Naruto's sudden attack stunned everyone present, even the infiltrators from Sand Village and Sound Village couldn't react in time.
Three devastating punches with mountain-crushing force hit their targets almost simultaneously.
Among them, the sinister female ninja didn't have time to dodge, but leaned back with the force of the punch, her entire body twisting like a boneless snake.
However, even though the figure reacted so quickly, the Haki and chakra covering Naruto's fist still tore a large gash across the disguised face.
But what was exposed inside wasn't flesh and blood, but another layer of skin.
The other two also used their own methods.
One suddenly transformed into crows and scattered, then somehow reappeared unharmed not far away.
The other was somewhat stubborn, seemingly deliberately wanting to take this punch to gauge the target's strength.
So he became the unluckiest of the three.
Even using chakra for defense, the fist still struck his face directly, then sank deep into it.
Then, like an innocent bug hit by a train, he spun and tumbled through the air before heavily smashing through the Forest of Death's protective barrier.
"How reckless, Naruto-kun..."
At this moment, the previously effeminate woman spoke, but the voice that came out was low and androgynous, completely mismatched with the appearance.
The figure slowly tore off the fake skin, revealing another face with purple eye shadow.
Others might not recognize him, but Anko Mitarashi, as Orochimaru's former disciple, immediately identified that the guy who had been punched away by candidate Naruto Uzumaki was her Sensei who had betrayed the village.
"It's Orochimaru! All candidates! Stay away from the battlefield!"
She immediately commanded the candidates to evacuate, then had her colleagues relay the message.
Orochimaru didn't even glance at Anko, studying Naruto before him with full curiosity.
"So confident? And this power... I've become interested in you too, Naruto-kun."
Naruto also smiled, opening his eyes to reveal those deep blue pupils.
"Orochimaru? Ah, right, Jiraiya-sensei mentioned you."
Hearing this, Orochimaru asked with interest.
"Ha? What did that guy say about me?"
"I'll bring you to Jiraiya-sensei and let him tell you personally."
As the last word fell, Naruto's fist arrived.
This deliberate punch was clearly much more powerful than the earlier probing attack.
Feeling the incoming wind pressure, Orochimaru's face no longer showed its previous confidence.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
His arms instantly transformed into several venomous snakes, biting toward Naruto.
But those snakes were immediately smashed into meat paste that scattered everywhere upon approaching Naruto.
Armament Haki plus chakra combined with his already formidable body made Naruto like a force of nature, completely ignoring such feeble attacks.
Orochimaru naturally knew he couldn't stop it, but this wasn't his killing move either.
Just as the meat paste blocked his opponent's vision, Orochimaru's neck suddenly extended, curving like a real white snake, silently circling behind Naruto.
At the same time, he opened his mouth, his tongue transforming into a snake.
The snake's mouth also opened, extending a razor-sharp sword like a nesting doll.
It was the legendary Kusanagi Sword.
Really just a fool who only knows how to charge forward stupidly, just like that guy.
This thought had just risen in Orochimaru's mind when he saw Naruto turn around as if prepared, one hand gripping the snake head, the other gripping his neck.
It was somewhat absurd. At this moment, Naruto, who was showing a genuine smile, appeared quite terrifying in Orochimaru's eyes.
Before Orochimaru could continue talking, Naruto's hands suddenly exerted force.
Splat.
Two snake heads were forcibly torn off by Naruto and thrown aside.
However, Naruto used the opponent's clothes to wipe the slime off the Kusanagi Sword, then held it up to examine it.
This scene left Anko, who had been prepared for a desperate fight, dumbfounded, her emotions becoming somewhat disconnected.
As for the other candidates, they all looked shocked.
However, some among them were silently gathering together, seemingly waiting for some command.
"Really nice stuff. Hey, stop playing dead."
Naruto lightly stroked the blade with his finger. In terms of sharpness alone, this sword was comparable to even Musōkō.
The length and feel were also good, incomparably better than that broken sword Zabuza had in the Land of Waves.
Moreover, its hardness far exceeded Naruto's imagination. He had originally thought it was just an ordinary weapon.
Good thing I picked it up today, otherwise leaving it in Orochimaru's mouth... what a waste of a good thing.
On the other side, Orochimaru's headless body stood up again, then a new Orochimaru tore through the original body and "emerged" from inside.
"Really... beyond my expectations, Naruto-kun."
"Is that the last thing you want to say?"
Naruto had no intention of continuing to chat with the enemy. Holding the blade in his hand, his entire aura immediately changed.
But Orochimaru seemed prepared as well.
Without making any visible movement, he summoned a giant snake with a head taller than a person, which immediately carried him away from Naruto.
Originally, Orochimaru had planned to act during the Chunin Exams, plant a curse mark on Sasuke, and thus gain the opportunity to possess his body.
That old bastard Danzo had specifically reminded him during their meeting to watch out for Naruto Uzumaki, repeatedly emphasizing that this kid's strength exceeded expectations and not to waste time fighting him. Their target should be Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This instead gave Orochimaru the idea of "Let me see what's going on."
The result was quite enlightening.
Not only did he lose his weapon, but he also lost face in front of his "former colleague" and "former disciple."
One could only say that curiosity doesn't just kill cats, it can kill snakes too.
"Itachi Uchiha, and Kisame Hoshigaki, your target is right here. Don't you plan to act?"
He suddenly shouted loudly, looking toward the two who had just been knocked away by Naruto but had now recovered.
Having their identities exposed, the two no longer maintained their transformation jutsu. The black robes with red clouds of the "Akatsuki" organization appeared before everyone present.
This naturally included Sasuke.
"Itachi!!!"
At this moment, Itachi Uchiha seemed to become a "taunting target" in Sasuke's eyes. He could see no one else.
Retreat, tactics, everything was thrown to the back of his mind.
Sakura beside him couldn't stop him as Sasuke accelerated into a run, simultaneously throwing several shuriken to disrupt his opponent's vision.
But Itachi Uchiha didn't even spare a glance at his younger brother, still coldly observing Naruto, this unfamiliar Nine-Tails jinchuriki.
Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled as he drew Samehada from his back, casually deflecting the shuriken Sasuke had thrown, seemingly not taking Sasuke seriously at all.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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