Bang! Bang!
Two figures hit the ground one after the other with heavy thuds.
Naruto Uzumaki struggled to get up, only to find that every bone in his body felt as though it had fallen apart. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, completely paralyzed on the ground.
In the distance, Sakura had gone silent. It was impossible to tell whether she was dead or merely unconscious.
"Damn... damn it!" Naruto muttered. His consciousness gradually faded, and he too finally slipped into unconsciousness.
Hiss... hiss...
A massive snake emerged from underground, its eyes gleaming viciously as it flicked its tongue at the unconscious Naruto and Sakura, seemingly considering how best to eat them.
Orochimaru merely glanced at it and dispelled the summoning. Sasuke was the priority now. If he let the snake eat Naruto and the Nine-Tails erupted, that would only bring more trouble.
Taking advantage of this time, Orochimaru walked toward Sasuke, who lay unable to rise. Every step seemed to land on Sasuke's heart, filling him with endless pressure.
The venomous snakes formed by Hidden Shadow Snake Hands quickly slithered away, revealing Sasuke beneath them. He was already covered in wounds, his body marked everywhere by snake coils and bites. He was so numb that even moving a finger was difficult.
Orochimaru stopped before him, grabbed his hair, and lifted him up. Their gazes met.
"Hehe, what wonderful eyes. Even now, they're filled with hatred and unwillingness. You're unwilling to accept this, aren't you? Furious, aren't you? There are still so many things you haven't done. You still haven't killed that hateful enemy, yet you're about to die here. Just thinking about that feeling is delightful!"
Orochimaru spoke coldly, his tone dripping with mockery as he burst into mad laughter. Sasuke did not reply; only the