"Why haven't you sent even a single message back to the village all these years?"
Shinju asked.
Sasuke lowered his head in silence, his expression shadowed and unreadable.
After a long pause, his gaze sharpened, just like it had three years ago when he decided to leave Konoha.
"Because I want to sever all my ties with Konoha... and with you!"
"Shinju."
"I've said it before — I'm an avenger. I'm not walking the same path as you."
Shinju looked at Sasuke like he was watching a child throwing a tantrum.
This guy… what a ridiculous, edgy thing to say.
He didn't take Sasuke's words to heart at all and even joked,
"I usually just use Flying Thunder God to travel, so any path works for me."
"You wouldn't understand," Sasuke said seriously.
"Shinju… don't force me."
As he spoke, Sasuke's right hand slowly reached toward the short blade strapped to his waist.
"To become stronger, to get my revenge… I'll do whatever it takes."
"If killing you and Naruto is what it takes to solidify my resolve, then I'll do it."
By the end, Sasuke's voice had turned cold and hoarse, like jagged ice scraping against glass.
Shinju raised his hand.
SLAP!
(￣ε(#￣)☆╰╮o(￣皿￣///)
A clean, heavy slap landed squarely on Sasuke's face!
Shinju didn't hold back in the slightest, and Sasuke's body was sent flying!
But as he was airborne, Sasuke drew the short blade from his waist, stabbing straight at Shinju!
The angle was sharp and ruthless — aimed right at a vital spot!
Shinju lifted his leg.
"Expansion Jutsu!"
BOOM!!!
His left calf swelled and expanded instantly before slamming forward, pinning Sasuke against the wall!
Sasuke: ㅍ_ㅍ
Game over!
Shinju was still that strong!
"What did you just say? Go on, repeat it."
Shinju asked calmly.
Sasuke's cheek was now marked with a glaring red handprint, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, but his expression remained stubborn.
He could die, but he would never back down!
"I… I said… if killing you and Naruto is what it takes to solidify my resolve, then I'll do it!!"
Shinju sighed. "Since you want to kill me, I guess I'll have to strike first. ┐(´-｀)┌"
With that, Shinju pressed down with his left leg, kicking clean through the wall!
CRAAASH—
Chunks of stone and dust flew everywhere!
Out in the corridor beyond, Sasuke lay pinned beneath Shinju's foot.
The guards stationed in Orochimaru's base heard the commotion and quickly rushed over!
Shinju casually split off two Wood Clones, who swiftly dealt with the fodder.
Meanwhile, his main body focused entirely on disciplining Sasuke — who just wouldn't listen.
A few minutes later, Sasuke was barely recognizable.
Yep… he looked exactly like a swollen pig's head.
...
Meanwhile, in another laboratory.
Orochimaru and Kabuto were conducting a highly confidential experiment.
Orochimaru wore a lab coat and protective goggles, holding a test tube in hand, swirling its contents…
He extended his long tongue to lick the corner of his lips, his voice brimming with excitement. "Just a little more of this solution… and the experiment will finally be complete…"
The experiment's purpose? To create a special reagent that could restrict Shinju's Wood Release growth.
Once perfected, Orochimaru would be able to capture Shinju during his next Living Corpse Reincarnation and finally claim the body he'd always dreamed of.
Kukukukuku…
But suddenly, the ceiling above them began to rumble violently!
Orochimaru frowned, his expression sharpening dangerously.
"What's Sasuke doing up there?!"
Beside him, Kabuto hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.
"Orochimaru-sama, there's something I'm not sure if I should say…"
Orochimaru glanced over lazily.
"I've always appreciated your straightforwardness, Kabuto. Don't hold back."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and said, "Sasuke already knows that he's intended to be your next vessel… and recently, he seems to be looking for ways to resist you."
Orochimaru's face remained calm, completely unbothered.
"I've known about that for a while. But as long as he stays by my side, he'll never be able to stir up any real trouble."
Then Orochimaru's lips curved, his golden eyes glowing faintly.
"And once we succeed with this experiment, Sasuke will be useless."
"With Shinju's body… who would even want Sasuke's Sharingan?"
"Besides, Shinju seems to have one of those eyes as well… (´◊ω◊｀)"
By the end, Orochimaru's gaze burned with hunger.
It was as if Shinju were a massive, lavish buffet laid out right before him.
And that buffet… kept upgrading itself.
"Just talking about it makes me impatient to meet Shinju already. (๑•́₃ •̀๑)"
At that moment, the rumbling above intensified.
And suddenly—
BOOOOOM!!!
The entire ceiling collapsed in an instant!
Kabuto and Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
As the dust cleared, Shinju and Sasuke came into view.
The scene froze for a beat.
Shinju's enlarged hand was pressed against Sasuke's face, pinning him down, while he turned his head to lock eyes with Orochimaru — equally stunned.
Beneath Shinju's palm, Sasuke's swollen, pig-headed face was coated in ash and dirt, his skin scraped raw in several places. He looked utterly miserable.
Orochimaru: ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!
Words become reality?!
"Oh, what a surprise — didn't think we'd run into each other again so soon!"
Shinju was the first to speak, smiling faintly.
Facing Shinju, Orochimaru didn't dare take him lightly for even a second.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!!!"
SWISH SWISH SWISH!!
A torrent of snakes burst from Orochimaru's sleeves, shooting straight at Shinju!
Still holding Sasuke's limp body in one hand, Shinju formed a seal with the other.
"Ice Shield!"
FWOOSH!
An icy barrier formed instantly in front of Shinju, blocking Orochimaru's attack.
Beside Orochimaru, the ever-reliable Kabuto fired off two kunai as a distraction… and then turned tail immediately!
No way he was staying!
A guy who mastered both Sage Mode and Wood Release?!
Even a second's delay would've been an insult to Shinju's strength!
Orochimaru's pupils shrank, his expression gradually twisting into genuine fear. Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
"Kabuto! Don't you dare leave me behind!!"
Shinju grinned. "Don't worry… neither of you are escaping today! (๑ت๑)"
With that, he formed another seal, slamming his palm against the ground.
"Swamp Jutsu!"
In the next moment—
CRAAAAAASH—
Within hundreds of meters, stone and earth instantly liquefied into a massive swamp!
Given that Orochimaru's base was built underground, the entire floor transformed into a deadly mire.
Kabuto and Orochimaru were immediately trapped, their movements completely restricted!
Meanwhile, Shinju encased himself within an Ice Shield, isolating himself from the swamp water, while simultaneously channeling Lightning Release chakra through his body.
"Lightning Domain!"
ZAAAAP—
Using the swamp as a conductor, Shinju unleashed a massive electrical current, paralyzing both Orochimaru and Kabuto!
As his body convulsed, Orochimaru forced his mouth open with sheer will.
SSSSHHHLK—
A fresh, wet, mucus-covered body crawled out from his gaping jaws — leaving behind the charred old shell.
The Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique!
Shinju: !!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ
What the hell—he can do that?!
As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin — endless tricks up his sleeve!
Breaking free from the paralysis, Orochimaru wasted no time. He bit his thumb, slammed his hands onto the swampy ground, and shouted:
"Summoning Jutsu!!!"
RUMBLE—
A massive snake with purple scales and a towering body appeared in a swirl of smoke —
Manda had arrived!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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