Although Orochimaru had suffered a crushing defeat in their initial clash,
this was the first time he had ever wounded his teacher in battle.
It felt pretty good...
But when he saw the wrinkles on his teacher's face and the contemplative look in his eyes, the smile on Orochimaru's face faded a little.
Teacher, I never thought you'd still have a soft spot for me...
In that case, there was no point in continuing the fight.
Orochimaru thought of this and glanced at the Anbu Ninja closing in from a dozen meters away.
He made his decision at once.
Time to go!
"Summoning Technique!"
Four massive snakes, each several meters thick, appeared on the battlefield. They scattered in all directions, rampaging wildly and clearing a hundred-meter-wide area.
Orochimaru then sent all the summoned snakes racing toward the Forest of Death on the outskirts.
The commotion caused by the sudden appearance of the snakes soon died down, and the Anbu Ninja recovered.
The Anbu Ninja launched their counterattack.
Pfft! Pfft!
Kunai and various ninjutsu attacks soon cut down the giant snakes, which had little Chakra.
Only one snake, shielded by its companions, swiftly burrowed underground and carried Orochimaru toward the Forest of Death.
Seeing this, the Third ignored the pain in his leg, leaped onto the roof of a three-story building, then sprang high into the air.
He raised the black Adamantine Staff in his hands and brought it down with all his strength.
Enma grew several meters wide and slammed into the ground, sending the earth into upheaval.
Pfft!
The giant snake's body was smashed into a pulp underground.
Orochimaru was forced to emerge from beneath the earth.
Before he could steady himself, the corner of his eye caught sight of a white figure...
Kakashi had been waiting nearby, ready to seize this instant of confusion.
Chidori gathered in his palm.
He pushed the Body Flicker Technique to its limit.
With the Sharingan's aid!
He immediately spotted a fatal opening in Orochimaru's defenses.
In the blink of an eye, before anyone else could react, Kakashi reached Orochimaru.
He bent down, raised his head, reached out, and struck for the heart!
The movements flowed together seamlessly.
"Got you, Orochimaru."
A confident smile touched Kakashi's lips.
Sharp lightning formed a blade at his fingertips, piercing Orochimaru's chest in an instant.
The smell of scorched meat filled the air.
Chidori pierced straight through Orochimaru's body.
Orochimaru endured the pain and twisted violently, contorting himself in an unbelievable way until his body was knotted like a braid... Then he suddenly transformed into a giant snake several meters thick and crushed Kakashi beneath him.
The snake opened its mouth and spat Orochimaru out.
He had temporarily escaped Kakashi's pursuit.
But his badly injured body was now beginning to fail him.
Crack!
He forced the giant snake's weight down, crushing Kakashi's arm until it bent out of shape. The sound of breaking bone rang out.
One counterattack from Orochimaru had left Kakashi in mortal danger.
"Give up, Orochimaru..."
A masked Anbu with a cat's face said coldly.
"Namiashi Raidō! You can't stop me..."
Orochimaru recognized him at a glance.
He clutched his chest.
The intense pain slowed him down and threw off his movements.
"No one's coming to save you, Lord Orochimaru! Stop resisting for nothing."
Another elite Anbu appeared.
His distinctive spiky hairstyle identified him as Yamashiro Aoba.
Orochimaru knew them well; he had once commanded them on the battlefield.
In everyone's eyes,
Orochimaru had nowhere left to run.
Even if the Third didn't step in, in his badly wounded state, he had no chance of escaping the elite Anbu Jonin squad from Konoha.
"Is that so?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold smile.
He quickly bit his finger and formed a hand seal at incredible speed.
"Summoning Technique—Manda!"
A purple serpent, ten meters thick and a hundred meters long, appeared beneath him.
Two fearsome horns jutted from its enormous head.
Its vertical pupils surveyed the battlefield, and greedy saliva dripped from its mouth.
It saw the many living sacrifices in the direction of Konoha.
"Orochimaru, this time I want a hundred sacrifices!"
Manda's distinctive bellow rang out.
With a single sweep of its tail, it forced all the Konoha shinobi back.
Standing on Manda's head, Orochimaru got a brief chance to catch his breath.
But before Manda could even begin its rampage,
a black staff suddenly dropped from the sky and swept the hundred-meter-long serpent off its feet.
Boom!
Its massive body kicked up a cloud of smoke.
Manda roared furiously, "You sneaky old monkey... I'll—"
Boom!
