"Hm?"
The long-haired ninja grew serious at those words, staring at Sasuke with uncertainty.
He was actually one of Orochimaru's subordinates. His name was Dosu, and he had come to Konoha to test Sasuke. But unexpectedly...
Just moments ago, they had been beaten by someone named Naruto—and beaten terribly, without the slightest ability to fight back.
To randomly run into someone so powerful made them begin reassessing the strength of Konoha's ninjas.
They felt that Konoha, as the strongest nation in the Ninja World, had not become powerful without reason.
Now, hearing Sasuke speak with such confidence and seeing his cold, arrogant expression, Dosu became even more uncertain.
He felt that Sasuke might be even stronger than Naruto had been. Otherwise, Sasuke could not possibly have that attitude, much less have caught Orochimaru's attention.
Therefore, Dosu did not dare act rashly and merely stared at Sasuke solemnly.
The female ninja beside him wore the same expression. She grabbed Dosu and advised, "Dosu, forget it. You're injured. It's best not to cause trouble."
"Yeah, Dosu, have you forgotten our objective?" the other injured male ninja also urged.
Their words made Dosu even less willing to act rashly, but he was extremely loyal to Orochimaru and desperately wanted to prove himself.
Especially when he saw Sasuke's haughty attitude, Dosu could not help clenching his fists.
"No, I must earn my lord's approval, and this is the perfect opportunity."
As Dosu spoke, he raised both hands into a fighting stance. He knew the coming battle might be brutal, and that he would very likely be severely injured.
But to prove himself to Lord Orochimaru, Dosu could not back down. Not even if it meant death.
Therefore...
He gathered all his strength and prepared his strongest attack, staring intently at Sasuke.
"Perhaps you are