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Fifteen minutes later, Shiore was gliding through the forest with eerie precision, his sinister smile never faltering. He suddenly slowed, glancing over his shoulder as though sensing something.
"It seems we're being followed," he said, his voice smooth and unsettling.
One of his teammates, a masked ninja with a menacing aura, stopped and growled, "Let me handle it. I'll deal with whoever's foolish enough to tail us." His voice carried a cruel edge, practically dripping with malice.
But Shiore (Orochimaru) shook his head, his smile widening. "There's no need," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "Sending you would be a waste. You're no match for this one."
The masked ninja hesitated, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
"Stay here," Shiore commanded, his voice cool yet final. "We'll regroup after I've dealt with this... curious ninja."
With that, Shiore continued forward, his steps as graceful as they were menacing. The forest seemed to darken around him as he advanced, the predatory grin on his face hinting at the deadly game he was about to play.
Inoiki pressed forward, his senses on high alert. As he neared Shiore's location, he felt another presence—Team 7. His jaw tightened. I'm getting close.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, disguised as Shiore, felt Inoiki's chakra drawing nearer. A sly grin spread across his face. Persistent, he thought, amused. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal. "Summoning Technique," he muttered.
In an instant, five massive snakes materialized, their scales glistening and eyes gleaming with malice. Orochimaru's fingers twitched, issuing silent commands. One snake slithered off toward Team 7, its target set on Naruto. The remaining four turned their attention to Inoiki, who was fast approaching.
Inoiki sensed the shift before he saw it—a sudden surge of five new chakra signatures nearby. His brow furrowed. Orochimaru's summons, he guessed, though he pressed forward cautiously, unwilling to jump to conclusions just yet.
Only minutes later, his instincts were proven correct. From his left, a massive snake lunged at him, its gaping mouth aiming to swallow him whole. Without hesitation, Inoiki reacted.
With a flick of his wrist, he activated his Psychokinesis, controlling his five special kunai with pinpoint precision. One of the kunai darted straight into the snake's open maw, gliding effortlessly past its teeth and slicing into its flesh. The blade pierced its brain with deadly accuracy, emerging from the back of its skull. The snake collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap, all of this happening in the blink of an eye.
No sooner had the first snake fallen than two more launched their attacks. One came from above, dropping from the treetops, while the other surged up from the ground below, aiming to strike from beneath the branch Inoiki stood on.
Inoiki's kunai moved with dazzling speed, a display of synchronized lethality. Two kunai spiraled upward in a circular motion, slicing through the upper snake's body with surgical precision, while the other two kunai spun downward, severing the underground snake before it could emerge fully. Both snakes fell in cleanly cut pieces, lifeless before they hit the ground.
Now, only one snake remained. It hovered on Inoiki's right, its eyes wide with fear. Sensing its imminent defeat, it tried to retreat, but Inoiki's kunai were faster. All five blades shot toward it in perfect unison, converging on its skull. The snake's body twitched once before it collapsed, dead.
Inoiki lowered his hand, calling the kunai back to his side as he scanned the area. No more distractions, he thought, his focus sharpening.
His movements resumed, swift and purposeful. The encounter had cost him a few minutes, but he knew he couldn't waste any more time. Ahead, he could sense it—the fierce clash of chakra. Team 7 had already engaged Orochimaru.
With renewed urgency, Inoiki raced toward the source of the battle, determined to intervene before it was too late.
Sasuke was on the ground, trembling, his body frozen by the overwhelming weight of Shiore's (Orochimaru's) killing intent. His breaths came in short, shallow gasps, his mind caught in a loop of panic.
Move! he screamed internally. I have to move. Damn it!
But the words stayed locked in his head, his voice failing him. His limbs felt like they were weighed down by invisible chains, rendering him unable to act. He could barely force himself to his knees, his legs wobbling as he struggled upright. His posture was hunched, and his trembling hand clutched a kunai, though it felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds.
Shiore (Orochimaru) approached slowly, his movements deliberate, his gaze locked onto Sasuke. His voice was low and chilling, dripping with mockery. "Don't worry," he said with a sinister smile. "I'll make it quick. You won't even feel pain." He chuckled softly, his tone eerily calm. "But isn't this always the way it ends? You've already seen it, haven't you?"
Sasuke shuddered. Shiore wasn't lying. The moment he had unleashed his killing intent, Sasuke had been consumed by a vivid illusion—a vision of himself being effortlessly torn apart by the man standing before him. The memory lingered, leaving him shaken to his core.
As Shiore drew closer, he raised his hand, two kunai gleaming in his grasp. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled them through the air, one aimed at Sasuke and the other at Sakura, who was still frozen on the ground, her wide eyes filled with terror.
Sasuke's heart raced as he saw the kunai slicing through the air toward them. Desperation surged within him. He gripped the kunai in his hand tightly, his trembling fingers pressing against the cold metal. If I stab my leg, he thought, I can force myself out of this paralysis. I can break free from this killing intent.
But his body refused to cooperate. He couldn't summon the will to act.
Then, just as the kunai were about to strike, a blur of movement appeared between them and Shiore. The kunai veered sharply off course, deflected with uncanny precision.
Inoiki stood there, his expression calm yet focused. He extended his hand slightly, the kunai he had used to deflect the attack hovering in the air around him, controlled effortlessly by his Psychokinesis. The air around him seemed to hum with his energy.
Sasuke and Sakura stared at him in disbelief, their paralysis momentarily forgotten as they realized who had come to their rescue.
On the other side of the clearing, Shiore's smile widened. "Well, well," he said, his tone amused. "You're an interesting one. Let's see what you've got."
Inoiki's gaze didn't waver. He turned his head slightly, addressing Sasuke and Sakura without taking his eyes off Shiore. "Stay behind me," he said firmly. "I'll handle this."
The confrontation had begun.
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