Hot Spring Suppression

"Why are you screaming? My chakra went in."

Chiba stood in the waist-deep hot spring, one arm around Anko's waist as he tapped her forehead irritably.

"It hurts... It's so swollen..."

Anko clutched Chiba's shirt tightly, her short purple hair completely soaked by the spring water and plastered to the side of her face.

The special jōnin bulletproof vest she wore had long been damaged in the earlier battle, leaving only a drenched black mesh shirt clinging tightly to her skin.

Warm spring water ran down from the hollow of her collarbone, appearing and disappearing amid the ripples.

"Obviously. This is the purest Wood Release chakra. Your chakra pathways are practically stuffed full of Orochimaru's filthy crap. Of course it's going to feel swollen."

Chiba's right hand pressed firmly against the back of Anko's neck, where a raised black tomoe mark radiated scorching heat.

"Let go... you bastard..."

Anko gritted her teeth and thrashed desperately in the water, her hands clawing wildly.

"Behave. Keep struggling, and I'll shove your head underwater to clear it."

"You... you scoundrel..."

Anko suddenly opened her mouth and bit down on Chiba's shoulder.

"Hiss! Are you a dog?"

Chiba sucked in a breath from the pain, but he did not let go.

He could feel the black markings on Anko's neck spreading upward like living creatures, crawling along her collarbone and neck.

The tips of Anko's ears were glowing red, whether from the heat of the spring or the abnormal sensation within her body.

"Orochimaru, biting people through a woman's body—is that all you can do?"

Chiba sneered as the green glow in his palm flared brightly.

A low, hoarse laugh suddenly came from Anko's throat.

"Brat of the Senju Clan... You think Wood Release can resolve this technique?"

The voice was not Anko's at all. It carried the foul stench unique to snakes lurking in gutters.

"Whether it can or not, why not try and find out?"

Chiba suddenly exerted force with his right hand, his five fingers clamping tightly around the back of Anko's neck.

"Wood Release: Sage Art: Chakra Infusion!"

Chiba shouted lowly as the prototype of his perfect Sage Body fully activated at that moment.

Pure, gentle green chakra brimming with boundless vitality surged like a clear spring through his palm and forcibly poured into Anko's body.

"Ah... Hah..."

Anko's body suddenly tensed, and a high, trembling cry escaped her throat.

The green life energy rampaged through her body. Wherever it passed, the purple toxins and black curse mark power that had been wreaking havoc melted away in large swathes.

Cold and heat intertwined, while pain and an indescribable tingling sensation exploded through her chakra pathways.

"Hold on, wild mare. This is only the beginning."

Chiba reminded her as he looked at her face, which had become somewhat unfocused from the pain.

"You... you bastard... Your chakra is too hot..."

Anko pressed her forehead against Chiba's chest, panting heavily.

The clothes on her back floated in the water, revealing one delicate shoulder blade that rose and fell violently with her breathing.

"Good. It's supposed to be hot. This is the power of Yang Release, specially made to counter the deathly aura of gutter trash like Orochimaru."

As Chiba spoke, he increased the output of his chakra.

The black markings within Anko's body began to tremble violently as Orochimaru's will fought back madly.

"Senju Chiba... You'll regret this... This body can't withstand it..."

Orochimaru's voice roared from Anko's throat, edged with frustrated fury.

"Can't withstand it? With my perfect Sage Body supporting her, she won't die even if she wants to."

Chiba snorted coldly. The Strength of a Hundred Seal on his forehead lit up with a dazzling green glow.

"Orochimaru, you have three seconds. Crawl back into your sewer!"

Chiba's chakra surged like a tsunami, completely drowning the black power within Anko's body.

"Boom!"

Anko's body suddenly arched backward, splashing up a huge wave.

"Ah...!"

She let out an incredibly high cry that echoed through the empty hot spring area in the back mountain.

The next moment, the black markings spreading across her neck receded like the tide, shrinking back into the three black tomoe marks.

Anko's eyes rolled back, and all strength left her body. She collapsed limply into Chiba's arms.

The water around them slowly settled.

Holding her, Chiba felt as though the woman in his arms was burning like a furnace.

"Whew... Finally dealt with it."

Chiba let out a breath and was just about to withdraw his hand.

However, at the very last moment when the connection between his chakra and the curse mark inside Anko was severed, an unexpected change occurred.

The cells of Chiba's perfect Sage Body suddenly trembled violently like sharks that had smelled blood.

Those originally gentle Wood Release cells developed an intense, ravenous urge to devour upon coming into contact with the lingering sage chakra from Ryūchi Cave.

"This is..."

Chiba frowned.

He could feel his Sage Body actively drawing in the lingering cold power inside Anko's body, purifying and assimilating it in an extremely short time.

Though this power was mixed and impure, its essence was remarkably high.

"The sage power Orochimaru extracted from Jugo... My Sage Body can actually absorb it directly?"

Chiba's heart stirred as he looked down at Anko in his arms.

Anko had opened her eyes by then, and her gaze was filled with lingering daze and extreme shock.

"You... what did you do to me...?"

Anko's voice trembled slightly. She could feel that the curse mark that had tormented her for years was now as quiet as a dead dog.

Not only that, a faint warmth flowed beneath the skin of her neck, repairing her damaged chakra pathways.

"What did I do? I saved your life, obviously."

Chiba raised an eyebrow, his right hand still resting on her soaked shoulder with no intention of moving away.

"But I feel like... you took something from inside me..."

Anko gritted her teeth and struggled to straighten herself.

But her legs were weak. The moment she moved, she fell back into Chiba's arms.

"Took something? That's called recycling trash."

Chiba smiled and looked down at her.

"Orochimaru's dog leash he left on you tasted pretty good."

Anko's eyes widened as she looked at the handsome face so close to hers.

"You... are you crazy? That was Orochimaru's curse mark power. You actually dared to absorb it?"

"In Konoha, there's nothing I don't dare to eat."

Chiba leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against Anko's ear.

"Wild mare, I helped you keep your life. Shouldn't we discuss my reward next?"

The tips of Anko's ears reddened again. She turned her head away to avoid Chiba's gaze.

"I... I don't have any money."

"No money?"

Chiba's fingers slowly slid down her shoulder, stopping at the edge of her soaked collar.

"If you have no money, you can repay the debt another way. How about signing a contract?"

Anko shrank her neck back somewhat awkwardly as she looked at Chiba's roguish smile.

"A contract? What kind of contract?"

The smile at the corner of Chiba's lips deepened.

"A contract that will let you completely escape Orochimaru—and become stronger while you're at it."