Danger! The Great Serpent Attacks!

The two brothers had barely stepped into the grove when Mo set the spare replacement targets he had prepared for shuriken training on the ground and instantly sensed that something was wrong.

Quiet... It was far too quiet!

At this hour, the dense woods around the Naka River should have been filled with birdsong, with crows occasionally flapping past... But now, apart from the rushing sound of the river, Mo could not hear a single other sound.

He rose and made a hand signal to Shisui. Shisui immediately understood and nodded, but before he could react, four figures concealed beneath black robes charged out of the woods from the east, south, west, and north!

Rat—Monkey—Snake—Rabbit—Tiger

"Four Violet Flames Formation!" ×4

As the words fell, a purple square barrier rose instantly, enclosing the clearing within several hundred meters around them!

Then, inside the barrier, four smaller square barriers rose at its corners, shielding the four black-robed figures within.

Uchiha Mo's gaze sharpened. He used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Shisui and warily stared upward.

Following his gaze, a figure rapidly descended from the sky, crashing into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Mo-kun... such sharp senses. You nearly got away."

Accompanied by a hoarse male voice, the figure slowly stepped out of the smoke.

Pale skin that was unnaturally white, narrow golden vertical pupils, and purple eyeshadow extending all the way to the sides of his nose. Without question, the man before them was one of the legendary Three Sannin...

"Orochimaru?!" Shisui cried out in shock upon seeing the man's face, swiftly placing a hand on the short sword at his back.

"Big brother, run! They're only after me! I'll hold them off!"

As he spoke, a tomoe emerged in Shisui's wide eyes, and he stepped forward.

"Stop making trouble!"

Mo glanced at Shisui beside him, grabbed him by the collar, and flung him behind him.

The Four Violet Flames Formation... Against this barrier, a normal ninja had no chance of escaping without defeating the enemy.

"That expression... it seems Mo-kun recognizes this technique..." Orochimaru extended his tongue to lick the corner of his lips, looking at Uchiha Mo with interest.

Mo calmly looked at Orochimaru, his right hand resting on the hilt at his waist.

"Whoosh—"

"Cut the useless talk. That one-eyed mongrel Danzo sent a worthless snake to kill me? Once I peel off your snake scales, I'll chop that mongrel to pieces and feed him to my summoned beasts."

Futsunomitama left its sheath. Mo gripped the long blade tightly and lowered his body slightly. Three pitch-black tomoe slowly spun within his eyes as he vigilantly watched the man before him.

Though his words were contemptuous, the man before him was Orochimaru, one of the Three Sannin. And at this time, he had yet to create a genjutsu weakness for himself through using the Living Corpse Reincarnation, meaning he was at the absolute peak of his strength.

"Don't be so agitated, Mo-kun."

A curve formed at Orochimaru's lips. "This does not have to end this way. Since you've recognized that Danzo sent me, you should understand that I personally bear you no ill will."

"And there's no need to hurry. To ensure nothing could go wrong, Danzo spent an entire month preparing. Whether it's the ANBU or the sensory unit... no one will notice anything happening here. We can take our time and play."

As he spoke, Orochimaru once again extended his scarlet, slender tongue.

Mo stared expressionlessly at Orochimaru without replying. He merely held Futsunomitama horizontally before himself, his sharp eyes fixed on Orochimaru. The meaning was clear enough.

"Hehe~ You really are impatient. Very well... I'll play with you!"

As his words fell, Orochimaru suddenly charged at Uchiha Mo.

He reached his right hand toward Uchiha Mo from afar. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru's right arm instantly transformed into a thick, vicious serpent that lunged at Mo with its fangs bared!

Mo had been prepared. The tomoe in his eyes slowly turned as he fiercely tightened his grip on Futsunomitama.

Boom!

Amid the strange roar of erupting flames, Futsunomitama's entire blade instantly turned crimson. Uchiha Mo gripped the sword in reverse, lowered himself, and thrust forward. The sharp edge slashed through the serpent's gaping bloody maw.

Hiss—

White smoke rose as the serpent was instantly cleaved in two. Orochimaru pulled back his shoulder, and as the snake arm withdrew, it returned to a normal arm.

"So this is the ninjutsu you created yourself? It truly is extraordinary."

As he spoke, Orochimaru licked the corner of his lips. A ninja blade of unknown origin was in his left hand as he slashed down at Uchiha Mo's shoulder!

Clang!

Sparks flew as tremendous force struck him. Mo held Futsunomitama in a reverse grip against his arm and had to bend his legs slightly just to barely block the attack.

"Heh!" Orochimaru grinned at the sight. With a turn of his right hand, another kunai appeared, which he drove toward Mo's forehead!

The three tomoe in Mo's eyes spun. He sharply angled the straight blade in his right hand and lightly pushed off to the side with his legs.

Clang—

Sparks streaked across Futsunomitama's edge. Driven by the force of Orochimaru's slash and the strength of his own legs, Mo's entire body instantly spun into the air!

The next moment, Orochimaru's kunai struck empty air, while Uchiha Mo's legs landed on his shoulders in an instant, lifting his entire body above him.

"What swift reactions! What fluid movements!" Orochimaru's golden pupils trembled.

Uchiha Mo swiftly righted Futsunomitama and slashed fiercely at the neck beneath him!

"Clang!"

The blade was only inches from the neck, but at the critical moment, a kunai firmly blocked its path.

Orochimaru was still Orochimaru. His base stats far surpassed Mo's current ones. Though at a disadvantage, he still effortlessly moved faster and blocked Mo's killing blow.

"Hehe~ Mo-kun, you really are too—"

"Screech—!"

Before he could finish, a piercing eagle cry suddenly rang out. Violent lightning instantly replaced the crimson glow, blooming across the gleaming blade!

Immediately after...

"Slash—!"

The kunai stood no chance against Futsunomitama's Chidori Blade. It was cut apart like tofu, and the next instant, the blade flashed like lightning as it cleaved into Orochimaru's neck!

Blood splattered. Mo remained expressionless, the three tomoe in his eyes slowly turning as though he had already seen Orochimaru's head flying through the air.

But just as Futsunomitama was about to slice off his entire head, the terror on Orochimaru's face suddenly froze. Then his whole body lost its color and rapidly turned into a mud-and-stone statue!

Earth Substitute!

"Hidden Shadow Multiple Snake Hands!"

A hoarse male voice sounded from behind him. Uchiha Mo hurriedly turned, intending to slash with Futsunomitama, but at that moment, the mud-and-stone statue abruptly hardened, trapping Futsunomitama tightly in the middle of its neck!

"Hisss—"

In an instant, several giant snakes fiercely coiled around Mo's entire body, binding him tightly!