Snake Summoning (8)

"Hmm?" The three brats on the opposite side didn't even flinch under my aura. Orochimaru was slightly surprised, but it only piqued his interest. He stuck out his tongue, licked his lips, and chuckled in a low, sinister voice, "Your growth... is truly interesting..."

"The last descendant of the Uchiha, the precious daughter of the Hyuga, and... the Nine-Tails brat... Hehehehe..."

This guy... Sasuke looked at the strange ninja opposite him, his expression grim. A strong feeling told him that this guy was extremely dangerous!

Since he has appeared...

Naruto seized this opportunity, concentrated his mind, and quietly dispelled several clones scattered in other locations... clones used for [hints]. As the clones were dispelled, a wave of fatigue washed over him. However, his resilient will, accustomed to such situations, remained unshaken like a reef in the middle of the sea. At the same time, the chakra from the clones was more or less recovered into his main body.

The snake-catching traps should be set by now...

At this moment, Orochimaru extended his hands and said, "Let me test... your capacity a little!"

Shadow Snake Hands!

Two masses of snake shadows shot out from his sleeves, heading straight for Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata!

The basic characteristic of Orochimaru's secret technique was speed. Before one could react, the snakes would already be wrapped around their necks... But as fast as he was, Sasuke and Naruto were even faster.

The snake shadows reached their faces. In this split second, Sasuke stimulated his cells' activity with Lightning Release Chakra, dodging the attacking snake shadows in an instant.

Hinata's eyes widened slightly...

The Byakugan had already seen the trajectory of the flying snakes, but her body couldn't keep up... Move, move, my body...

Thwack, Naruto patted Hinata's shoulder, pushing her away. At the same time, a kunai, which he had somehow produced, was imbued with Wind Style Chakra. As he ducked and dodged, swish, swish, he directly severed the snake restraints.

This is... Hinata, after being pushed away by Naruto, stabilized herself and looked at Naruto in surprise.

Naruto gave her a slight smile.

Sasuke had already leaped high into the air, his Three Tomoe Sharingan activated. Several Fire Release hand seals were completed in an instant. He puffed out his chest and spat out, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Immediately, clusters of chakra fireballs shot towards Orochimaru!

Orochimaru smiled dismissively, his body weaving through the fireballs like a swimming fish, effortlessly avoiding all the attacks... But after the Great Fireball flames disappeared, shuriken appeared!

Hiding the shuriken within the flames, huh... Then, it should be the Uchiha clan's 'Sharingan's Windmill Shuriken Technique' next...

Thinking this, Sasuke had already bound Orochimaru to the tree using his teeth and steel wires attached to the shuriken on his hands!

Heh, just as I thought...

Orochimaru remained calm.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Sasuke bit the crucial steel wire, formed the Fire Release "Tiger" hand seal with his hands, and instantly, a scorching stream of flame burned along the steel wire towards Orochimaru at the other end—

A large fire engulfed Orochimaru, but it didn't seem to cause him much damage. As the flames dispersed, only his facial skin appeared "damaged," revealing a glimpse of his true face.

But at that moment—

Gentle Fist!

Rasengan!

Naruto and Hinata lunged at the bound Orochimaru from left and right. Both the Gentle Fist and the Rasengan landed squarely on Orochimaru's body, but... mud splattered, it was an Earth Clone!

Orochimaru's body emerged from the ground nearby. He looked with interest at Naruto beside his Earth Clone, his voice hoarse, "Heh heh... The Nine-Tails brat, named Naruto Uzumaki... right? Sasuke and that Hyuga girl both went all out, yet you remained composed the entire time... My subordinate was right after all... You truly are an interesting Jinchuriki..."

Is he trying to use him as training for his comrades? Orochimaru's interest grew stronger. Fortunately, this time he came to Konoha, while preparing the Curse Mark for Sasuke, he also prepared a small gift for this Nine-Tails brat...

I wonder if he'll like it... Hehehehe...

Naruto looked at this dangerous individual, remaining silent. Hinata beside him slowly lowered her Gentle Fist.

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!

A surge of immense power suddenly struck Orochimaru from the flank, pushing the air pressure towards Orochimaru!

Orochimaru's lower body was still in the ground... Like a fragile sapling in a typhoon, he was "broken" and blown away by the palm strike's wind, rolling far across the ground with a ch-ch-ch sound.

Hinata appeared on the other side, her entire body enveloped in red Demon Fox Chakra. Her right hand was still in the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm stance. She herself was shocked by the power of her attack, though it was just a normal Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm...

She looked at her right palm in disbelief, murmuring, "Is this Naruto-kun's power...?"

