Seeing his little brother furious and humiliated, Yo reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
"But don't worry too much. With me around, Orochimaru shouldn't come looking for trouble again anytime soon!"
The strength he'd just displayed was enough to make Orochimaru wary.
Until he figured out what Yo was capable of, that cunning snake probably wouldn't try anything against Sasuke again.
At least, not openly.
Besides, Yo was sure Orochimaru had his eye on him now!
The potential of the Sharingan, combined with Wood Release, made Yo a far more perfect vessel in Orochimaru's eyes.
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As one brother's appeal waned, the other's rose. Orochimaru's desire for his little brother was bound to diminish.
As he spoke, Yo shifted gears, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Of course, if you secretly lose your nerve and run off to Orochimaru to beg for power..."
"I won't stop you. You know me, little brother—I've always been the most open-minded big brother!"
Sasuke was so furious at those words that he nearly choked. He glared at Yo. "I'd never go to that disgusting creep!"
He said it with absolute conviction, his voice full of disdain.
Yes, Sasuke's outlook had changed dramatically.
If Orochimaru had truly shown him overwhelming strength, Sasuke might have been tempted by the chance to gain power for revenge.
But Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, had repeatedly come up short against Yo.
He hadn't been killed, but he'd clearly been outmatched and left in a sorry state.
If the guy couldn't even beat Yo, Sasuke would have to be crazy to throw in with a loser like him.
Seeing the anger and contempt in Sasuke's eyes, Yo raised an eyebrow.
Had his foolish little brother already changed his mind?
Hopefully, he'd still feel that way after his next encounter with Uchiha Itachi, when his brother gave him another thorough thrashing.
"All right, let's not waste time. Hurry up and find the Scroll of Earth. We need to get out of here!"
The team continued through the forest.
Karin might not have been much of a fighter, but her sensory abilities were incredible.
Suddenly—
Karin stopped. "Someone's behind us!"
"There are three of them, and they're closing in fast!"
"What?"
Naruto and Sasuke stopped at the same time and quickly turned to look behind them.
But the dense forest made it hard to see. Other than the rustling of leaves in the wind, there was nothing.
"Are you sure?"
Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
"I'm sure!"
Karin nodded firmly. "They're moving fast, and they're hostile. They're getting closer!"
"Then let's wait."
Yo looked at Sasuke and said casually, "Foolish little brother, as you requested, I won't step in this time!"
"Karin, come with me!"
With that, Yo led Karin into the bushes nearby.
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance, then tacitly stayed where they were.
Sasuke's gaze was cold.
He'd built up a lot of anger and frustration at Orochimaru's hideout, and he desperately needed to let it out.
Naruto also took a fighting stance, his eyes brimming with determination.
Before long—
Three figures darted out from among the trees and landed across from Sasuke and Naruto.
All three wore Otogakure forehead protectors. They were Orochimaru's subordinates: Zaku, Dosu, and Kin!
The moment they appeared, their eyes fixed on Sasuke, openly hostile and appraising.
Their looks infuriated Sasuke, setting his anger ablaze.
"Well, if it isn't that Uchiha brat from Konoha!"
Zaku tilted his head and gave a scornful laugh. "What's the matter? On your own? Or did your teammates abandon you?"
His gaze swept over Naruto, growing even more contemptuous. "Oh, and there's a deadweight blondie, too!"
Dosu spoke in a low voice. "Uchiha Sasuke, Lord Orochimaru seems quite interested in you!"
Kin said nothing, but gripped several Senbon, her expression cold.
"Shut up!"
Sasuke was already in a foul mood, and the taunts from these nobodies instantly set his anger alight.
His hands quickly formed seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing fireball roared toward the three Otogakure ninjas.
"Hmph, a cheap trick!"
Zaku aimed his palms forward. "Vacuum Wave!"
A highly compressed blast of air thundered out and collided with the Great Fireball, exploding with a bang as flames scattered everywhere.
Taking advantage of the smoke, Kin darted out like a ghost, firing the Senbon in her hand at Sasuke like raindrops.
They were incredibly fast!
Their angles were tricky!
"Sasuke, watch out!"
Naruto shouted and hurriedly created two Shadow Clones, swinging their Kunai to deflect the incoming Senbon.
"You're in the way!"
Dosu crouched low, aiming the device on his right arm at Naruto and his clones. "Screaming Sound Piercer!"
An invisible shockwave of high-frequency sound burst forth. Naruto's two Shadow Clones vanished instantly.
The sound waves also left Naruto dizzy, and he staggered backward.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. His Sharingan spun rapidly, catching the brief opening after Dosu used his technique.
Chakra erupted beneath his feet, and he surged forward, his Kunai thrusting toward Dosu's throat.
"Too slow!"
Zaku attacked again, firing a Vacuum Wave at Sasuke from the side.
Sasuke had no choice but to abandon his attack and dodge.
Kin seized the opportunity once more. More Senbon flew in from another angle, blocking Sasuke's escape route.
The fight instantly became intense. The three Otogakure ninjas worked together seamlessly.
Zaku suppressed them with long-range air blasts, while Kin harried them with hidden weapons.
Dosu's sound attacks had a wide range and were difficult to defend against.
Sasuke and Naruto were soon struggling to keep up.
Relying on the Sharingan's perception and his incredible speed, Sasuke darted back and forth, counterattacking with Shuriken.
But against all three opponents at once, he was hard-pressed to cope, and soon had several cuts on his body.
Naruto was in even worse shape.
His Shadow Clones kept getting defeated, and he took several hits himself.
But he was incredibly tenacious. Cursing all the while, he kept Zaku and Kin occupied, easing the pressure on Sasuke.
"Naruto! On your right!"
Sasuke shouted.
"Got it!"
Ignoring his own safety, Naruto lunged at Kin.
He wildly swung his Kunai, disrupting her Senbon attacks.
Now!
Sasuke slammed both hands against the ground. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A straight line of blazing fire shot precisely toward Zaku, who couldn't move after using Vacuum Wave.
Zaku's expression changed, and he hurriedly dodged to the side.
The flames grazed his body and set his sleeve on fire, leaving him flailing in panic.
As soon as Sasuke released the Dragon Fire Technique, he darted toward Dosu, who had just used Screaming Sound Piercer.
The Sharingan predicted Dosu's instinctive retreat.
"Die!"
The Kunai in Sasuke's hand crackled faintly with Lightning Release chakra as he thrust it toward Dosu's heart.
"Damn it!"
A flicker of panic finally crossed Dosu's eyes. He could only raise the device on his right arm to block the attack.
Clang! Thud!
The Kunai pierced the strange device, but its angle was deflected, and it sank deep into Dosu's shoulder.
Dosu cried out and staggered backward.
"Dosu!"
Kin cried out in alarm.
Naruto seized the opportunity. Several Shadow Clones swarmed in and grabbed Kin, holding her fast.
Zaku tried to come to the rescue.
But Sasuke kept him firmly in his sights, his hands already forming seals again.
At the same time—
Naruto's real body broke free and, alongside several Shadow Clones, glared fiercely at Zaku.
One member of the Otogakure trio was badly wounded, another was pinned down, and Zaku was left to face them alone.
Zaku gritted his teeth, then leaped backward and helped Dosu to his feet. "Kin! Fall back!"
Kin struggled free of Naruto's Shadow Clones and shot Naruto and Sasuke a fierce glare before retreating to Zaku's side.
The three didn't dare linger. With bitter, resentful looks, they quickly disappeared into the forest, intending to leave.
Just then—
Everything suddenly changed!
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