"This has already begun?"
Moving rapidly between the trees, Yagyu's face carried a thoughtful expression, he found it somewhat interesting.
Within his perception, Orochimaru's chakra was already near Team Seven.
Crackle.
The moment he sensed Orochimaru had begun to act, lightning-style chakra instantly appeared around Yagyu's body, his speed suddenly increased dramatically.
He looked like a streak of lightning flashing through the forest.
Yagyu was not far from Team Seven.
So when he moved at full speed, it did not take long for him to quickly approach their location.
Naruto, who had been blown somewhere unknown by Orochimaru's Wind Release Great Breakthrough, regained consciousness through the pain and was just about to get up from the ground.
A massive shadow suddenly covered his position.
"So… so big!"
With a shocked expression on his face, Naruto stared in disbelief at the giant snake before him, it was his first time seeing such a massive serpent.
Just as Naruto was marveling at it,
Boom.
The giant snake lunged toward him, bringing with it a fierce gust of wind and overwhelming pressure.
Just as Naruto was about to dodge,
Crackle.
The sound of lightning rang out.
Immediately after,
Clang.
With the sound of a blade, a three to four meter long blade slash cut out from the tree behind Naruto.
Slash.
The sound of flesh tearing rang out, right before Naruto's eyes, that blade slash directly shredded the giant snake into pieces.
Bang.
Then within a large cloud of smoke, the snake's flesh completely disappeared.
The rising smoke made it clear that this giant snake was a summoning by Orochimaru.
"Who?"
Turning around, Naruto looked toward the tree behind him with vigilance.
"Yagyu?!"
Whoosh.
Amid Naruto's shocked voice, Yagyu's figure descended from the tree.
After sheathing his blade, Yagyu looked at Naruto.
"Are you injured, Naruto?"
Naruto shook his head and stood up from the ground.
"I am just a bit battered, I am not injured."
Yagyu nodded.
"If you are fine, then follow me, Sasuke and Sakura are currently in a tough battle."
Ah.
As his words fell, Yagyu's figure flashed, rapidly moving through the trees toward the direction Naruto had been blown from.
"A tough battle? Sakura! Sasuke!"
Hearing Yagyu's words, Naruto, who reacted a moment later, suddenly changed expression.
He quickly followed after Yagyu.
At this moment,
Both Sakura and Sasuke, covered in dirt, were sitting on the ground.
Sakura looked completely dazed, staring blankly at the "woman" who had just attacked them, it seemed she could not recover for the moment.
Sasuke was slightly better.
He struggled on the ground, trying to stand up, but could not do so at all.
Seeing their state, Orochimaru did not rush to act, instead he watched with an amused expression.
"It is not Genjutsu, it is simply killing intent."
With a shocked expression, and fear filling his eyes, Sasuke quickly analyzed the situation, looking into those eyes felt like seeing his own death.
Ignoring their miserable state, Orochimaru let out a strange laugh.
"Can you no longer move?"
Sensing Orochimaru was about to act, Sasuke struggled to stand, but he could not move at all.
Orochimaru had not used any ninjutsu or genjutsu.
Their condition was purely because they were overwhelmed by his killing intent, their bodies reacting in instinctive fear.
In simple terms, they were completely paralyzed by terror.
"What a pity."
Orochimaru said coldly.
"I originally planned to play with you a little longer, but it seems you two are already at your limit."
Before Orochimaru could finish speaking, two calm footsteps interrupted him.
From behind the tree behind Sasuke and Sakura,
Yagyu and Naruto walked out, one after the other.
"Sorry."
The moment he appeared, Yagyu locked his gaze onto Orochimaru, a faint smile on his face.
"They are important friends of mine, I cannot let you kill them here."
Whoosh whoosh.
As he spoke, Yagyu had already moved in front of Sasuke and Sakura.
"Next, I will be your opponent, or rather, I rushed here this quickly just for you."
Orochimaru smiled with interest.
"Oh my, I did not expect another interesting prey to appear so quickly."
He paused.
Looking at Yagyu, he continued.
"You must be the one rumored in Konoha, the leader of the new generation, Yagyu Sōsuke, right, coming out to throw away your life so casually, do you not value your reputation?"
Yagyu's information was something even Kabuto had, let alone Orochimaru.
"Oh, you know me too?"
Yagyu smiled.
"Well that makes sense, I am strong and quite famous, it is normal for trash like you to have heard of me."
Without any fear of provoking him.
Yagyu might not be good at persuasion, but when it came to provoking someone or throwing out sharp words, he could do it effortlessly.
"Trash? Hahaha!"
Hearing Yagyu's evaluation, Orochimaru was momentarily stunned, then his killing intent surged to an unimaginable level.
"That is interesting, it has been many years since I have heard such words."
Boom.
That terrifying killing intent descended, creating overwhelming pressure, causing the three members of Team Seven behind Yagyu to fall into stunned fear.
"So strong."
Feeling the immense pressure, Yagyu's heart became extremely serious.
"Good thing I am not a rookie anymore."
Step.
Taking a step forward,
Boom.
A violent killing intent burst out from Yagyu as well, although not as vast as Orochimaru's, it was still powerful.
Since graduating, Yagyu had killed many people during missions, his killing intent had long been suppressed, now it erupted all at once.
It completely blocked Orochimaru's pressure.
Yagyu calmly spoke.
"As expected, I was right, you are definitely not just a Genin, this level of killing intent and presence is not much weaker than the old man."
Orochimaru's cold smile deepened.
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