Chapter 68: Chapter 68 The Underestimated Orochimaru!
Watching the trio silently head toward the central tower, Naruto couldn't help but smile.
Helping someone escape the depths of their lonely hell filled him with a deep sense of accomplishment.
"Naruto, someone's approaching."
Sasuke reminded.
"Alright, let's go check it out," Naruto said, shaking his head.
'Since we were walking out from the central tower, we were bound to cross paths with other teams heading toward it. But one encounter after another… it seemed there wasn't even a moment's rest.'
After walking about three hundred meters, Naruto's passive ability, Danger Sense, started to sound alarms.
"Alright, enough hiding, just come out."
Naruto shouted, but no one responded for a long time.
"A bunch of cowards."
Naruto complained, then stomped his feet and suddenly rushed forward.
Danger Sense range is only 100 meters, so with just a few flickers, he could soon reach the enemies.
After a few flickers, Naruto had closed in on three thick trees directly ahead.
"You're not coming out, right? Then don't blame me for being rude."
Naruto snorted coldly, then stretched out his right hand into a claw, and the Chakra in his body surged wildly, gathering on his right palm. The spiral airflow continued to circulate, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a blue Chakra sphere.
It was Naruto's Signature Ninjutsu: Rasengan!
Boom!
Naruto launched the Rasengan at one of the trees. The attack drilled into the trunk, tearing through bark and leaving a gaping hole. But the force didn't stop there, and the Rasengan exploded inside, tearing the tree apart.
With a loud crash, the tree snapped in two.
All this was done in the blink of an eye.
When the tree broke to the ground, Naruto had already readied a third Rasengan and was about to launch it at the last tree when…
"Wait! We're coming out!"
Just before Naruto took action, a woman's voice came from behind the tree.
"It would be better if you came out earlier."
Naruto said, pulling back his Rasengan. The residual force alone left a sizable hole in the tree's trunk, one gentle push away from breaking it.
Soon after, three people walked out from behind the tree. From their forehead protectors, one could tell they were Genin from Kusagakure.
However, Naruto's attention was immediately drawn to the woman standing in the middle.
The woman's red hair was particularly eye-catching, and the glasses she wore made her somewhat alluring. She had the air of a Japanese teacher, and was particularly charming.
Of course, Naruto was not paying attention her appearance, but felt that her look was oddly familiar.
Unable to hold back, Naruto asked, "What's your name?"
"Me?"
The red-haired woman pointed at herself and said, "My name is Karin."
'It's really Karin!'
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
He thought the other person looked like Karin, but he couldn't be sure at first.
This was the Chunin Exams, after all, and he had no recollection of Karin participating in it.
'I guess it was Kishimoto who supplemented the character plot and added flashbacks later.'
Without thinking too much, Naruto signaled Sasuke with his eyes.
Catching Naruto's glance, Sasuke got the hint without a word, pulled out a Heaven and Earth scroll from his bag, and handed it to Karin.
"What's this about?" Karin asked, somewhat confused.
"It's nothing. We have got all the scrolls in this forest. More friends mean more paths, so we're giving one to you." Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and said coolly.
Hearing this, Karin's wary expression softened instantly. Kusagakure also had information, and she knew that the person in front of her was the Uchiha's prodigy, Uchiha Sasuke.
'Since the other party is so strong, there is no need to lie to me.'
At this moment, something strange flashed in her eyes, and she said gratefully, "Thank you!"
"If there's nothing else, be on your way," Sasuke said with a wave, then Karin and her teammates quickly departed.
Once they were out of sight, Sasuke asked in confusion, "Naruto, why would you give the scrolls to that trash?"
He had just repeated the line Naruto taught him before… more friends mean more paths. But in Sasuke's mind, Karin was worthless and of no use whatsoever.
Hearing this, Naruto said meaningfully: "You'll understand one day. That little girl is not simple."
In truth, even Naruto envied Karin's abilities. Just a single bite and she could heal injuries, she's like a walking recovery elixir.
Among all those who admired Sasuke in the original work, Naruto always thought highly of Karin. Her fierce loyalty and willingness to risk everything for Sasuke were rare qualities.
Moreover, Sasuke's future journey, where he would go to Orochimaru and form his own team, would require Karin's abilities. So by helping her now, Sasuke would earn her gratitude… a lasting favor.
After a brief rest, Naruto and Sasuke decided to head to the river and catch some fish for a meal. Actively seeking out other teams felt a bit undignified, and it would be better to let the prey come to them.
Besides, grilling fish would create a smoke signal, likely drawing other Genin while also satisfying their hunger. It was a win-win situation.
Soon, the aroma of grilled fish wafted through the air.
"Such a refined pastime, Naruto-kun."
A figure leaped down from a tree, shrouded in white smoke before returning to his original form.
"Come on, let's eat together. Sasuke caught a lot of fish."
Naruto said between bites, grinning at their guest.
The person who came was none other than Orochimaru.
But instead of joining, Orochimaru eyed Sasuke with interest, "So, this is Uchiha Sasuke?"
His cold, serpentine gaze was so piercing that Sasuke felt discomfort spreading through his entire body.
"Naruto, who is this?"
Sasuke asked with a frown. If it weren't for the fact that Naruto knew this person, he would've attacked this guy on the spot.
"This is Orochimaru, the person I arranged for you to train under."
Naruto explained.
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes widened and he said in shock, "This guy's Orochimaru? Impossible. He doesn't even look that strong."
"Pfft!"
Naruto instantly burst into laughter, 'Orochimaru, doesn't look powerful?'
'I remembered that in the original work, when you saw Orochimaru for the first time, you had been so terrified that you'd been completely paralyzed with fear.'
'You have only been training with me for a while, but now you actually dare to speak so arrogantly.'
'Impressive indeed!'
Naruto turned his head to look at Orochimaru and said with a playful smile, "Orochimaru, looks like you're being underestimated. Are you going to just let it slide?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, "Perhaps a lesson is in order for this little brat."
As he said that, his hand unconsciously moved to his face, but instead of the usual mannerisms of touching his nose or chin, Orochimaru dug his fingers into his eye sockets, pulling downward to reveal raw, bloody tissue underneath… a disturbing and terrifying sight.
Sasuke immediately assumed a defensive stance and pulled out his kunai.
At the next moment, he froze, unable to move a muscle.
"What… what's happening?" Sasuke stammered, trembling.
He felt a pair of cold eyes staring at him. But this wasn't a Genjutsu, it was pure killing intent. He couldn't move at all, pinned by Orochimaru's overwhelming malice… This is a bloodlust far more chilling than the Kyubi's raw rage Naruto had shown him before.
This was a murderous intent from someone who had slaughtered countless enemies, leaving mountains of corpses in their wake.