Bang, Hinata beside Naruto disappeared into white smoke.

[Hmph, Naruto... Well done. You can already convert my chakra into a form that others can accept and transmit it to them.]

[After all, this is something even I could do...]

Is that... the Nine-Tails' chakra? This brat has actually managed to wield the Nine-Tails' power to this extent!?

Chh—

Orochimaru seized the opportunity, leaped up, and retreated to a tree branch. He chuckled sinisterly again, slowly forming hand seals. He said to Naruto, "Naruto Uzumaki, your talent is wasted as a Jinchuriki... If it weren't for Sasuke, if it weren't for you being a Jinchuriki, I might have set my sights on you, Uzumaki..."

"Pfft, who cares!" Naruto spat out his disdain.

Sasuke and Hinata also came to Naruto's sides, their bodies tensed and ready to face the opponent.

"Heh heh... Is that so..." Orochimaru finished his hand seals and sneered, "Then I wonder if you care about this gift I've prepared for you..."

Slap, he slapped the tree branch with his right palm!

Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!

Rumble...

A wooden coffin slowly emerged from the ground beneath Orochimaru.

Bang, the coffin lid opened, kicking up dust and smoke.

The person inside the wooden coffin gradually revealed their face.

Naruto's pupils suddenly contracted!

Karin was roughly pulled away by two accompanying Grass Ninjas. Her right sleeve was unceremoniously rolled up, and the two injured Grass Ninjas, who had expended a lot of chakra, suddenly became like... two wolves spotting fresh meat. Snap, they bit down hard on Karin's arm, which was already covered in bite marks.

"Ah..." Karin gritted her teeth in pain. The chakra within her was being absorbed by these two leech-like figures, rapidly restoring their stamina and healing their wounds.

This power... why do I have this power... Mom... why do we have to bear the surname Uzumaki...

Karin screamed in agony within her heart.

Just then, a golden figure descended from the sky.

Bang bang!

The two Grass Ninjas, whose mouths had just left Karin's arm, didn't even have time to react before they were knocked down by the attack from above, losing consciousness and collapsing on the ground beside them.

Karin was completely stunned for a moment. She stared blankly at the dazzling golden figure before her and murmured, "Who... are you..."

"A Konoha ninja..." The golden figure turned its head slightly, its voice strong yet friendly. "Naruto Uzumaki!"

Kabuto had only one feeling: he was truly screwed.

He couldn't understand, absolutely couldn't understand, how his disguise was flawless, sometimes even fooling Orochimaru, and even himself... but why!

Why was he surrounded by these people now?!

Kabuto's face was grim as he surveyed the people who had completely surrounded him, leaving no room for escape... Gekko Hayate, Shiranui Genma, three masked Konoha elite Anbu, Asuma, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and... Naruto Uzumaki?!

Naruto, in Sage Mode, smiled at this Kabuto, this guy who hadn't yet caused earth-shattering trouble for the entire Ninja World... it would be great to capture him now.

"May I ask..." Kabuto's entire body was stiff, and he wiped sweat from his brow as he pushed up his glasses. "Why would such a small fry like me merit the presence of all of you?"

"Ah... that's a good question... Puff..." Asuma lazily exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled. "I'm not sure either... But since it's a mission personally assigned by the Lord Hokage, we can only carry it out to the letter."

Naruto punched his left palm with his right fist and chuckled, "I think this treatment is just right!"

Kabuto's face darkened.

Gazing at the figure stepping out of the wooden coffin opposite him, Naruto could no longer control his rage! For the first time in his life, he felt such boundless anger, as if a great fire had exploded within his heart—

"Orochimaru, you bastard..." Naruto clenched his fists, his teeth grinding loudly, the veins on his forehead throbbing slightly.

"You already know my identity..." Orochimaru on the opposite tree was somewhat surprised. Having spent his life scrambling among the dead, he instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Naruto! Naruto! Calm down! Anger won't help!

Shut up! Kurama! I can't stand this!

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata looked at Naruto in surprise, as if reaching out to comfort the trembling Naruto, yet she was also somewhat timid. Naruto was exuding a pressing and terrifying aura at this moment...

"..." Sasuke looked at Naruto, whose emotions were clearly completely off, then looked at the woman who had emerged from the coffin. Who was this person that could make Naruto so lose his composure?

Naruto's anger surged, and he stared at the woman who had emerged from the wooden coffin. Her beautiful crimson hair gently floated in the air... Naruto's eyes instantly turned into the vertical pupils of a Demon Fox!

Boom...

Golden chakra, like a raging inferno, instantly engulfed Naruto!

And from within the golden flames came his roar:

"Orochimaru! I will never forgive you!"