"Why is there a castle in mid-air?"
Below the forest, several young people were looking up at the fortress floating above.
"We're not far from our destination. Could it be that kid's doing?"
"Impossible! Even the Northern Lands don't have this kind of creature; it must be a ninja from another village!"
"Should we report this to the village?"
"Let's wait and see, let's figure out the situation first!"
The last, relatively calm voice made the final conclusion, and the others remained silent, watching the fortress floating in mid-air.
Inside the fortress, Sasuke dodged left and right, constantly evading his pursuers in the empty castle.
The Shinno before him had completely merged with the Zero-Tails, and countless tentacles reached out to grab Sasuke. As the number of tentacles increased, Sasuke's room to dodge became smaller and smaller, and he might soon have nowhere to escape.
Faced with this situation, Sasuke did not panic. By now, he had completely figured out Shinno's trump card.
"Kid! All you can do is run away? Where did your arrogance go? How can you kill me like this!"
While attacking, he also nervously mocked Sasuke, trying to make Sasuke stop and fight him, because at this time he was already connected to the central nervous system of the fortress and his body could not move.
"Since you're in such a hurry to be reborn, then I'll grant your wish!"
After he finished speaking, Sasuke's hands, which had been in a hand seal position, suddenly moved.
As he made several complex hand seals, his body gradually began to change.
Two large holes were instantly torn in the back of his clothes, and a slender black wing appeared on his right shoulder blade, while white snakes grew out from the other side, connecting to his left shoulder blade.
This is Sasuke's Sage Mode, which is slightly different from the one in the Original Work, yet also somewhat similar.
The similarity lies in the fact that the overall appearance has not changed; it still has one wing and one snake head.
The difference is that his right wing is no longer a large beast claw, but a slender shape similar to Orochimaru's.
In addition to two black tear streaks on his face, two pairs of small horns have also grown on his head, similar to Kabuto's Sage Mode.
"Your death is nigh!"
The reason he avoided the battle for so long was because he was gathering Senjutsu Chakra. The reason was that he hadn't mastered Sage Mode, otherwise he would have ended the battle long ago.
"Blaze Release: Blaze Release: Flame Lightning Spear!"
A spear crackling with lightning and fire materialized in his hand, and with a flap of his wings, Sasuke swiftly charged towards Shinno.
As the roar of explosions and the howls of wild beasts echoed from the fortress's underground palace, the fortress quickly began to teeter on the brink of collapse.
"Holy crap! Is that thing going to fall down?"
"Looks like there's been a fight up there. Be careful, don't get hit by falling debris!"
As soon as the two finished speaking, the fortress in mid-air shook violently. As bolts of lightning covered the castle, the sounds of explosions from the castle became more frequent.
Until a furious roar rang out, and the explosion affected everything.
The people on the ground only saw the fortress in mid-air plummet downwards, billowing smoke, like a spaceship that had lost power.
"I think I heard someone howling?"
"That's impossible! How could your Sound Ninja training be superior to mine!"
As they were talking, a figure suddenly rushed out of the fortress, flapping one half of its wing as it flew toward them.
With a dull thud, a violent tremor ran beneath their feet, and the fortress was completely destroyed.
However, none of them had time to pay attention to these things, because they had already seen the face of the person flying towards them. Similarly, Sasuke also saw them.
"Are you the helpers Orochimaru sent?"
Upon approaching, Sasuke reverted to his original form, coldly observing the group present.
Faced with his arrogant attitude, the others present did not respond immediately, but simply stared at him coldly.
The people here are none other than the Chunin of the Northern Lands: Six Paths Dosu, Kin Tsuchi, Jirobo, and Zaku, who can even shatter stones!
These people were of average strength in the Northern Lands, and since Sasuke needed help, Orochimaru wanted to take this opportunity to let them out and hone their skills.
As for whether their origins in the Northern Lands would make Sasuke overthink things, yes, but not to the point that he would take it to heart.
Based on his understanding over the past three years, Orochimaru and Northern Lands have an ambiguous relationship, and they might even be close partners.
Anyway, even strange things seem normal when they happen to that man, because he always gave off a sense of mystery.
You think what you see in front of you is his true face? No, maybe he's showing it to you on purpose. You think he's on the second floor, but he's actually on the third, fourth, or even fifth floor.
He was too lazy to guess anymore. As long as it could bring him power and allow him to successfully take revenge, he didn't care even if Orochimaru said he was Sasuke, the god of the Ninja World.
"We're just following orders! Whether you have the right to command us is up to you!"
It was Dosu who spoke again. As a fellow participant in the Chunin Ninja Exams, he didn't think he was any worse than Sasuke. Lord Dosu was just that confident!
If you expect him to just obediently follow Sasuke's orders, you can't do it without showing some strength; otherwise, Dosu will be the first to object.
"Fine! All of you come at me at once! Don't say I didn't give you a chance!"
Faced with the questioning of the group, Sasuke was not angry at all; instead, he showed a contemptuous smile.
How can ordinary people understand the power of geniuses? If they don't have their eyes opened, they really won't know their place.
"How dare you! Sasuke Uchiha, you are indeed arrogant! But I, Dosu, am not one to be trifled with!"
As he spoke, he charged at Sasuke, but after only a few rounds, he was kicked back.
"Jirobo, Zaku! Let's go too!"
Kin Tsuchi called on the other two to join the attack. In their opinion, even if the opponent performed well in the Chunin Ninja Exams, he couldn't be much stronger now. Besides, they hadn't stood still for the past two or three years!
The ideal is beautiful, but the reality is harsh. The people who can catch Orochimaru's eye are not comparable to these cannon fodder.
Even if both sides have improved and are using cheats, the other side's cheats are even more invincible.
Even if they broke the second stage of the Curse Mark, they still couldn't beat Sasuke in his normal state, which is a bit disheartening.
The battle wasn't without its gains; Dosu and the others reluctantly acknowledged Sasuke's strength and leadership.
Sasuke also figured out the approximate strength and areas of expertise of these people.
Dosu is good at rushing in, Jirobo is good at defending, and Zaku is good at close-range attacks.
Kin Tsuchi's combat strength is not high, but he is good at Medical Ninjutsu and long-range perception.
Overall, this lineup is so-so. It can't compare to Jūgo, Suigetsu, and Karin from the original Trails series, but it's enough.
After all, the current Sasuke is not the same Sasuke as before. He can lead four cannon fodder to the top rank by himself, which means he is the next generation.
"Since Orochimaru called you here to help me, from now on our team will be called the Snake Squad!"