone will refrain from fighting and instead coexist peacefully, ideally sitting down for a cup of tea and a chat about life... Don't blame Orochimaru for being cowardly like a BSS; he genuinely doesn't dare provoke the woman who was alive and kicking after confronting Pain head-on!

What kind of gods and monsters could stand up to the Rinnegan?

Legend has it that the aftermath of that battle rendered the surrounding seas, spanning dozens of miles, a no-man's-land for weeks...

Even from hundreds of miles away from the battlefield, the explosion could still be clearly felt!

What a magnificent power that is!

What a terrifying existence that is!

Orochimaru now has only one thought about this kind of woman: keep your distance.

So even if Sakura Uchiha Orochimaru n't the real person, he didn't dare to gamble—besides, even if she wasn't the real person, he still couldn't beat her!

Therefore, Orochimaru had no intention of using force against the two intruders; he simply tried to reason with them.

To everyone's surprise, Sasuke didn't care about any of that and immediately activated his Susanoo attack!

Such an attack, of course, could not harm Orochimaru.

However, when the smoke cleared and Orochimaru's technique was revealed to Sakura and Sasuke, both of them were quite surprised.

Before them stood a magnificent, greenish-blue giant, tens of meters tall! It stood on the earth, its body as massive as a mountain, its aura majestic and imposing, causing the wind and clouds to change color, in no way inferior to Sasuke's purple giant!

Susanoo?

Sasuke Uchiha stared wide-eyed at the green giant before him, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out those words through clenched teeth.

"It seems so."

Sakura Uchiha gazed at Orochimaru, who stood tall on the giant's head. The latter's orange-yellow vertical eyes had somehow transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern with red background and black patterns: a pattern composed of a large solid circle with three protruding symmetrical points on the circumference.

An unfamiliar Mangekyō Sharingan.

Orochimaru... he actually has the Mangekyō Sharingan now!

Her brows furrowed slightly, sensing that things were getting tricky.

The Mangekyō Sharingan's unknown abilities are nothing compared to Orochimaru's unwavering attitude in using it... Perhaps this isn't even Orochimaru's most important trump card!

So, what other surprises can Orochimaru give her?

"Interesting!"

Sakura Uchiha began to feel that this mission was becoming somewhat challenging. The initial surprise and annoyance at the situation being out of control briefly surfaced in her mind, but quickly disappeared without a trace. Without needing to adjust herself, she naturally got rid of all the negative emotions and instead became slightly excited.

Perhaps it's because she inherited the original's temperament.

The immense Chakra, also inherited from the original body, became unusually active along with its master's slightly excited mood.

They stirred, surged, and poured out in a mighty torrent.

In mid-air, the Chakra solidified to an extreme, transforming from nothingness into reality, condensing into bones, flesh, and armor, and finally transforming into a giant standing upright on the ground!

The Chakra giant created by Sasuke and Orochimaru was already comparable to a mountain and had a powerful aura, but when the same technique was used by Sakura, it was even more powerful! It was taller and stronger, incredibly solid, wielding a spiraling giant sword and bearing a pair of wings that blotted out the sun. Its imposing presence was almost enough to swallow mountains and rivers!

"Mangekyō Secret Technique - Susanoo!"

Sakura Uchiha stood atop the even taller Susanoo, looking down at Orochimaru, her cherry lips slightly upturned.

Beneath him, Sasuke looked slightly annoyed, sensing that his rare opportunity to fight a powerful enemy had been snatched away.

Not far away, Orochimaru looked serious, his smile somewhat strained.

Kabuto, standing beside Orochimaru, tried to remain calm, but a hint of anxiety was visible beneath the surface.

Three towering giants stood on the earth, instantly making the entire valley seem crowded.

"Hmph... Sakura Haruno, I don't remember you having Uchiha blood!" Orochimaru grunted during the confrontation, coldly mocking him.

He was no longer bothered by whether the girl in front of him was Sakura Haruno herself.

"Likewise," Sakura Uchiha retorted calmly. "You've coveted Sasuke's body for so many years, how come you finally chose the transplant method you despise the most? And where did you get those Sharingan from?"

Orochimaru sneered, "This is all thanks to how well you protected Sasuke. I had no choice but to change my mind... I always thought that non- Uchiha Clan bodies couldn't adapt well to the power of the Sharingan, but now it seems that Kakashi is just too useless. As long as he masters Yin Release, the transplanted Sharingan can fully Sharingan its power!"

Orochimaru always believed that only pure Uchiha blood could unleash the true power of the Sharingan, and that transplanting the Sharingan was a detour. But when he had to abandon Sasuke and adopt the method of transplanting the Sharingan, he realized that sometimes taking a detour is actually the right path. Yin Release is the essence of the Sharingan, and the Uchiha bloodline is just a shortcut to help control the Sharingan!

"As for where the Sharingan came from... I thought you wouldn't ask that question anymore after we defeated Danzo!"

"Wait! You are... did you help Danzo's right hand?" Sasuke suddenly interrupted.

Orochimaru still had that wicked smile, "That's right, this is just one of our collaborative projects. I have a subordinate with a special constitution named Shin. He won't reject any tissue transplanted into his body, including the Sharingan. He's perfect experimental material! Danzo happened to have many Danzo of Sharingan, which he specifically collected after your clan's extermination. Although a lot was wasted, our experiment quickly became a success!"

The clansmen who perished on the night of their massacre were not even allowed peace in death; they were used as experimental subjects by Danzo and Orochimaru.

Rage surged within him, Sasuke gritted his teeth, and his face flushed crimson.

He suppressed his anger and asked again, "Where is your subordinate, Xin?"

Orochimaru looked at Sasuke with amusement.

Judging from his expression, Sasuke's emotions were on the verge of exploding.

As expected, he was enraged. Orochimaru thought to himself, Sasuke's ability to endure is inferior even to Sakura Haruno, let alone Itachi.

Let's add fuel to the fire then.

An opponent who loses their mind not only cannot unleash their full power, but will also hinder their allies!

So, while giving a coded signal to the person behind him, his laughter grew even more provocative. "Heh heh... that's precious experimental material! Too bad, I still have a use for him--"

"You're asking for it!"

Upon hearing the word "experimental material," Sasuke's eyes turned bloodshot, and he angrily charged forward, manipulating his Susanoo!

Orochimaru's smile vanished instantly. He gathered a burst of Chakra and charged forward, and the two giants immediately clashed!

Boom boom boom--!

In an instant, rocks crumbled, the earth cracked, a fierce wind howled, and the sound waves were like thunder!

On the other side, Sakura Uchiha stood by and watched, showing no intention of joining the battle.

The girl stood aside, quietly observing the battle, lost in thought.

Sasuke was being a bit impulsive... He'd been deliberately provoked by Orochimaru. Fine, let him fight it out; this level of sparring partner is a rare opportunity. A fierce battle with Orochimaru like this would benefit him immensely!

But Orochimaru... what are you planning? You don't think you can defeat me after defeating Sasuke, do you?

What other trump cards do you have that could allow you to turn the tide?

Kabuto? What role can you possibly play in a battle of this level?

For a moment, she couldn't make sense of her thoughts.

Forget it. After thinking about it for a long time, Sakura still couldn't come up with an answer, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

No matter what schemes or tricks they employ, they're all a joke in the face of absolute power!