Chapter 62 - Naruto VS Orochimaru

As Orochimaru made his grand entrance on the Trenchi Bridge, the air crackled with tension, forcing Kakashi to halt his assault. Unleashing serpents from his sleeves, Orochimaru launched an attack on both Kabuto and Kakashi, driving them to retreat.

"Lord Sasori, had you not drawn a kunai, I might've been caught off guard before realizing it," Kabuto remarked, mistaking Kakashi for Sasori due to him pulling out a kunai in anticipation of Orochimaru's attack.

Kakashi mused to himself, amused by the mix-up, "Seems like he's got the wrong end of the stick. Looks like I'm still incognito...for now. But with Orochimaru showing his face...time to improvise."

Orochimaru, recognizing the disguise, remarked, "That outfit brings back memories...Sasori!"

"Following Kabuto, were you?" 'Sasori' [Kakashi] inquired.

Orochimaru, with a cunning smile, replied, "I thought I'd express my thanks. The kid you sent my way has been incredibly useful. To craft a new Jutsu, you need over a hundred human subjects. Thanks to this kid's medical Ninjutsu, I've been recycling my test subjects. They're not easy to come by, after all..."

As Kakashi weighed his options, Kabuto launched an attack that shattered his disguise, sending him flying and revealing his true form.

"What the...?" Kakashi was caught off guard.

"Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes," Orochimaru announced, directing a swarm of snakes towards Kakashi. However, before any could reach him, Naruto, quick as a flash, teleported in front of Kakashi, whisking him away from danger and landing safely.

"Everything cool, Sensei?" Naruto asked, his tone casual yet filled with concern.

"Yeah, all good here!" Kakashi assured him, keeping his composure.

"Ah, look who decided to show up, Naruto Uzumaki and the one and only Copy Ninja, Kakashi. I'm quite flattered!" Orochimaru greeted them with a smirk.

Sai and Sakura quickly joined them on the bridge a moment later, making their presence known.

Naruto gave Orochimaru and Kabuto a relaxed, almost amused look, "So we're crossing paths again, huh?" he said, his voice cool and collected.

Kabuto leaned in closer to Orochimaru, asking quietly, "What's our move, Lord Orochimaru?"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, "You know, whispering in front of others is kinda rude. It's just not my style; it bugs me," he said with a laid-back confidence.

Fired up by Naruto's demeanor, Kabuto turned to Orochimaru, determination in his eyes, "Allow me to handle this one, Lord Orochimaru," he said, eager to face Naruto head-on.

Naruto flashed a grin, "You want to take me on? Sure, but only if you can keep up," he quipped, then vanished from where he stood, leaving only a faint trace of his presence. "So, what do you think? Got me in your sights?" Naruto's voice came out as nothing more than a whisper right beside Kabuto, sending a shiver down his spine as he froze in place.

Regaining his composure, Kabuto swiftly turned to where Naruto had been just a heartbeat ago, only to find nothing. His mind barely had time to race when a distinct sound of something slicing through the air caught his attention from behind.

"Really, Kabuto, I don't have time to play tag," Naruto's voice sounded from behind him, just as Kabuto felt the devastating force of the Rasenshuriken hitting him squarely in the back.

The attack threw him forward, a massive explosion erupting behind him as he was propelled through the air. The Rasenshuriken, with its countless micro blades of wind, tore through Kabuto mercilessly, shredding his body and clothing with unforgiving precision.

Sai watched the scene unfold, his thoughts racing, "He's so much stronger than anyone said."

Moments later, Kabuto's lifeless form crashed into the water below the bridge, the calm surface of the lake disrupted by the sudden intrusion.

The scene had everyone's jaw on the floor, Orochimaru included. With a cool smirk, Naruto said, "Looks like you're up."

"Me? You're that confident you can take me down?" Orochimaru sneered, clearly amused.

"Confident? I know for a fact I can beat you," Naruto replied, his smile unfazed.

