Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
They're here!
Orochimaru's heart stirred as strange noises came from three directions.
A pincer attack!
Just as Orochimaru expected, Shibi Aburame appeared on the left first, spreading his wide sleeves and releasing countless parasitic insect swarms, which formed a black curtain that surged and roiled around Orochimaru.
It was a Besiege without attacking tactic, mainly to obstruct vision.
Just then...
Kizuna, who appeared from the right, quickly flicked his hands, one in front and one behind.
Two kunai, whistling through the air, turned into two black streaks of light and plunged into the center of the insect swarm.
Clink! Clink!
Only two crisp metallic clangs were heard within the insect swarm, followed by two whooshing sounds that returned the way they came, the whistling even swifter than Kizuna's initial throw.
Holy crap!
The rapidly approaching kunai made Kizuna's pupils contract sharply.
He instinctively leaned back, and the two kunai grazed past his face, the whooshing sound still audible in his ears.
"While the insect swarm obstructs my vision, it will also obstruct yours."
Orochimaru's hoarse voice sounded, and Kizuna's heart jolted, his recently calmed heart tightening once more.
At his feet!
Kizuna subconsciously turned his head to look, and two pale, slender hands were already resting on his feet.
Looking further down, he saw Orochimaru's pale face, wearing a half-smile.
Oh ho, it's over... Just kidding!
Kizuna returned a healthy smile, his body instantly softening, becoming a puddle of human-shaped mud that spread in Orochimaru's hands.
Earth Clone!
And Orochimaru, having lost his grip, had his feet planted on the main tree trunk, his body standing horizontally at a ninety-degree angle to the trunk.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
Nawaki's voice rang out, followed by a jet of surging water, aimed directly at Orochimaru's back.
Orochimaru, sensing the attack from behind, chose not to dodge.
The moment he turned, his hand seals were already complete.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
With a sudden burst, an identical jet of water shot from his mouth, meeting the incoming torrent head-on.
The two colliding torrents continuously splashed water in all directions.
Splash!
Nawaki's figure charged through the water spray, his fist aimed at Orochimaru.
Secret Technique: Super Strength.
With a bang, the moment his fist connected with the giant tree, the thick trunk instantly exploded, shattering into pieces and collapsing with a crash.
But Orochimaru's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"The same Super Strength as Tsunade, truly a Secret Technique of the Senju clan."
Orochimaru landed on the ground not far away, remarking on Nawaki's use of such a familiar attack.
But suddenly, a small pebble behind him exploded with a soft pop.
From the thin white smoke, Kizuna, holding kunai in a reverse grip, charged over.
Orochimaru seemed to have anticipated it.
Without looking back, he moved sideways, instantly dodging the arc of Kizuna's kunai, then pivoted on his foot, twisting his body into a whip kick.
With a dull thud, Kizuna, struck hard in the abdomen, spat out a mouthful of air, feeling tightness in his chest and shortness of breath, his body hunched like a shrimp.
The Transformation Jutsu trick has been used once already, and his Taijutsu is too green...
Orochimaru's lips held a relaxed smile.
Bang!
Another puff of white smoke rose, and the smile on Orochimaru's lips gradually faded.
A half-human-tall wooden stake was reflected in his golden snake-like eyes.
Substitution Jutsu... But when?
For the first time, genuine surprise appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, because he hadn't seen Kizuna prepare the hand seals for the Substitution Jutsu at all.
Buzz~~~
Hoo-ah!
But there was no time for him to think, as the buzzing of the insect swarm and the battle cry of the reckless Nawaki came from behind him.
Orochimaru instinctively turned his head, and the moment his back was to the stake, with a thud, the stake transformed back into Kizuna.
Seizing the turning moment, his Chakra instantly erupted from his feet!
Dynamic Entry!
He landed a kick squarely on Orochimaru's... butt.
"Huh?"
But Kizuna found that his flying kick hadn't shaken Orochimaru in the slightest.
That's not right, the future Might Guy's flying kick sent Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, flying.
Could it be that my strength is too small...?
Kizuna's thoughts raced for a moment.
Until...
Orochimaru slowly turned his head, his golden snake eyes glinting with a chilling light that struck fear into one's heart...
"What a pity, just a little bit more."
Nawaki, his face bruised and swollen, sighed with regret.
"Indeed."
Kizuna, who wasn't in much better shape, stubbornly agreed.
"Mm."
Shibi Aburame nodded faintly in agreement.
Although the injuries on his face were unclear, his torn pant legs and wrinkled collar told the story.
The three-person team was neatly tied to pillars, one for each, just right.
Kizuna looked up speechlessly at the clear blue sky... What exactly went wrong?
In the original three bell tests, wasn't only one person ever tied up?
Third Hokage Sarutobi tied Jiraiya, Fourth Hokage Minato tied the love-struck Uchiha Obito, and Sixth Hokage Kakashi tied Seventh Hokage Naruto.
Orochimaru directly tied all three of us, hiss~... Looking at it this way, it feels like the three of us will be quite something in the future.
Can only say, as expected of the later-stage abnormal Orochimaru, he doesn't follow the usual path.
It can't be that because I kicked his butt, he's retaliating against all three of us at once... right?
Ding!
[Shallow Bond Deepened: Companions]
[Story Characters: Senju Nawaki / Shibi Aburame]
[Obtained: D-rank Body Flicker Technique / Secret Technique: Parasitic Insects]
[Evaluation: One makes you faster / One allows you to control insects.]
But then again...
Being tied to the pillars together actually made them quickly grow closer.
After the previous battle, they recognized each other more.
It would have been even better if Orochimaru wasn't eating right in front of them!
After a battle, Chakra and stamina were severely depleted.
By lunchtime, their stomachs were empty, and yet they were tied to pillars, smelling the aroma of rice and meat wafting from Orochimaru's lunchbox.
Kizuna, having received the Ninjutsu and Secret Technique infusions, lowered his head and cursed under his breath.
That damned Orochimaru is absolutely inhumane.
I should have kicked him a few more times just now.
No wonder his disciple Sasuke wants to kill him later.
You don't feed people, and you still tempt them!
Eh?
It seems he really won't be human later...
Kizuna suddenly remembered that Orochimaru's true form in the future seemed to be a giant white snake with scales.
Hiss... Shock!
The future sensei isn't human!
And Orochimaru, who was being slandered by Kizuna, was leisurely eating his prepared lunch, displaying elegance while also letting the aroma of the food spread into the noses of his three students.
At the same time, he subtly brushed off the shoe print on his butt.
Orochimaru looked at the culprit.
— Wei Fang Ban Ren.
Using the Transformation Jutsu to turn into a wooden stake caused him a momentary misjudgment, and he turned without noticing... resulting in a kick to his butt.
He's truly a born Ninja, with excellent Ninjutsu talent and flexible, versatile combat abilities.
Wei Fang Ban Ren has a very high chance of reaching the Jonin level.
As for surpassing the Hokage...
Heh!
Surpass me first...
Thinking this, Orochimaru put the last bite of food into his mouth.
So delicious!