Chapter 251: Fierce Battle with Orochimaru!
Asuramaru's expression changed the moment the approaching presence entered his Perception.
This was nothing like the Genin Team 7 had just defeated.
The difference was enormous.
He immediately warned Naruto.
"Naruto, someone is coming straight toward you."
Naruto's attention sharpened.
Asuramaru continued.
"And among the people approaching, one is extremely strong."
Naruto stopped walking.
"How strong?"
"For the three of you right now?"
Asuramaru answered without hesitation.
"You have no chance of winning."
Naruto's expression became grave.
None at all.
Coming from Asuramaru, those words carried far more weight than any ordinary warning.
Naruto glanced toward Sasuke and Sakura.
"Can we escape?"
"It's already too late for all three of you to leave together."
Asuramaru paused.
"If you abandon those two burdens, though, escaping by yourself shouldn't be difficult."
Naruto rejected the idea before Asuramaru had even finished speaking.
Leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind was never an option.
If the enemy was already close enough that all three could not safely escape together, then someone had to remain behind.
Naruto made his choice.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke turned toward him immediately.
"Sakura."
She looked over as well.
Naruto's tone was serious enough that neither interrupted.
"You two leave now."
Sakura froze.
"What?"
"A very strong enemy is approaching from directly ahead."
Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a three pronged kunai.
He handed it to Sasuke.
"Even I'm probably not a match for him."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Naruto continued.
"Take this."
Sasuke looked down at the Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand.
"I'll stay behind and delay him."
Sakura immediately protested.
"Then we should stay and fight together!"
"No."
Naruto's answer was firm.
"If you stay, I'll have to protect both of you while fighting him."
He looked at Sasuke.
"You understand, right?"
Sasuke clenched the kunai.
He hated it.
He hated admitting that there were enemies he could not face.
He hated realizing that staying here would only make Naruto's situation worse.
But he understood.
"Fine."
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"Be careful."
Then he turned toward Sakura.
"Let's go."
Sakura hesitated.
Her eyes remained fixed on Naruto.
Sasuke's voice sharpened.
"We don't have time."
"The farther we get, the easier it'll be for Naruto to escape."
That finally convinced her.
Sakura started moving, but before leaving, she looked back.
"Naruto!"
He glanced toward her.
"You have to come back."
Her voice carried genuine worry.
"Sasuke and I will be waiting."
"We're passing this exam together."
Naruto smiled.
"I know."
Then Sasuke and Sakura disappeared deeper into the forest.
Naruto watched until their figures vanished among the trees.
Only then did he turn back.
He exhaled slowly.
A three pronged kunai rested in his hand.
"Asuramaru."
"I'm listening."
"How close?"
Asuramaru's answer came immediately.
"He's here."
Leaves rustled.
Three figures appeared ahead.
All three wore bamboo hats that partially concealed their faces.
Naruto's gaze focused on the person standing in the center.
The leading figure spoke first.
"You two."
The voice sounded feminine.
"Go entertain yourselves somewhere else."
The other two did not argue.
They vanished into the forest.
Only the leader remained.
Naruto studied the stranger.
The appearance was that of a woman, but something about the person felt deeply wrong.
A thick purple rope was tied around the waist.
The stranger raised her head.
Then an unnaturally long tongue slipped from between her lips and slowly passed across them.
Naruto's grip tightened around his kunai.
Inside him, Asuramaru already knew the truth.
Orochimaru.
One of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.
And one of the most dangerous Shinobi alive.
Orochimaru looked at Naruto.
Then he released his killing intent.
Boom!
Naruto's body stiffened.
For one terrifying instant, the forest disappeared.
He saw himself pierced through by countless weapons.
Blood.
Death.
His own corpse lying on the ground.
The sensation was vivid enough to make his instincts scream.
Cold sweat rolled down Naruto's temple.
His breathing became heavier.
But he remained standing.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed with genuine interest.
"Oh?"
The killing intent receded slightly.
"You can withstand that?"
Naruto forced his body to relax.
He had faced terrifying enemies within Asuramaru's mental world countless times.
Monsters.
Sword Masters.
Even the pressure of beings far beyond ordinary Shinobi.
Orochimaru's killing intent was frightening.
But it was not enough to break him.
Naruto stared at the disguised Sannin.
"You're not here to take the Chūnin Exams."
Orochimaru's smile widened.
Naruto continued.
"So what do you actually want?"
That question interested Orochimaru even more.
