Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the forest canopy, the beams cutting across the air like countless crisscrossing threads of silk.
In an instant, Shigure's figure flickered into view and landed squarely on the head of the massive snake.
On a nearby branch, Naruto caught Sasuke in his arms.
"Shigure! You're here!"
"Yeah," Shigure replied firmly. "I felt Sasuke's chakra acting strange, so I came right away."
The prey had taken the bait.
Just in time.
One glance at Sasuke was enough for Shigure's sharp perception to notice the dark markings crawling across his neck.
The Curse Mark… Orochimaru had already planted it.
"Take Sasuke to the designated location," Shigure ordered. "Protect him at all costs."
Naruto clenched his teeth and glanced at Orochimaru. "That guy…"
"Leave him to me."
Naruto hesitated only for a moment, then nodded. "Got it."
Naruto trusted Shigure completely. If Shigure said he'd handle it, then Naruto would not waste another second. His priority was to bring Sasuke back to the exam grounds and find Konoha shinobi who could treat him.
Orochimaru, however, made no move to stop Naruto. Instead, he fixed his serpentine eyes on Shigure, studying him with disturbing curiosity.
"That movement just now… Body Flicker Technique," Orochimaru murmured. His lips twisted into a grin. "And at this age… you've already mastered not only the Body Flicker, but multiple nature transformations as well."
His gaze shifted briefly to the frozen snake beneath Shigure's feet—his own summoning beast, immobilized in an instant.
"What terrifying ninjutsu…"
So this was the boy that Jūgo and Guren had spoken of.
Not only could this child use Ice Release, he also possessed the Transparent Release, able to turn invisible and suppress his chakra signature entirely.
The more Orochimaru saw, the more intrigued he became.
Sasuke was his ideal vessel because of the Sharingan, but this boy… this boy would make for an excellent spare. A child of such talent, carrying two kekkei genkai? Too valuable to overlook.
"Invisibility… complete concealment…" Orochimaru licked his lips. "Such traits are perfect for survival."
He let out a rasping laugh. "Boy… you intend to fight me alone?"
Shigure's expression hardened. "That's right. So what if I do?"
Orochimaru chuckled, stretching his unnaturally long neck in a grotesque motion. "If you face me alone, you might die without even realizing it."
"Die…?" Shigure whispered coldly.
BOOM!
He stomped down, shattering the frozen snake beneath him into glittering shards of ice. His body dropped lightly onto a tree branch, and an overwhelming cold flared out from him.
The instant his gaze locked onto Orochimaru—
Crack!
Ice crystals raced up Orochimaru's body, freezing him in place.
Instant Freeze Technique!
The power in Shigure's jutsu was sharper, faster, more devastating than before.
Through the ice, Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
Impossible…!
This boy hadn't even formed a single hand seal. How could he unleash ninjutsu without weaving signs?!
BOOM!
With a violent surge of chakra, Orochimaru shattered the ice encasing him. He leapt back, widening the distance between them.
But Shigure was already drawing the black blade at his side.
"Didn't you say I would die?" he asked coldly. "Then why are you the one retreating?"
Swish!
Shigure's body liquefied, bursting apart before vanishing—only to reappear behind Orochimaru in the next instant.
"What—?!" Orochimaru spun, only to see the black blade already descending toward him.
He spat out a massive snake in reflex, coiling it toward Shigure.
Slash!
Shigure's blade cleaved the serpent cleanly in half, though the distraction bought Orochimaru just enough time to dodge.
He dropped from the branch, but when he looked back up—
Shigure was gone.
His instincts screamed.
Behind me—!!
He whipped his head down. Shigure was crouched right in front of him, smiling faintly. Frost spread rapidly across the ground, and Orochimaru's eyelids twitched.
A suffocating cold engulfed him.
Great Snake Shedding—!
BOOM!
The chill pierced Orochimaru's body as Shigure's sword slashed across his chest. But the body split apart like a discarded husk, peeling away as Orochimaru's true form burst from the mouth of the shed skin.
Shigure's blade had struck nothing but an empty corpse.
Orochimaru stood again, brushing himself off with a grave expression. For the first time in a long while, he felt the weight of facing a true threat.
This boy… This battle…
It was like standing against a shinobi of his own caliber.
How could that be possible?
Shigure was only a Genin… how could he possibly fight on even footing with Orochimaru?
Could a child like this already wield the power of a Kage?
Shigure leapt forward, trying to close the distance.
Orochimaru's hands blurred into a seal.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust roared forth, blasting Shigure off his feet. His body skidded back, frost surging around him as he anchored himself. Ice spread instantly, locking his legs to the ground to resist the gale.
Stabilizing his stance, Shigure slammed his palms forward, forming a towering ice wall that split the wind head-on.
From behind narrowed eyes, Orochimaru watched carefully.
No hand seals… not once.
This boy was shaping ninjutsu purely through will and chakra control.
"Impossible…" Orochimaru whispered. "Someone who can use ninjutsu without weaving signs…?"
When the storm subsided, the forest went eerily quiet.
Then—
BOOM!
Twin ice dragons burst from behind the wall, their serpentine bodies crackling with frozen mist. They coiled around the trees like lightning and snapped at Orochimaru's shoulders.
Though called "dragon bullets," their sheer size was closer to pythons. Yet the instant their fangs sank into Orochimaru, jagged ice crystals spread from the wounds, racing down the dragons' length in a rapid chain reaction.
Orochimaru's eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and intrigue.
Ice Release fused seamlessly with his ninjutsu… a frightening combination.
But he was no ordinary opponent.
With a flick of his wrists, two pitch-black snakes shot out from his sleeves. They wound tightly around the ice dragons, crushing them apart with monstrous strength. The frost only succeeded in freezing the snakes, buying Orochimaru the moment he needed to slip free.
Or so he thought.
A sharp pain ripped through his chest. Blood spattered into the air, arcing in a vivid, crimson trail.
Orochimaru froze.
When…?
Shigure's figure shimmered into view, blade in hand, the edge still wet with blood.
"Transparent Release…" Orochimaru muttered, realization dawning. "So this is the ability Jūgo and Guren spoke of. Even your chakra… even your breath disappears completely."
Crack—crack—crack!
Around them, ice spikes erupted from the trees, spearing inwards from every direction. The sharpened lances pierced into Orochimaru's body, pinning him in place before Shigure.
The boy's black blade gleamed coldly as he lifted it toward the sannin's throat.
"...Now," Shigure said evenly, his voice like the edge of winter. "Tell me—who's the one that's going to die?"
Orochimaru's face was unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes betrayed fear.
This brat. This Genin from Konoha.
Ice Release, swordsmanship, Transparent Release, and ninjutsu without seals—
The synergy between them left Orochimaru completely exposed.
His vessel body was already nearing its limit, yet somehow he found himself cornered by a child.
Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.
Since when… since when could a little devil like this drive me into such humiliation?
...
TN:
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