"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!" Clenching the wire between his teeth, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals. A powerful, straight-line torrent of high-speed flames surged towards the immobilized Orochimaru.
The immense force even pierced through the tree trunk behind Orochimaru, and his agonized screams echoed through the area.
"He won!" Sakura, who had been on the sidelines, showed a relieved smile.
Sasuke, seemingly convinced the battle was decided and with his Chakra nearly depleted, deactivated his Sharingan, panting heavily.
"Sasuke! You did it! Are you okay? Hang in there!" Sakura rushed to Sasuke's side, looking at him with concern.
At that moment, the bound Orochimaru twitched slightly and effortlessly broke free from the special wires Sasuke had used.
He then stepped forward, forming a peculiar hand seal. A surge of overwhelming Chakra Pressure immobilized both Sakura and Sasuke where they stood.
"To wield the Sharingan with such skill at such a young age... worthy of inheriting the Uchiha name. I want you even more now." Due to Sasuke's Fire Release, Orochimaru's disguise had partially melted.
"You are indeed brothers. Your eyes hold even greater potential than Itachi's," Orochimaru said with a light laugh.
"Who are you?!" Hearing Orochimaru mention Itachi, Sasuke felt his composure crack.
In response, Orochimaru simply retrieved the Heaven Scroll he had taken from Naruto.
"I am Orochimaru. If you wish to see me again, strive to stand out in this exam. Defeat the three Otogakure's Ninja under my command." As he spoke, Orochimaru used a special flame to burn the Heaven Scroll.
"What are you saying? We never want to see you again!" Sakura glared at Orochimaru angrily.
"Oh? That won't do," Orochimaru replied, forming another seal. His neck elongated grotesquely, shooting towards the immobilized Sasuke's neck and biting down hard.
"Ugh, that's disgusting! Is that guy even human?!" Seeing this, Ritsu nearby felt her stomach churn. Even Ui instinctively moved closer to Takeru, finding comfort in his presence.
Orochimaru left not only two fang marks but also transmitted a peculiar energy into Sasuke's body, forming three seal-like marks on his back.
"Argh!" Feeling the formation of the Cursed Seal, Sasuke cried out in pain.
"Sasuke! Damn it! What did you do to him?!" Sakura could only rage helplessly.
"I gave him a parting gift. Sasuke will need me. Because he craves power. I am pleased to have seen your strength in various aspects," Orochimaru said before merging into the tree trunk and vanishing.
Having observed the entire battle, Takeru nodded in satisfaction. Overall, while not overly informative in terms of techniques, it was quite entertaining.
After leaving the scene, Orochimaru sought out Takeru, Ui, and Ritsu.
"Hmm? Planning to attack us, Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin? Is that the correct title?" Sensing Orochimaru stop at a certain distance before slowly rising, Takeru spoke calmly.
"Oh? Knowing my name, yet you had the audacity to follow me all this time?" Orochimaru replied with a sinister smile.
"No, I only learned your name when you announced it earlier," Takeru shook his head slightly.
"I see. Regardless, your constant probing earlier was quite irritating," Orochimaru stated directly.
"Is that so? And what concern is that of mine?" Takeru retorted bluntly.
Hearing Takeru's words, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, unleashing a wave of killing intent towards the three.
Sensing Orochimaru's move, Takeru responded in kind, releasing a torrent of malevolent Aura infused with Nen. Malevolence was far more terrifying than mere killing intent. Orochimaru's killing intent was swiftly overwhelmed by Takeru's malevolent Aura, causing him a moment of discomfort.
However, Orochimaru was no ordinary man. Chakra offered some resistance to Nen, so the malevolent Aura wasn't overly threatening to someone like him.
But sensing Takeru's solidified killing intent, Orochimaru licked his lips. He keenly noticed Takeru was using a unique ability he had never seen before.
"How interesting," Orochimaru thought, his interest piqued, along with the desire to capture Takeru for experimentation.
"Well, it seems I'm being taken for a pushover," Takeru remarked lightly, noticing Orochimaru's gaze.
"Poison Dragon!" Takeru said softly. Instantly, a three-headed purple Poison Dragon materialized behind him.
Seeing the dragon, Orochimaru sensed a hint of danger. Under Takeru's control, the dragon lunged menacingly towards Orochimaru.
Boom!
Amidst the sound of shattering wood, the Poison Dragon obliterated the tree where Orochimaru had stood. The terrifying poison corroded the remnants of the tree, even the soil where the poison splashed showing signs of erosion.
Orochimaru, having dodged the attack, narrowed his eyes. The dragon's venom was more potent than he'd anticipated.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" However, Orochimaru wasn't one to sit idle. He quickly formed hand seals, unleashing an air blast even more ferocious than the one used against Sasuke, aimed at Takeru's group.
"Gluttony!" Facing the air attack, Takeru placed his hands before him, palms glowing. He directly absorbed the highly destructive airflow.
Witnessing this, Orochimaru grew even more intrigued. He hadn't sensed any Chakra usage from Takeru.
His interest in Takeru deepened.
Seeing the clash between Takeru and Orochimaru, Ui and Ritsu prepared to join the fight.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!" Ui aimed at Orochimaru and used a Ninjutsu learned in the Reincarnation Space. A torrent of water spewed from her mouth, rushing towards Orochimaru.
Orochimaru leaped nimbly onto a large tree.
"Fireball!" Before he could steady himself, a fireball appeared, striking Orochimaru where he stood and exploding upon impact.
When the smoke cleared, Orochimaru had turned into a puddle of mud, another mud clone. The real Orochimaru had already used a Substitution Technique, hiding within a different tree.
Just as he prepared to launch a sneak attack, Takeru's gaze shifted directly to his concealed location.
"Roar of the Thunder Dragon!" As Takeru spoke, a beam of lightning shot forth with unstoppable force towards Orochimaru.
The powerful blast pierced through two large trees before heading straight for Orochimaru, hidden within the trunk.
Sensing the danger, Orochimaru, knowing evasion was difficult, employed his current strongest physical defense.
"Triple Rashomon!" Pressing his hand to the ground, he summoned three massive, demonic-looking gates to block Takeru's attack.
The lightning beam collided with the first gate, shattering it after a brief struggle. It then strained against the second before breaking through, and finally dissipated after piercing the third gate.
Observing the damage from his Roar of the Thunder Dragon, Takeru was satisfied. He hadn't even used his full power. A full-force attack could seriously injure Orochimaru.
Moreover, Takeru could use such a technique over a dozen times without significant strain. Combined with his rapid recovery ability, Takeru was confident in prolonged battles.
On Orochimaru's side, seeing his Triple Rashomon completely pierced left him staring at Takeru in shock. Crucially, he realized Takeru hadn't expended much energy for such a powerful attack. In contrast, summoning the Triple Rashomon had drained a considerable amount of his own Chakra.
The commotion they were causing also made Orochimaru consider retreat.
As Orochimaru contemplated, Takeru vanished from his spot, reappearing right beside him.