"You've got some unique tricks up your sleeve and you're tougher than most, but don't kid yourself into thinking you're untouchable," Orochimaru warned.

"I'm well aware nobody's untouchable - that includes me. But I'm also aware I've got you beat," Naruto stated calmly.

"Alright then, show me what you've got!" Orochimaru challenged, launching into hand signs and spewing flames straight at Naruto.

Naruto stood his ground, cool as ever, as the flames halted right before him, not even the heat grazing him.

"Should we jump in and help?" Sai questioned, anxious.

"Jumping in now would only get in his way. The best support we can give is to keep out of his way, but stay on your toes. If he needs us, we'll be there," Kakashi instructed.

"He's on a whole other level," Sakura thought, thoroughly impressed.

"Is that all you've got?" Naruto taunted with a smirk, "Reverse Lapse Curse: Red!" As he spoke, a red orb formed at his fingertip, which he casually flicked towards Orochimaru.

The orb hit its mark, sending Orochimaru flying off the bridge, causing chaos in its wake.

"Is that the end of it?" Sakura wondered aloud.

But Orochimaru wasn't down for the count. With a grotesque display of his resilience, he performed the "Living Corpse Reincarnation," shedding his damaged body to reveal a new form, more terrifying than before, complete with a massive snake tail.

"What in the world is that?" Sakura gasped, shocked at the transformation.

"This is new. Usually, they don't get up after that move," Naruto mused, slightly impressed.

Orochimaru, now faster than before, launched a swift attack at Naruto. Taken aback by the sudden increase in speed, Naruto was still fast enough to dodge most of the assault. With a swift movement, he countered, pushing Orochimaru back with a Wind Palm technique.

Forming hand signs swiftly, Orochimaru yelled, "Sound Wave!" Unleashing a powerful burst of sound waves, he managed to push Naruto back.

"Sound Wave?!" Naruto was taken aback, surprised by the strength of Orochimaru's sound-based attack.

"Are you done already? I'm just getting started!" Orochimaru taunted.

Naruto laughed in response, "And I've not even begun!" With a confident smirk, Naruto announced, "Curse Technique Lapse: Blue!" A blue orb materialized on his finger, and with a flick, he sent it hurtling towards Orochimaru. However, before the technique could take effect, Orochimaru used his "Hiding in Surface" technique to merge with the ground, evading the attack.

"He went underground?" Naruto thought, taken by surprise.

Just then, Naruto felt a grip attempting to ensnare his ankle from below. Reacting quickly, he leaped away before the grasp could tighten.

Orochimaru then emerged from the ground, facing Naruto once more.

Naruto merely chuckled, reveling in the challenge. "I'm finally having a good fight, in my lifetime!" he exclaimed, ready for whatever came next.

"So, you're having fun? You're not afraid yet?" Orochimaru asked, his voice laced with a hint of incredulity and malice.

"I'll finally be able to test my new technique!" Naruto thought excitedly, his spirit undeterred by Orochimaru's imposing presence.

"New technique? You're built different!" Orochimaru remarked, a mix of amusement and surprise evident in his tone.

"On second thought, I don't need that to beat you!" Naruto retorted with a smirk, his confidence peaking. "Rasenshuriken!" he announced, forming the iconic, swirling shuriken of chakra in his hand.

"The same technique again?" Orochimaru said, underestimating the threat. But before he could further react, Naruto had already closed the distance between them, Rasenshuriken in hand. "Orochimaru, you're strong... But I've got some bad news for you, I've been leveling up this entire time," Naruto declared, his voice carrying a mix of respect and determination.

The Rasenshuriken hit Orochimaru, sending him flying a considerable distance. The needle-like attacks continued for some time, creating massive destruction in their wake.

"That will do it!" Naruto said, a sense of finality in his voice as he turned around to face Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai. They stood there in disbelief, witnessing Naruto single-handedly defeat two of their enemies, including one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]