Chapter 63: Dango Series · Gaia Energy Cannon

"Izayoi!!"

Seeing Izayoi suddenly appear, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto both lit up with joy, as if they'd found their savior.

Especially Uchiha Sasuke—he unexpectedly felt a strange sense of security in his heart.

"Didn't think you guys would be this unlucky, getting targeted by that guy," Izayoi said, pulling Naruto and Sasuke out of the swamp one in each hand and tossing them back onto solid ground.

Uchiha Sasuke immediately caught on to the key point and hurriedly asked, "Izayoi, you know who that guy is?"

"I didn't at first. I just sensed his chakra—it's not something a genin could possess."

Looking at Orochimaru, who had regenerated his head and was slowly standing up, Izayoi continued, "But now, his identity is obvious. One of the legendary Sannin, and also one of Konoha's S-Class missing-nin… Orochimaru."

"It's him?!"

Sasuke's pupils shrank, staring at Orochimaru in disbelief. "A historical figure—why would he appear here?"

"No idea. But the fact that he's clearly targeting you guys likely means there's something on you he's after."

"Is it the Sharingan?" Sasuke instantly made the connection, his expression growing serious. "Izayoi, what now?"

The implied meaning was: I'll follow your lead—fight or flee?

"Escaping from someone this strong isn't easy."

"Our only option now is to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Izayoi looked at Sasuke and smiled. "Still got the strength to fight?"

"Of course." Sasuke curled his lips into a confident smirk.

"And me too! Don't forget the great me—I can still fight!" Naruto chimed in to assert his presence.

Izayoi grinned wide. "Since that's the case, let's see what a legendary ninja is really made of!"

"Heh…"

At that moment, Orochimaru was sizing up Izayoi too, praising, "Didn't expect that aside from the last Uchiha and that little brat, this generation would also have such an outstanding youth. Konoha truly is a cradle of geniuses."

"But I don't have time to play ninja games with you kids anymore."

With that, Orochimaru once again used his snake-style shunshin, lunging at the three with explosive speed.

Just as Izayoi had said, Orochimaru was pressed for time—he had to plant the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke before the reinforcements arrived.

However, focused as he was on Sasuke, Orochimaru clearly hadn't expected a monster to exist among the current generation.

The moment he lunged forward, Izayoi's figure vanished as if teleporting.

In the blink of an eye, Izayoi appeared right in front of Orochimaru, a kunai crackling with lightning arcs in his hand, aiming straight for Orochimaru's head.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly at the sight.

The movement technique was familiar, but the speed was even more frightening than Sasuke's.

At the same time, Orochimaru didn't hesitate to open his mouth and spit out a sword, which extended and severed the kunai, attempting to pierce Izayoi's neck.

This response was something never before seen—without intel, one might have easily fallen for it.

However, the moment the blade broke the kunai, Izayoi's figure disappeared again.

What entered Orochimaru's view next was Sasuke leaping into the air, breathing out a wisp of flame that instantly transformed into a giant fire dragon.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

With chakra reserves far beyond those in the original timeline, Sasuke, under Izayoi's training, preferred and excelled at the Great Dragon Fire over the standard Fireball Jutsu.

Seeing the fire dragon charging at him, Orochimaru didn't dodge—he let the flames engulf him.

Within the flames, his body melted into a puddle.

"A substitution with Earth Release!"

Sasuke's expression shifted midair. When he landed, his eyes—his Sharingan spinning wildly—were locked on the ground, fearful that Orochimaru might reappear from below like before.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a sharp sound split the air.

A giant snake burst out from behind a fallen tree, opening its massive jaws, trying to swallow Sasuke whole.

Sasuke smirked disdainfully and vanished, reappearing beneath the snake. He kicked its head with such force that its gaping mouth slammed shut.

But in the next instant, his expression changed drastically.

From the snake's abdomen, a figure burst out, extending a hand that turned into a mass of snakes.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

The sneak attack caught Sasuke completely off guard.

He had just used Shadow Dance and hadn't yet recovered—he could only watch as the snakes closed in.

Just then, the voice that filled him with security rang out again.

"Wind Style: Wind Cutter Jutsu."

The transparent white wind blade Izayoi unleashed appeared as if from thin air.

The incredibly sharp wind blade instantly cut through the swarm of snakes—and split the giant snake in two.

"It's you again, brat!"

Seeing Izayoi thwart his curse mark attempt once more, Orochimaru's mood turned sour.

Just as he prepared to teach Izayoi a lesson, his expression suddenly shifted.

Just after releasing the wind blade, Izayoi withdrew his hand into his sleeve, then opened his mouth and breathed out a wave of fire—engulfing the unprepared Orochimaru, who hadn't had time to use a substitution or Earth Release.

"Ahhhhh—!"

Orochimaru let out a miserable shriek as the flames consumed him.

Izayoi pressed the advantage, leaping several meters into the air.

"Sasuke, get back!"

Izayoi called out, then raised both hands. A blue energy sphere instantly formed between them, swelling like a balloon.

Sasuke immediately vanished and reappeared beside Naruto, who had been standing there watching their performance with his jaw dropped.

Before Sasuke could pull Naruto behind a tree, Izayoi's voice rang out again.

"Gaia Energy Cannon!"

Turning their heads, they saw Izayoi holding a massive, rapidly spinning energy sphere.

The sphere was blue on the outside and white on the inside, but in the next second, the white center turned orange-red, and the whole thing became a blazing fireball.

Its size rivaled the Fireball Jutsu, but the energy it contained was on a completely different level.

With a shout, Izayoi hurled the orange-red energy ball down below.

BOOM————

A deafening explosion shook half the Forest of Death.

Even the special jōnin, jōnin, and ANBU squads who had intervened in the exam saw a giant fire tornado raging in the forest canopy—taller than the trees.

"What terrifying fire release! Is this a composite jutsu boosted by wind release?"

Even all-rounder jōnin, who had mastered at least two chakra nature transformations, were visibly shaken by the sight.

"First a massive wind release, then a fire jutsu of this scale—don't tell me... someone's fighting Orochimaru?"

The possibility made many of the shinobi's faces change again.

If that was the case, then that would mean—this year's Chūnin Exams had a real monster in it.