Orochimaru Arrives!

Sasuke made a hand signal, indicating a sneak attack.

Ling Yue nodded, and the two silently pounced on the three Rain ninja!

Sasuke's target was the Rain ninja holding the Earth Scroll. His Sharingan locked on, and his kunai stabbed straight at the man's wrist, intending to seize the scroll!

Ling Yue charged at the other two instead, her hands flicking repeatedly as several shuriken tied with thin wires shot out. She did not seek to wound them, only to disrupt and restrict their movements!

[Basic Trap Knowledge] was immediately put to use!

"Enemy attack!" The Rain ninja reacted faster than expected! The ninja holding the scroll suddenly leaned back, avoiding Sasuke's kunai, while kicking the campfire. Sparks and ashes flew straight at Sasuke's face!

The other two Rain ninja also flipped aside in an instant to avoid the shuriken, drawing their kunai to counterattack!

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" One of the Rain ninja rapidly formed hand seals, and thick mist immediately spread out, obscuring their vision.

"Hmph, Sharingan!" Sasuke did not care in the slightest. Even in the mist, his Sharingan could clearly catch the flow of chakra, and his assault did not slow!

Relying on [Paper Arts] to sense air currents and attack trajectories, Ling Yue nimbly dodged through the mist while constantly using shuriken and thin wires to cause trouble, holding back the two Rain ninja.

The battle erupted in an instant! The clash of steel rang continuously through the thick mist!

Sasuke's combat talent was exceptionally high. With the Sharingan's support, he quickly suppressed the Rain ninja holding the scroll and nearly snatched it several times.

Ling Yue's side was somewhat more difficult. One against two, her opponents coordinated seamlessly and were both at chunin level. She could only rely on agile footwork and traps to keep them occupied.

[Flash Step] occasionally burst forth to widen the distance, while the speed boost from [Thunder Breathing] barely kept her from losing.

"Naruto! Sakura! Move!" Seeing that he could not take them down quickly, Sasuke immediately called for support.

Naruto, who had long been waiting impatiently, immediately charged out with a roar. "I'm coming! Watch this! Shadow Clone Technique!"

Several Shadow Clones joined the battle, instantly throwing the situation into chaos.

Sakura also gathered her courage and used her kunai to block a Rain ninja attacking Ling Yue.

"Retreat!" Seeing that the enemy reinforcements had arrived, the Rain ninja holding the scroll knew they could not win. He decisively gave the order, feinted, and tried to flee with the scroll.

"Trying to run?" Sasuke's Sharingan predicted his movements. His speed surged as he instantly cut into the opening, driving his kunai straight toward the man's chest!

The Rain ninja's pupils shrank sharply. He had no time to dodge!

At that critical moment—

An extremely thin black shadow shot out from the forest to the side at a speed too fast for the naked eye to catch, precisely knocking Sasuke's kunai away!

The force was so great that Sasuke's wrist went numb, sending him stumbling back several steps!

"Who's there?!" Sasuke stared in horror toward where the black shadow had come from.

Ling Yue could not help but tense up. This feeling... it can't be, right?!

Slow, distinct footsteps came from deep within the mist.

A tall, thin man slowly emerged. His face was pale, his long black hair fell over his shoulders, and he wore a loose kimono.

His eyes were strange golden vertical pupils, and a playful smile curved his lips. An eerie, bone-chilling aura radiated from his entire body.

Most terrifying of all, his tongue stretched out unnaturally long and licked the... finger that had just knocked away Sasuke's kunai?

"Sharingan... what beautiful eyes." The newcomer looked at Sasuke. His voice was hoarse yet magnetic, carrying an indescribable allure and danger.

Orochimaru!!!

Ling Yue's heart nearly stopped! He had really come! And even sooner than expected!

Naruto and Sakura also sensed the newcomer's extreme danger and nervously huddled together.

When the three Rain ninja saw him, fear actually appeared on their faces. They respectfully lowered their heads and quickly retreated behind him, as though they had encountered something terrifying.

"Who are you?!" Sasuke faced him as though confronting a great enemy. His Sharingan spun wildly as he tried to see through the man, yet all he could sense was bottomless chakra and terrifying malice.

"Me?" Orochimaru gave a soft laugh. His gaze swept over the four members of Team 7 before finally settling on Sasuke. His golden vertical pupils were filled with greed and desire. "Someone... very interested in you."

His gaze flicked toward Ling Yue again. He seemed slightly curious about her agile, strange movements from earlier, but quickly returned his attention to Sasuke, as if no one else was worth noticing.

"This guy... he's terrifying..." Cold sweat poured down Naruto's face, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Sakura was even paler, too frightened to say a word.

"Be careful... he's extremely strong!" Ling Yue warned in a low voice.

Every muscle in her body tightened. [Thunder Breathing] was pushed to its limit, and her [Zetsu] state rose to its highest level as she tried to reduce her presence. Yet it seemed to have little effect; that scrutinizing gaze still occasionally swept over her.

"Strong?" Orochimaru seemed to have heard her. He gave a light laugh. "I'm only... slightly stronger than the ninja you've seen."

Before his words had even faded—

His figure vanished instantly!

"Behind us!" Sasuke's Sharingan barely caught a trace of his movement, and he shouted!

But it was already too late!

Orochimaru instantly appeared between Naruto and Sakura, casually placing his hands on their shoulders.

