Late at night.
The lights in Orochimaru's base remained bright.
Perhaps because candlelight can bring a deep oppressive feeling, Orochimaru liked to light rows of oil lamps inside the base to solve the issue of lighting.
Clack… clack…
A series of footsteps echoed in the silent, dark base.
Uchiha Sasuke, dressed in a white robe, exposing his muscular chest, walked step by step towards the depths of the base with his hand resting on the ninja sword at his waist.
As Sasuke walked along the path, a silhouette approached him, and he recognized the person as Kabuto, one of Orochimaru's experimental assistants.
Of course.
As a ninja from Konoha's Team 7, Uchiha Sasuke knew Kabuto's identity and was aware of the relationship between Kabuto, the Konoha Orphanage, and Akihara Kagura.
As Sasuke and Kabuto brushed past each other, Kabuto suddenly extended his hand, and a syringe containing a pale yellow liquid flew from his hand towards Sasuke!
"..."
Sasuke glanced curiously at Kabuto.
"Just an antidote."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, hiding his eyes behind the lenses, and lowered his voice: "Don't worry about it, it's not really useful to you. It just makes your fight faster, so the noise doesn't keep me up at night."
"I got it."
Sasuke caught the antidote and added in a deep voice, "Don't worry, the fight will be over soon."
After speaking.
Sasuke continued toward the depths of the base.
In the laboratory deep within the base, Orochimaru was still busy. The heavy iron door was slowly pushed open, and a sturdy figure appeared in the laboratory.
"Is it Sasuke?"
Orochimaru, still busy with his hands, seemed to have anticipated this moment: "Don't rush, can you wait until I finish this experiment?"
"Alright."
Sasuke stood at the entrance of the laboratory, his hand resting on his ninja sword. He seemed to be extremely patient, and slowly nodded at Orochimaru.
"You don't seem to be interested in experiments…"
Orochimaru, casually shaking the test tube containing a purple potion in his hand, said with a smile: "Want to know what I'm concocting?"
"Since you mentioned it, I'm not interested."
Sasuke didn't bother looking at the test tube in Orochimaru's hand, seemingly indifferent whether it was poison or an elixir: "Is the experiment almost over?"
"Almost."
Orochimaru nodded and suddenly smashed the purple potion on the ground, instantly creating a cloud of purple poison mist in the lab!
"This is… a poison that disrupts visual nerves…"
Sasuke realized something was amiss!
At this moment, Sasuke's eyes were in pain, and his vision blurred. Whether he wanted to use a jutsu, the visual nerves were crucial to him!
But…
This bastard Orochimaru…
He actually concocted poison targeting me while I showed leniency!
Sasuke remembered the antidote Kabuto had given him. He quickly injected the syringe with the pale yellow liquid into his thigh!
As the antidote took effect, the pain in Sasuke's eyes quickly eased, and his vision gradually cleared!
"That's…"
Orochimaru glanced at the antidote in Sasuke's hand and noticed Sasuke's eyes becoming clear. His pupils contracted sharply: "Kabuto… he already countered my poison!"
Kabuto had been monitoring him all along. With an exceptional talent as a medical ninja, he had already developed an antidote even before Orochimaru finished concocting the poison. He even gave this antidote to Sasuke, the challenger!
"Damn it…"
Orochimaru gritted his teeth and spat out a Kusanagi Sword!
Sasuke slid his hand to draw the ninja sword at his waist and rushed directly towards Orochimaru!
Clang!
Sasuke and Orochimaru's ninja swords clashed!
Both Sasuke and Orochimaru wielded the toughest blades in the Ninja World, the Kusanagi Swords. Sparks flew as the two Kusanagi Swords collided!
"Uchiha fledgling…"
Orochimaru gripped his Kusanagi Sword tightly, staring into Sasuke's eyes: "I taught you Kenjutsu, do you think you can kill me with it?"
"Hmph…"
Sasuke remained unfazed.
Both were adept in Orochi Style Swordsmanship!
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!"
Orochimaru raised his hand!
Sasuke swung his ninja sword, slicing down countless snake heads that flew at him with the sharp blade!
Amid the falling snake corpses…
Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword emerged, piercing Sasuke's arm, splattering blood from Sasuke's arm!
"Chidori Spear!"
Lightning flickered on Sasuke's palm, extending instantly like a lightning bolt piercing through Orochimaru's shoulder. The Chakra of this lightning left a Flying Thunder God mark on Orochimaru!
"This guy…"
Orochimaru clutched his shoulder, retreating!
Sasuke's figure instantly vanished using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, reappearing behind Orochimaru. He swung his ninja sword, and a sharp blade flashed, slicing Orochimaru in half at the waist!
"Flying Thunder God…"
"When did he leave the mark?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, and from the wounds on his upper and lower body, a swarm of long snakes emerged, instantly connecting his body back together!
Uchiha Sasuke looked coldly at Orochimaru, saying indifferently, "The speed of a Flying Thunder God user, how could you possibly see it..."
The next moment!
Uchiha Sasuke's figure disappeared once more!
