"Alright!" Naruto shouted.
In an instant, countless Shadow Clones surged forward like a tidal wave, surrounding Orochimaru from every direction.
"Single-Strand Light Formation!"
"Sanpō Fūin!"
Two powerful sealing barrier techniques activated at the same time.
Sealing formulas spread across the ground like living shadows, binding Orochimaru's movements completely. At the same moment, layers of the Sanpō Fūin rose around him, forming a massive green pyramid that locked him inside.
"Did it work?" Karin asked blankly, staring at the scene in disbelief.
By now, she had grown somewhat accustomed to the terrifying strength of Team 7, but seeing them combine such powerful sealing techniques still left her stunned.
The ANBU from the Grass Village exchanged shocked glances.
So these three had been hiding their true strength the entire time.
How terrifying.
But then—
Bang!
A soft puff of smoke echoed through the battlefield.
Sasuke's expression changed instantly.
"Not good…"
Using the Wild Lion's Mane Technique, he lashed out toward the restrained Orochimaru—only for the bound figure to transform into a wooden log.
"A substitution technique?!" Naruto shouted.
"When did he switch places?!"
In the distance, Orochimaru slowly emerged from the muddy ground, his pale face carrying a mocking smile.
Hinata frowned slightly.
"The moment Naruto-kun's Shadow Clones surrounded him, he disappeared from my sight for a second. Even my Byakugan was obstructed by the clones…"
"Damn it!" Naruto and Sasuke cursed simultaneously.
Orochimaru sneered coldly.
"As expected, dealing with Team 7 working together is quite troublesome…"
"Especially you three. All of you inherited the legacies of people who once stood on equal footing with me."
The next moment, several Shadow Clones charged at him again.
"Leaf Storm!"
"Wind Release: Hurricane Punch!"
Taijutsu and Ninjutsu attacks rained down one after another, smashing directly into Orochimaru.
Yet Orochimaru merely laughed.
"You already know ordinary Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are useless against me. Why continue wasting your efforts, Naruto?"
But suddenly, one of the Shadow Clones changed its fighting style completely.
Instead of Naruto's usual reckless attacks, the clone stepped forward gracefully and struck with a palm thrust.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Palm!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"That clone… it transformed from the Hyūga girl?!"
Naruto grinned proudly.
This was a brand-new strategy he had developed together with Hinata.
Hinata would disguise herself as Naruto and hide among the Shadow Clones, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
And it had worked perfectly.
With the unmatched perception of the Byakugan, Hinata's Gentle Fist struck Orochimaru's chakra network with pinpoint precision.
Even though Orochimaru had modified his body countless times with forbidden techniques, he still relied on chakra flow.
Hinata's attack instantly sealed several of his chakra points, disrupting his ability to mold chakra properly.
Sasuke immediately understood Naruto and Hinata's strategy.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Hmph. Orochimaru, even a monster like you can't escape Hinata's Gentle Fist unharmed."
Hinata spoke calmly, though her breathing had grown heavier.
"I sealed his chakra points."
"He won't be able to use Ninjutsu for a while."
"Now…"
"Let's finish this!"
Suddenly, Hinata let out a sharp cry and slammed her fist toward the ground with terrifying force.
This attack already carried the beginnings of her own unique Taijutsu style—a fusion of softness and overwhelming power.
It combined the chakra-sealing precision of the Gentle Fist with the monstrous strength she had inherited from Tsunade.
A perfect union of hard and soft combat styles.
Even Orochimaru would likely be torn apart if struck directly.
"Nice one, Hinata!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
But just as Orochimaru was about to be crushed, a sinister smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
Naruto and Sasuke instantly sensed danger.
"Hinata, watch out!" Naruto yelled.
Even Sasuke couldn't help shouting a warning.
At that moment, Orochimaru's sealed body began to swell violently.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a gigantic White Serpent.
Not only did he break free from the restraints instantly, but he also opened his massive jaws and lunged toward Hinata.
Hinata was startled, but her reaction was equally fast.
Her punch still went forward.
"Haaah!"
BOOM!
Tsunade's monstrous strength exploded outward as Hinata's fist collided directly with the White Serpent's enormous mouth.
The serpent's massive body halted for a moment.
But the recoil still sent Hinata flying backward through the air.
Naruto and Sasuke moved immediately from opposite sides to save her.
"Chidori!!!"
In his Cursed Seal state, Sasuke's chakra erupted violently as lightning gathered in his hand. He thrust the Chidori straight toward the serpent's eye.
At the same time, Naruto leapt forward and caught Hinata in his arms before they crashed onto the ground together.
"Are you alright, Hinata?"
Feeling Naruto holding her protectively, Hinata's face instantly turned bright red.
"I-I'm fine… Naruto-kun…"
Meanwhile, Sasuke's Cursed Seal Chidori nearly pierced the White Serpent's eye.
