Orochimaru frowned. "Manipulation of threads invisible to the naked eye? As expected of Sasuke, his shurikenjutsu is quite superb." But this trick, of course, was still not enough to defeat him. With a simple backflip, he dodged the attack.
However, Sasuke's real killing move was hidden in his final throw. "Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack!" he yelled.
*THUD! THUD! THUD!*
The final, hidden shuriken struck Orochimaru's body with sudden force. The fine, tough steel wires that followed tightly bound him to the tree trunk. "Fire Style! Dragon Fire Technique!" A fierce torrent of flame shot from Sasuke's mouth, traveling along the wires and completely incinerating Orochimaru, turning him into a dried-up, melted figure.
"Aaaaaahh!" The screams were heart-wrenching, the figure's face contorting in agony.
Panting heavily, Sasuke was just about to breathe a sigh of relief. But then, Orochimaru's body re-emerged from the mud beneath the charred remains, completely unharmed.
"What?! How could this be..."
Orochimaru chuckled. "A delicate shuriken technique that can only be achieved when combined with the Sharingan, plus such a powerful fire jutsu... Sasuke, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."
Sasuke stared in disbelief at the monster before him. This being was inhuman. Whatever it was, it was definitely not human. To be targeted by such a terrifying creature was absolutely chilling, a fate of constant fear. As Orochimaru approached step by step, Sasuke involuntarily began to back away, his body trembling slightly.
"Come now, Sasuke," Orochimaru hissed. "Become my vessel. Only when the power of the two of us merges into one can we kill *that man*! Stop hesitating, stop resisting..."
In that instant, Sasuke seemed to recall the horror of that night from years ago. Terrified, he screamed, "No! Don't come any closer!" Orochimaru, however, seemed to be enjoying himself, like a cat toying with a mouse, reveling in the thrill of the hunt.
But in that very instant, two figures intercepted Orochimaru, blocking his path. It was Naruto and Hinata.
Orochimaru frowned. "What? Are you really going to stop me?"
Sasuke looked at the two figures standing protectively in front of him, but his feelings were completely different from before. *Naruto, Hinata...* For the first time, in his deepest despair, someone was protecting him. He would not have to face this hell on earth alone, like he did that night.
Orochimaru sighed. "Naruto, I don't wish to kill you."
Naruto roared, "Then get out of our way!"
Orochimaru smiled mockingly and turned his head to look at Hinata. "Those eyes... are they the Byakugan? A member of the Hyuga clan... Unfortunately, I have no interest in you."
Hinata glared angrily, her Byakugan active as she assumed her Gentle Fist stance. "It doesn't matter. I will never let you take Sasuke away!"
Orochimaru licked his lips, looking at the two of them with a sinister smile. "What a touching scene. Unfortunately, you two brats are too naive to think you can stop me..."
*BOOM!*
Orochimaru didn't make a move. Instead, he unleashed the same overwhelming killing intent he had displayed before, now directed at both Naruto and Hinata. The terrifying aura, almost tangible, felt as if it could instantly tear them into a bloody, mangled mess. The profound fear was absolutely unimaginable unless experienced firsthand. Even a Jonin like Kakashi might struggle to withstand it, let alone the current Team 7. For a moment, Hinata's body went limp, and she involuntarily took a step back, her eyes filled with emptiness and terror. Naruto was the same; everything went black before his eyes, and he almost fainted.
However, in the instant before he collapsed, Naruto did something unthinkable. He took a sudden step forward.
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes widened instantly. "What?! He actually withstood my killing intent?! Who is this kid...?"
The Naruto of today was no longer the person he once was. Having endured the system's baptism by lightning and been forced through arduous, life-or-death training, he had already taken lives—Mizuki, Zabuza, and Haku. The feeling of having killed with your own hands is completely different from never having done so. Naruto now had his own understanding of death. He was no longer an innocent, carefree child. He was a ninja. A true ninja.
Although his body trembled from Orochimaru's intimidating aura, he chose to advance rather than retreat.
Hinata and Sasuke were dumbfounded.
"Naruto... Naruto..." Hinata whispered.
*Naruto? Why... why can he still hold on? Why can he still move forward...* Sasuke stared in disbelief at the boy standing protectively in front of him. This was the second time Naruto had risked his life to protect him. But compared to the anger and resentment he felt last time, this time Sasuke felt more gratitude and relief. He was grateful that someone was protecting him, so glad that he wasn't alone.
Naruto roared, his chakra and power bursting forth as his unique aura collided violently with Orochimaru's killing intent. The clash, ironically, made Hinata and Sasuke feel much more clear-headed.
Orochimaru stared at Naruto in disbelief. *Who exactly is this kid?* Naruto's talent and strength had certainly impressed him, but the will he was showing now was even more unimaginable. *Is it the aura of the Nine-Tails within him? No, no, this is just him... What has he been through to be able to withstand my killing intent?*
Naruto roared angrily, "I will never let you take anyone from Team 7 away! Hinata, Sasuke... Let's go together! Zabuza's water clone!"
His words sent a jolt through Hinata and Sasuke. *Zabuza's water clones...* The two of them suddenly understood.
"Yes, I understand, Naruto!" Hinata said, her resolve returning.
"Hmph," Sasuke grunted in agreement.
At this moment, the three of them once again brought the bond and tacit understanding of Team 7 to its absolute peak.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Protective Gentle Fist!"
The three of them were now many times stronger than they were in the Land of Waves. This time, Hinata replaced the shuriken with her own Gentle Fist, creating a strong chakra palm wind that amplified her teammates' jutsu even more.
In an instant, a violent palm strike, combined with fierce winds and roaring flames, merged into a gigantic fire dragon that swept across the sky. It coiled and spun wildly, roaring and howling, baring its fangs and claws as it completely engulfed Orochimaru and the vast jungle behind him, annihilating and devouring everything in its path.
*RUMBLE—!*
After a deafening explosion, Orochimaru and the vast forest were seemingly burned to ashes by the trio's combined attack, leaving behind only charred remains and smoldering ruins.
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