Once again, Uchiha Sasuke used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to appear beside Orochimaru, and in his palm appeared a crackling Chidori, which pierced Orochimaru's heart, with the electric light instantly penetrating his body!
"Your Flying Thunder God has gotten even faster!"
A line of blood appeared at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth. As if not concerned that Uchiha Sasuke had already pierced his heart, he smiled and said, "Your Flying Thunder God speed has already surpassed that guy, Akihara Kagura..."
"..."
Uchiha Sasuke snorted coldly at the corner of his mouth: "The fastest with the Flying Thunder God Jutsu was the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Namikaze Minato. How does my speed compare to his?"
"Who knows..."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly, but suddenly his mouth opened wide, and a small white snake darted towards Uchiha Sasuke's mouth!
"You bastard!"
Uchiha Sasuke quickly turned his head to the side!
The moment the small white snake hit the ground, it transformed into a massive white phosphorous serpent, its body covered in scales made up of small white snakes!
"So this is what your true form looks like..."
Uchiha Sasuke frowned, but with indifference, he raised his ninja sword and directly charged towards Orochimaru's figure!
"Sasuke, surrender your body to me! Only by merging with me will you have the chance to confront Akihara Kagura!"
The white phosphorous serpent opened its mouth wide and charged towards Uchiha Sasuke!
From the body of the white phosphorous serpent, numerous small white snakes also transformed into long snakes, rushing towards Uchiha Sasuke and wrapping around him!
Uchiha Sasuke's figure did not dodge or evade, wielding his ninja sword to slice each white snake into pieces, the speed of this Uchiha clan avenger's swordsmanship caught even Orochimaru off guard!
In fact, before Orochimaru could even react, the head of the white phosphorous serpent had been instantly severed, and the entire massive serpent was chopped into seven or eight segments by Uchiha Sasuke, seemingly dead on the spot!
"So simple..."
Uchiha Sasuke felt a bit odd yet at ease.
This Orochimaru, one of the Sannin of Konoha, did he really get killed by me so quickly?
Just as Uchiha Sasuke was pondering, he suddenly heard Orochimaru's voice by his ear!
"Such terrifying talent..."
The once severed white phosphorous serpent suddenly revived again, softly commending, "Even without utilizing the Curse Seal, you directly killed me... but the drug effect is about to take hold..."
"What drug effect?"
Uchiha Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.
The voice of Orochimaru emanated from the mouth of the white phosphorous serpent: "The body fluid of this white phosphorous serpent, once it contacts air, turns into an anesthetic. This anesthetic was originally my secret weapon to deal with Akihara Kagura, but its strength wasn't sufficient for him, yet it's enough to deal with you..."
"!!!"
Uchiha Sasuke's body suddenly stiffened!
In the next instant!
The white phosphorous serpent eagerly swallowed Uchiha Sasuke whole!
The stomach of the white phosphorous serpent was Orochimaru's Rebirth Space, the place where Orochimaru performed his Immortal Rebirth. When Uchiha Sasuke opened his eyes, he felt a little nausea and saw clusters of densely packed flesh...
"This is..."
"This is my Rebirth Space."
Orochimaru, encased in the flesh, grinned at Uchiha Sasuke: "Your body, your knowledge, and those eyes will soon be mine... As long as I gather enough power, I'll eventually seize Akihara Kagura's body!"
"Foolish..."
Uchiha Sasuke's brows furrowed.
In the next moment!
Uchiha Sasuke's gaze fixed on Orochimaru, coldly speaking: "Orochimaru, do you really like these eyes?"
"Of course..."
There was a hint of madness in Orochimaru's eyes as he recalled the terror once dominated by Uchiha Itachi, but suddenly, he sensed something was off!
"Did you forget..."
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes turned crimson as he looked at Orochimaru: "When fighting the Uchiha, don't look at their eyes..."
"Genjutsu..."
Despair gradually emerged in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Uchiha... you..."
Orochimaru's consciousness began to falter, the entire Rebirth Space crumbling under Uchiha Sasuke's control, and even his body and Chakra were absorbed into the Curse Seal at the back of Uchiha Sasuke's neck!
Thud, thud, thud...
The laboratory door quietly opened.
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses and walked in, glancing at Orochimaru's body on the ground, his face showing no surprise as if he had already foreseen this outcome.
"Uchiha Sasuke, your trial is successful, you can report back to Kagura at Root."
"I want to kill Uchiha Itachi..."
Uchiha Sasuke's brows remained knit, a bit unwilling to follow Kabuto Yakushi's directives.
Having killed Orochimaru, one of the Sannin of Konoha, who incited chaos and caused the death of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Sasuke's confidence soared, believing he now had the right to kill Uchiha Itachi!
"Root Ninjas must follow orders."
Kabuto Yakushi glanced at Uchiha Sasuke, a slight smile suddenly appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Are you suggesting you want to leave Root?"
"..."
Uchiha Sasuke hesitated for a moment, recalling that Naruto Uzumaki would soon return to the village.
"I will go see Lord Kagura immediately."