Orochimaru, that fellow, had once entered Sage Mode, going to Ryuchi Cave to learn some Ninjutsu and even Sage Art that ordinary ninja found difficult to master.
Among all the Ninjutsu Orochimaru possessed, his most distinct snake-based Ninjutsu seemed to be closely related to what he learned in Ryuchi Cave.
The reason he possessed so many means of escape, and even many convenient techniques when researching immortality Ninjutsu, was also not unrelated to his studies in Ryuchi Cave.
...
"Clang!"
Just as Orochimaru was about to transform back into his snake form and flee, a kunai wrapped in chakra struck in the direction of Orochimaru's escape!
"Chakra Blade... Sarutobi Asuma..."
Orochimaru was a seasoned ninja, once famous in Konoha. He was naturally very familiar with Konoha's "Twelve Guardian Ninja," who were now pillars of the village. Especially Sarutobi Asuma, who was the son of Orochimaru's teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He understood this talented junior very well.
"Orochimaru! This time, don't think you'll escape so easily!"
Orochimaru's reputation in Konoha was extremely bad, completely different from when he was once called one of the Sannin of Konoha.
Orochimaru back then might have truly fought tooth and nail for the village, shedding his blood.
But later, for some unknown reason... or perhaps due to his own perverse nature, he actually committed many outrageous evil deeds. As Orochimaru's teacher, Asuma's father, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, was actually criticized by some ninja in the village.
Of course, when problems arose in training Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly had to bear some responsibility.
But as a son, Asuma certainly didn't want things to develop this way. Orochimaru made his father ashamed, and then betrayed the village... From any perspective, Asuma had a reason to deal with Orochimaru!
Moreover, as an elite Jonin in Konoha Village, he was a Wind Release ninja with outstanding strength.
Asuma felt that, in his current situation, with Luffy, Kakashi, and Kurenai assisting him, he could certainly take down Orochimaru!
"Step back, you're not my opponent!"
Orochimaru's snake-like body twisted and turned, subtly dodging the kunai. Then he shot out chakra blades from his fingers.
Asuma, skilled in using Wind Release chakra and Wind Release Ninjutsu, was adept at utilizing Wind Release chakra to gain an advantage in battle.
Chakra was also divided into many different attributes.
Among them, Wind Release chakra was the most ethereal, and its movements were often the swiftest.
As a Wind Release ninja, Asuma's movements could be described as swift. Moreover, the Ninjutsu he employed, with the exception of a small few, mostly focused on strengthening himself and close-quarters combat.
Whether it was using Wind Release chakra to boost his movement speed or infusing Wind Release chakra into his commonly used knuckle knives, these were all Asuma's most frequent combat methods.
"I said I wouldn't let you leave so easily... so I won't let you sneak away quietly!"
Asuma waved his hand, and the kunai, which had been deeply embedded in the ground and wrapped in chakra, flew directly back into his hand. This was actually one of the moves Asuma often used in battle. After all, a kunai wrapped in chakra was his most frequently used ninja tool.
Remotely controlling this type of chakra blade was also a relatively common combat technique, much like puppet users controlling puppets with chakra strings. However, it was a bit cruder, but sufficient for use...
"Hmph!"
Orochimaru didn't have time to waste with Asuma here. He didn't put Asuma, Kurenai, or Kakashi in his eyes.
He truly cared about, and focused only on, Luffy, this outsider.
Now, Luffy seemed to have returned to his normal human state. He seemed to be savoring the changes happening in his body. He looked very happy.
Asuma couldn't help but shake his head and laugh bitterly.
It seemed that even without borrowing his own power system, Luffy's strength, with his unique and novel power system, had already far surpassed most of the ninja in Konoha... He hadn't fully believed what Kakashi said before, or rather, hadn't completely believed it. Someone could actually unleash such bizarre and powerful strength as Kakashi described.
Now, Asuma finally believed it. At the same time, he also realized the gap between himself and his father.
The Old Hokage, even with limited information, could still decisively make the decision to keep Luffy in the village.
If it were him, he probably wouldn't have such keen insight, or at least, he probably wouldn't have such persistence...
"Heh!" Luffy was very excited.
In this world, even though using abilities above Gear Three would also greatly deplete his physical and mental energy, the consumption was already far, far less than in the pirate world.
The consumption in this world was completely acceptable. He could fully recover in a short time, and his body wouldn't even shrink due to excessive exertion!
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