Clack! Clack!
The pale golden chains coiled around the Black Snake. Though they kept snapping under its coils, the Shadow Clone quickly reconnected them with a flick of its control.
The chains couldn't kill the Black Snake outright, but they could hold it off for a while.
"Water Release: Water Cannonball!"
Just then, Nakashita So's voice rang out again. He spat a huge ball of water from his mouth, and in the next instant, it hurtled toward the Shadow Clone like a cannonball.
"You really know how to seize an opening!" The Shadow Clone shook its head slightly. Just as it was about to move, a white blur suddenly shot out. It moved so fast that it reached the Shadow Clone in the blink of an eye.
It was the White Snake. The Shadow Clone's pupils contracted as it recognized the blur: a small white snake.
The White Snake opened its jaws, a black fang glinting coldly, then sank its teeth into the Shadow Clone's shoulder.
"It's over. No one can withstand White Phosphorus's poison." Seeing this, Nakashita So breathed a sigh of relief.
White Scale was the name he had given the White Snake. He had tested its poison before—even a jonin would lose the ability to fight within seconds.
The Shadow Clone's strength had put him under pressure. It was no exaggeration to say that without the Black Snake's help, he would have already lost.
But the next moment, his relief vanished.
With a pop, the body caught in White Scale's bite suddenly turned into a cloud of smoke. At the same time, the chains binding the Black Snake disappeared.
"Could that have been a Shadow Clone?"
Nakashita So stared at the white smoke as it scattered in the wind, stunned.
If a mere Shadow Clone was this powerful, what would the real one be like?
At that thought, Nakashita So didn't hesitate. He turned and headed straight for the cave. He needed to deal with the people inside quickly, then get out of there.
Hiss!
The Black Snake followed behind him in confusion, slithering into the cave.
"The bodies should be of use to Lord Orochimaru, too!"
Back in the cave, Nakashita So approached Akimichi Yamaichi, who was still bound, kunai in hand. A harsh glint flashed in his eyes.
He raised his kunai and slashed toward Akimichi Yamaichi's neck.
Akimichi Yamaichi merely looked at him calmly. The anger in his eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of nostalgia. Perhaps knowing that death was near, he slowly closed his eyes.
Clang!
The pain he expected never came. Akimichi Yamaichi opened his eyes and saw Nakashita So trembling as he stared toward the cave entrance. The kunai had fallen to the ground.
"Just made it in time." Naraku, standing at the cave entrance, breathed a small sigh of relief.
After receiving the first Shadow Clone's message, he had rushed here at full speed. As luck would have it, he had arrived just in time.
"Who are you?" Nakashita So steadied himself and asked, all the while making a few hand signals behind his back.
"Heh. Give up on those little tricks of yours. The one standing before you isn't a Shadow Clone," Naraku said with a quiet chuckle.
"I assume these are what you're looking for!"
As Naraku finished speaking, two figures—one large and one small, one black and one white—were dragged over. They were the White Snake and the Black Snake from earlier.
They had been dragged because both were now bound by golden chains.
Nakashita So began trembling again. Naraku had subdued both snakes in an instant. There was no way he could match his strength.
"So Tenzo really is here." Naraku glanced at Yamato, who lay unconscious on the ground, and shook his head slightly. Yamato still had a long way to go, both in strength and experience.
Naraku started forward. He intended to finish this guy off quickly, which would bring their mission to an end.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Whip!"
Nakashita So shouted, and a series of water whips lashed toward Naraku.
"Pathetic." Naraku snorted. Wind Release chakra gathered in his hand, and he swept it outward.
"Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm!"
Several blades of wind shattered the water whips and sent Nakashita So flying backward.
Naraku then walked over to Akimichi Yamaichi and took out a kunai, preparing to cut the ropes binding him.
"Who are you?" Akimichi Yamaichi asked tentatively.
Naraku merely glanced at him without answering.
The Anbu had a rule: no one was allowed to reveal their identity while on a mission. Even if someone recognized them, they couldn't admit it.
When Naraku didn't answer, Akimichi Yamaichi didn't press him.
But in the next instant, his pupils contracted. "Watch out!"
Nakashita So had suddenly appeared at Naraku's feet and grabbed both his legs.
"Heh. Too late!" Nakashita So sneered.
"Oh? You think that's enough to stop me?" Naraku spoke in an even tone, without the slightest hint of alarm.
Even now, he didn't take Nakashita So seriously. To him, the man's strength was no different from that of an ordinary Chunin.
Though Nakashita So had grabbed his legs, Naraku had countless ways to break free whenever he wanted. But he didn't. He was curious about what Nakashita So was trying to do.
He really is arrogant. But that suits me just fine, Nakashita So thought.
"Spirit Sealing Prohibition!" he suddenly shouted. Black seals appeared on his hands, then crawled across Naraku's legs.
"What is this?" Naraku furrowed his brow. The seals felt strangely familiar.
"Heh. Arrogance often makes people pay a price they can never recover from." Nakashita So slowly emerged from the ground. When he saw the black seals spreading over Naraku's entire body, a smile appeared beneath his mask.
No good. It's that move again, Akimichi Yamaichi thought. The ropes restraining his legs had already been cut by Naraku. He staggered to his feet and prepared to attack Nakashita So.
"You'd better stay lying on the ground!"
Nakashita So looked at him with disdain and quickly formed a few hand seals, preparing to attack him with ninjutsu.
Although Akimichi Yamaichi's hands were still bound, Nakashita So still didn't dare fight him at close range. His Taijutsu was far inferior to Akimichi Yamaichi's.
Akimichi Yamaichi saw what he was doing and immediately gritted his teeth, gathering his strength.
"Heh. That's an interesting idea," Naraku suddenly said. Then he swept one hand outward and sent Nakashita So flying.
Wind Release chakra gathered in Naraku's right hand. Using his palm like a blade, he cut through the ropes binding Akimichi Yamaichi's upper body as well.