Although Orochimaru had an arrogant personality, his intelligence was undeniable. He wisely chose to stay away from the battlefield at first.
With Sasuke and Sakura gone,
Tian Yu could now face Orochimaru alone—with no restraints.
Even though smoke obscured much of the area, Tian Yu knew in his gut:
Orochimaru had not been defeated so easily.
Orochimaru had long since reached twisted mastery—
Shadow-level skill, deep experience, and a murderous aura thousands feared.
The sheer presence Orochimaru projected
exceeded anything Tian Yu had encountered—even surpassing foes like Kakuzu and Hidan, who had once taxed him severely.
But Orochimaru's aura—
It carried the chill of countless deaths.
"Heh… as expected of the Leaf's supposed genin prodigy. I really underestimated you."
From the dust, Orochimaru laughed—a low, amused rumble.
"I now see how you felled foes like Kakuzu and Hidan with ease…"
"As for your tools—the Kusanagi sword you wielded, the puppet silk thread you used—it's fascinating."
"Acute angles… incredibly destructive lines…"
"Those are your primary strengths, isn't that right?"
He paused, surveying Tian Yu as if appraising a specimen.
"I never realized it until today."
When the smoke cleared,
Tian Yu watched Orochimaru's body split cleanly in two—trees splintered behind him.
Yet Orochimaru stood unhurt, speaking calmly through his own dismemberment.
His eyes glinted with both greed and curiosity, fixed on the silver threads still shimmering in Tian Yu's grip.
_Unmistakably,_ in his mind, Orochimaru believed it was Tian Yu's weaponry—rather than raw power—that had posed a threat.
"Clearly… your body is no longer human."
Tian Yu watched in mild distaste as countless snakes slithered from Orochimaru's gaping wound, coalescing into flesh that resealed itself.
Orochimaru's regeneration—a horrifying ninjutsu—restored him fully within seconds.
Tian Yu frowned slightly.
He had long known of Orochimaru's forbidden experiments—his infamous software-modified body techniques.
Reconstruction, telescopic limbs, stretchable flesh—all designed to survive lethal blows.
No physical attack could kill him… Not yet.
Orochimaru grinned.
"My body has undergone countless modifications—nothing in this world can kill me."
He referenced his forbidden science with pride—a culmination of decades of genetic alteration and experiment.
Tian Yu's lips curled.
"That kind of confidence… is always the first to be shattered."
He knew well—those who claim immortality often face their downfall swiftly.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
"Arrogant, too… to kill Hidan and Kakuzu so easily."
A snake eye glinted dangerously.
"Let me show you the true gap between Shadow-nin and Shadow-nin!"
He unhinged his jaw violently.
From his mouth erupted thousands of vipers, surging outward in a tidal wave through the forest.
Each serpent spat a dagger-like fang glimmering in jade light.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto—who'd just reunited nearby—turned to watch in horror. The forest was engulfed in writhing snakes and deadly steel.
They gasped collectively.
This... this battle—
—was beyond even the Chunin Exam's expected drama.
Naruto's jaw dropped, Sakura's hand covered her mouth, and Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.
Naruto clutched the Heaven Scroll and started to unfurl it.
"Wait! Witnessing Big Bro Tianyu fight alone… we can't just stand here!"
Sakura gasped, "Naruto, someone opening a scroll disqualifies us—!"
He cut her off.
"If we're eliminated... Kakashi-sensei can reach us via the scroll's seals. Konoha can send reinforcements."
"To save Tian Yu, even if it costs the Chunin Exam—what's the price?"
As he rolled the scroll further, Sasuke grabbed his arm.
"Sasuke, what's wrong?"
Naruto stared back resolutely—a stubborn, determined glare.
"If you think you can stop me—try and take the scroll."
"I… didn't mean to stop you."
Sasuke spoke calmly for once.
"I mean... if Kakashi does come—can he really save Tian Yu in time?"
Naruto paused, uncertainty flickering.
They both knew:
this was beyond a test—it was a battle that could tear lives apart.
End of Chapter.
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