Clang!
Faced with the sudden attack of the snakes, Uchiha Itachi's eyes turned serious, and he quickly swung the Kunai in his hand.
The swarm of snakes that lunged at them were severed, their heads falling to the ground and writhing on the floor.
Uchiha Itachi raised his vigilance to the extreme, leaving no blind spot unchecked, and slaying all the venomous snakes.
He knew these snakes were highly venomous, and that even a tiny bit of their venom would quickly render one incapable of fighting.
Facing Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, Itachi dared not be the slightest bit overconfident.
"Orochimaru, as missing-nin, how dare you return to Konoha? Don't you know who the current Hokage is?"
With Kunai held across his chest, Itachi stared at Orochimaru and uttered a cold question.
He wouldn't presume to intimidate Orochimaru with words.
But if he even has the slightest hesitation, my chances of winning will increase significantly.
As expected, Orochimaru hesitated for a moment after hearing Itachi's words.
The current Naruto...
Uchiha Mirai.
That Calamity Uchiha is rumored to have become a ninja on par with Uchiha Madara Hashirama Senju.
He had a close relationship with Itachi, and if he were to take Itachi's body...
However, the hesitation in Orochimaru's eyes quickly vanished, replaced by a deep sarcasm and a cold laugh.
"It's just a name, and you think you can make me give up? You're being far too naive. Besides..."
Orochimaru licked his lips, a playful glint in his golden snake eyes.
"Do you really think your Hokage is in a good position right now?"
Itachi's heart skipped a beat.
What do you mean?
"To tell you the truth! Today is the day the Akatsuki presents a gift to Konoha, using the death of the Fifth Hokage to solidify Akatsuki's reputation..."
"Future Bro can't possibly lose! No one can match his strength!"
Uchiha Itachi's voice was firm.
He has absolute confidence in the Uchiha Mirai.
"Naive." Orochimaru shook his head with a smile. "It seems you know nothing of the terror of Akatsuki. The leader of Akatsuki possesses the Sage's Eyes, the same eyes as the legendary Sage of Six Paths."
"Even if the Uchiha Mirai, can they still surpass the Sage's Eye?"
Orochimaru turned his head to look in the direction from which the tremor came, his eyes gleaming.
Strong tremors have been coming from that area for some time now.
Even from here, you can feel the terrifying power erupting from over there.
Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, Orochimaru was convinced that Hidan's mission had failed.
His curse couldn't possibly have caused such a commotion.
The only possibility is that the leader himself will take action and fight against the Calamity Uchiha.
It's truly astonishing that the leader, who possesses the eyes of a sage and claims to be a god, would actually personally intervene.
Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Itachi remained silent.
He also noticed the fluctuations in the distance, which were definitely not something an ordinary ninja could cause.
What Orochimaru said is very likely true.
The Eye of the Immortal...
What kind of existence is it...?
"Worried about the Uchiha Mirai? Heh, even he couldn't win against the Sage's Eye."
Orochimaru looked at the still silent Itachi and revealed a confident smile.
Suddenly, a large number of grayish-brown snakes surged from the cuff and lunged at the weasel.
"I'll accept your body!"
Orochimaru's eyes burned with fervor, as if he could see himself possessing Itachi's body.
The next second!
Itachi suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and his three jet-black Tomoe trembled violently!
Orochimaru's smile froze, and his eyes fell into confusion.
Clang!
Itachi suddenly swung the Kunai in his hand, aiming it at Orochimaru's throat!
The entire movement was incredibly smooth, without the slightest hesitation, as if it had been rehearsed countless times in the mind!
At the critical moment, Orochimaru suddenly woke up and, with his amazing muscle reflexes, twisted his upper body.
Even so, the cold Kunai still sliced through his neck, and blood spurted out instantly.
"You!!!"
Orochimaru clutched his throat wound, his face contorted in rage, bloodshot eyes bulging as he stared intently at Uchiha Itachi.
