(Everyone in the village, leave a comment or two, will you? Otherwise, I'll start thinking I'm writing for the White Zetsu army.)
Sasuke and Sakura were so frightened by the giant snake that they didn't dare move, afraid the slightest sound would alert the mysterious man.
But staying like this wasn't going to work.
The huge snake had already coiled around Sasuke and Sakura. It flicked its dark red tongue and watched them greedily.
At last, its eyes full of greed, the snake opened its enormous jaws and lunged at Sasuke.
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Sasuke had no choice but to hurl a smoke bomb at the snake. It was the quietest method he could think of, and the only one he had at the moment.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Just as Sasuke had expected, the snake recoiled in pain.
Sasuke panted heavily.
He kept his eyes fixed on the snake.
But who could have guessed that a man would emerge from the snake's mouth? Sakura and Sasuke broke into a cold sweat. They knew who this man was.
Wasn't he the man Josuke had been holding off?
How could this be? Could it mean that Josuke...? A terrible feeling rose in Sasuke's heart. No, it couldn't be. Sasuke immediately dismissed the thought. Josuke was so strong—how could this happen to him?
The man inside the snake let out a raspy laugh, so chilling it felt as if they'd fallen into an abyss. Sasuke kept his Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Who are you?"
The man gave a strange laugh. His eyes were like a snake's, and he looked Sasuke over mockingly. Just a pitiful, tragic little character.
The man still had half his body inside the snake. Thinking quickly, Sasuke used Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
The fierce flames scorched everything in their path. The giant snake writhed in agony, its massive body thrashing and making a tremendous racket. The noise also helped Naruto, some distance away, find their location.
After releasing the Great Fireball, Sasuke stared at the charred remains of the snake and murmured,
"Is... is it over?"
Probably, he thought, trying to reassure himself as he looked at the blackened mass, unable to make out anything.
"Heh heh heh."
That terrifying voice rang out again!
Sasuke jolted. It had come from behind him!
How was that possible?
He'd clearly hit him with his Great Fireball!
Sasuke quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between himself and the man.
Orochimaru wasn't in a hurry. His purpose here had been nothing more than finding a new vessel.
He hadn't expected to find one so easily.
For now, he was just toying with Sasuke.
He had already decided that Sasuke would be his perfect vessel in the future.
Just thinking about it was thrilling—the peerless Sharingan, brimming with a mysterious, cursed power.
Orochimaru stretched out his neck and lunged at Sasuke, who could only dodge.
In the end, Sasuke had no choice but to hand Orochimaru the scroll, hoping he would let him go.
But just then, Naruto showed up and punched Sasuke.
"Snap out of it, Sasuke! Even if we give him the scroll, he'll still kill us!"
Naruto's words jolted Sasuke back to his senses.
Sasuke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and nodded.
"Got it."
Then he picked up his Kunai again, ready to fight Orochimaru to the death.
Sakura had already passed out, and Josuke was nowhere to be seen. Only Sasuke and Naruto remained of Team 7.
Naruto charged in first and unleashed his signature technique, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!!!
But in an instant, the Shadow Clones he was so proud of were shattered, and Naruto himself was seized and held in a crushing chokehold.
Orochimaru's original face showed beneath his skin: a pale, sickly face.
He looked at Naruto in surprise. "So you're the fox demon?"
At those words, Naruto flew into a rage!
"I'm not a fox demon!"
He was just about to borrow power from the Nine-Tails inside him when Orochimaru used a Sealing Technique on his lower back, knocking him unconscious.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke shouted. He couldn't believe Naruto had been taken out in a single move, and his face turned pale with shock.
What incredible strength!
After getting rid of the troublesome Naruto, Orochimaru slowly walked over to Sasuke and discarded his disguise.
His true appearance was revealed.
"My name is Orochimaru. I know you need power, and I can give it to you. Join me!"
Orochimaru didn't waste time. He went straight to the point and made Sasuke an offer.
Sasuke replied coldly,
"Why should I trust you?"
By this point, Sasuke's heart was already in turmoil. Power!
He thought about power every waking moment!
The power to kill that man!
Orochimaru offered no further explanation. He simply bit Sasuke on the neck.
Sasuke cried out in pain.
A Three-Tomoe-shaped Cursed Seal appeared on Sasuke's neck. In an instant, dizziness washed over him.
Damn it!
Sasuke glared at Orochimaru. He wanted nothing more than to tear the man before him apart, but all he could do was watch Orochimaru disappear into the woods before he finally blacked out...
Not long after disappearing, Orochimaru appeared in an open area. He stopped and said,
"Come out. You've been following me for a long time, haven't you?"
The person following him was Josuke, who had been missing for some time. Rather than saying Josuke had been following him, it would be more accurate to say that Orochimaru had been leaving openings for him the whole way, allowing Josuke to track him.
Seeing that Orochimaru had noticed him, Josuke stopped hiding.
He emerged from the dense woods and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru watched Josuke with interest. He couldn't quite figure out what the little guy wanted from him.
But Josuke's next words hit like a bolt from the blue. Even a veteran like Orochimaru, who had seen countless battles, hadn't expected them.
After taking a long time to gather his thoughts, Josuke finally spoke.
"I want to join you!"
"Oh?"
To be honest, Josuke's answer had completely caught Orochimaru off guard. He hadn't expected Josuke to say something so treasonous.
But then he thought it over. The Third Hokage's Will of Fire and all that...
Well, that explained it.
Orochimaru asked with interest,
"Why? Your answer certainly surprised me."
Orochimaru's question made Josuke pause. Yes—why?
Josuke said,
"Because of Konoha. I'm far too weak as I am now, and Konoha is my enemy. They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I've got nothing to hide from you."
Josuke launched into a string of fabrications, half true and half false.
First, he brought up the earth-shattering conspiracy theory about Konoha.
Josuke started spinning a tale, claiming that he believed someone in Konoha was secretly sabotaging things, turning the villagers and the Uchiha against each other, and that his big brother had been manipulated as well.
That had led to the Uchiha Clan's downfall.
So he hated Konoha with every fiber of his being. After saying this, he made sure to look utterly heartbroken. Even Orochimaru felt a little moved by his words.
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