Another Invitation

"Looks like..."

"I'll have to reveal some of my hidden cards..."

Ever since Yun Xi had arrived in the world of Naruto, he had never wanted to reveal his true strength too soon.

But...

Looking at Orochimaru's smiling face, Yun Xi understood.

This time, he couldn't avoid it.

This was different from his fight with Uchiha Itachi.

This time, Yun Xi could clearly feel the killing intent radiating from Orochimaru.

If he lost...

Death was surely all that awaited him!

"Not running?"

Seeing Yun Xi standing right where he was, Orochimaru's smile faded, and a trace of disappointment appeared on his face.

"Then let me see what you're really capable of, brat."

After murmuring to himself, Orochimaru's pupils suddenly narrowed.

"Whoosh!"

The Kusanagi Sword flashed from its sheath again, and Orochimaru gripped it tightly.

In the blink of an eye,

a sword shadow appeared right in front of Yun Xi.

"So fast..."

As Orochimaru attacked, Yun Xi had also readied himself for battle.

But the speed of Orochimaru's strike was still far beyond what Yun Xi had expected.

The sharp Kusanagi Sword was already inches from him.

Behind him...

There was nowhere to run.

"No choice!"

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Yun Xi couldn't worry about hiding the secret of his Sharingan. The instant the Kusanagi Sword was about to hit him,

he activated his Sharingan...

In an instant,

a pair of dark red eyes appeared in Yun Xi's gaze.

With the help of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the sword shadow that had been too fast to see slowed considerably.

"Now!"

Relying on his exceptional visual perception, Yun Xi seized an opening and rolled backward.

Only after sacrificing a few strands of hair

did Yun Xi barely manage to dodge Orochimaru's probing attack...

"The Sharingan..."

Orochimaru stared at Yun Xi's blood-red eyes, momentarily stunned.

"Brat, before this, you'd only piqued my interest."

"But now, you've truly caught my eye!"

Just as Yun Xi was about to take a breather during the lull in Orochimaru's attack, Orochimaru struck again.

And this time,

Yun Xi could clearly tell that Orochimaru was taking him seriously!

"Wind Release!"

"Great Breakthrough!"

Apparently realizing that Yun Xi had the advantage in taijutsu while using his Sharingan, Orochimaru didn't use the Kusanagi Sword for his second attack.

Instead, after slowly sheathing it,

he formed hand seals at great speed.

The moment he finished, a fierce gale accompanied by a storm of sand swept toward Yun Xi again.

It was only a C-rank Wind Release Ninjutsu, but Orochimaru's powerful chakra greatly amplified it.

Before the attack even reached him,

Yun Xi could already feel its overwhelming killing intent...

"Orochimaru really is strong..."

Facing the powerful Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, Yun Xi's expression grew serious.

Clearly,

in his current condition, there was no way he could withstand a Wind Release Ninjutsu like this...

The Sharingan's visual perception...

No, in this state, he couldn't see the wind's trajectory at all.

And Yun Xi understood

that even if the Sharingan could read the path of Orochimaru's Great Breakthrough,

his physical abilities alone weren't enough to dodge it completely...

"Looks like the Sharingan alone isn't enough!"

Realizing how dire things were, Yun Xi gritted his teeth!

"Boom!"

A sudden blast erupted from within Yun Xi.

Before Orochimaru could react, a deep crimson mist had already appeared around Yun Xi.

Though the Mera Mera no Mi hadn't yet formed powerful flames inside Yun Xi, the heat radiating from the mist was already causing the weeds around him to wither...

"The Sharingan..."

"That scorching mist..."

After seeing the changes in Yun Xi, Orochimaru burst into laughter.

At the same time, he halted the attack he had prepared.

He wanted to see what other abilities this seemingly ordinary boy had hidden!

"What? There's more?"

And just as Orochimaru stopped, another strange change occurred in Yun Xi.

As a fiery aura, as strong as the mist's, emerged,

Yun Xi instantly transformed into a man of fire!

"Fire Release Ninjutsu?"

"No, ordinary Fire Release Ninjutsu can't do this..."

"Could it be..."

"An unknown Kekkei Genkai!"

After Yun Xi revealed all his hidden cards, a distinct delight stirred in Orochimaru's heart.

He had a premonition.

The boy before him was no dead-last.

He was...

A once-in-a-decade...

No!

A once-in-a-century genius of Konoha!

With that thought, Orochimaru slowly raised his hand and waved, signaling for a truce.

"What's Orochimaru thinking?"

After Yun Xi revealed the Fire Release Ninjutsu enhancement granted by the system, the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, and his Sharingan, he had been ready to fight Orochimaru to the death.

But...

Orochimaru didn't want to fight anymore?

Seeing this,

Yun Xi didn't strike first. Instead, he backed away while watching to see what Orochimaru was up to...

"Brat, your name is Yun Xi, right?"

"Yeah. Are you planning to let me go?"

Yun Xi replied, then teased him. "I never thought one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, would attack a kid like me. Nobody would believe it if I told them, would they?"

"Haha, you're no child."

Orochimaru wasn't angry. He continued watching Yun Xi with a smile, though this time it seemed a little forced.

Seeing this, Yun Xi still couldn't guess what Orochimaru was thinking...

"Come with me. You'll never become truly strong if you stay in Konoha..."

After a long standoff with Yun Xi, Orochimaru was finally the first to speak.

And a hint of anticipation shone in his cold eyes...

What the hell does Orochimaru see in me? I'll change, all right?

As Orochimaru spoke again, trying to recruit him as a subordinate, Yun Xi's face filled with helplessness.

It was true that Orochimaru was very strong right now.

If Yun Xi became his subordinate, his strength would surely grow by leaps and bounds in a short time.

He could even become an elite Jonin within the next three to five years.

For an ordinary person, such rapid growth would undoubtedly be a stroke of fortune.

An opportunity capable of changing one's life.

But for Yun Xi...

It was hardly worth it.

With his system, Yun Xi didn't need Orochimaru's help to become strong.

And more importantly, if Yun Xi accepted Orochimaru's offer,

the price would be that Orochimaru would place a Cursed Seal on him as a means of control...

When it came to things like Cursed Seals,

Yun Xi wanted nothing to do with them...