Staring at Yakumo, Orochimaru's gaze was like that of an artist admiring a masterpiece.
In his eyes, both Yakumo's body, which had successfully integrated First Hokage's cells, and the Hogan glowing with an eerie brilliance in her eye sockets were objects of his deepest desire.
Rarely, Orochimaru let out a sigh of admiration. "What a perfect body!"
"Is this really Orochimaru, one of the legendary Three Shinobi of Hidden Leaf, on par with Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya-sensei? What a disgusting creep."
Feeling Orochimaru's unabashed covetousness, a chill ran through Yakumo, giving her goosebumps.
She didn't know what was going on today.
The Akatsuki traitor hiding in a puppet earlier had looked at her with the same possessive gaze.
And now Orochimaru was doing the same.
It was as if all the lunatics and perverts of the shinobi world had crossed her path in a single day.
But with her parents' whereabouts still unknown, even if she was facing a deranged creep, she needed to pry their location from his mouth. Steeling herself, she met Orochimaru's gaze fearlessly. "Did you ambush my father and mother? Where are they?"
"I like the look in your eyes!"
Orochimaru licked his lips, stepping slowly toward Yakumo.
His pace was steady, his demeanor relaxed, as if Yakumo was already his prize.
Yakumo glared fiercely at Orochimaru. "Won't talk? Then I'll just have to kill you!"
"Hahaha!" Orochimaru laughed heartily, his steps unwavering. "Little brat, do you think you can kill me?"
Clap!
Yakumo wasted no more words, slamming her hands together. "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Whoosh!
Instantly, countless vines surged from the ground, rushing toward Orochimaru with overwhelming force.
Because her opponent was a powerhouse on par with Tsunade and Jiraiya, Yakumo held nothing back, unleashing her strongest Wood Release technique right from the start.
Swish swish swish.
Almost simultaneously with Yakumo's "Advent of a World of Trees," several figures landed on a tree at the edge of the battlefield, accompanied by the sound of rustling wind.
They were none other than Shizune, who had shaken off her pursuers, and Kakashi and Sasuke, who happened to be nearby and rushed over after receiving the distress signal.
Shizune exclaimed, "Oh no, the one stopping Yakumo is Orochimaru!"
For Hidden Leaf shinobi, the name "Orochimaru" carried undeniable weight.
"Didn't expect it to be that lord!" Kakashi instinctively used a respectful tone, his brows furrowing tightly.
Sasuke urged, "What are we standing around for? Let's go help her!"
Kakashi held Sasuke back, shaking his head. "Yakumo's using Wood Release. We can't just charge in."
Shizune nodded slightly. "Yakumo's control over Wood Release isn't refined yet. If we rush in now, we might get caught in its indiscriminate attacks."
Sasuke protested, "So we just watch?"
Noticing Sasuke's eagerness to jump in, Kakashi said sternly, "Sasuke, this is real combat, not a sparring match at the academy! Our opponents aren't just Akatsuki members but also a powerhouse like Orochimaru. If we act recklessly, not only will we fail to save Yakumo, but we'll also get ourselves killed."
Shizune agreed with Kakashi's assessment. "Right. Reinforcements should be on the way. For now, our job is to keep an eye on Yakumo!"
"Hmph!" Sasuke snorted coldly.
Kakashi looked toward the battlefield. "Don't worry. If things get dire, we'll step in!"
On the battlefield.
Facing the tidal wave of trees surging toward him, Orochimaru, with a faint smile, didn't dodge. Instead, he propelled himself forward.
Like a snake, he slithered through the gaps in the forest of vines, closing in on Yakumo in the blink of an eye, exuding a predatory menace.
"You!?"
Yakumo hadn't expected Orochimaru to charge through the sea of trees, and she froze for a moment.
Orochimaru gave her no chance to react, his softened body coiling around her like a snake. "You're mine now!"
In the face of danger, Yakumo's hands clenched tightly, instinctively activating the terrifying blood-manipulating ability of her Koryugan.
Orochimaru, about to subdue Yakumo, suddenly froze, his movements slowing. His already pale face turned deathly white.
Undoubtedly, the Koryugan's power had taken effect.
At such close range, the Koryugan's blood manipulation reached its peak, halting the flow of blood in Orochimaru's body in an instant.
"Go to hell!"
Seizing the opportunity, Yakumo unleashed a "Monster Strength Punch," slamming it into Orochimaru's face.
Boom!
In an instant, Orochimaru, struck by Yakumo's punch, was sent flying, crashing through countless vines and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
"This!?"
The three onlookers were stunned, jaws dropping.
Moments ago, when Orochimaru's ambush seemed certain to succeed, all three had tensed up, with Kakashi even beginning to form seals for "Chidori."
But no one expected the tide to turn so suddenly.
One moment, Orochimaru had the upper hand; the next, Yakumo had sent him flying with a single punch—and not just any punch, but the "Monster Strength Punch" taught to her by Tsunade.
That kind of blow would kill an ordinary person instantly!
However, Orochimaru was clearly no ordinary person.
Crawling out of the rubble, his deformed face still bore a faint smile as he fixed his gaze on Yakumo. "So that's the power of those eyes of yours!"
Yakumo stared at Orochimaru in horror.
She couldn't believe that Orochimaru, who had taken a direct hit from her "Monster Strength Punch," was acting as if nothing had happened.
His twisted, deformed face combined with his calm demeanor created an indescribably eerie atmosphere.
"Die! Die!"
Panicking, Yakumo frantically urged her Wood Release.
In an instant, the momentarily calmed sea of trees roared back to life, surging toward Orochimaru from all directions.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Orochimaru bit his finger, rapidly formed seals, and slammed his hands onto the ground.
Poof!
A massive snake emerged from a cloud of white smoke.
The snake, dozens of meters long and towering three or four stories high when coiled, was immediately ensnared by countless vines the moment it was summoned.
Sensing danger, the snake thrashed wildly, snapping several vines, but more quickly wrapped around it. In moments, it was swallowed by the sea of trees.
Yet the engulfed snake didn't draw even a glance from Orochimaru. His eyes were fixed solely on Yakumo, and taking advantage of the chaos caused by the snake, he lunged at her once more.