"Show me your strength, Sasuke," Orochimaru said, his snake-like pupils reflecting Sasuke's figure, much like a venomous serpent locking onto its prey.
Tap, tap, tap!
Sasuke began to sprint, not charging directly at Orochimaru but circling him instead, searching for an opening.
Damn it! Why can't I find a weakness?!
Despite the fact that Orochimaru was merely standing there, seemingly full of vulnerabilities, Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that no matter which angle he attacked from, he wouldn't stand a chance.
But seeing Sakura still in Orochimaru's grasp, Sasuke gritted his teeth and forced himself to make a move, rushing toward Orochimaru's back.
Whoosh!
From a sealing scroll, Sasuke pulled out a massive Fūma Shuriken—a giant, cross-shaped throwing star with four razor-sharp blades gleaming menacingly.
Swish!
The shuriken sliced through the air, aimed squarely at Orochimaru's back. Simultaneously, Sasuke maintained his speed, launching a coordinated attack alongside the shuriken.
However, Orochimaru didn't even bother to look back. With a simple sidestep, he effortlessly dodged the Fūma Shuriken. Then, his neck extended unnaturally, twisting at an eerie angle as he lunged to bite Sasuke.
Faced with Orochimaru's counterattack, Sasuke quickly evaded, halting his offensive. Yet, a sly smile crept onto his lips.
With a sharp tug of his left hand, the Fūma Shuriken, which Orochimaru had dodged earlier, abruptly changed direction and flew back toward him. Sasuke had tied an almost invisible, durable thread to the shuriken when he threw it, making it nearly impossible to detect without close observation.
"Oh? You've got some tricks up your sleeve," Orochimaru remarked, his tone almost praising, as if he were commending a junior for their impressive performance.
This patronizing tone irked Sasuke deeply. Whether it was his father in the past or that man, they always treated him like a clueless child—a sentiment that the proud Sasuke despised.
"My Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill isn't that simple!" Sasuke declared.
Even as Orochimaru dodged the returning shuriken once more, Sasuke didn't appear discouraged. Instead, more threads came into view, binding Orochimaru tightly before he could react.
"Sakura, run!" Sasuke shouted, seizing the opportunity to pull Sakura behind him. He then began forming hand seals with both hands.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Though a standard C-rank jutsu, it was quite impressive for a Genin to perform. Moreover, Sasuke's Dragon Fire Technique was far more powerful than usual. The intense flames were so hot that even Sakura, standing at a distance, began to sweat.
As expected of Sasuke! He's amazing! So cool! Sakura's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Of course, it wasn't just Sakura who reacted. Even the onlookers nearby offered their own opinions.
"Itachi-san, your younger brother isn't bad," Kisame commented, glancing at Itachi.
"Not enough. He's still far from developing the Mangekyō Sharingan," Itachi replied coldly.
Kisame: "..."
Itachi-san, can't you be a bit more honest?
On the battlefield, Sasuke stared nervously at the area engulfed in flames. With such a powerful Fire Release, even a strong opponent should have suffered some damage, right?
But soon, a figure emerged nonchalantly from the smoke, completely unharmed.
Sasuke's pupils dilated in shock, his expression one of disbelief.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
"Look, Itachi's little brother is acting like a clueless bumpkin. Does he really think that little Fire Release of his was impressive?" Hidan mocked from afar.
"Hidan, maybe you should tone it down a bit," Deidara cautioned.
"If you keep that up, Itachi might hear you."
"And what if he does? What's he going to do, kill me—" Hidan's words were cut off as he glanced at Itachi and immediately fell into a genjutsu, collapsing to the ground.
"No! Don't come any closer!" Hidan shouted, writhing on the ground in terror.
Kakuzu shook his head and used Earth Release to bury Hidan. "This should quiet him down."
The others nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Sasuke took two steps back, staring at the unscathed Orochimaru. "How is this possible?! You were directly hit by my Fire Release!"
Orochimaru showed no interest in wasting time. "Sasuke Uchiha, you're still too inexperienced."
"If you want to become stronger, come find me."
He extended his neck and lunged at Sasuke once more, this time with incredible speed. Sasuke couldn't react in time.
Just as Orochimaru was about to bite down, he caught sight of two hidden figures out of the corner of his eye.
"Itachi, you're late," Orochimaru said smugly, licking his lips. Sasuke cried out in pain, clutching his neck as a black curse mark appeared.
"Too late, you say?" Kisame asked with a grin.
Orochimaru froze, only to realize he had been released from a genjutsu. He was still in the same position, neck extended and mouth wide open. In that brief glance, Itachi had already cast a genjutsu on him.
"Interesting," Orochimaru remarked.
"But since you've come to me, Itachi, I'll take your eyes now."
"This is a rare opportunity!" Orochimaru thought to himself. While Itachi's genjutsu was extraordinary, Orochimaru believed he still had a chance. After all, he knew about Itachi's illness. If he could prolong the fight, he could exhaust Itachi to death.
"But I don't think you're a match for Itachi-san," Kisame said with a smirk.
Orochimaru hesitated, only to find himself released from yet another genjutsu. He was still in the same awkward position, neck stretched and mouth agape.
So I've been under genjutsu this whole time? Or am I still under it now?
Orochimaru's wariness reached its peak. Uchiha Itachi truly was a terrifying man.
"In that case, I'll leave for now," Orochimaru said, turning to retreat, though his departure seemed rather hasty.
Once Orochimaru left, Sasuke glared at the figure he hated most, his face contorted with rage.
Losing all sense of reason, he ignored the vast difference in their power levels and charged forward with a roar. "Itachi Uchiha!"
Smack!
Itachi effortlessly subdued Sasuke, his Mangekyō Sharingan activating as he stared into his younger brother's eyes.
"Sasuke, why are you still so weak? It seems your hatred isn't strong enough yet."
"Come, hate me even more! Grow stronger in your hatred!"
With a cry, Sasuke collapsed unconscious, blood tears streaming from Itachi's eyes due to his illness. He appeared fragile, like a leaf in the wind.
"Heh, heh!"
"Itachi, I'll take your eyes now," Orochimaru suddenly reappeared, having doubled back sneakily.
"I knew you'd do something foolish like this. Now that you're weakened, victory is mine," he declared confidently.
"But I don't think so," Kisame interjected.
Orochimaru glanced at Kisame. "Kisame, your strength is indeed remarkable, but you alone can't stop me."
"I wasn't referring to myself," Kisame replied with a grin.
Seven figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds surrounded Orochimaru.
Orochimaru licked his lips nervously. "Interesting."
"Orochimaru, if you could straighten your tongue, I might actually believe you're not afraid," Kisame quipped.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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