The Underdog's Dignity

The Underdog's Dignity

"Hey! You're Orochimaru, aren't you?"

Having settled on a battle plan, Sasuke strode out from behind the tree.

"Oh? Even a brat like you has heard my name?"

Orochimaru had not intended to reveal his identity so early, but since Sasuke had called him out directly, he could not be bothered to keep hiding it.

"An old man like you crawling into someone's arms... doesn't that disgust you?"

Remembering the fake Sakura's behavior just now, Sasuke felt from the bottom of his heart that this man was a pervert.

"Formless transformations, a selfless heart like water. That is what it means to be a ninja."

Orochimaru chuckled, utterly unashamed.

"Like this?" Sasuke's figure flickered, vanishing from the spot in an instant.

Body Flicker Technique!

The next moment, Sasuke appeared before Orochimaru and kicked upward at his jaw.

But Orochimaru, who had long been prepared, calmly blocked the blow.

Sasuke's fists and kicks rained down on Orochimaru, but his opponent dodged left and right as if toying with him, completely at ease and seemingly still holding back.

With the Sharingan, Sasuke could clearly see his opponent's movements. But limited by his body's speed, he could not turn his attacks into effective strikes.

This man surpasses me in taijutsu.

It seemed that the advantage he had gained against the fake Sakura earlier had mostly come from his surprise attack.

Sasuke thought.

The moment his attention slipped, Sasuke was struck and sent flying.

Orochimaru closed in, a sinister grin on his lips. "Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Several venomous snakes shot from his sleeve toward Sasuke, a horrifying sight.

"Break!"

Sasuke formed a hand seal with one hand.

Orochimaru stumbled, and his attack barely missed its mark.

During their close-quarters exchange just now, Sasuke had secretly attached two Exploding Clay Pills to Orochimaru's back. They detonated at that instant.

Though their destructive power was nearly negligible, they still helped Sasuke evade the attack.

Sasuke rolled across the ground, sprang back to his feet, and hurled several shuriken and kunai at Orochimaru in succession.

Orochimaru easily dodged them and was about to advance when he realized that the ninja tools were all tied to transparent wires. Under Sasuke's precise control, they spun back and forth, ultimately binding him to a tree.

"Sharingan Control: Windmill Triple Blades!"

Got him!

Sasuke was overjoyed. Then he unleashed his strongest single-target attack.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

A slender, high-speed dragon of flame shot straight at Orochimaru.

After a scream, Orochimaru—

Was completely unharmed.

He even wore an excited, sinister smile.

How am I supposed to fight this?!

Sasuke's heart sank.

"You have already performed well enough. It is time I showed you my power." Orochimaru spoke unhurriedly. "Summoning Technique: Giant Snake!"

A hundred-meter-long giant snake appeared out of thin air. Its enormous body smashed through layers of tree trunks, while large drops of saliva fell from its tongue onto the grass, instantly turning it into scorched earth.

"Is this the power you desire?" Orochimaru asked darkly as the giant snake charged at Sasuke with speed utterly disproportionate to its size.

Though Sasuke had predicted its movements early through the Sharingan, his exhausted body could no longer react in time. The shockwave from the charge sent him rolling again and again before he finally crashed to the ground.

"After using so many ninjutsu, your Chakra must be at its limit." Orochimaru had the giant snake carry him before Sasuke, looking somewhat bored.

"Then let me give you one final gift."

Orochimaru formed hand seals. His neck suddenly stretched like a serpent's, sharp fangs emerging from his mouth as he prepared to cast the Cursed Seal Technique.

Yet what his mouth met was not the soft warmth of Sasuke's neck, but hard, dry wood.

Substitution Technique?!

He still has the will to fight?

A trace of anger flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. To him, dragging things out like this was an unbearably tiresome ending.

He looked around, ready to bring everything to a decisive close.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"

Sasuke's real body was beneath that piece of wood. With a full-powered rising kick, he sent Orochimaru soaring into the air.

That force...

Did his Chakra recover?

The thought flashed through Orochimaru's mind, but he immediately dismissed the absurd notion. How could such a ninjutsu possibly exist?

In truth, when he had been sent flying by the giant snake, Sasuke had secretly swallowed the High-Quality Soldier Pill the system had rewarded him earlier.

He knew it was the greatest wildcard in his hand, and he had to save it for the final moment.

In midair, Sasuke clung tightly to his enemy like a falling autumn leaf. He then bound Orochimaru with bandages, spun at high speed, and slammed him violently into the ground headfirst.

The enormous impact kicked up clouds of dust. When they cleared, Sasuke stood facing Orochimaru, gasping heavily.

Earth Substitution: Split.

The upside-down Orochimaru had turned into mud.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Multiple Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru stood behind him. A massive flood of giant snakes poured from his sleeves, wrapping tightly around Sasuke.

"This ends here!"

Orochimaru only wanted to finish the fight quickly now, afraid that this brat's stubborn nature would drive him to burn away his last trace of Chakra in a desperate struggle.

But as the snakes wrapped around him, Sasuke shouted the same words in unison.

"This ends here!"

"Poof!"

The Sasuke bound by the snakes vanished.

Earlier, under the cover of the dust raised by the Hidden Lotus, Sasuke had swiftly used the Shadow Clone Technique and hidden himself.

The moment he had been waiting for was now!

Orochimaru could not withdraw his attack in time, while Sasuke rushed forward with a kunai in hand.

He knew that he was perhaps nowhere near capable of killing his opponent.

Even so, he wanted this arrogant man to understand that even an inferior who was far weaker than him was not someone he could toy with and humiliate at will.

The price.

Anyone who comes after me, Uchiha Sasuke, must pay a price—even if you are far stronger than me!

"You think you can control everything?!!"

Sasuke roared and viciously drove the kunai into Orochimaru's left eye.

For the first time, Orochimaru let out a truly agonized howl.

Sasuke was about to plunge the kunai into his throat with his other hand.

But the snakes from Orochimaru's sleeves quickly turned back, as though they possessed intelligence, and viciously bit down on Sasuke.

The battle was over.

Sasuke smiled in relief. Having made it this far, he could at least answer to himself.

With the aid of countless snakes, Sasuke was ultimately hurled viciously onto the ground.

Blood streamed from Orochimaru's left eye as he grinned savagely. "As expected of an Uchiha brat. Very good, very good!"

This time, he did not use Soft Physique Modification. Instead, he personally walked over step by step and bit down on Sasuke's neck.

"Your performance has far exceeded my expectations. I need your power. And you are destined to come looking for me."

In a daze, Sasuke seemed to see Orochimaru's mouth stretch impossibly wide, his entire face twisting as his bleeding left eye was squeezed like a rotten orange.

Then, a brand-new Orochimaru crawled out from his mouth, covered in slime.

The man was handsome, with refined features. He looked nothing like the Grass Ninja who had fought Sasuke.

This was far beyond Sasuke's understanding, just as Sasuke's seemingly inexhaustible Chakra had puzzled Orochimaru.

Intense pain continuously surged from the back of Sasuke's neck. The power transmitted by the Cursed Seal dragged him, trembling, into the deep sea of consciousness.

Sasuke lost consciousness.

"What a treasure of a child."

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse as he hoisted Sasuke onto his shoulder.

After several leaps, Orochimaru arrived where Naruto and Sakura were and tossed Sasuke down.

"Hey."

"This is an exceptionally precious vessel of mine."

"But I have other interesting things to do."

"Until then, please keep him safe for me."