Elsewhere, Lin Chuan reached the vicinity of the battlefield and sensed how fierce the fighting was. He did not reveal himself immediately, because the ninja he spotted belonged to Naruto and Sasuke's Team.
"Tsk, tsk. Orochimaru's noob-stomping session." Lin Chuan excitedly licked his lips and watched with relish. He did not dare get too close, lest Orochimaru, a Kage-level powerhouse, discover him.
Instead, he took out binoculars and quietly observed Orochimaru, who had found Sasuke's trio. Faced with Orochimaru's undisguised killing intent, all three froze for an instant. It was even stronger than Kakashi's. Sasuke sensed something was wrong.
There was no time for the three to think. They were not frightened into paralysis, nor did they flee. All three had been tempered by lengthy missions. At the very least, Naruto and Sasuke would not be cowed by Orochimaru's killing intent.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto attacked first as usual, opening with the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to test his opponent. Hundreds upon thousands of Shadow Clones appeared in an instant and charged at Orochimaru.
"Interesting. The Uzumaki Clan." Looking at Blondie, Orochimaru remembered Minato Namikaze, who had once competed with him for the position of Hokage. The resemblance was uncanny. To think that man's child had already grown so big.
If he was right, this boy should be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He immediately raised his hands, formed hand seals, and unleashed an area-of-effect Wind Release attack that swept through every charging Naruto clone.
The Narutos were sliced apart by the Wind Release, bursting into clouds of smoke. Despite their numbers, which should have bought some time, Orochimaru cleared them all with a single Wind Release attack. The backlash from the Shadow Clones piled onto Naruto, leaving him collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
Spotting the real Naruto, Orochimaru