"Senior, as a man, it looks like I can last longer than you!"
Uzumaki Kuming looked at Orochimaru, who was panting a short distance away. He lightly flicked the blood off the Heavenly Feather Blade and smiled.
The light radiating from the Kusanagi Sword in Orochimaru's hand had dimmed considerably, a sign that his Chakra supply was running low. By contrast, the Chakra radiating from the Heavenly Feather Blade in Kuming's hand had only grown stronger.
In terms of Chakra reserves alone, Orochimaru was no match for Uzumaki Kuming.
Orochimaru had clearly realized this as well, which was why he had seized an opening to put some distance between himself and Kuming, breaking away from their head-on clash. Both of them had mastered the transformation of Chakra's form and nature.
But coating a weapon in Chakra and giving it a particular Chakra nature was no easy feat. This kind of attack consumed a tremendous amount of Chakra, and an ordinary shinobi simply couldn't use it as a standard combat technique.
"Who would've thought someone so young could have such enormous Chakra reserves?"
"As expected of someone from the Uzumaki Clan."
Orochimaru licked his lips and gripped the Kusanagi Sword in a reverse hold. Without making a single Hand Seal, he sent several snakes slithering from his sleeves and racing across the ground toward Kuming. As soon as he released them, Orochimaru swiftly formed Hand Seals, preparing to use a jutsu.
"Senior, wasn't our Taijutsu match going well? Why bother with these pointless tricks?"
Though Kuming sounded casual and unconcerned, his Mind's Eye of the Kagura had already locked firmly onto Orochimaru. He might only be training under the Third Hokage's watchful eye, but he was eager to find out just how strong he had become.
His attention was also fixed