Orochimaru's Pressure

(Please comment in the village, otherwise I'll think I'm writing to an army of White Zetsu by myself)

Sasuke and Sakura were so terrified by the giant snake that they dared not move, fearing that the slightest disturbance would alert the mysterious person.

However, continuing like this was not an option.

The snake's enormous body coiled around Sasuke and Sakura, its deep red tongue flicking out as it greedily watched them.

Finally, with greed filling its eyes, the snake opened its massive maw and lunged at Sasuke.

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Helpless, Sasuke could only throw a smoke bomb at the snake. This was the quietest method he could think of, and the only one he could come up with at the moment.

"Bang, bang, bang."

Just as Sasuke had predicted, the snake cried out in pain and dodged.

Sasuke gasped for air.

He stared intently at the snake.

But to his surprise, a man emerged from the snake's mouth. Sakura and Sasuke broke out in a cold sweat; they knew who this was.

Wasn't this the man Josuke was holding off?

How could this be? Did Josuke...? A bad feeling began to stir within Sasuke. No, it couldn't be. Sasuke immediately dismissed his own guess. Josuke was so strong, how could he possibly...?

The man inside the snake let out a chilling cackle, a laugh so eerie it felt like falling into an abyss. Sasuke's two-tomoe Sharingan activated fully, helping him maintain his composure.

"Who exactly are you?"

The man chuckled sinisterly, his eyes like a snake's, playfully appraising Sasuke as nothing more than a pathetic, tragic figure.

The man was only halfway out of the snake. In a moment of inspiration, Sasuke used the Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Fierce flames burned everything, causing the giant snake to writhe in agony. Its massive body thrashed, creating a tremendous noise that also allowed Naruto, who was not far away, to pinpoint their location.

After unleashing the Great Fireball, Sasuke stared at the scorched snake corpse and muttered, "Is... is it over?"

Probably, he reassured himself, looking at the charred remains where nothing could be seen.

"Hehehehe."

That terrifying voice sounded again!

Sasuke snapped awake, the sound coming from behind him!

How could this be?

He clearly took my Great Fireball!

Sasuke quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to put distance between himself and the man.

Orochimaru wasn't in a hurry. His original goal was simply to find his new vessel.

He hadn't expected it to be so effortless.

He was merely toying with Sasuke now.

He had already decided that Sasuke was his perfect new vessel for the future.

The thought alone was exhilarating: those unparalleled Sharingan eyes, containing a mysterious, cursed power.

Orochimaru's neck elongated as he lunged at Sasuke, who could only dodge.

In the end, Sasuke had no choice but to present a scroll to Orochimaru, hoping to be spared.

But at that very moment, Naruto appeared, throwing a punch directly at Sasuke.

"Snap out of it, Sasuke! Even if we give him the scroll, he'll still kill us!!"

Naruto's words jolted Sasuke awake.

Sasuke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and nodded.

"Got it."

He then picked up his kunai again, preparing to fight Orochimaru to the death.

Sakura had already fainted, and Josuke was nowhere to be found. Only he and Naruto remained of Team 7.

Naruto charged forward first, unleashing his signature move, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!!!

However, in an instant, Naruto's pride and joy, his shadow clones, were shattered. He himself was captured, his neck held in a vice-like grip.

Beneath Orochimaru's skin, his true face was revealed—a pale, sickly visage.

He looked at Naruto with some surprise. "You are that fox demon?"

Upon hearing the word, Naruto instantly became enraged!

"I am not a fox demon!"

Just as he was about to borrow power from the Nine-Tails within him, Orochimaru struck his waist with a Sealing Technique, knocking him unconscious.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke shouted, he hadn't expected Naruto to be KO'd so quickly. This left Sasuke utterly shocked.

"What powerful strength!"

After dealing with Naruto, that bothersome guy, Orochimaru slowly walked over to Sasuke, shedding his disguise.

He revealed his true appearance.

Introducing himself, he said, "My name is Orochimaru. I know you need power, and I can give you power. Join me!"

Orochimaru didn't waste words and directly extended an olive branch to Sasuke.

Sasuke said coldly, "Why should I trust you!"

Actually, as he said this, Sasuke's heart was already in turmoil. Power!

He was constantly thinking of power!

The power to kill that man!

Orochimaru didn't explain much, merely biting Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke cried out in pain.

A Three Tomoe-shaped cursed mark appeared on Sasuke's neck. In an instant, a dizzying sensation spread through Sasuke's entire body.

"Damn it!"

Sasuke glared at Orochimaru. At that moment, he wished he could tear the man before him to shreds. Helplessly, he could only watch as Orochimaru disappeared into the forest, finally falling unconscious...

Not long after Orochimaru vanished, he reappeared in an open area. Orochimaru stopped and said, "Reveal yourself. You've been following me for a long time!"

The one following him was the long-lost Josuke. It wasn't so much that he was following as Orochimaru had been leaving openings for Josuke all along, allowing Josuke to track him.

Seeing that Orochimaru had discovered him, Josuke no longer hid.

He emerged from the dense forest and, with a Body Flicker Technique, appeared before Orochimaru.

Orochimaru stared at Josuke with great interest. He couldn't quite understand why this little guy was looking for him.

However, what Josuke said next was a thunderclap that caught even a seasoned veteran like Orochimaru completely off guard.

After a long pause to organize his thoughts, Josuke finally spoke.

"I want to join you!"

"Oh?"

To be honest, Josuke's reply truly caught Orochimaru completely by surprise. He hadn't expected Josuke to say something so rebellious.

But then he thought, The Third Hokage's Will of Fire, huh?

Ah, that makes sense.

Orochimaru then said with amusement, "Why? Your answer has certainly caught me off guard."

Orochimaru's words pulled Josuke back. Yes, why Orochimaru?

Josuke said, "Because of Konoha. I am too weak right now, and Konoha is my enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I have nothing to hide from you."

Josuke then launched into his fabricated story, half true and half false.

First, he began with the Konoha conspiracy theory that had shocked the ninja world.

Josuke started boasting, claiming that he believed someone in Konoha was secretly causing trouble, inciting hatred between the villagers and the Uchiha, and that his big brother had been misled.

This then led to the destruction of the Uchiha clan.

"Therefore, I hate Konoha with every fiber of my being." After speaking, he didn't forget to put on a heartbroken expression. Even Orochimaru felt a little moved upon hearing this.