Another blow. Enma, now nearly a meter thick, struck Manda squarely at its vulnerable spot.
Its heart took a devastating blow.
Manda's entire body shuddered violently.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Manda's weakness very well.
Controlling Enma's nimble form, he could easily evade Manda's attacks and strike precisely at its vulnerable spot.
Manda turned and bared its fangs.
It tried to bite Enma, who had taken the form of the Adamantine Staff.
But Enma suddenly shrank and returned to Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand.
"Orochimaru, this monkey's too annoying! I'm out of here."
After taking several blows, Manda hadn't been able to fight back at all. It noticed several Konoha Anbu preparing to use Sealing Jutsu and, sensing that things were going badly, abandoned Orochimaru without hesitation, ending the summoning and retreating to Ryūchi Cave.
While no one was paying attention,
a figure quietly appeared in the enormous pit left by Manda's disappearance.
"Orochimaru, come back with me!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen panted as he landed on an Earth Release pillar raised by one of his subordinates and tried to talk Orochimaru into returning.
Those few moves had drained much of his strength, and he was beginning to show signs of exhaustion.
I really am getting old.
Just a few moves, and I'm already tired.
"Old man... kill me! Let's see if you still have it in you..."
Orochimaru wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth again. His white kimono sleeves were stained red.
I was careless.
I didn't expect the young Anbu under my teacher to have become so capable.
I'm still far behind my teacher!
What a pity.
If I'd listened to Ao and transplanted the First Hokage Cells, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up in this state.
Ao...
How did you know I'd be caught in such a crisis?
Complex thoughts welled up inside Orochimaru, and he couldn't help looking toward the figure who had grievously wounded him.
That white-haired boy... He reminded me of someone from the past!
Kakashi Hatake?
If it weren't for him, I'd probably have gotten away already.
Orochimaru felt his internal organs could no longer hold out.
His body was at its limit.
"Stubborn fool!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen barked. He flashed forward, propelled by the Adamantine Staff as it suddenly extended, and charged at Orochimaru like a cannonball.
He swung a punch straight at him.
Orochimaru gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and rapidly formed Hand Seals with a contorted expression.
"Summoning Technique: Rashomon!"
A massive gate appeared.
It blocked Sarutobi Hiruzen's attack.
In an instant, the Third's body stiffened. Pain flashed across his face as the snake venom in his leg took effect. His body lurched out of control, slammed into the stone gate, and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Orochimaru immediately counterattacked.
"Kusanagi Sword: Empty Blade..."
A sleeve blade shot from his hand, flying straight toward the Third a few meters away.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had no time to dodge.
An Anbu suddenly appeared in front of him and blocked the blade, which pinned him to the ground.
At the same time, Orochimaru kept moving, continuing to form Hand Seals!
"Summoning Technique: Giant Snake Swarm!"
Chakra erupted from him.
A swarm of giant snakes, each a meter thick, surged up from underground and rushed toward Konoha.
Seeing this, the Anbu Ninja had no choice but to break off and hunt down the snakes, preventing them from threatening the villagers.
Meanwhile, Kakashi broke free and led three subordinates to stand in front of the Third.
"Lord Hokage, are you all right?"
Kakashi asked urgently.
"I'm fine!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen answered quickly. He lowered his head and looked at the Anbu in front of him, now lifeless, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
So no one would realize he was holding back, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately ordered, "Capture Orochimaru... Hurry..."
Kakashi and the others heard him and once again pursued Orochimaru.
They weren't about to give him a moment to catch his breath.
Orochimaru was nearing his limit, too.
Under the assault of Konoha's strongest fighters, he had almost no Chakra left.
Am I going to die?
Orochimaru saw Kakashi standing before him with a blade in hand, and despair flickered across his face.
Seeing that, Kakashi redoubled his efforts.
But then he noticed Orochimaru's lips curl upward, as if he were smiling.
Something was wrong.
Kakashi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Did Orochimaru still have another trick?
No matter...
Kakashi steadied himself, keeping his Sharingan fixed on Orochimaru.
I absolutely can't let him escape!
Suddenly!
"Clang!"
A deafening crash rang out.
Kakashi was sent flying several meters backward!
A figure appeared in front of Orochimaru and repelled Kakashi's attack.
"Ao!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Orochimaru cried out.
He looked utterly delighted.
Watching Ao's back, Orochimaru's lips curved into a faint smile.
You came after all.
This proves I made the right choice.
Ao, you haven't let me down. You really were worth trusting!
Before you continue