72: Chapter 72 Snake Shadow, Mask, and Hunting MomentThe midday sun was pale and weak, torn to pieces by the year-round gale-force winds that swept through the canyon.
The bridge between heaven and earth.
This stone bridge, spanning a bottomless abyss, resembles the long-weathered skeleton of a large wild beast, hanging forlornly in mid-air.
The gale howled through the holes under the bridge, making a sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, while the rushing water below crashed against the rock walls, stirring up turbid white foam.
Yamato was currently curled up inside the thick puppet shell of "Hiruko".
This puppet was Scorpion's masterpiece.It had a hunched back, a long, venomous tail made of steel, and was covered by a black robe, revealing only a pair of sinister eyes.
Although the appearance was perfectly replicated, Yamato's back was soaked with cold sweat.
Transformation techniques can change one's appearance, but they cannot change the texture of chakra, and it is even more difficult to imitate Sasori's cold and ruthless temperament that regards human life as worthless.
He had to carefully control the muscles in his throat to mimic Scorpion's hoarse, deep voice.
"Three minutes left."
Yamato counted silently in his mind.Every passing second felt like a saw pulling back and forth on his nerves.
In the bushes on the other side of the bridge.
The vegetation here is unusually dense, with huge broad-leaved plants blocking out the view.
Sakura lay behind a moss-covered rock, breathing rapidly.
She stared intently at the bridge surface, her hands gripping the mud tightly, her fingernails filled with black mud.
"News about Sasuke-kun." She bit her lip, her emerald eyes filled with anxiety and longing.
Sai crouched in the shadow of a tree trunk not far away, holding a paintbrush in his hand.The fake smile on his face had disappeared, replaced by an almost indifferent focus.
He was observing, not only the enemy, but also his "teammates" around him.
And Naruto.
He leaned against the back of a dead ancient tree, his posture as languid as if he were sunbathing on his own balcony.
Unlike the others who were tense, he instead played with a withered leaf in his hand with great interest.
The countdown timer on the system panel has reached zero.
The target has been identified.
Naruto's lips curled slightly, and his azure eyes peered through the gaps in the leaves at the bridge.
They've arrived.
At the other end of the bridge, a young man with round-framed glasses and silver-gray hair walked slowly towards them.
He wore a deep red hooded robe and had a humble and respectful smile on his face, looking like a harmless older brother next door.
Yakushi Kabuto.
Orochimaru's most loyal henchman, and also the ninja world's top double agent.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Lord Scorpion."
Kabuto stopped five meters away from "Hiruko" and bowed slightly in greeting.
That distance was subtle, showing respect while leaving enough space to deal with unexpected situations.
Yamato gently swayed Hiruko's tail, making a clicking, metallic scraping sound.
"I thought you would be late."
Yamato lowered his voice, mimicking Sasori's tone, "Did you bring the things?"
"Of course." Kabuto pushed up his glasses, the glare obscuring his eyes."About Orochimaru-sama's latest stronghold, and… the physical condition of that Uchiha orphan."
Upon hearing the name "Uchiha," Sakura, hiding in the bushes, trembled violently, almost making a sound.
Naruto didn't even lift his eyelids; he simply flicked out a wisp of wind-style chakra, precisely severing a withered branch that Sakura was about to break under her feet.
The conversation continued on the bridge.
"Lord Orochimaru's body has reached its limit." Kabuto's voice carried a perfectly timed hint of worry."The reincarnation ritual is imminent.He recently moved to a new base, which is heavily guarded.Here is the detailed route map…"
Dou reached into his robes, as if to pull out a scroll.
Yamato's heart was in his throat.If they could get that scroll, half the mission would be complete.
However.
Just as Kabuto's hand was about to extend from his robe.
hiss--
A faint, yet chilling sound, like a snake's tongue flicking in and out, suddenly rang out in the wind.
Yamato's intuition as an elite member of the Dark Guard instantly kicked in.
Danger!
It didn't come from the pocket in front of me, but from.my feet!
boom!
The originally sturdy stone bridge surface shattered instantly.
Countless thick, python-like brown vines—no, those were real snakes!
Hundreds upon hundreds of slippery brown venomous snakes intertwined, forming a disgusting torrent that broke through the bridge surface and wrapped around Hiruko's limbs.
"What?" Yamato exclaimed in surprise.
A tall, slender, and sinister figure, like a demon crawling out of hell, slowly rose along the serpentine stream.
Pale skin, long, golden pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the sides of his nose, and a long tongue licking his lips.
Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.
The suffocating feeling, as if being stared at by a cold-blooded animal, instantly enveloped the entire Tiandi Bridge.
"Hehehe."
Orochimaru let out a hoarse, magnetic laugh, his snake-like eyes fixed on Hiruko, who was entangled by a swarm of snakes."What a nostalgic shell, Sasori.But."
He suddenly flicked his sleeve.
Hidden Shadows, Many Snake Hands!
Several enormous white snakes darted out from his sleeves, opened their blood-red mouths, and bit down hard on the joints of Fei Liu Hu.
Click!
The puppet's steel shell was as fragile as paper under the White Serpent's strangulation.
"Since you're here, why hide inside?" Orochimaru licked his lips."Or perhaps, the person inside.isn't Sasori at all?"
at the same time.
Kabuto, who had been all smiles and respect, suddenly changed his expression.
That humility vanished, replaced by a cold laugh filled with mockery and ridicule.
"Actually, I could smell it the moment I got close."
The chakra scalpel in Kabuto's hand glowed, and in a flash, he severed Hiruko's tail."Although you tried your best to imitate Lord Sasori's tone, the wooden.The ninja's shabby, impoverished smell.was simply too pungent.