But suddenly, the serpent's tail whipped through the air.
Smack!
Sasuke was blasted backward violently.
Using the momentum, he rolled several times across the ground to disperse the impact before finally landing in a crouched position.
"Tch…"
The White Serpent let out a cold laugh.
"It seems I focused too much on Naruto and Sasuke while underestimating you, Hyūga girl…"
"To combine Tsunade's monstrous strength with the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist…"
"Your potential is truly frightening."
Hinata panted softly.
"But… I clearly sealed your chakra points. How can you still…?"
Sasuke's Sharingan carefully observed Orochimaru's transformed body.
"Hmph. This monster can no longer be judged by normal standards."
"His body has become completely inhuman."
Naruto clenched his fists tightly.
"Damn it… Taijutsu doesn't work. Ninjutsu doesn't work. Even Hinata's Gentle Fist can't fully stop him…"
"So what do we do now?"
Sasuke answered calmly.
"No, Naruto. Sealing techniques do work against him."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to escape earlier with a substitution technique."
Naruto's eyes lit up immediately.
"You're right!"
"We'll defeat him with sealing techniques!"
"But first, we need to immobilize him completely."
Naruto looked toward Sasuke.
"Sasuke… stop holding back. Use your strongest form."
"Mm."
At that moment, Hinata blushed deeply and spoke in a tiny voice.
"N-Naruto-kun… before that…"
"Could you put me down first?"
Naruto froze.
Only then did he realize he was still carrying Hinata in his arms.
"Ahaha… y-you're right!"
He quickly set her down.
Both of them turned slightly red with embarrassment.
But Sasuke had already activated his Cursed Seal once more.
This time, however, the transformation was completely different.
Dark gray markings spread across his entire body. His hair grew wildly longer, his facial features sharpened into something almost demonic, and a cross-shaped mark appeared on his face.
Sharp fangs protruded from the corners of his mouth.
His fingers became claw-like.
Most terrifying of all, a massive bone wing erupted from one side of his back.
The Heavenly Cursed Seal—Second Form!
After transforming, Sasuke's chakra exploded dramatically, rising to a level that nearly rivaled Naruto's.
Naruto naturally refused to fall behind.
"The Yin Seal…"
"Release!!!"
As Naruto roared, the diamond-shaped mark on his forehead slowly faded away.
The enormous amount of chakra he had stored within the seal burst forth uncontrollably.
Not only was his previously exhausted chakra fully restored, but it had become even greater than before.
Yin Seal Naruto.
Cursed Seal Level Two Sasuke.
The two stood side by side, their overwhelming chakra shaking the battlefield itself.
Hinata watched them with shining eyes.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of discouragement in her expression.
Instead, she looked inspired.
"Naruto-kun… Sasuke…"
"You two look amazing together!"
"I'll monitor Orochimaru's movements with my Byakugan!"
"Alright!" Naruto shouted.
Orochimaru, still in his White Serpent form, stared at the three of them silently.
For the first time in a long while…
A slight tremor appeared in his heart.
The current Team 7 reminded him eerily of the legendary Sannin in their youth.
Naruto possessed Tsunade's terrifying chakra reserves and fearless spirit.
Sasuke carried power and talent that even surpassed Orochimaru's own expectations.
And Hinata…
She had somehow fused the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist with Tsunade's monstrous strength, creating a terrifying combat style that even Orochimaru found difficult to predict.
The three of them complemented one another perfectly.
Individually, each of them was already a genius.
Together, they were monstrous.
Orochimaru narrowed his snake-like eyes.
"How fascinating…"
"I never imagined the new generation would grow this quickly."
His enormous serpent body slowly coiled tighter as killing intent spread across the battlefield.
"But children remain children."
"No matter how talented you are, there is still a massive gap between us!"
The White Serpent suddenly opened its mouth wide.
An overwhelming amount of chakra gathered inside.
The surrounding air trembled violently.
Hinata's Byakugan widened immediately.
"Not good!"
"He's gathering an enormous amount of chakra!"
Naruto grinned fiercely.
"Perfect timing!"
"Sasuke!"
"Yeah."
The two moved simultaneously.
Sasuke's transformed body shot into the sky using the giant bone wing on his back, while Naruto created hundreds of Shadow Clones in an instant.
The battlefield was swallowed by smoke and chakra pressure.
Every clone began charging Rasengan at the same time.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hoh…"
"So this is your final attack?"
Naruto smirked confidently.
"You're the one cornered now, Orochimaru!"
At the same moment, Sasuke raised his hand toward the heavens.
Black lightning crackled violently around him.
The terrifying chakra fluctuations caused even the ANBU watching from afar to tremble in fear.
Karin swallowed nervously.
"These monsters…"
"Are they really Genin…?"
Even Orochimaru's expression became serious.
For the first time since the battle began, he finally understood something clearly.
If he continued underestimating Team 7—
He might truly lose here today.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)