Orochimaru, an Unbeatable Foe

"Follow me, and don't make a sound!" Uchiha Shunichi warned before moving forward.

His two teammates had no idea what was happening, nor did they know what Uchiha Shunichi was trying to do.

However, their captain had given them a vague warning before they came, so they did not dare argue.

Uchiha Shunichi quietly kept watch near Naruto Uzumaki while searching the surroundings for any Anbu who might be on the same mission as him.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Shunichi did not find any other Anbu. Instead, he found Orochimaru.

"I'm afraid I can't let you pass." Uchiha Shunichi suddenly appeared before Orochimaru, blocking his path.

"Uchiha Shunichi... Move aside. I have no interest in you right now." Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and gave Uchiha Shunichi's neck a strange look.

"You should find another way around. There's still plenty of time, so there's no need for this examinee to be in such a hurry." Uchiha Shunichi drew his blade and spoke softly.

At that moment, Uchiha Shunichi's two teammates had become little more than scenery. Other than hiding in the grass, they could do nothing.

Obviously, Orochimaru had no intention of speaking calmly with Uchiha Shunichi. Having infiltrated this place, he was practically making no effort to conceal his identity.

A giant snake lunged at Uchiha Shunichi, only to be severed by a single slash. Snake blood splattered across the ground, and the air filled with the stench of blood.

Seeing this, interest appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.

He could tell that Uchiha Shunichi still could not properly use his Mangekyō Sharingan. Compared to that fellow Itachi, Uchiha Shunichi was far inferior.

"Looks like there's no peaceful way out of this." Uchiha Shunichi sighed as pale blue lightning chakra immediately covered his long blade.

"It seems this is even more entertaining than I imagined." Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

Watching this scene, Uchiha Shunichi was utterly speechless.

Does no one in Konoha notice that signature gesture? Other than Orochimaru, who else in the entire Shinobi World would do that?

Suddenly, Orochimaru's expression turned serious, and intense killing intent poured from his body.

Thud! Uchiha Shunichi's two teammates collapsed under the pressure of that killing intent, completely stripped of any ability to resist.

Uchiha Shunichi showed no reaction to the scene behind him, as though he had not noticed it at all. He directly used Body Flicker and rushed toward Orochimaru.

He slashed down!

Orochimaru casually blocked it with an ordinary kunai, then kicked Uchiha Shunichi flying...

Because of his age, Uchiha Shunichi's strength was still somewhat lacking. Though he had reached the level of a Jonin, he was like a child in Orochimaru's hands.

"Just as I thought, it's not enough." Uchiha Shunichi rose from the ground, clutching his stomach, and sheathed his long blade.

"Oh? Are you planning to give up? I've only just started to take an interest in you." Orochimaru seemed somewhat displeased by Uchiha Shunichi's actions.

"My apologies, but I never really received systematic training in swordsmanship. It's fine for bullying other people, but I'm still lacking when facing you." A faint smile appeared on Uchiha Shunichi's lips as he waved both hands, producing a large number of ninja tools.

A scroll was wrapped around Uchiha Shunichi's wrist, with quite a few ninja tools sealed within it.

Uchiha Shunichi hurled the ninja tools at tremendous speed, forcing even Orochimaru to temporarily avoid their edge.

Ninjas... had rather poor defenses. Even if the ninja tools could not inflict serious damage on Orochimaru, they could still injure him.

"Eight Gates... First Gate, Second Gate, Third Gate... Fifth Gate... Open!" Taking advantage of the opportunity, Uchiha Shunichi immediately activated the Eight Gates.

Sometimes, the gap between geniuses and ordinary people was truly immense. Even though Uchiha Shunichi's body had constantly been drained by the Mangekyō Sharingan, years of physical training and strengthening had still allowed his body to endure the power of the Fifth Gate.

That level of power was already no weaker than that of most Jonin.

"Eight Gates... That's quite an interesting Ninjutsu. But doesn't training in it waste your talent?" Orochimaru's tone carried considerable regret.

Uchiha Shunichi merely smiled at that. Then he gripped his blade with both hands. There were no techniques and no Ninjutsu enhancements—he simply swung with all his strength!

"Slash!"

Just as Uchiha Shunichi had said, he had never systematically trained in swordsmanship. The blade in his hand was not a Ninja Sword either. The reason he could coat it in lightning chakra was merely due to a Ninjutsu similar to the Chakra Scalpel.

However, during his daily training, Uchiha Shunichi's sword swings had always been extremely fast...

"Summoning Technique!"

Perhaps because he did not wish to expose himself, Orochimaru summoned a giant snake to block Uchiha Shunichi's slash...

Of course, it could not stop it.

But after Uchiha Shunichi's slash cut the snake in half, he could no longer harm Orochimaru.

"That really is a rather dangerous sword technique." Orochimaru sounded as though he were teasing him, but he had truly sensed a trace of danger just now.

Such strength was no weaker than that of a Jonin who had spent years on the battlefield.

"I still couldn't stop you, but can you promise me not to attack Naruto Uzumaki?" Uchiha Shunichi had already sensed that Naruto's side had encountered a battle.

Though he still could not determine whether the person before him was Orochimaru's true body or whether the one over there was, Uchiha Shunichi no longer had the mood to continue.

He did not want to fight anymore, but Orochimaru's fighting spirit had been stirred. More precisely, he had become curious about Uchiha Shunichi's strength.

"Giving up just like that doesn't seem very good." Orochimaru directly used his signature Ninjutsu, Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

Although Uchiha Shunichi barely avoided it with his body enhanced by the Eight Gates, Orochimaru was beside him in the very next instant.

Uchiha Shunichi's Mangekyō Sharingan had already spotted Orochimaru, but his body could not react in time. Even with the Fifth Gate open, Uchiha Shunichi's physical abilities still could not keep up with his eyes.

He barely raised his arm to block the kick, but Uchiha Shunichi was still sent flying, and the long blade in his hand flew far away...

"Lord Orochimaru, I truly don't want to fight you. The strain of the Mangekyō Sharingan is too great, and I can't control it. If I use it, I might die."

Left with no other choice, Uchiha Shunichi could only plead, trying to make Orochimaru stop.

His trump card was meant for killing Danzo.

Uchiha Shunichi did not want to expose it at a time like this.