Not only had the boy endured his killing intent, but he had immediately recognized that something was wrong.
His original target was Uchiha Sasuke.
But Sasuke was not going anywhere.
There was still time.
And Uzumaki Naruto had suddenly become far more interesting than Orochimaru had expected.
"So you noticed."
His tongue slid across his lips again.
"What an interesting child."
Orochimaru's eyes became dangerous.
"Unfortunately, that means I can't simply let you leave."
Naruto lowered his center of gravity.
Orochimaru smiled.
"I'll have to kill you here."
Naruto moved first.
His foot struck the ground.
He crossed the distance between them in an instant.
The three pronged kunai stabbed toward Orochimaru's throat.
Orochimaru tilted his head.
The weapon passed beside his cheek.
Naruto rotated his wrist and slashed sideways.
Orochimaru bent backward.
Naruto followed with a kick.
Orochimaru blocked.
Thud!
The force pushed him several steps across the forest floor.
Orochimaru's eyes sharpened.
Interesting.
Naruto attacked again.
Kunai met kunai.
Metal rang through the forest.
Naruto pressed forward with a fast sequence of strikes, mixing punches, kicks, feints, and short thrusts.
Orochimaru avoided them all.
Yet the longer the exchange continued, the more surprised he became.
This was not the taijutsu of an ordinary Genin.
Naruto's movements were disciplined.
His reactions were fast.
His strength was abnormal for his age.
Even his body felt unusually durable.
Special Jōnin level close combat?
From a newly graduated Genin?
Orochimaru's smile grew.
How fascinating.
Naruto suddenly stepped back.
Then his arm snapped forward.
A three pronged kunai shot toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru casually lowered his head.
The weapon passed over him.
He laughed.
"A kunai?"
His eyes followed Naruto.
"Trying to catch me with something that obvious is far too"
Naruto vanished.
Orochimaru's words stopped.
His pupils contracted.
Flying Thunder God.
Naruto appeared beside the kunai Orochimaru had just avoided.
He twisted in midair, seized the weapon, and raised his other hand.
Chakra spiralled into his palm.
An azure sphere formed.
Orochimaru looked up.
"Rasengan!"
Naruto drove the technique down.
Boom!
The Rasengan slammed into Orochimaru's back.
The impact exploded through the forest.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Earth and shattered roots burst outward.
A deep crater formed where Orochimaru had been standing.
Naruto landed nearby.
His eyes remained fixed on the smoke.
He had hit him.
But Asuramaru did not relax.
Neither did Naruto.
Something moved inside the crater.
The damaged body opened its mouth impossibly wide.
A pair of hands emerged.
Then a head.
Orochimaru crawled out of his own mouth like a snake shedding dead skin.
His new body was completely unharmed.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
"What kind of ninjutsu is that?"
Orochimaru did not answer.
He lunged.
His hands reached for Naruto.
Naruto disappeared.
Flash.
Orochimaru caught nothing.
Far deeper inside the Forest of Death, Sasuke and Sakura were still moving at full speed.
Sakura looked back repeatedly.
"Do you think Naruto is all right?"
Sasuke said nothing.
He simply gripped the three pronged kunai Naruto had given him.
Then Naruto appeared beside them.
Flash!
Sakura nearly stumbled.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke turned.
For the briefest moment, relief softened his normally cold expression.
A small smile even appeared.
It vanished almost immediately.
"You fought him?"
Naruto nodded.
Sasuke's expression became serious again.
"How strong?"
"Very."
Naruto did not waste time.
"Maybe even stronger than Kakashi sensei."
Sakura's face changed.
"Stronger than Kakashi sensei?"
Naruto nodded.
"And he isn't here for the exam."
"He has some other purpose."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Naruto continued.
"With our current strength, we can't stop him."
"So we run."
No one argued.
The three immediately accelerated toward the outer perimeter of the Forest of Death.
Behind them, Orochimaru was still processing what had just happened.
Flying Thunder God.
There was no mistake.
That was Minato Namikaze's signature technique.
Orochimaru had never imagined that the Fourth Hokage's son would master it at such a young age.
His talent might genuinely surpass Minato's.
And that was only one part of Naruto's value.
He was also the Nine Tails Jinchūriki.
Excellent physical ability.
Massive chakra reserves.
Flying Thunder God.
Rasengan.
Twelve years old.
The possibilities were astonishing.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
Perhaps Naruto could become a suitable vessel as well.
