"Is this... the Erasing Color Technique?"
Konoha Special Jōnin Mitarashi Anko stood in front of three lifeless corpses. Their faces—eerily blank—seemed to have been completely wiped clean.
"Orochimaru… is it you, that bastard, back again?" she muttered coldly, her voice trembling with rage and disbelief.
Anko bit her lip lightly. Despite everything, Orochimaru had once been her only spiritual anchor—her mentor, her guiding light. She never expected that the man she revered would be the first to cast her aside like she was nothing.
"What was wrong with me?"
She desperately wanted to ask him, face to face. Was there something about her that made her disposable? Had there ever been any real bond between them—or had she always been just another tool?
Yakushi Kabuto scoffed, stepping out from the shadows. "A woman like you? Do you honestly think you could interfere with the deep bond between Orochimaru-sama and me?"
Anko glared at him, her fists clenched. "That was just a childish fantasy from long ago. Ever since Orochimaru destroyed Konoha, I've had no affection left for him—none at all!"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and sneered. "That's good to hear. For your own sake, don't interfere with our Lord Orochimaru's plans."
Suddenly, a silky voice interrupted, "The helmet…"
Orochimaru appeared behind him, his presence chilling.
"Master Orochimaru," Kabuto gasped with reverence. "I will serve you for the rest of my life!"
From the shadows, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward with a bemused expression. "No wonder Orochimaru likes dressing as a woman. Kabuto, if you want to live like that, you shouldn't have come to Konoha as a spy. I suggest you move to Kusagakure instead. You'd fit right in—I'd even call you the number one grassroots hero!"
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed. "Your mind is still as filthy as ever, Hiruzen-sensei."
"Sigh…" Hiruzen let out a long breath—but inwardly, he was secretly delighted.
As expected, growing old does make one bolder.
For the first time in years, he'd managed to vent his long-buried frustrations in front of Orochimaru. And he couldn't deny it—he enjoyed it.
Especially because Orochimaru had now dared to attack Team 7, where Naruto was.
A glint of anticipation danced in Hiruzen's eyes.
A good show is about to begin.
---
"Hehehe… Sasuke-kun, I've been searching for you," a seductive voice purred.
The speaker was a black-haired woman, with a mysterious air. From her bosom, she drew out a scroll. Boldly written on its surface was the word Earth.
This woman was none other than Orochimaru in disguise.
"I have the scroll you need," he said with a sly grin. "If you want it, you'll have to defeat me first."
Then, in a grotesque display, Orochimaru opened his crimson-red mouth and slowly swallowed the scroll whole.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't hold back a smirk. "Orochimaru, you're really talented when it comes to swallowing large objects. You swallowed that scroll whole? No wonder Kabuto's so loyal to you!"
Orochimaru froze.
"You're not done yet, are you, old man?" he snapped. "Have you never seen a snake eat before? Stop acting surprised!"
"I am a Daisei Daikai," Hiruzen replied proudly, refusing to let up.
Kabuto: "…"
Since entering the Forest of Death, Hiruzen had completely let loose.
Had he truly reached the point where he cared about no one in the ninja world anymore?
Shimura Danzo: "???"
---
Back in the forest, both Sakura and Sasuke were stunned.
Watching the black-haired woman swallow the scroll like a serpent made their scalps tingle in horror.
"This guy is seriously disgusting!" Sakura whispered, her voice quivering.
Orochimaru chuckled. Pressing a hand against his Kusagakure forehead protector, he stuck out his tongue, licking the corner of his lips in a disturbingly sensual way.
"Now then… let's begin the battle for the scroll."
He grinned wider.
"I'll fight with all my might!"
His eye sockets split open, his eyeballs rolling unnaturally as an overwhelming murderous aura surged from his body.
Sasuke's breath hitched. He felt as though he had been plunged into a nightmare. His body was paralyzed. He couldn't move an inch.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears. He had felt something similar before—when he encountered the demon Zabuza—but this was far worse. The pressure Orochimaru exuded now was more than ten times what Zabuza had released.
"Hehehe… can't move, can you?" Orochimaru whispered. "Let me help you."
With a slithering motion, Orochimaru twisted his narrow waist and slowly approached Sasuke.
"Don't worry, Sasuke… I will love you well."
Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. He couldn't move, couldn't cry out, couldn't even twitch a finger.
Orochimaru extended his tongue and slowly licked Sasuke's cheek.
"Master Orochimaru…" Kabuto whispered, jealousy igniting in his heart.
He clenched his fists, trembling.
Why?
What does Sasuke have that I don't?
Why him?!
Anko narrowed her eyes in disgust. "I never thought you'd fall this low, Kabuto."
"I want spicy Luo!" a voice suddenly shouted.
Before Orochimaru could react, a fist wrapped in pink light came flying toward him.
BOOM!!!
Orochimaru was caught completely off guard. The punch sent him flying, crashing into a tree and collapsing in a heap.
"L-Little Sakura?" Sasuke stammered, turning in disbelief.
Standing before him, panting slightly, was Haruno Sakura.
She had just punched Orochimaru.
This girl—when did she become this strong?
Sakura smiled as she shook her fist. "Naruto asked me to protect you!"
"???"
Sasuke was stunned.
He never thought there would come a day where he'd need Sakura's protection.
The shame burned deep in his heart.
Senju Tsunade, watching through the mirror dimension, nodded proudly. "I knew it. Naruto must have passed on his superhuman chakra control technique to her. Sakura's precision is ideal for it!"
Jiraiya chimed in, "So not only is that Naruto a genius, but he's also a capable teacher?"
Minato agreed. "To be able to hit Orochimaru with one punch after only three days of training… that's remarkable."
Sarutobi Hiruzen burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA!! HAHAHAHA!!"
Orochimaru glared at him. "Why are you laughing so hard?"
"Oh, nothing," Hiruzen replied smugly. "Just remembered something funny."
"Hateful!" Orochimaru growled.
He tried to clench his fists, to express his fury.
But no matter how hard he tried, his hands remained limp and useless.
Like lifeless meat—they wouldn't respond at all.
He gritted his teeth. "Even Sakura can defeat me in this world?"
Orochimaru slowly rose to his feet. The sound of bones cracking echoed through the forest as he twisted his limbs back into place. His body healed unnaturally fast, joints snapping back like puzzle pieces.
This pink-haired girl… she reminded him of Tsunade.
The power behind that punch was unmistakable.
"Snort."
Orochimaru wiped the blood from his mouth with his thumb, sneered, then quickly formed hand seals. He slammed his palm into the ground.
With a boom, a massive snake, nearly ten meters long, burst out from the forest floor. It coiled in front of Sakura and Sasuke, flicking its tongue menacingly.
Without warning, it lunged—mouth wide open, ready to devour Sakura whole.
Sakura's eyes widened in panic. Her body stiffened.
The only reason she had landed that punch earlier was because Orochimaru hadn't taken her seriously. But now—this was different.
Her deepest fear had manifested: snakes.
This monstrosity triggered a primal terror within her.
As the beast lunged toward her—
—A black shadow descended from the sky.
In his hand was a glowing ball of spiraling blue chakra.
With a cry—
"Take the kidney and liver!"
—he slammed the Rasengan into the snake's skull.
The force of the blow knocked the creature unconscious instantly, its giant body crashing to the ground with a thunderous rumble.
Sakura gasped. "N-Naruto…!"
---
TO BE CONTINUED…