24: Chapter 24 The Forest of Death, Orochimaru's GazeSqueak—
The heavy iron gate slowly opened, and the entrance to the dark forest resembled the maw of a giant beast ready to devour its prey.
Naruto Uzumaki was the first to rush in, his face showing that carefree, excited look full of anticipation for the unknown adventure.
However, the moment he stepped one foot into the forest.
A cold, sticky, and immense chakra surge, brimming with extreme killing intent and greed, emerged from the depths of the forest without warning and instantly locked onto him.
The feeling was like a giant python lurking in the abyss, finally spotting its long-desired prey and flicking out its cold tongue.
Naruto's running motion paused for a barely perceptible moment.
The smile on his face remained unchanged.
But in the unseen depths of his heart, a sinister smile crept across his lips.
His most anticipated "guest" had already arrived: Orochimaru.
A superb "mad scientist" that can be traded.
[Ding!You have received 5000 units of [Greed] from Orochimaru!]
[Ding!You have received 3000 [Curiosity] from Orochimaru!]
The appetizers have been delivered.
"Alright!" Naruto suddenly stopped, turned to face Sasuke and Sakura, and raised his fist."I have a brilliant idea!Let's split up; that'll be the most efficient way to find the scroll!"
"Are you an idiot?" Sakura Haruno was the first to scream."This is the Forest of Death!The examiner said we must act in teams!Splitting up is suicide!"
Uchiha Sasuke didn't speak, but just stared coldly at him with his crimson Sharingan, the meaning of which was self-evident.
What's wrong with the bottom-ranked team again?
"Hey, don't worry!" Naruto patted his chest vigorously, flashing a confident smile."Don't forget what I did on the bridge!I'm really strong now!And Sasuke, you're just as amazing!Splitting up will definitely be much faster than searching together!Let's meet at the central tower!"
He brought up the war record of the Land of Waves.
That undeniable, overwhelming strength.
Sakura Haruno choked.
Sasuke's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
That figure standing in front of him, deflecting all the thousands of books, was an indelible humiliation for him, but also an undeniable source of strength.
Naruto didn't give them any more time to think.He waved his hand forcefully, turned around, and ran off in one direction, his voice carrying far away: "It's decided!See you at the Central Tower!"
He insisted on separating, not to show off, but to create a sufficiently private and quiet environment for the "guest" to meet.
As Naruto wandered alone through the dark forest, the silly grin on his face vanished completely, replaced by a hunter's calm.
"System, activate [Aura Simulation]."
[Ding![Aura Simulation] has been activated.It can simulate the aura of any living being.Current point consumption: 10 points/minute.]
A barely perceptible fluctuation emanated from his body.
In the other ninjas' perception, Naruto's chakra had disappeared, replaced by the aura of a large, severely injured, and dying beast.
That is the perfect bait for a predator.
Sure enough, not long after.
[Ding!You have obtained 300 [Greed] from a Genin of Amegakure!]
[Ding!You have received 450 units of Killing Intent from a Genin of Amegakure!]
Naruto hid in the canopy of a giant tree, watching as three Amegakure ninjas cautiously approached, following the scent he had fabricated.His face showed the delight of having found his prey.
Then, they stepped into the most basic trap that Naruto had casually set up.
A huge net descended from the sky, binding the three of them tightly.
[Ding!You have received 800 units of [Terror] from a Genin of Amegakure!]
[Ding!You have acquired 700 [Panic] items from a Genin of Amegakure!]
Naruto didn't even bother to look at them again, and with a flash, he disappeared from the spot.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat; little by little, it adds up.
He continued to delve deeper, and soon, several familiar auras appeared within his perception range.
Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame.
He deliberately changed direction, "passing" past the bushes where they were hiding.
"Woof!Woof." A terrified howl came from the bushes.Akamaru, in Kiba Inuzuka's arms, bristled up all over, trembling and curled up in a ball, not daring to move an inch.
"Akamaru?What's wrong with you?" Kiba Inuzuka asked, trying to comfort his ninja dog.
Hinata Hyuga activated her Byakugan.She caught a glimpse of Naruto's fleeting back, but the feeling of chakra he exuded made her heart tighten.
That wasn't the Naruto she knew; that aura was like that of a beast that would devour anyone it chose.
After gaining another wave of [Confusion] and [Surprise] points, Naruto finally arrived at a relatively open clearing in the forest.
This is the place.
He deliberately deactivated the [Aura Simulation] and released his enormous chakra, belonging to the Uzumaki clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, without any concealment.
"System, exchange for [Basic Ice Release Ninjutsu]."
[Ding!5000 Glory Points consumed.The Basic Ice Release Ninjutsu has been loaded.]
Naruto stretched out his hands and began to form hand seals.
He deliberately slowed down, making the flow of chakra appear somewhat sluggish.
Moisture in the air begins to condense.
Click!Click!
Rough icicles burst from the ground beneath his feet, and uneven ice walls slowly rose before him.
Like a child who has just received a new toy, he clumsily and excitedly practiced this bloodline limit that did not belong to him.
This is the most blatant and overt conspiracy.
He was telling the spy: Look, I have what you want.
Finally, that sticky, greedy chakra fluctuation stopped.It moved.
It's nearby.
A hoarse voice, strangely magnetic, came from the shadows of the trees behind Naruto.
"Hehehe.Ice Release?Naruto Uzumaki.the secrets you hold are getting more and more interesting."
Orochimaru slowly emerged from the shadows, his golden eyes, with their vertical snake-like pupils, fixed intently on the rough ice blocks Naruto had created, his face displaying undisguised fascination and curiosity.
He stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips.
The next second, he moved.
"Hidden Shadow Serpent Hand!"
Without any warning, dozens of ferocious venomous snakes surged out from his sleeves, bringing a foul stench, and lunged at Naruto from all directions.
Naruto did not dodge.
He didn't even turn his head.
The invisible armor of [Possessed by Evil Spirits - Ice Demon] instantly covered his entire body.
Then, he calmly activated a completely new ability that had never appeared in this world before.
[Unlimited Techniques]
Buzz!
The air around Naruto distorted for a moment.
All the venomous snakes that lunged at him within a centimeter of his body mysteriously froze in mid-air, as if they had crashed into an invisible, absolutely insurmountable wall.
They writhed and roared frantically, but could not move forward an inch, and then fell helplessly to the ground.
Orochimaru's usually playful snake eyes suddenly contracted into two dangerous needle points at this moment.
He had never seen such a bizarre defense.
That's not a barrier, nor is it a repulsive force; it's a more fundamental interference with "space" itself.
"Hehehehe!" Instead of backing down, he became even more excited, with the fervor of a scientist discovering a completely new species."This power.it's simply art!It's so much more interesting than the Sharingan of the Uchiha!"
Naruto slowly turned around, a meaningful smile on his face.
He looked at the fanatical Orochimaru and spoke calmly.
"Mr.Orochimaru, I am also very interested in your 'immortality'."
He paused, then added slowly and deliberately, in an academic tone.
"However, your method of prolonging life by constantly changing bodies seems to be a defective product."
Those words were spoken softly, yet they instantly froze the fanatical infatuation on Orochimaru's face.
For the first time, his deepest, most secret, and core pursuit was described with such a contemptuous term as "defective product."
The look in his eyes when he looked at Naruto was no longer simply one of greed.
A deeper sense of wonder and inquiry, a mixture of shock and curiosity that touched the very depths of one's soul, emerged.
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