Such Bad Luck

Outside Konoha Village.

After a friendly exchange with Yamato, the guy finally came to his senses; at the very least, he wouldn't be clamoring to go find Orochimaru anymore.

Although Uzumaki Naraku had no intention of pursuing Orochimaru, he still had to put on a show. If he were caught slacking off, he wouldn't be able to answer to the Third Hokage.

Naraku and Yamato searched the forest at a leisurely pace.

"Hah," Naraku yawned, his mind occupied by the current situation in Konoha.

Following Orochimaru's defection, Konoha's strength had undoubtedly diminished. Aside from Danzo lurking in the shadows, the Third Hokage was the only Kage-level powerhouse left in the entire village.

The silver lining was that the ninja world was currently in a period of peace. While there were still frictions between the various hidden villages, they were mostly limited to probing maneuvers; a major war was not on the horizon.

Therefore, Konoha had plenty of time. In a few years, the generation of Kakashi and Guy would come of age, and only then would Konoha's power slowly recover.

Suddenly, Naraku sensed something and tensed up instantly, pulling back the step he had just taken.

"What is it, Captain Naraku?" Yamato, trailing behind him, asked in confusion.

Naraku didn't speak, his eyes locked onto a patch of bushes ahead. "My luck is truly terrible!"

"What?"

Naraku said nothing more, for a figure had just emerged from the brush.

With narrow eyes and pale golden pupils, it was none other than the target of their mission: one of the Sannin, the Cold Lord Orochimaru.

"Well, Uzumaki Naraku, and..." Orochimaru looked at the two with a sinister grin, though his gaze flickered imperceptibly when it landed on Yamato.

Naraku wasn't surprised that Orochimaru recognized him; in terms of seniority, Orochimaru was his uncle-in-arms.

As a student of Jiraiya, they had met a few times, though Naraku was always in the presence of others whenever he saw Orochimaru.

Staring at Orochimaru, Naraku felt as though he were facing a venomous python, the man radiating an icy, sinister aura.

Perhaps it was the fearlessness of the young, but at that moment, Yamato performed much better than Naraku. He stepped forward, short blade in hand, and declared, "Orochimaru, S-rank missing-nin of the village, please follow me back to the village to face judgment."

"Uh," Naraku was stunned. He truly hadn't expected this future master of landscaping to be so reckless.

It wasn't until later that Naraku realized: who else but a madman would dare to try and assassinate a Hokage alone?

"Return to face judgment, heh," hearing Yamato's words, Orochimaru didn't seem angry, merely offering a cold sneer.

"And how exactly do you intend to take me back?"

Yamato still failed to grasp the situation, and just as he prepared to step forward to engage Orochimaru, Naraku reached out and grabbed him. "Tenzo, stay calm."

He then pulled Yamato behind him and addressed Orochimaru, "Uncle, it's been a long time."

The reason he pulled Yamato behind him wasn't to protect him, but because he feared that if Yamato provoked Orochimaru further, the man might accidentally wipe them both out.

Yamato couldn't understand this, but Naraku was his superior, and he dared not disobey orders.

"Uncle, then let me test whether you've made any progress lately, Naraku," Orochimaru chuckled, and a chilling aura erupted from his body.

The two of them were instantly struck by an overwhelming pressure.

So this is the power of a Kage-level expert? Just his aura alone is enough to suppress an average Jonin, Naraku thought, sweat beading on his forehead.

Under the weight of that pressure, Yamato stumbled back several steps, his body swaying as he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Only then did he realize the true strength of Orochimaru, and recalling his own actions moments ago, he touched his neck in a cold sweat.

BOOM!

Pale blue chakra instantly enveloped Naraku's body, and as he pushed back, the pressure eased slightly.

"It seems you have made some progress," Orochimaru smiled upon seeing Naraku break free from his aura's suppression. One might have mistaken it for a look of genuine pride!

"To possess the strength of a Jonin at such a young age—you are far better than that fellow Jiraiya."

"Let me see just how much you have grown!"

In an instant, Orochimaru's aura surged.

Naraku felt as though he were facing a ferocious viper, and he was nothing more than prey on its menu.

THUD!

Behind him, Yamato finally succumbed to the pressure and fainted.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains."

Facing such pressure, Naraku struck first; he feared that if he didn't act now, he wouldn't get another chance.

Two pale golden chains shot out from Naraku's back, tearing through the air as they lunged fiercely toward Orochimaru.

"Interesting." With a simple sidestep, Orochimaru dodged the attack and then casually reached out a hand, grabbing the chains directly.

The next moment, with a sharp snap, the chakra-formed chains were crushed by his grip.

Naraku wasn't surprised; the golden chains were, after all, merely manifestations of his own chakra. While his reserves were vast, his control and application of chakra were no match for a Kage-level powerhouse like Orochimaru.

"However..."

"The Adamantine Sealing Chains aren't so easily destroyed."

The next moment, the chains that had just been crushed by Orochimaru restored themselves, lashing out toward him like a pair of whips.

"Is this all you have?" Orochimaru shook his head slightly upon seeing this, looking quite disappointed.

With a casual wave of his hand, two pythons darted out from his sleeves, their fangs glinting with a cold, venomous light.

The pythons then coiled around the chains.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Naraku did not stand idle; he opened his mouth and spat out a massive fireball that surged forward at high speed.

The fireball scorched the air, radiating an intense, searing heat.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Orochimaru opened his mouth and unleashed a violent gale, instantly dispersing the massive fireball.

After scattering the flames, the whirlwind did not dissipate but continued to barrel toward Naraku.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"

Naraku dared not show the slightest negligence; he quickly formed hand seals and unleashed another technique.

His long red hair grew rapidly, wrapping around him completely in the blink of an eye. Fortified by chakra, the strands became as hard as steel, and the whirlwind struck them with a series of rhythmic thuds.

"Kagura Mind Eye, open!"

Taking advantage of this moment, Naraku activated his Kagura Mind Eye, instantly magnifying his perception several times over.

But the very next second, his expression shifted drastically.