"Orochimaru?" Sasuke's gaze sharpened, and the scene from that day in the Forest of Death surfaced in his mind. It had been his first time meeting Orochimaru, and that suffocating gap in strength was something he had never been able to forget.
The only woman among the four, Tayuya, smiled. "That's right. Being chosen by Lord Orochimaru is an honor. Lord Orochimaru often praises you to us, saying you're his ideal vessel."
"A vessel? What does that mean?" Sasuke asked in surprise.
Kidomaru, with his six arms, stepped forward and sneered. "You don't need to know what it means. Right now, you only need to answer us—will you come with us, or refuse?"
As they spoke, Sasuke had already gathered chakra within his body. He said coldly, "What if I refuse?"
"Tch, all that talking was pointless!" Sakon said disdainfully, but his figure suddenly vanished. In an instant, he appeared before Sasuke and threw an unadorned punch, clearly not taking Sasuke seriously.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Sasuke lifted an arm and blocked the punch. His eyes shifted slightly, and he suddenly rammed his entire body into Sakon's chest.
Under the powerful impact, Sakon was sent flying into the roof behind him. Tiles scattered and rained down without end.
"This brat..." Sakon snarled angrily and tried to rise, but his eyes abruptly narrowed. Second Pillar appeared beside him like a ghost, invisible chakra threads winding around his entire body before suddenly tightening.
Sakon let out a muffled grunt and no longer dared to make any rash movements. He quickly uttered a strange syllable, like a note in a piece of music.
The melody created a special frequency through chakra vibrations. Sasuke's entire body shook as he felt a tremendous force strike him in the chest, forcing him back.
Taking advantage