Outside Konoha, deep within a vast forest of lush greenery, Orochimaru and the Sound Ninja raced along a woodland path, carrying the kidnapped Sasuke, who remained unconscious. Their hurried footsteps and the rustling of leaves echoed through the trees.
Just then, an extraordinary figure shot through the treetops like a meteor streaking across the night sky.
It was Naruto. His movements were light and agile, like a spirit leaping through the forest, yet he carried an irresistible, fearsome force.
Naruto moved so fast he nearly surpassed the limits of what the eye could follow. With every leap, he seemed to cross the very bounds of space. In just a few breaths, he had closed in on Orochimaru and his party.
The wind through the forest and the calls of the birds seemed to accompany the chase.
As Naruto drew closer, an indescribable excitement welled up inside Orochimaru.
He looked up at the sky, his cold eyes fixed on Naruto as he rapidly approached.
A sneer tugged at Orochimaru's lips, and he immediately issued an urgent order to the Sound Ninja beside him.
The Sound Ninja didn't dare delay. They quickly spread out around an open clearing and began forming Hand Seals.
As they chanted, a powerful surge of Chakra filled the air. Then, a vast purple barrier—the Four Violet Flames Formation—burst into existence along Naruto's path, like a giant net instantly closing around him.
Yet, faced with the sudden barrier, Naruto only smiled confidently.
His voice pierced the barrier and reached Orochimaru clearly. "Orochimaru, why are you running? This isn't like you! Or do you think a mere barrier like this can hold me?"
Orochimaru didn't reply. His smile only grew more sinister, as if everything were going according to plan. Carrying the unconscious Sasuke on his back, he darted through the trees, trying to escape by using the complicated terrain.
But Naruto's sharp gaze stayed fixed on him.
Seeing this, Naruto chuckled. The Four Violet Flames Formation surrounding him seemed to tremble faintly in response to his will.
He slowly closed his eyes and swiftly formed Hand Seals. A powerful surge of Chakra welled up inside him, and in an instant, four Rasengan took shape in his hands.
Unlike before, Naruto began to change the Rasengan's shape. The round spheres of energy gradually stretched into sharp cones, spinning faster and faster until they sliced through the air with a piercing whistle. At last, they narrowed into needle-thin slivers, almost impossible to see with the naked eye, gleaming with a dangerous light.
"It's over." Naruto murmured. He snapped his eyes open and swept his hands outward. Four needle-like Rasengan shot through space like lightning, striking the four corners of the barrier with pinpoint accuracy.
The four ninja had no time to react. Four streaks of silver flashed past, and the sturdy barrier they had erected was pierced as easily as paper. They didn't even have time to cry out before they fell, their eyes filled with disbelief to the very end.
As the barrier collapsed, the air around them seemed to shudder.
Naruto didn't pause for a moment. He darted forward like a horse let loose from its reins and took off after Orochimaru again.
He soon caught up with the fleeing Orochimaru and stayed on his heels like a leopard locked onto its prey. No matter how Orochimaru doubled back and swerved, he couldn't escape the intense pressure bearing down on him from behind.
A smug smile remained on Orochimaru's face, an expression blending confidence and madness. He knew that every trap he had laid was meant to help him claim Naruto's body in the end—a vessel brimming with astonishing potential and the Nine-Tails' power.
"Naruto-kun, I have to admire your persistence." Orochimaru's voice carried a note of mockery. He deliberately slowed down, luring Naruto into a vast, open area.
He had carefully prepared the place in advance. A barrier that concealed all traces of Chakra fluctuations had quietly spread through the area, ensuring that no Konoha ninja could track them down and interfere.
Hovering in midair, Naruto's emerald eyes were sharp as an eagle's beneath his sunglasses. He sensed something strange about his surroundings, but showed no fear. "Orochimaru, finally stopped running, huh?"
Orochimaru chuckled and swiftly formed Hand Seals. The light of Summoning Jutsu suddenly blazed, and a giant serpent appeared out of nowhere. It opened its enormous jaws and swallowed Sasuke with ease. Then its body twisted, as if churning the very space around it, and Sasuke vanished into the serpent's belly, transported to an unknown place.
"Naruto-kun, you see? Even though you've come, you can't change a thing. Sasuke is already mine, and you, too, will become an important stepping stone on my path to immortality." Orochimaru's voice brimmed with temptation and provocation.
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