Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 57 Acting Flow

Naruto was already quite adept at mispronouncing jutsu names. He did indeed unleash a Great Breakthrough, but not the ordinary area-of-effect wind blast; it was a jutsu infused with wind blades. The reason he disregarded chakra consumption to unleash such a technique was to send a signal to the patrolling ninjas. Regardless of whether anyone had discovered Orochimaru's infiltration, a normal examinee couldn't unleash a wind release technique capable of clearing a space in the Forest of Death; they would definitely come to investigate.

The destructive power of the breakthrough far exceeded expectations, and the overconfident Orochimaru was indeed tricked. His disguise was destroyed on the spot, and his body, which had been severely injured and used the Orochimaru Substitution Technique, naturally revealed his true form! A pale, ghost-like figure revealed his true form, his golden snake eyes filled with extreme fanaticism for his prey.

It's important to understand that even a ninja of his caliber needs to form hand seals to use large-scale ninjutsu. But he clearly saw that Naruto had used both hands to care for his comrades, and he hadn't even formed any hand seals before unleashing a powerful Wind Release technique capable of injuring him! What does this mean? It means that he might have discovered another amazing physique, one that allows him to unleash chakra to its fullest potential! His hobby is collecting all the powerful bloodlines in the world and claiming them for himself, thereby achieving true immortality! What an unexpected delight! I originally came for Sasuke, but I'll give this kid a mark too~

Naruto had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking, but he was definitely no good. That guy was hiding in the ruins, making him difficult to catch; he had no choice but to lure him out. So, he feigned exhaustion and gasped for breath, "...That guy... should be dead, right?"

Spurred on by Naruto, Sasuke finally broke free from his stiffness, stood up, and stood defensively to the side, saying, "Can't you sense things?"

"...I'm almost...completely exhausted..."

Just then, a giant python suddenly leaped out of the forest and pounced on them. Sasuke shuddered, yelling for them to get out of the way, his actions purely instinctive, yet he managed to kill the python. However, today was destined to be their nightmare. A gash appeared in the python's body, and Orochimaru, like a demon crawling out of hell, with his mangled skin hanging from his body, his long tongue lolling out, grinned at them.

"Prey, when faced with its predator, usually darts around nervously."

Then, like a snake, he slid over, his limp lower limbs undulating.

Naruto heard Sasuke's shouts and Sakura's screams, and amidst the chaos, he inexplicably drifted off into a daze.

...Is Orochimaru really that perverse? He seemed to be having a lot of fun acting? Is scaring kids really that entertaining?

Two loud explosions echoed through the forest in a short period, alerting even the most oblivious person to something amiss. Examinees heading in that direction slowed their pace, some even changing course immediately, while the patrol team quickened their pace, having spotted the black smoke rising from that direction. Someone had set the forest on fire! And not just any ordinary fire technique; the area affected was enormous! They had to control the fire immediately! Was this something an examinee could truly accomplish? Had unidentified individuals infiltrated the examination hall, attempting to disrupt order?

The Fire Release technique wasn't used by Naruto; it was Sasuke who instinctively formed the hand seals. As for Naruto, he merely added a tiny bit of air to the fire, successfully igniting a small portion of the cleared area. Then, this guy, who had just "exhausted," stomped his foot, causing ripples to spread across the ground in front of him, directly throwing Orochimaru, who had hidden in the ground, into the flames. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed his two companions and fled, without even a hint of trying to finish them off. The whole process was incredibly smooth, infuriating Orochimaru to the point where he wanted to transform into a giant python and devour Naruto on the spot.

However, now it's definitely confirmed. This kid can use ninjutsu without hand seals, and his ninjutsu level is higher than his; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to "stomp" him out of the ground. Furthermore, Naruto's chakra reserves far exceed those of ordinary ninjas. Even a Chunin would be struggling to cope with those area-of-effect ninjutsu in succession, yet Naruto was still able to escape with his companions, full of energy.

This ability, thinking, and methods far surpass those of people of the same age... If I remember correctly, there is only one family with the surname Uzumaki in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

A modern-day Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? This is getting more and more interesting.

“I can walk by myself.” Sasuke struggled for a moment before being put back on the ground. At this moment, he finally calmed down, and many details observed by his Sharingan came to mind.

They maintained their high-speed movement, but Sasuke analyzed as he ran, "That guy's face is practically falling off; he's obviously in disguise. Golden beast eyes, using snakes as summoning beasts, even becoming snake-like himself... that guy is probably..."

“One of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru,” Naruto continued, adding, “His chakra reserves, once unhidden, are comparable to the Third Hokage's; he's definitely Kage-level. He's still chasing us, and his speed is incredible! He's operating underground!”

"What should we do? We can't possibly win, can we?"

"The patrol teams around are all converging here, probably for that reason. He doesn't care about concealing his presence anymore... Watch out! We're about to catch up!"

Naruto carried Sakura up the tree in a second, Sasuke following closely behind, staring down at the ground with his Sharingan. The undisguised chakra was rushing towards them in an almost straight line.

"Naruto, put me down, I can move again!" Sakura's voice rang out. She had already regained consciousness and heard that incredible conversation. She had probably regained her mobility, and she couldn't afford to hold anyone back at this crucial moment! Hands were vital for a ninja!

Naruto didn't say a word, readily releasing his grip and gently setting Sakura down. Orochimaru was clearly intrigued; he couldn't rely solely on the examiners' speed anymore, they had to keep him occupied to ensure Sasuke and Sakura's safety.

"He's here!"

Sasuke raised his kunai, and lightning exploded in his hand. After repeated depletion of his chakra, this attack was the last bit of chakra he could muster.

Naruto certainly wouldn't let it fail. Sasuke was risking his life, so he had to cooperate fully.

"You only get one chance." Naruto created four shadow clones, while his main body stood in front of him.

"I know!"

All six of them rushed out at the same time.

Orochimaru emerged from the ground, only to be met with several kunai. The attack was negligible, and he easily deflected it. The sound of Chidori could be heard even underground; these two children had given him far too many surprises! Therefore, he had to stamp his mark before those troublesome fellows arrived, even if it meant being a little rough.

However, his momentum was halted. The kunai that had just been launched were not kunai at all; each one was a shadow clone of Naruto, connected by extremely thin wires. As the kunai bounced away, the wire mesh also spread out, restricting his speed.

Is the net woven so densely because of the characteristics of snakes?

The idea is good, but too naive.

The oppressive aura of a Shadow exploded, instantly shattering most of the iron net. Orochimaru decided to be even more brutal.