Orochimaru Appears

"Do you know Lord Orochimaru?" Now it was Zaku Abumi's turn to be dumbfounded. "Have you seen through our plan?"

Tianming looked coldly at Zaku Abumi. To be honest, he felt helpless at this moment. He knew Orochimaru was lurking in the shadows, waiting to make a move on Sasuke. If he stopped him, he might be blocking Sasuke's path.

But if he did not stop him, he would have to watch his teammate get beaten up.

"Air-Cleaving Wave!"

While Tianming was distracted, Zaku Abumi swiftly widened the distance and struck out with his palm! An invisible shockwave of compressed air came blasting toward him.

Boom!

Tianming casually dodged the attack, while also marveling at Zaku Abumi's method.

This technique inflicted damage by compressing air. It seemed somewhat similar to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Tianming pulled out a pair of shuriken and hurled them. Two silver flashes vanished from sight in an instant, only to reappear on either side in the next moment.

"Explode!" Zaku Abumi thrust both hands forward, and Air-Cleaving Waves surged out again, knocking the shuriken away.

"Bastard, watch my Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" At that moment, the other three came running back from behind.

The unbound Naruto Uzumaki was like a ferocious beast. He raised his hand and immediately unleashed a forbidden technique! The forest was instantly filled with countless Naruto clones, all charging at Zaku Abumi!

Facing the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique's assault, Zaku Abumi remained calm and pressed his hands together! A peculiar sound wave emerged from the air vents in his palms. The countless Naruto clones suddenly froze, then began to twist.

"Sonic Roar!" Zaku Abumi thrust both palms forward, and a bizarre sound instantly pierced through the Shadow Clone Technique.

"What?!" Naruto Uzumaki could not believe his eyes. His proudest technique had been dismantled without even touching a single hair on the enemy?

"Using the frequency of sound waves to shatter the chakra connection," Tianming said calmly.

Every ninjutsu required chakra to operate. Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was no exception. Once the clones approached Zaku Abumi, the frequency of his Sonic Roar shattered the connection between the original body and the clones, allowing him to succeed.

Zaku Abumi did not answer Tianming. Instead, he lunged toward him! With a raise of his hand, he fired several Air-Cleaving Waves at everyone in Team 7.

Faced with such a powerful opponent, no one dared confront him head-on.

But Tianming did not retreat!

Not only did he not retreat—he stepped forward and slowly pressed down with one hand! Zaku Abumi's Air-Cleaving Waves were instantly halted, their force redirected as they swept to both sides!

"What kind of ninjutsu is this?!" Zaku Abumi's advancing steps came to an abrupt stop!

He could tell that the Air-Cleaving Waves had neither been destroyed nor assimilated. They had been suppressed by another force of compressed air!

Something unheard of! The way Zaku Abumi looked at Tianming changed again. Was this the vessel Lord Orochimaru had taken a liking to...?

"Damn it!" A trace of envy flashed across Zaku Abumi's face. Then his hands rapidly formed seals. His arms slowly began to shed their skin and bleed, while the air vents turned red as well!

"Air-Rending Tiger!"

With Zaku Abumi's roar, a fierce tiger formed from compressed air took shape and charged toward Tianming.

Zaku Abumi had gone for the kill, and Tianming was no different. He would never show mercy to an enemy.

"Quake Blade! Shatter!"

Tianming raised his hand and used his fruit ability. He randomly drew in a patch of air and formed it into a blade, then seized the blade and slashed again! A white line that cut through everything pierced through the chakra tiger and Zaku Abumi behind it in an instant!

Zaku Abumi's eyes widened. Now he understood Tianming's method.

What sound-nin ninjutsu? He had simply used brute force to compress the air until it exploded!

Boom! Zaku Abumi's body began to break apart before vanishing into nothingness.

Tianming could have fought without using his fruit ability, but when battling Zaku Abumi, he had still chosen a method that nearly drained all his chakra. It was all so Orochimaru would place the curse mark on Sasuke!

That way, he would not feel stifled, and he would not steal Sasuke's cheat ability either.

Besides, he had the Sign-In System. There would be plenty of rewards in the future. It was only a curse mark.

After Zaku Abumi was dealt with, before the others could even react, a giant snake suddenly emerged from deep within the forest.

The giant snake rampaged toward the three members of Team 7 and bit down at them.

At the critical moment, Naruto Uzumaki pushed Sasuke and Sakura Haruno aside, but was swallowed whole by the giant snake himself!

"Naruto!" Sasuke Uchiha was about to charge in with his Sharingan activated, but the giant snake sent him flying with a sweep of its tail.

After scattering Team 7's formation, the giant snake opened its bloody maw, and another black snake emerged from inside its mouth.

Once the separation was complete, the first giant snake slithered away, while the black snake actually charged at Tianming.

"What the hell is going on?" Tianming hurriedly leaped onto a tree branch to evade it. Before he could react, a figure appeared behind him.

It was none other than Orochimaru?

"Qingchuan Tianming, it is our first meeting." Wearing a human-skin mask, he gave a smile that was not quite a smile. "I watched your battle from beginning to end. Your body is exceptionally perfect. Whether it is your abundant chakra or your overwhelming strength, both are excellent!"

Hearing Orochimaru call out his name, Tianming was puzzled. "Orochimaru, why have you come to Konoha?"

"Me?" Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked the skin mask on his face. "What if I said I came for you? Would you believe me?"

Damn it! Orochimaru, why aren't you following the script?