Bang!
Hiruko completely collapsed.
As the smoke cleared, Yamato jumped out of the puppet wreckage in a disheveled state and landed on the bridge.
He formed a hand seal, and several wooden pillars rose from the bridge, barely blocking the subsequent attack of the snakes.
"We've been exposed!" Yamato gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
Even as an elite Jonin, he felt immense pressure from the combined attack of Orochimaru and Kabuto.
"Let's do it!"
Yamato didn't bother to hide it and sent out the signal directly.
In the bushes.
"Captain Yamato!" Sakura exclaimed, her chakra exploding instantly as she rushed out to provide support.
*Smack*
A hand was placed on her shoulder.
That hand was strong and steady, like an iron clamp pinning her firmly to the spot.
"Naruto?" Sakura turned around and called out anxiously, "What are you doing?Captain Yamato, he."
"Shut up and watch."
Naruto's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
He maintained that languid posture, but his gaze, through the leaves, was fixed on the pale figure on the bridge.
"But..."
"Those are the Sannin." Sai interjected coldly from the side, his paintbrush trembling slightly."According to the data analysis of 'Root,' for a battle of this level, we need to wait for the best opportunity.Rushing out rashly will only lead to our deaths."
Although he said that, the fear in Sai's eyes was genuine.
That's Orochimaru.
That monster who even killed the Third Hokage.
On the bridge.
Orochimaru did not rush to pursue Yamato.
He stood atop the pile of snakes, looking down at the disheveled Yamato, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"Wood Release.So it was that experimental subject."
Orochimaru shook his head, looking utterly bored."Danzo really treats every piece of trash like a treasure.This level of Wood Release isn't even as good as one of the First Hokage's toes."
He turned his head, his gaze passing over Yamato and landing precisely on the woods where Naruto and the others were hiding.
That gaze seemed to pierce through space and stick directly to their skin.
"Compared to this kind of failure."
Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue, his long, golden pupils flashing with undisguised fanaticism and greed, his gaze piercing through the forest.
"Do you want to keep watching the show, Naruto-kun."
Orochimaru's voice became thick and eerie, no longer a contemptuous expression directed at the "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," but a probing sound directed at his own kind, or even at a higher being.
"Ever since we parted ways in the Forest of Death, I have been.savoring the 'truth' you showed me day and night."
"I've polished Sasuke to perfection for you.As the other party in this 'deal,' shouldn't you show me… how you're one step closer to that 'god's realm' now?"
boom!
This sentence was like a spark that ignited a powder keg in the air.
Sakura's pupils suddenly contracted.
Sai instinctively gripped the short sword tighter.
The hand that had been pressing on Sakura's shoulder slowly released its grip.
"Oh."
With a soft laugh, the air suddenly became viscous, as if gravity had increased several times in an instant.
Immediately afterwards, dark red chakra shot into the sky.
That wasn't just the Nine-Tails' hatred chakra.
Amidst the surging red tide, countless eerie, black, tadpole-like runes were interspersed.They were like living chains, tightly imprisoning, compressing, and shaping the raging Nine-Tails chakra.
There was no roar of wild beasts, only deathly silence.
The outer garment didn't seem to be burning; rather, it resembled an exquisite "divine robe" draped over the boy's body, flowing with the luster of magma.
Sai's paintbrush snapped in two.His ink creatures collapsed and went completely out of control at that moment.
"This isn't Tailed Beast Transformation." Sai's voice trembled, cold sweat instantly soaking his back."Is this.using the Tailed Beast as an energy pool?"
Click!Click!
The dead tree that was as thick as two people could hug, which was the cover in front of Naruto, was actually blown into countless wood chips by the impact of this shockwave.
Sakura and Sai were jolted back by the sudden shockwave, their faces filled with horror.
This is.Naruto's chakra?
This is simply not a quantity that humans could possess!
The smoke and dust cleared.
Naruto walked slowly out of the woods with his hands in his pockets.
His steps were slow, and with each step he took, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground beneath his feet.
A materialized red chakra began to appear on his body.
It's not the kind of out-of-control, bubbly fox spirit costume.
Instead, it is a layer of highly compressed chakra armor, like flowing magma.
A tail slowly took shape behind it, swaying in the air and creating ripples of heat.
The surrounding air was distorted due to the high temperature.
The snakes, which had been baring their fangs and claws, instinctively cowered and retreated under the oppressive aura of destruction, emitting fearful hisses.
Orochimaru's smile froze.
That feeling.something's not right.
This is not out of control.
There was not a trace of madness or bestiality in those deep blue eyes.
Yes, there was only a cold indifference, like looking down on ants, and a hint of.mockery towards the prey.
Naruto walked onto the bridge.
The wind whipped his golden hair, and his red chakra robe cast a half-light, half-shadow effect on his face, making him look like a god or demon.
He looked at the man who once made the entire Hidden Leaf Village tremble, as if he were looking at a dead snake blocking the road.
Naruto walked onto the bridge, his dark red tail swaying gracefully behind him, like the backrest of a throne.
He looked at Orochimaru, his deep blue eyes devoid of any emotion, only displaying a knowing and mocking gaze.
"In such a hurry to inspect the goods, Orochimaru?"
Naruto raised his hand, and the dark red light at his fingertips instantly receded, transforming into a.A small, jet-black sphere, the surrounding space seemed to groan in agony due to its terrifying density.
"Since you've honed Sasuke quite well."
"As a reward, I'll play with you for a bit."
Naruto sneered; Orochimaru was insignificant to him.
"However, if I accidentally break your new vessel.don't come crying to me begging me to use 'that spell' to save you."
Prev Next