'Eight Gates Released Formation, Fifth Gate... At this age, with this physique...'
A thought flashed through Tsunade's mind.
Kitsuchi was even more shocked and furious. He stared fixedly at Sora and said harshly,
"Eight Gates Released Formation?! There's someone like this in Konoha's Anbu?! Kid, you..."
Before he could finish his words, another unexpected change occurred!
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Several huge pythons covered in purple scales burst out from the ground beneath Kitsuchi's feet without any warning! They instantly wrapped around his legs and waist, the powerful constricting force rendering him immobile!
A cold, hoarse, and uniquely magnetic voice sounded:
"Hehehe... What splendid taijutsu. However, bullying children and comrades who are not in good condition is not the behavior of a strong individual, Kitsuchi."
Orochimaru's figure appeared like a ghost at the edge of the battlefield.
His arrival caused another stir.
"Lord Orochimaru!" the Konoha-nin cheered.
Kitsuchi's heart sank to the bottom.
"Orochimaru?! Why are you here?!"
Frontline intelligence clearly indicated Orochimaru should also be pinned down!
"Kitsuchi, you underestimate the Sannin too much. Or perhaps, you overestimate Iwagakure's intelligence capabilities too much?"
Orochimaru licked his lips. His golden serpentine eyes first swept over Kitsuchi's grim expression, then landed with interest on Sora, who was panting heavily and clearly in a state of exhaustion.
"Oh? Isn't this that interesting little one?"
Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of pleasure, as if he had discovered a new toy.
"Several years have passed, and you've already grown to the point of opening the 'Gate of Limit'? Your physique is indeed quite interesting."
Sora's heart shook. He lowered his head and bowed.
"Lord Orochimaru."
If there was anyone in the shinobi world Sora was most wary of, it was Orochimaru.
Orochimaru from his previous life left the deepest impression on him. Others might be powerful, like Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and so on, or they might be sinister and ruthless, like Danzo, Obito, and others. But the 'fearfulness' of these people was mostly overt, with traces to follow.
Only Orochimaru was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows. His twisted pursuit of 'life' and 'truth', along with his unpredictable forbidden techniques, made one feel a chill from the depths of their soul.
You never knew when, or in what manner, he would appear, or what kind of 'experimental material' he would consider you to be.
After all, in the entire Naruto story, some believed in bloodlines, some believed in spirit, some believed in the body, some believed in eyes, some believed in innate inheritance, some believed in acquired effort.
Only Orochimaru believed in science!
And science, especially biological science, inevitably involved the term 'experimentation'!
The last time Sora met Orochimaru was during the ninja school assessment period. He didn't expect that after nearly six years, Orochimaru still remembered him and recognized him at a glance!
'Trouble... He noticed me after all, and seems interested in my 'physique'.'
Sora thought it was bad. He could only try his best to suppress his aura, behaving like an ordinary genius youth who had exhausted all his strength.
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Tsunade also gave Sora an approving glance.
Seeing Orochimaru's attention seemingly drawn to that Anbu kid, Kitsuchi felt both anxious and furious. But he knew the situation was lost.
'Miscalculated! Completely miscalculated! I thought Tsunade was in an abnormal state, and capturing this medical base was almost certain. I never expected Orochimaru could break away from the frontlines!'
He knew that with Orochimaru here, today's mission was already impossible.
With two of the Sannin gathered, even if Tsunade was in poor condition, it was not something their team could contend against.
"Everyone, retreat!"
Kitsuchi roared, his entire body's chakra erupting, forcibly breaking the pythons entangling him.
The Iwa-nin were already terrified. Hearing the order, they felt as if pardoned, immediately scattering and fleeing in all directions, heedless of everything.
"Trying to leave? Leave behind some souvenirs." Orochimaru gave a cold smile, his hands quickly forming seals.
"Wind Style, Great Breakthrough!"
A violent whirlwind swept out, blowing several slower Iwa-nin off their feet.
At the same time, he flicked his sleeves, and countless small poisonous snakes shot towards the fleeing enemies like hidden weapons, causing a wave of screams.
But he did not pursue with full force, nor did he pay attention to Kitsuchi, who was desperately fighting a rearguard action to cover his subordinates' retreat.
His attack was more like a method of driving away and deterring.
'As expected...' Sora observed all of this.
Orochimaru had no intention of going all out to kill Kitsuchi. Defeating him and killing him were completely different matters.
Capturing him alive was even more impossible. That would mean directly facing the furious retaliation of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Orochimaru's current focus was on his forbidden technique research. He had no interest in provoking such trouble.
But this did not align with Tsunade's earlier plans. Tsunade obviously intended for the arriving Orochimaru to completely eliminate the attacking Iwa-nin, or at least capture the leader. Only then would it have a significant effect on the overall war situation.
But for Orochimaru, defeating Kitsuchi, rescuing Tsunade and the base, was already enough to report to the village. It would also put Tsunade in his debt. At the same time, it would avoid attracting the Tsuchikage's attention. It killed multiple birds with one stone.
Seeing Orochimaru not pursuing relentlessly, Kitsuchi felt slightly relieved, but more than that, he felt humiliation and anger.
He took a deep look at Orochimaru and Tsunade, as if to firmly remember today's defeat, then without hesitation performed an earth style technique, sinking into the ground and disappearing.
With the commander fleeing, the remaining Iwa-nin collapsed like a mountain falling apart. Except for a few clever ones who escaped amidst the chaos, most were stopped by the Konoha-nin and the snake swarm summoned by Orochimaru, becoming cold corpses.
The battle was finally over.
The camp was in shambles. The Konoha-nin who had survived the disaster slumped on the ground, breathing heavily, their faces mixed with lingering fear and relief.
Orochimaru walked up to Tsunade and said slowly,
"It seems I arrived just in time."
Tsunade looked at him somewhat annoyed, then glanced at Sora, who was receiving simple treatment from Night Owl. Finally, she said in a low voice,
"...Thank you."
Orochimaru's gaze turned to Sora again. He laughed hoarsely,
"Little one, that move earlier was quite good. The Eight Gates Released Formation is not something anyone can master. Your body... is very interesting."
Sora's heart tightened. He replied respectfully,
"Thank you for your praise, Lord Orochimaru. I merely fulfilled my duty."
Orochimaru smiled slightly, not paying it much mind, and turned to arrange the withdrawal matters.
Supported by Shizune, Tsunade walked up to Sora. Looking at this young Anbu who had saved her, her tone softened considerably.
"How are your injuries?"
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Tsunade. It's just excessive physical exhaustion. Resting for a while will be fine."
Sora replied—he actually wasn't injured. With his physique, it was impossible to be injured by Kitsuchi's punch in the Eight Gates state.
He had been paying attention to Orochimaru's movements from the beginning. When he forcefully blocked Kitsuchi's punch earlier, he sensed Orochimaru's chakra approaching and knew there was backup, so naturally, he didn't need to exert his full strength.
After all, the weights tied to his feet had never been taken off from the start~
Tsunade, of course, didn't know any of this. She nodded, giving Sora a deep look, as if to commit his appearance to memory.
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