Chapter 146: This body is mine!
Naruto's Shadow Clone knew his mission was to stall for time.
So he didn't mind chatting with Orochimaru a bit more.
The main body was leading his companions away; Orochimaru's target was Sasuke. As long as he stalled her and gained enough time and distance for the main body, it would be fine.
Besides... Naruto knew very well that Orochimaru would still be useful later.
Moreover, the main body had prepared a "little gift" for Orochimaru later, although it was currently on Danzo.
He couldn't kill her here.
Thinking of this, the Shadow Clone's eyes sharpened. Wielding that ordinary tree branch, Chakra erupted beneath his feet, and his figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow, charging straight at Orochimaru on the branch!
Initially, Orochimaru did intend to toy with Naruto. A Genin holding a tree branch... what threat could he pose?
However, when Naruto's figure rapidly approached and the seemingly ordinary tree branch in his hand was suddenly infused with highly condensed, incomparably sharp Wind Release Chakra, emitting a cyan glow, Orochimaru's expression instantly changed!
Relying on her extraordinary reaction speed and flexible body, she twisted her torso eerily like she had no bones at the moment the branch reached her, narrowly avoiding the seemingly simple thrust.
But the moment she dodged, the wind-attribute Chakra erupted.
"Sshhh, sshhh, sshhh!"
The tree branch, bolstered by Wind Release Chakra, unexpectedly shot out countless hair-thin yet incredibly sharp wind blades from its tip and various small twigs simultaneously!
These wind blades weren't scattered randomly; instead, following the branch's swing trajectory, they formed a dense and precise cutting net!
Crack!
The tree Orochimaru had been standing on—one so thick it would take several people to encircle it—and the two trees behind it were easily and neatly sliced into dozens of segments the moment they touched the wind blade net, like tofu cut by an invisible blade.
Wood chips flew, and the cross-sections were smooth.
If this had hit a person... Orochimaru landed on another branch not far away, her golden vertical pupils staring fixedly at the tree branch still flowing with cyan light in the Naruto Shadow Clone's hand. The mockery and ease on her face had completely vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity!
'If I had really been hit by that move... wouldn't I have been sliced into pieces?!'
This Uzumaki Naruto's mastery over Chakra nature transformation and control had actually reached such a terrifying level?
To be able to perform such a threatening area-of-effect cutting attack just by conducting Wind Release through a branch broken off at random.
It seemed this "chance encounter" was far more troublesome than she had imagined.
Orochimaru cast aside her contempt and began to take the brat in front of her seriously.
"To be able to dodge this move of mine..."
Naruto's Shadow Clone, holding the cyan-glowing branch, tilted his head slightly and looked at Orochimaru, who had landed on a nearby branch with a grave expression, his tone carrying surprise and inquiry.
"You're certainly not simple."
He paused intentionally, as if truly pondering the other's origin.
"Which Village are you from?"
He asked, feigning an attempt to identify his opponent's identity.
Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils flickered slightly. She sneered inwardly at the Naruto Shadow Clone's "naive" question, but on the surface, she maintained that pale and sinister appearance, responding in a raspy voice:
"Just... from a small Village."
She was vague, clearly not wanting to reveal her identity.
She had originally planned to disguise herself as a Grass Ninja, but one Grass Ninja had been taken by Naruto, two were heavily injured, and the remaining team had been called away by Hiruzen Sarutobi before the exam.
So this time, she used the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to replace an unlucky fellow from Takigakure.
Meanwhile, her fingers hidden under her wide sleeves moved extremely discreetly.
A tiny, snow-white snake slid silently out of her sleeve, pressing against the tree trunk, preparing to swim quietly toward the Naruto Shadow Clone's flank.
This was one of Orochimaru's usual tricks.
However, just as that little white snake had left Orochimaru's sleeve and hadn't yet fully blended into the shadows of the environment.
Zzzzt—!!!
A blindingly brilliant bolt of azure lightning suddenly shot out from the tip of the branch in the Naruto Shadow Clone's hand without warning!
The lightning was as thin as a steel needle but incredibly solid, and its speed exceeded the limits of visual capture.
It accurately struck the little white snake that was sneaking around.
Zap!
A soft sound.
The little white snake didn't even have time to struggle before its slender body was easily pierced by the lightning.
A charred hole appeared in the center of its body, and a faint smell of burning spread.
The little white snake twitched stiffly, then slid limply from the tree trunk, falling into the fallen leaves below, motionless.
Lightning Release!
And it was a high-precision Lightning Release with Chakra form and nature transformation controlled to the extreme.
Orochimaru hadn't expected the opponent to not only use Wind Release so sharply but also be able to instantly switch and trigger such a precise Lightning Release attack on a branch where the Wind Release Chakra hadn't even fully dissipated, all in such a short time.
This kind of Chakra control and attribute switching speed was simply inconceivable!
Naruto's Shadow Clone acted as if he had only done a trivial thing. Still holding the branch, he looked calmly at Orochimaru, his tone carrying a hint of understanding and playfulness:
"You like playing with snakes, huh..."
He paused, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping over Orochimaru's sleeves and the surrounding tree trunks.
"...Are you planning to slip away, or planning a sneak attack?"
Looking at the Naruto Shadow Clone's calm "I've seen through you long ago" expression, the shock and suspicion in Orochimaru's heart grew heavier.
The strength, tactical literacy, and exquisite use of Chakra displayed by Uzumaki Naruto had completely exceeded the scope of a normal Genin.
Even many Jonin might not be able to switch and control two Chakra attribute attacks so casually.
The opponent hadn't even used hand seals... 'The son of Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina... is indeed an extraordinary fellow!'
Orochimaru thought to herself. Her desire for Sasuke's Sharingan was still burning, but at this moment, she had also developed a strong interest in the blonde boy himself.
Perhaps his body was even more valuable than the current Sasuke's.
When the time came, she could completely gouge out Sasuke's eyes and transplant them onto this kid. Then she would possess both this exceptionally talented body and the Sharingan.
Just thinking about it was a bit exciting!
"Little brother, how about letting me go this time? I can give you the heaven and earth scrolls I've collected."
Orochimaru said, her right hand slowly reaching into her ninja tool pouch.
Then, she suddenly thrust out her right hand.
Her right hand transformed into several brown snakes, their mouths open to bite Naruto.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
Naruto's Shadow Clone calmly raised his hand, sliced the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands into chunks of meat, and then suddenly lunged at Orochimaru.
The branch pierced Orochimaru's body, and from Orochimaru's mouth, a large white-scaled snake with long black hair emerged, its mouth open to bite Naruto's neck.
A look of excitement flashed in the snake's golden vertical pupils.
This body is mine!
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