After using the Array of Ten Thousand Serpents to take control of the situation, Orochimaru wore a sinister grin. Hidden beneath a vast sea of snakes, he slithered through their ranks and rapidly closed in on Karin, who was dragging Sasuke and Sakura to safety.
With her Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Karin naturally wouldn't be caught off guard by Orochimaru. Sensing that he had caught up with them, she hurriedly flung Sasuke and Sakura far away, then turned to face Orochimaru in a Taijutsu battle.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After a fierce exchange of Taijutsu, Karin barely managed to hold Orochimaru off.
But as her attention was fixed on Orochimaru, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Looking down, she saw a small green snake had somehow crept beneath her and seized its chance to bite her hard.
A numbness immediately spread from the wound in her ankle.
"It's poisonous!"
She was startled.
Orochimaru smiled. "This is a venomous snake I bred with great care. Once it bites you, even the strongest ninja will be completely paralyzed within five seconds!"
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked.
Sasuke, who had been flung away by Karin and had hit the ground, was now ashen-faced.
In only a brief exchange, Naruto had been gravely wounded, Haku and Chiyo had been slashed, Ryūsetsuna was trapped among the snakes and could barely look after herself, and now Orochimaru had poisoned Karin.
The situation had become a complete rout!
As if the outcome were already decided, Orochimaru slowly walked toward Sasuke and said, "This is where it ends!"
As he watched Orochimaru approach, Sasuke felt despair.
"You bastard! Stay away from Sasuke!"
Naruto's layered shout suddenly rang out across the battlefield!
Orochimaru turned and saw that Naruto, the first one he had taken down, had not