The thought lingered only briefly.
Then Sasuke's face returned to his mind.
The Sharingan.
The blood of the Uchiha.
That was still the greater temptation.
For now.
Orochimaru leaned forward.
Then accelerated.
His figure tore through the forest.
Naruto sensed movement behind them.
Asuramaru confirmed it immediately.
"He's catching up."
Naruto looked over his shoulder.
Orochimaru appeared between the trees.
Far too fast.
Naruto stopped.
"You two keep going!"
Sasuke turned.
"Again?"
"Go!"
Naruto threw another three pronged kunai.
Orochimaru watched it approach.
His smile widened.
"How many times can you keep doing this?"
He shifted aside and allowed the kunai to pass.
"Flying Thunder God is powerful."
"But every use consumes chakra and mental energy."
His tongue emerged again.
"How long can a child like you maintain it?"
Naruto's expression tightened.
That was the problem.
Chakra was not his greatest concern.
With his own reserves and the Nine Tails inside him, Naruto had access to an enormous amount.
But Flying Thunder God demanded far more than raw chakra.
Each teleportation required precise spatial perception and intense concentration.
Using it repeatedly in rapid combat placed immense strain on his mind.
Naruto could already feel the fatigue accumulating.
Orochimaru knew it.
And he intended to exploit it.
His body dropped toward the ground.
Then it changed.
His limbs moved with disturbing flexibility.
His body twisted and slithered forward with the fluidity of a snake.
Orochimaru ignored Naruto.
He went directly after Sasuke and Sakura.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Again.
The same tactic Zabuza had used.
Attack the people he refused to abandon.
Naruto disappeared.
Flash!
He appeared between Orochimaru and his teammates.
A Rasengan formed in his palm.
Naruto thrust it forward.
Orochimaru's body bent sideways at an impossible angle.
The Rasengan missed by inches.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Orochimaru's tongue shot from his mouth.
It wrapped around Naruto's torso.
"What"
The tongue tightened.
Then Orochimaru swung his head.
Naruto's body was ripped from the ground.
Boom!
He slammed into the earth.
Pain exploded through his back.
Before Naruto could recover, Orochimaru swung again.
Naruto was thrown through the air like a discarded doll.
He crashed into the ground and rolled across dirt and roots before finally stopping.
For several seconds, his body refused to move.
"Naruto!"
Sakura screamed.
Sasuke's expression changed.
But Orochimaru was already upon him.
Sasuke drew his kunai.
His Sharingan activated.
Orochimaru smiled.
That was what he wanted to see.
Sasuke attacked.
Orochimaru avoided him effortlessly.
A punch missed.
A kick was deflected.
A kunai thrust passed through empty space.
To Sasuke, Orochimaru seemed to be everywhere.
To Orochimaru, Sasuke was barely more than a mouse trapped beneath a cat's paw.
He was not even using his full strength.
There was no need.
Sakura tried to move toward Naruto.
The ground behind her erupted.
A gigantic snake emerged.
Its body stretched nearly a hundred metres through the forest.
Sakura looked up.
Her face went pale.
The serpent opened its jaws.
Then it lunged.
Sakura ran.
Inside Naruto, Asuramaru watched everything unfold.
He could intervene.
But there were limits.
Naruto had already demonstrated that his current body could barely withstand a minute of Demonization.
Pouring more power into him would destroy him before Orochimaru could be killed.
Even if Asuramaru personally took control, the result would be the same.
The vessel itself was too weak.
Asuramaru could create a clone and deal with Orochimaru personally.
But there was no reason to expose that card.
Not yet.
Especially when Naruto already carried another source of overwhelming power.
Asuramaru's gaze shifted toward the seal.
Toward the Nine Tails.
For now, there were still options.
On the forest floor, Naruto's fingers moved.
Pain spread through his entire body.
But Asuramaru's Healing had already begun repairing the damage.
Muscles recovered.
Bruising faded.
His breathing steadied.
Naruto pushed one hand against the ground.
He forced himself upright.
Ahead, Sasuke was being overwhelmed.
Sakura was fleeing from the giant snake.
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"Asuramaru."
"Yes?"
"Looks like I'm going to need your power again."
Asuramaru said nothing.
Naruto's gaze hardened.
Pitch black Demon Power gathered around his waist.
It condensed.
Shaped itself.
A sword emerged from the darkness.
Naruto closed his hand around the hilt.
Ryūjin Jakka.
....
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