Mitsudomoe!
Itachi has activated the Mitsudomoe!!!
Orochimaru had long coveted the Uchiha Clan's body, and naturally, he also had some knowledge of the Sharingan.
In the Uchiha Clan, those who can awaken the Mitsudomoe are already considered geniuses.
Being able to awaken the Mitsudomoe before the age of twenty is considered the mark of a top-tier genius.
And Itachi is not even 11 years old yet!
What a terrifying talent!
Even that Calamity Uchiha, when he activated the Mitsudomoe on the battlefield, was already over 11 years old.
Could it be that Itachi's talent surpasses that of Uchiha Mirai?
This discovery both surprised and delighted Orochimaru. He was delighted because the higher Itachi's talent, the more benefits he would gain after taking over Itachi's body.
To his shock, due to a lack of information, he fell into Itachi's carefully prepared Genjutsu and suffered considerable injuries.
"Orochimaru, I think you've probably made a mistake."
Itachi's eyes were indifferent, his three black Tomoe eyes coldly staring at Orochimaru.
"I'm not worried about Future Brother's safety."
"Whether the enemy is the Eye of the Sage or the leader of Akatsuki, Future Bro can't possibly lose!"
"Because he is the Hokage of Konoha! The head of the Uchiha Clan! The pillar of our Uchiha Clan!"
Orochimaru was furious, and crimson blood seeped from his hand as he clutched his neck.
"Damn it! You really have that much faith in that Uchiha Mirai?"
In a daze, the weasel staring indifferently at him seemed to overlap with the young figure in his memory.
That was right after the Third Great Ninja War ended. He couldn't suppress his desire for the Uchiha Mirai body and revealed his serpentine fangs.
At that time, Uchiha Mirai looked at him with the same eyes.
The exact same look in their eyes.
The exact same pose.
That figure became a nightmare that haunted him for years to come.
This is why Orochimaru, despite coveting the Uchiha Mirai body more, chose Uchiha Itachi as a second choice.
He cannot defeat Uchiha Mirai.
Or rather, he didn't even have the courage to defeat the Uchiha Mirai he remembered.
"Itachi, you'll regret this! You'll all regret this!!"
The fear buried in his memories surged up, driving Orochimaru into a frenzy. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Uchiha Itachi.
Just then, a childish voice suddenly rang out.
"Nisan, what are you doing?"
Four-year-old Sasuke stood curiously at the door, clutching a three-colored dumpling.
The eagle felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar; a chill ran down its spine, and goosebumps rippled all over its body.
"No! Go back now!"
Orochimaru excitedly licked his lips, as if he had discovered a brand new prey, and stared intently at Sasuke.
It seems Lady Luck is on my side after all!
Whoosh!
His body suddenly lengthened, and he rushed towards Sasuke at an extremely fast speed.
"You bastard!!!"
The weasel's eyes widened in fury as it charged forward.
But in the end, he was still a step too late; the softened Orochimaru was more than 10% faster.
"Nissan! Help me!"
Sasuke, who had been captured by Orochimaru, dropped the three-colored danjutsu from his hand and screamed in terror.
Itachi's breathing was rapid, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently at Orochimaru.
"Let him go!"
"Exchange your body for it."
Orochimaru brought his head close to the trembling Sasuke, his sticky tongue licking Sasuke's cheek.
"Otherwise, I can't guarantee your brother's well-being!"
I said! Let him go!
Blood streamed from the weasel's eye sockets, and its ferocious eyes seemed to have reached their limit.
He remembered his father's words of advice before he left.
Itachi, Sasuke is in your hands now.
As the older brother, you must protect your younger brother at all times!
In the final moment, all he could see was crimson!
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"
Orochimaru let out a shrill scream as the pitch-black flames, like hellfire, relentlessly devoured his arm.
The searing pain made him instinctively release Sasuke, and he rolled around on the floor in agony.
"Aaaaaah!!! What kind of flame is this?!"