Sasuke's Outburst, Orochimaru's Proposal to Defect

[Leaving with Sakura...]

At Sasuke's urging, Naruto's pupils constricted, and his trembling fear was instantly replaced by unwillingness and shame.

Again...

Why, why did he never have Sasuke's courage to face powerful enemies!

Time and again, he was treated as someone who needed protecting...

Wasn't it just an incredibly powerful enemy?

Sasuke wasn't afraid, so why should he run...

"Sasuke, I'm not running away!

I won't hand an opportunity to show off like this over to you..."

Naruto flashed a deliberately relaxed grin, drew his Kunai, and charged straight ahead.

"That idiot...

Sakura, leave this place first."

Sasuke's expression changed slightly. He barked a low command as Chakra burst beneath his feet.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto..."

Seeing the two face the enemy while telling her to leave, Sakura immediately formed Hand Seals with both hands, ready to support them.

How could she abandon Sasuke-kun and leave by herself...

"Heh heh...

Laughable Bonds..."

Orochimaru gave a cold chuckle as he watched the three rushing toward him, his pitch-black pupils suddenly turning fierce.

In an instant, a frigid killing intent dozens of times stronger than Zabuza's bore down on them...

Caught completely off guard, all three of them, including Sasuke, froze in place at the same time!

Their pupils trembled as they stared at Orochimaru, as though they had seen hell itself...

Their bodies seemed crushed beneath mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Other than trembling helplessly, they could not make a single move.

Even Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated, was no exception...

Clang...

Naruto, who had charged at the front and faced the killing intent head-on, unknowingly let the Kunai slip from his hand.

He could only stare blankly ahead, as though he had seen something unimaginably terrifying, his face deathly pale...

And Sakura, who had been at the back forming Hand Seals to launch a ninjutsu, wore much the same expression!

Terrified to the extreme, she collapsed to the ground and trembled without pause, cold sweat soaking her delicate body and leaving it ice-cold...

Damn...

So this was Orochimaru's killing intent!!

I was mentally prepared, but I never expected it to be this insane.

My mind is perfectly clear, yet my body keeps trembling beyond my control...

A Kage-level powerhouse was truly terrifying!!

Sasuke's body trembled as well, and fear rose in his heart. For a moment, he actually wanted to turn and flee.

But in the next instant, Sasuke forcibly suppressed that instinctive thought...

Run? Where could he even run to??

As a transmigrated Sasuke, while he enjoyed immense fortune, he was also destined to spend his life constantly taking on challenges!

Seeking a path to survival amid the cracks between life and death!!

Hadn't he already resolved himself to that...

In that instant, Sasuke's gaze sharpened, and his body gradually stopped trembling...

The deterrence of killing intent lay in the fear within one's heart. As long as he overcame that psychological fear...

The pressure would naturally be reduced to its lowest point...

Sure enough, deep down, I still long for an exciting and dangerous life...

Otherwise, I wouldn't have set my sights on becoming Hokage!!

Then, Silent Killing Technique...

Feeling that he could barely control his body again, Sasuke narrowed his eyes, formed One-Handed Hand Seals, and activated his Chakra.

The next moment—

Under Orochimaru's surprised gaze, visible streams of Chakra suddenly erupted from Sasuke's body...

The violet-blue Chakra currents were like a lamp in the night, instantly illuminating Naruto and Sakura in the darkness.

"Naruto, Sakura, I will never let you die here..."

Having regained control over his body, Sasuke fixed his crimson Two-Tomoe Sharingan on Orochimaru and spoke viciously.

Snake Lady, you scared the hell out of the kids...

"This is...

Mist Village's Silent Killing Technique!

Hehehe...

What an unexpected technique. I am growing more and more eager to see your performance..."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Watching Sasuke's outburst, he could not help licking his lips.

With this level of Chakra and a Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke was probably already at the level of a Jonin!

He was somewhat inferior to Itachi Uchiha, who had awakened the Mangekyo at thirteen, but he still counted as a genius ninja.

"Konoha Great Whirlwind..."

Sasuke, with his buff activated, had no intention of wasting time. With a movement of his feet, he turned into an afterimage and appeared at Orochimaru's side.

A powerful Chakra-infused kick slammed hard into Orochimaru's back...

"So fast..."

Orochimaru's eyes bulged as he was sent flying like a rag doll...

With a bang, his body curled like a shrimp as he crashed into a tree and fell to the ground.

'Lightning Style: Lightning Snake...'

Sasuke showed neither surprise nor joy at the sight. He gave a cold snort and rapidly completed Hand Seals with one hand...

With a whoosh, he appeared beside Orochimaru again at tremendous speed.

The Lightning Snake in his hand shot out with thunderous force, transforming into a lightning rope that swiftly bound Orochimaru tightly.

The savage, lightning-wreathed snake head viciously bit into Orochimaru's shoulder, and violent arcs of electricity erupted in an instant...

"Argh..."

Orochimaru screamed again, spewing a cloud of White Smoke from his mouth before collapsing to the ground.

"De-dead??"

"That terrifying guy was defeated just like that!!"

Naruto and Sakura, who had only just regained their senses, had their pupils constrict as they stared in disbelief at the corpse giving off a burnt smell and cried out.

Th-this was way too surreal...

"No, it's only just beginning..."

Sasuke swiftly retreated to their side and spoke gravely, startling them once more.

"Kekeke...

How did you know I wasn't dead??

Sasuke Uchiha, I like you more and more..."

Before Naruto and Sakura could ask, Orochimaru's corpse suddenly spoke with a sinister laugh.

Then, beneath Naruto and Sakura's scalp-crawling gazes.

A hand suddenly stretched out from the corpse's mouth, followed by two arms and half a body...

Like a snake shedding its skin, Orochimaru smoothly emerged from the corpse's mouth once more.

Other than being covered in sticky saliva, he was completely uninjured...

But this time, his appearance was vastly different from before.

Beneath his long black hair was a pale, beardless, wickedly charming face...

His signature vertical Snake Eyes, framed by slender Purple Eyeshadow, radiated such savagery and greed that they sent chills down one's spine...

The peerlessly elegant Snake Lady, Orochimaru, had officially appeared...

"Wh-what kind of Monster is that!"

"A snake demon..."

Seeing Orochimaru's drastically transformed appearance, Naruto and Sakura shrank back and screamed.

"So you've finally shown your true face...

I knew an enemy with that kind of killing intent wouldn't be defeated so easily!

You're not a Rain Village Genin...

Who exactly are you!!"

Looking at the real Orochimaru, Sasuke gave a cold snort and asked in a deliberate pose.

"Kekeke...

Not bad observational skills. As expected of the last genius of the Uchiha clan!

I admire you more and more...

So, would you like to become my disciple?

Sasuke...

Follow me, and you will obtain even greater power!

Power strong enough to kill that man...

Oh, right. My name is Orochimaru..."

A trace of desire flashed through Orochimaru's eyes as he tried to entice him. A Sasuke like this could already be used as a vessel!

Once he completed that plan, he could return and undergo reincarnation directly...

[Detected Orochimaru's malicious proposal, triggering a 10x C-rank Reward.

Mission: Refuse to defect; Reward: Orochimaru Style Substitution Technique...]