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Anyone with half a brain could tell—Orochimaru was definitely not down for the count.
That guy was practically immortal. He could survive being decapitated, let alone a lightning strike.
Sure enough, just as Neji used wire to pull the unconscious Naruto back and everyone had climbed onto Birdra's back—before the giant eagle could even take off—a long blade pierced straight through its body.
!?
A closer look—what else could it be but the Kusanagi no Tsurugi (Kusanagi Sword)?
Even while still sizzling and scorched, Orochimaru had crawled back to the ground. He opened his mouth, spat out a snake, which then spat out the sword, and with a sudden extension of the blade—it impaled Birdra before it could react.
Screech!
Birdra let out a mournful cry, as if apologizing. Then puff—it vanished in smoke, dismissed from the summoning realm.
Everyone crashed to the ground with pale faces. They had been this close to escaping, only to be thwarted by Orochimaru's brutal precision.
Team Guy immediately stepped forward, taking a defensive stance—Tenten stood at the center.
From the moment Neji sensed something wrong, they hadn't hesitated for a second. It wasn't that they thought they were some kind of heroes—it was just that when their comrades were in danger, they had to act.
Tenten remembered Natsuki's warning: "If you see Orochimaru—run."
But she wasn't the kind of person who could abandon her friends.
She was kindhearted, through and through. Running away while leaving her teammates behind? She just couldn't do it.
Still, facing Orochimaru now… the pressure was immense.
Lee took a deep breath. "Now's the time to give it everything we've got. I believe Gai-sensei would allow it!"
He took off the weights on his ankles. Chakra surged around him.
"Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates Released Formation)! First Gate—Kai Mon! Second Gate—Kyū Mon! Third Gate—Sei Mon! Open! Open! Open!"
He opened the first three gates in one go—not recklessly, but with clarity. Though he could open the fifth, even that wouldn't win the battle. Better to stop at the third gate—avoid injury, and focus on distraction.
Neji activated his Byakugan, adopting the stance of the Hakke (Eight Trigrams). "Tenten, Lee and I will support you—go all out!"
Tenten didn't hesitate. "Right. Let's do this!"
Orochimaru shed his charred outer layer using the Orochimaru-ryū Kawarimi no Jutsu (Orochimaru-style Substitution Technique), emerging in a fresh form. His vertical pupils swept across the three defenders, pausing on Tenten. For once, he seemed less amused—and more intrigued.
"Heh… You've really surprised me. Konoha is full of talent. Especially you—Natsuki's girlfriend, right? Tenten, was it? I didn't expect the Raiken: Kiba (Thunder Blades: Fangs) of the Hidden Mist to end up in your hands. Combined with your special gear… your combat strength is already at Tokubetsu Jōnin level. For someone your age, that's rare."
Tenten ignored his praise, crossing her twin blades and launching an orb of lightning.
"Raiton: Raikyū! (Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!)"
Zzzzt!
The crackling sphere of electricity surged with power.
Orochimaru didn't dare take it lightly. After that last electrocution, he wasn't eager for another round. Twisting his body like a serpent, he dodged.
Lee and Neji immediately charged—one with a Konoha Senpū (Leaf Whirlwind), the other with Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms).
They managed to engage Orochimaru for a few moves, but couldn't gain the upper hand.
Orochimaru focused most of his effort on avoiding Tenten's attacks—the sting of that earlier lightning had been a harsh lesson.
From behind, Sasuke and Sakura were dumbstruck watching it all unfold. They hadn't expected Team Guy to be this strong.
Especially Tenten—with that weapon, the Raiken: Kiba, she could launch lightning attacks easily and without seals, and the chakra cost seemed low. No wonder even Orochimaru had complimented her.
But Sasuke… his heart twisted painfully.
He could accept not being as strong as Natsuki. But now, so many prodigies were emerging—how was he supposed to stand out?
Even the Hyūga had such strength. That bushy-browed weirdo who once sparred with him? He was now exploding with power. And Tenten? She was on another level entirely.
The three of them could actually hold their own against Orochimaru. Meanwhile, he—Uchiha Sasuke—had been thrashed.
He was a joke.
"No. I can't let myself be looked down on. I'll fight too!"
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke forced down the pain and stood up. He pushed Sakura aside and charged, joining Lee and Neji. The three of them fought in sync, and for a moment, they actually seemed to have a slight advantage.
Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly. But this wasn't the kind of situation he desired.
Suddenly, he leaped back and formed hand seals.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique)"
BOOM!
A massive serpent exploded onto the scene, slithering between the four of them. Its huge head loomed down, ready to swallow them whole. With Orochimaru standing atop its skull, the pressure was overwhelming.
"This is bad. What do we do now?!"
The snake was enormous. Taking it down wouldn't be easy—and splitting up would scatter their formation. Exactly what Orochimaru wanted.
Tenten quietly pulled out a scroll from her back.
"Looks like… I'll have to use that."
Meanwhile, Team 9 was en route.
Suddenly, Pakkun's expression changed. "Not good! I smell an intense snake stench! About five kilometers that way—Team 7 and Team Guy are there. They're fighting something with very strong snake scent!"
Snake scent that strong?
There was only one possible culprit—Orochimaru.
Pakkun looked apologetic. "Sorry… I should've noticed sooner."
Natsuki shook his head. "No—thank you. Without your nose, we'd still be in the dark. Now that we know, we move—fast!"
He formed seals and pressed his hand to the ground.
POOF!
…A small hawk appeared.
"What?!"
Natsuki's heart sank.
He had meant to summon Birdra.
The little hawk squawked twice and relayed what had happened—making Natsuki's expression darken.
Ron panicked. "Boss! What is it? Is it serious?!"
Natsuki said grimly, "Birdra was summoned earlier by Tenten to help escape with Team 7 and Team Guy—but it got impaled by Orochimaru and dismissed. That means they're still fighting him. No time to lose. I'll go ahead. Pakkun, lead these two behind me."
With that, he vanished—reappearing mid-air, sprinting with high-speed chakra flow.
Rinya and Megumi shouted behind him, "Boss, don't worry! We'll catch up—stay safe!"
Back in the forest, everyone's eyes were on Tenten as she prepared to unleash her secret weapon.
Even Orochimaru looked curious. What could be more powerful than the Raiken: Kiba?
Tenten unsealed the scroll—and a storm of paper exploded outward.
Rows upon rows of explosive tags began flying into the air.
"Take this! Kinton: Ōgi — Ichiman Kibaku Fuda no Jutsu! (Money Release: Secret Art – Ten Thousand Explosive Tags Technique!)"
Everyone nearly fainted.
Even Orochimaru's snake spine twitched from the sheer absurdity.
He hadn't been ready for that.
(End of Chapter)
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