'This guy is strong!'
Sensing the all-pervading killing intent in the air, as sharp as needles, Naruto's usually carefree demeanor turned grave. Goosebumps prickled across his skin.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru observed Sakura and Naruto, their faces grim but seemingly unaffected by his murderous aura. Sasuke, in particular, remained completely impassive, as if his aura had no effect on him whatsoever.
A smile of genuine interest spread across Orochimaru's face.
"Truly fascinating! I never imagined you two possessed such potential, apart from Uchiha Sasuke!"
Naruto's talent was somewhat expected, considering he was the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Orochimaru was only mildly surprised.
But the young, civilian-born girl exhibiting such unwavering mental fortitude caught him completely off guard.
'Haruno Sakura!'
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on her, amusement coloring his expression as he recalled the intelligence reports on Team Seven.
"Shut up, you self-righteous Sasuke-obsessed idiot!"
Naruto stomped his foot, sending countless radial cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.
"Acting all high and mighty—do you think you're so strong?"
'Boom!'
The moment the words left his mouth, Naruto launched himself forward like a projectile. An overwhelmingly powerful force erupted from the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently.
He shot forward with the deafening roar of a rocket launch, hurtling straight toward Orochimaru with lightning speed.
'A taijutsu ninja!'
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as Naruto charged at him, his taijutsu attack striking like a bolt of lightning.
In that instant, Orochimaru's body twisted like a snake, flickering slightly with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye as he effortlessly dodged Naruto's strike.
Simultaneously, a chilling hiss, like the flick of a snake's tongue, emanated from beneath his sleeve.
A swarm of venomous snakes erupted, their foul-smelling jaws snapping hungrily as they lunged at Naruto, poised to sink their fangs into the dodging ninja.
'Whoosh!'
The sound of wind slicing through the air erupted as a massive shuriken spun rapidly, its high-speed rotation generating a powerful vortex that decapitated every snake in Orochimaru's swarm.
Even as the severed heads writhed, attempting to leap up, Naruto let out a cold snort and stomped down, crushing them into a bloody pulp.
Shuriken?
Has Sasuke made his move?
Seeing his attack neutralized, Orochimaru remained unfazed, his gaze shifting with interest to the still-motionless Sasuke and Sakura. His primary objective in coming here was to test Uchiha Sasuke's strength; everything else was secondary.
However, to Orochimaru's surprise, Sasuke remained still, his expression unchanged. Instead, Sakura had been the one to hurl the massive shuriken.
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru murmured, mildly surprised by the precision of Sakura's throw.
What he didn't know was that Sakura had trained under Maruboshi Kosuke. Besides his mastery of Water Release techniques, Kosuke's proficiency in throwing techniques was among the best of Konoha's Jonin.
'It seems these two might offer even greater surprises than Sasuke,' Orochimaru thought to himself.
"Sakura, I can handle this guy myself! You don't need to get involved," Naruto grumbled, pouting slightly.
"You idiot!"
Veins bulged on Sakura's forehead as she roared, "Charging headfirst into an unknown enemy like that! Did you learn nothing from the Ninja Code?!"
"Huh? What's this 'Ninja Code' thing?"
Naruto couldn't recall ever learning anything like that, but he could clearly sense the fury in Sakura's voice, sending a chill down his spine.
"Aha ha ha ha... Well, let's just take care of this guy first, Sakura."
Naruto laughed awkwardly, quickly changing the subject. Sakura huffed coldly but let him off the hook for now.
Naruto was right—dealing with the enemy was the immediate priority.
"A murderous aura as deep as an abyss, a chilling and deranged presence... a ninja who wields the power of snakes."
Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed as she fixed Orochimaru with a steely gaze. "You're Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, aren't you?"
"Oh?" Orochimaru's expression turned amused as he studied Sakura with a playful curiosity. "Impressive analytical skills."
So far, Orochimaru had only used two techniques, both related to snakes. Yet this young girl had quickly deduced his identity, earning his grudging respect.
