Naruto was dumbfounded.
It was not as Orochimaru had imagined. He had not fallen into the fear-filled illusion drawn out by Orochimaru's Hell Viewing Technique. Rather, he was confused. Hadn't Orochimaru just used a Ninjutsu?
Why hadn't he reacted at all?
Could it have just been a bluff?
He did not know that Orochimaru had used a genjutsu. If he had, Naruto would not have been confused, because his essence, energy, and spirit were already close to becoming one. His spiritual strength was immense, rendering any genjutsu ineffective against him.
While he was still wondering, Orochimaru in Naruto's eyes suddenly smiled and waved at him and Sasuke. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, I'll be back." With that, he turned and fled with a smile on his face.
Was he trying to leave?
How could Naruto let Orochimaru get away? He immediately shouted, "Orochimaru, I haven't agreed to let you leave. Do you think you can just walk away?" The moment he finished speaking, Instant Movement activated. He flashed before Orochimaru and threw a punch without another word.
"Netherworld Passage!"
This was the second form of Netherworld Passage, a spiritual attack. This punch could strike at an enemy's spirit, drag their consciousness into hell, expose their fears, and leave them unable to break free.
As Orochimaru fled, a faint smile hung on his face. This infiltration of Konoha had yielded tremendous gains.
Though he had failed to conquer Naruto and obtain Naruto's body, there was always another day. The more one desired something wonderful, the more patience one needed.
But as Orochimaru entertained those thoughts, Naruto's words struck him, and the smile on his face instantly froze.
Impossible. Naruto hadn't fallen victim to his Hell Viewing Technique? That was Orochimaru's first thought.
The instant that thought arose, his heart jolted. A sudden sense of