Move!

Faced with Orochimaru's question, Naruto did not answer immediately.

It was as though invisible streams of data flowed through his eyes, comparing the pattern of the being before him to the twisted "Chaos cultists" in his database.

[Assessment: Highly similar. Possesses active contamination-spreading traits. Threat level continues to rise.]

He raised his Chainsword, its cold tip aimed directly at Orochimaru's pale face.

"I am the broom that came to clean up filth like you."

For the first time, the amused smile vanished entirely from Orochimaru's face.

What he sensed was not arrogance or contempt, but a cold declaration that was almost a statement of fact. It was a provocation unlike any he had ever encountered.

"Heh... here to clean me up?"

Orochimaru's sinister laughter deepened as his hands rapidly formed seals.

"Interesting little brat. It seems I can't have a proper talk with Sasuke-kun until I tear that mouth of yours apart."

"Earth Release: Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

Rumble!

Several massive earthen walls erupted from the ground, instantly tearing the battlefield apart and cutting off Team 7's line of sight.

Then Orochimaru opened his mouth and unleashed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of poison-coated Senbon like a torrential downpour, firing them indiscriminately toward Naruto's position.

His intent was obvious: use a wide-area attack to dispose of the most troublesome one first, the brat wielding that strange weapon.

Naruto's tactical squad reacted almost the instant the earthen walls rose.

Two Shadow Clones stepped forward, their Chainswords whirling into two silver barriers with ear-piercing roars.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Whether solid chunks of earth or poisoned Senbon, anything that touched the rapidly spinning teeth was instantly knocked away and shattered.

The other two Shadow Clones did not hesitate in the slightest. One on each side seized Sakura and forcibly carried her toward the safe area behind them.

Naruto himself kept his attention completely locked on Sasuke.

"Left flank. Coordinate suppression."

His command was concise and utterly devoid of emotion.

"Use your eyes. Find his weakness."

"From what you observed just now, you should have picked up some useful information."

The command struck Sasuke's nerves like a cold Warhammer.

"Don't tell me you were simply afraid just now."

Fear coiled around Sasuke's heart like an icy venomous snake. But stronger than the fear was humiliation.

If he kept giving in to fear, Naruto would only leave him farther and farther behind.

In the end, he might even lose the right to be used as Naruto's "soldier."

Sasuke trembled as he looked down at his legs, which felt as though they had been filled with lead and refused to move.

"Move!"

He abruptly drew a Kunai from his ninja pouch and, without the slightest hesitation, drove it savagely into his thigh.

Intense pain instantly tore through his body, using physical stimulation to forcibly dispel his mental paralysis.

Blood ran down his pant leg and dripped into the dirt.

Sasuke gasped for breath, veins bulging across his forehead. Yet the fear in his eyes had been replaced by an even more violent will.

He raised his head. Within those black pupils, two Tomoe spun rapidly, giving off an eerie Kurenai glow.

He was no longer fighting merely for the sake of fighting. He was fighting to prove his worth to the man before him, the man who acknowledged him yet might cast him aside at any moment.

"Over there!"

With his Sharingan operating at full capacity, he precisely caught Orochimaru's rapidly moving figure behind the earthen walls.

Rather than passively waiting, Sasuke leaped onto a large tree and rapidly formed seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The blazing fireball did not fly directly at Orochimaru. Instead, it blasted toward the position Orochimaru was about to move to from an awkward angle, sealing off his route.

This was no longer an outburst of individual heroism, but precise tactical execution entirely in service of Naruto's command.

Orochimaru's figure stalled, surprise flashing across his face.

He had not expected the Uchiha brat, who had been trembling in fear just moments ago, to adjust so quickly and make such an accurate tactical judgment.

It was that instant of hesitation.

Naruto moved.

Bzzzz—!

The Chainsword's roar shook the forest. Like a siege tank charging at full speed, he smashed straight through the earthen wall before him and surged toward Orochimaru with savage force.

A strange tacit understanding formed between Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto was an unstoppable spear, responsible for frontal suppression and destruction.

Sasuke was the precision scope mounted at the spear's tip, responsible for locking onto weaknesses, clearing obstacles, and predicting trajectories.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru repeated his old trick, dozens of venomous snakes shooting out from his sleeves.

But under Sasuke's Sharingan, the snakes' attack paths were predicted in advance.

"Three on the right! The two below are feints!" Sasuke shouted in warning.

Naruto did not even spare the time to look. His body had already reacted. The Chainsword in his hand traced a simple arc, accurately chopping the most dangerous snakes into several pieces.

For the first time, Orochimaru found the situation troublesome.

His prized, art-like flexible taijutsu and bizarre, ever-changing snake ninjutsu could not find any opening against such coordination.

"Your body is becoming more and more fascinating to me, Sasuke-kun!"

Orochimaru slickly dodged another slash, his neck twisting at an inhuman angle to evade the Kunai Sasuke had thrown.

His target had always been Sasuke.

Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth.

"Kusanagi Sword!"

A sharp blade shot from his mouth with a piercing whistle, stabbing straight toward Sasuke's throat.

It was too fast!

Sasuke's Sharingan could see its trajectory, but his body could not keep up.

The shadow of death descended once more.

Yet a roaring weapon swept in from the side at even greater speed.

Clang!

The Chainsword's teeth violently collided with the Kusanagi Sword, erupting in a shower of blinding sparks.

Naruto forcibly blocked the fatal strike with his weapon.

He stood in front of Sasuke.

"Your opponent is me." Naruto turned, his cold gaze sweeping over Sasuke. "Focus, soldier. Losing focus on the battlefield is the same as suicide."

Sasuke clenched his fists. His lips moved, but he could not say a single word.

Shame, anger, and a trace of... gratitude he was unwilling even to admit to himself.

Those tangled emotions ultimately became an even stronger fighting spirit.

He could not keep holding Naruto back!

"Interesting. This is far too interesting!"

Orochimaru laughed wildly as he withdrew the Kusanagi Sword. Looking at the two before him, who worked together so seamlessly, the greed in his eyes nearly overflowed.

"One perfect vessel, one interesting soul... Konoha has truly given me an enormous gift this time!"

Before his words had even faded, Orochimaru dodged Naruto's downward slash, and Sasuke's Two-Tomoe Sharingan caught where he would land a fraction of a second later.

An opportunity!

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Several fireballs scattered like blooming phoenix flowers, sealing every route Orochimaru could use to evade.

Orochimaru's expression changed slightly. He had not expected Sasuke's prediction to be this accurate.

He was forced to take the side sweep from Naruto's Shadow Clone head-on.

Riiip—!

The sound of tearing fabric was exceptionally harsh.

The rapidly spinning Chainsword tore open Orochimaru's sleeve, leaving a gruesome wound on his pale arm, deep enough to expose bone.

Blood burst forth.

This was the first time since his appearance that he had been truly injured.

Orochimaru stopped moving.

He slowly lowered his head and looked at the wound on his arm, where flesh had been torn open and pale white bone was visible.

At that moment, the forest became terrifyingly silent.