"You infiltrated the Chunin Exams disguised as a Grass Village examinee. What's your purpose? Are you plotting against Konoha?"
Seeing Orochimaru acknowledge his identity, Sakura's vigilance soared to its peak. Gritting her teeth, she demanded, "Hmph, so you have time to worry about Konoha?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, his golden eyes radiating a chilling murderous intent. "You'd be better off worrying about your own predicament first!"
With that, Orochimaru unleashed his unique Snake-Shaped Body Flicker Technique, his entire body twisting like a serpent as he lunged toward Sasuke and Sakura.
"I told you, don't ignore me, bastard!" Naruto roared, transforming into a swirling hurricane. Like an enraged dragon coiling through the sky, he unleashed a tempestuous roar and struck Orochimaru with lightning-fast force!
'Legendary Sannin?' Naruto couldn't care less. All he knew was that this bastard had repeatedly ignored him.
'His speed has increased considerably,' Orochimaru noted, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Mid-air, he twisted his body, meeting Naruto's taijutsu attack head-on without dodging or blocking.
'Bang!'
Their fists collided with a thunderous impact. The explosive force of Naruto's punch sent Orochimaru flying backward!
Yet, even as he hurtled through the air, Orochimaru's expression remained utterly composed, even amused.
'Boom!'
Naruto stomped forward, chasing after the sent-flying Orochimaru. His right hand shot out, clamping down on Orochimaru's ankle, before slamming him into the ground with tremendous force. The impact erupted like a bomb, carving a massive crater into the earth.
"Got him?" Naruto stared intently at Orochimaru, who lay motionless on the ground. Suddenly, the Orochimaru on the ground dissolved into a puddle of mud.
'Whoosh!' The air cracked as a longsword, its blade radiating a deathly chill, streaked from behind Naruto. His expression flickered, and he leaped aside just in time to evade the strike.
The sword slashed past Naruto's face again and again, the situation growing increasingly precarious.
'Chen Baojun's taijutsu!'
Orochimaru, wielding the Kusanagi Sword, watched Naruto's frantic evasions and recognized the origin of his taijutsu.
"Your taijutsu is quite impressive," Orochimaru's chilling voice drifted through the close-quarters combat, tinged with a hint of regret. "But alas, taijutsu ultimately has its limitations."
In the heat of battle, Orochimaru's sinister voice wafted through the air, carrying a trace of regret.
Whether Naruto had inherited his father's Space-Time Technique or his mother's Sealing Technique,
Orochimaru would have held him in higher regard, even developing a fondness for his talent.
'Taijutsu?'
'Forget it!'
As these thoughts swirled in Orochimaru's mind, he prepared to deliver the killing blow.
"You dare look down on taijutsu?"
Naruto's anger flared at these words. The sharp, long sword made it nearly impossible for him to effectively use his taijutsu in close combat, leaving him restricted and vulnerable.
But as Orochimaru spoke, Naruto resolved to unleash his ultimate technique, the Leaf Dragon God, regardless of the consequences.
'Boom!'
Just as Orochimaru was about to deliver the killing strike and Naruto was about to unleash his technique, a massive water dragon suddenly lunged at Orochimaru.
"Hmm? Is that the Second Hokage's Water Dragon Bullet?"
Sensing the water dragon's overwhelming power and speed, far surpassing ordinary versions, Orochimaru's curiosity piqued. As he moved to evade, his gaze flickered toward Sakura and Sasuke.
'Ugh!'
The moment Orochimaru's attention wavered, searing pain erupted in his limbs, as if they had been pierced by nails. His evasive movements froze.
'What's this?!'
Orochimaru's pupils constricted in horror. He looked up to see Sasuke's eyes had long since transformed into the crimson, three-tomoe Sharingan!
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 300 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
Patreon.com/rashta
Be a member so you can also read:
1. 345 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto (Completed)
2. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird
3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin
4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Completed)
5. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother
6. 274 adv ch of I'm Huo Yuhao's System
7. Adv chapters of Naruto: Galgame System (Upcoming)