Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

'So, this is the real Orochimaru?'

In that moment, Sasuke finally believed that Orochimaru was indeed one of the legendary Sannin.

'Strong, too strong!'

'Just his killing intent alone was enough to overpower me…'

Sasuke could practically envision himself being slain by Orochimaru.

However, he had no intention of giving up.

Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, drawing blood. The pain helped him withstand the paralyzing fear brought on by Orochimaru's killing intent.

"Interesting."

Orochimaru murmured in mild surprise.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Charging in to attack such a figure directly would be unwise, so Sasuke threw a barrage of shuriken to test the waters.

"Not bad, but too slow."

Orochimaru shook his head, almost as if offering a critique.

In the next moment, his figure vanished.

"Where did he go?"

Sasuke's eyes darted around, but all he saw were fleeting afterimages, and he's completely unable to track Orochimaru's movements.

Bang, bang, bang!

Before Sasuke could react, Orochimaru struck him with a series of swift kicks, sending him stumbling several meters back, struggling to stay upright.

Naruto, who was still munching on his grilled fish, reminded, "Stay calm. Is your Sharingan just for show?"

Hearing this, Sasuke took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Sharingan!"

With a low growl, Sasuke's black pupils transformed into a pair of scarlet, two-tomoe Sharingan.

The tomoe began spinning rapidly, and the blurring afterimages gradually morphed into a series of discernible frames. Although it was still difficult, he finally saw the trajectory of Orochimaru's movements.

'Now!'

Sasuke immediately threw a shuriken at Orochimaru.

Ding!

The shuriken cut through the countless afterimages, colliding with something solid… he'd finally hit Orochimaru.

But it was far from a victory, as Orochimaru caught the shuriken effortlessly between his two fingers.

"Not bad. You've managed to predict my movements and attack, though you're still far from Itachi's level."

"Do you know where that guy is?"

When Sasuke heard Itachi's name, his body trembled violently and his gaze became even fiercer.

This time, without holding back, he drew his kunai and lunged at Orochimaru.

"Impressive spirit."

Orochimaru said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the summoning tattoo on his arm.

However, before he could bite his finger, Naruto reminded him, "I'm eating here, so don't go too wild."

If Orochimaru actually used Summoning Technique and summoned a few giant snakes, Naruto would not be able to enjoy his meal in peace.

Hearing this, Orochimaru dropped his sleeve and said calmly, "In that case, let's leave it here."

Although Sasuke only used a few shuriken, Orochimaru, with his keen instincts, could already sense Sasuke's potential… particularly in those Sharingan.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

In a flash, several snakes shot out from Orochimaru's right sleeve, binding Sasuke tightly before he could even react. Orochimaru swiftly formed hand seals, his neck elongating in an unnatural, rubber-like fashion.

He opened his jaws wide and bit down hard on Sasuke's neck.

"Argh!"

Sasuke couldn't hold back a scream as two fang-like punctures appeared on his neck, resembling snake bites. Soon, the wound transformed into a mark with three tomoe shapes… the infamous Cursed Seal of Heaven!

Thud!

Sasuke was in so much pain that he couldn't even utter a word and collapsed to the ground helplessly.

Seeing this, Naruto did not express his opinion.

He knew that if Orochimaru fought seriously, Sasuke would stand no chance… his power was just too inferior right now.

As for the Cursed Seal, it was something Naruto had previously discussed with Orochimaru.

The Cursed Seal is a double-edged sword, and while it chipped away at Sasuke's will, it also granted immense power.

Enduring and mastering the Cursed Seal would eventually grant Sasuke a substantial boost in strength.

Currently, Sasuke had passed out due to the seal and would now endure a near-'death' experience. There was only a ten percent chance that the Cursed Seal would take hold.

Failure meant death, while success meant a qualitative leap in power.

For Sasuke at this stage, Naruto thinks the Cursed Seal is still pretty good.

Anyway, Sasuke in the original work was able to overcome the Cursed Seal, so Naruto has nothing to worry about.

With Sasuke taken care of, Naruto moved on to his third grilled fish, savoring this rare wilderness meal.

In his previous life, camping like this was a rare pleasure, and he enjoyed the occasional rustic experience.

He then inquired, "By the way, Orochimaru, has that matter been dealt with?"

Orochimaru, who had infiltrated by killing other exam candidates, had neglected to cover his tracks in the original work, leading to Anko and others discovering him.

Even though Orochimaru's relationship with Sandaime had softened, leaving evidence behind would still create unnecessary trouble in Konoha.

"Don't worry, everything's been dealt with."

As Orochimaru said that, he placed his fingers on Sasuke's neck to check his pulse.

"This child's potential is truly terrifying. Although he has a high fever, his pulse is stable. Based on past experience, he'll survive the Cursed Seal's adaptation phase. If you hadn't insisted, I might have wanted to take over this child's body myself."

Naruto interrupted, "Don't think about it. If you're that interested, why not focus on cloning technology? Once your research is complete, you could just clone Sasuke's cells and inhabit the clone."

Hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes glinted with sudden inspiration, "As expected of you, Naruto-kun, you've given me a new direction."

"Good. Just remember, the true path lies in mastering core techniques. Once the Chunin Exams conclude, take Sasuke with you. As for those random destruction plans of yours, put them on hold."

Naruto mused, "Also, I've already convinced Gaara to become my servant. Make sure to deal with the Yondaime Kazekage's body properly, and maintain good relations with Sunagakure. That way, we can install Gaara as the new Kazekage soon."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, "So Gaara is also one of your servants? I'm becoming more and more curious about your ultimate goal, Naruto-kun."

In Orochimaru's opinion, Naruto is playing a big game of chess, and every servant is a chess piece on the board, each an elite in their own right.

'Currently, the Hokage of Konoha and soon-to-be Kazekage of Sunagakure are already under Naruto-kun's command.'

'If things continue to develop in this way, there will probably be more Kages under Naruto-kun's control. By then, with the help of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Naruto-kun will be able to completely control the direction of the world without bloodshed.'

'Is controlling the world Naruto-kun's ultimate goal?'

Noticing Orochimaru's abnormality, Naruto waved his hand dismissively, "Stop speculating about my motives. I've said it many times… I just want to live well, and ideally, achieve immortality."

Then Naruto added, "You may not believe it, but the world is much bigger than we imagined. The sun and moon you can see with your naked eyes are actually the same as the place where we live, and are named planets. If you focus solely on local conflicts, you'll never escape this small-minded perspective. If aliens were to invade one day, we'd all be powerless to stop them..."