"When?!" Naruto was frightened out of his wits.

Sakura did not dare move at all. She could not even scream.

The terrifying killing intent crushed them both! They could not even form the thought of resisting!

"Let them go!" Sasuke roared as he charged forward, thrusting his kunai at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru did not even turn around. He merely flicked his long hair!

His hair rapidly grew longer, instantly wrapping around Sasuke's wrists and ankles, binding him firmly in place and leaving him unable to move!

"Sasuke!" Seeing this, Ling Yue ignored her fear. [Flash Step] erupted as she formed hand seals with both hands!

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!" She tried to use her strongest current jutsu to interfere with him!

A sharp lightning spear shot toward Orochimaru!

"Oh? Not bad Lightning Release." Orochimaru seemed somewhat surprised, but he merely opened his mouth casually!

A huge python immediately crawled out of his mouth, swallowed the lightning spear in one bite, then turned into white smoke and vanished!

Ling Yue: "!!!" What the hell was that?!

"Little girl, your abilities are very interesting." Orochimaru finally gave Ling Yue a proper look, his golden vertical pupils filled with curiosity. "But right now, I don't have time to play with you."

Before his words had even fallen, the hands on Naruto and Sakura's shoulders exerted slight force.

Terrifying chakra instantly invaded their bodies!

Naruto and Sakura did not even groan. Their eyes rolled back, and they immediately collapsed unconscious, falling limply to the ground.

"Naruto! Sakura!" Sasuke's eyes nearly split with rage. He struggled frantically, but the hair binding him was incomparably tough. Even his Sharingan could not find a weakness!

Having easily dealt with the two of them, Orochimaru slowly walked toward the bound Sasuke. A blissful expression appeared on his face. "What a perfect vessel... the Uchiha bloodline, the potential of the Sharingan... Sasuke-kun, do you desire power?"

His voice seemed to carry magic, drilling directly into Sasuke's mind.

"Look at how weak you are now. You can't even protect the people important to you."

"Hatred needs power to nourish it... I can give you power, power enough to take revenge on that man..."

Sasuke's breathing became heavy. His Sharingan spun wildly, and his struggle seemed to weaken.

Ling Yue was frantic! She knew Orochimaru was using psychological suggestion!

She could not let him succeed!

She bit through her tongue. Stimulated by the sharp pain, she once again activated [Thunder Breathing] without regard for the consequences, even attempting to draw upon that sliver of [Fire Thunder God] power she had yet to master!

Violent lightning once again surged uncontrollably from her body!

"Let him go!" She charged at Orochimaru, her lightning-wreathed palm striking toward his back!

Orochimaru seemed to grow somewhat impatient. Without even turning his head, he struck back with his palm!

An utterly irresistible force crashed into her!

Ling Yue felt as though her chest had been struck by an iron hammer. She spat out a mouthful of blood uncontrollably, her whole body flying backward and slamming heavily into a large tree. Her vision went dark, and she nearly lost consciousness.

The lightning around her body instantly scattered.

The gap in strength was far too great!

"Annoying little bug." Orochimaru spoke coldly, returning his attention to Sasuke.

He looked at Sasuke, whose eyes were struggling and whose heart had clearly been shaken. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he slowly lowered his head and opened his mouth. Two sharp fangs became exceptionally prominent as they bit toward Sasuke's neck!

"Come, Sasuke-kun. Accept my gift..."

"No... don't!" Sasuke stared in terror at the fangs drawing closer and closer. He struggled desperately, but could not break free!

Ling Yue struggled to get up, but the pain wracking her entire body made it impossible. She could only watch helplessly.

Just as Orochimaru's fangs were about to touch Sasuke's skin—

Sasuke's Sharingan suddenly erupted with an unprecedented crimson glow!

The two tomoe in his eyes spun wildly, faintly showing signs of connecting together and forming a more complex pattern!

A cold, violent chakra filled with ominous energy suddenly erupted from Sasuke's body!

"AAAAAHHH!" Sasuke let out a painful roar!

The long hair binding him was shattered inch by inch by that sudden burst of power!

Even Orochimaru was forced half a step back by the force. Yet instead of surprise, his face showed even greater excitement and greed. "Oh? At a time like this... is the bloodline awakening? What delightfully surprising potential!"

However, after unleashing that power, Sasuke seemed to have exhausted all his strength. His eyes closed, his body went limp, and he fainted.

That violent chakra quickly faded as well.

Orochimaru looked at the unconscious Sasuke, then at the struggling Ling Yue and the unconscious Naruto and Sakura. He seemed to have lost interest in continuing to play.

"Forget it. The seed has already been planted." He licked his lips and gave Ling Yue a meaningful look. "Until we meet again, interesting little ones."

With that, his body sank into the ground and disappeared.

The three Rain ninja had also vanished without a trace.

In the dense forest, only the four members of Team 7 remained: three unconscious and one seriously injured.

Ling Yue forced herself to remain conscious as she looked at the unconscious Sasuke, especially the two clear bite marks on his neck that were darkening and spreading, along with those strange black markings. Her heart turned cold.

The cursed seal... had still been planted.

Intense pain and exhaustion washed over her, and her vision began to blur.

Before she completely lost consciousness, she seemed to see a blurry figure wearing a spiral mask standing in the shadow of a large tree not far away, silently watching them...

Who was it?