Chapter 86: No Opportunity
For Orochimaru, as long as he could preserve his own life, everything else was secondary. With his abilities, even if he lost everything, he could eventually recover it all. But for the people of Konoha, there were too many things that needed protection. Orochimaru exploited this, making his opponents cautious and unable to unleash their full strength against him.
Just as Orochimaru anticipated, even when his combat strength was at a disadvantage, he never found himself in a desperate situation. His next move was to find an opening and break through the encirclement to escape safely.
The complete transformation of Shukaku the One-Tail was now in full view. Even though Gaara had not yet used the Fake Sleep Technique, the sheer size and strength of the beast made it clear that this was beyond what any group of genin could handle.
From a distance, Mizuki spotted Sasuke and Sakura hiding behind a tree, both staring in shock at the massive Shukaku.
What's going on? Mizuki thought. Gaara didn't use Sakura as a hostage to threaten Naruto? Although the general direction remains the same, so many details have changed.
Mizuki was unaware that the situation at the Chunin Exam arena had already deviated significantly from the original plan, with developments spiraling out of control.
"Sakura, Sasuke, are you guys alright?" Mizuki asked as he approached. "I got held up earlier and couldn't get here in time."
To be honest, even if he had arrived earlier, it probably wouldn't have made much difference. Such overwhelming power wasn't something he could handle head-on.
Nevertheless, Naruto continued to fight Gaara with increasing intensity. In the original story, saving Sakura served as a catalyst, but fundamentally, it was their shared experience as Jinchuriki and their opposing philosophies that fueled the conflict. As an Asura reincarnation, Naruto's innate sense of justice made it inevitable that he would clash with Gaara.
After a moment, a massive surge of chakra erupted, and the giant toad Gamabunta appeared, his body marked with countless scars.
"That's... Naruto?" Sasuke muttered in disbelief, staring at the massive toad with Naruto standing on top.
"Mizuki-sensei, is this the special power you mentioned Naruto had?" Sakura asked.
Mizuki nodded. "You could say that. But this isn't all of it—just a part."
"That's only a part?" Sasuke asked, stunned.
"It depends on how you look at it," Mizuki replied. "His potential is enormous. Whether he can fully harness it is another story. It's like your Sharingan—do you really understand its potential?"
Truthfully, Mizuki didn't enjoy interacting with Sasuke. No matter how much you invested in him, he never showed gratitude. He was a man obsessed with revenge and driven solely by hatred.
"Mizuki-sensei, do you know much about the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked. Lacking family guidance, Sasuke had only Kakashi to rely on when it came to unlocking the secrets of the Sharingan. He wouldn't miss any opportunity to gain insight.
Mizuki shook his head. "The Uchiha clan was always secretive. Outsiders rarely know much. You're better off asking Kakashi."
Sasuke lowered his head, disappointed.
"Mizuki-sensei, should we go help Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"No, you two stay here. Sasuke's injured and needs care. I'll go assess the situation," Mizuki said.
Mizuki calculated his next move. If Gaara didn't restrain Sakura with sand to absorb chakra, there might still be a chance when Gamabunta cuts off Shukaku's right arm. The worst-case scenario would be to forcibly extract and seal Shukaku's chakra once Gaara loses mobility, but that's incredibly risky.
Approaching cautiously, Mizuki ensured he remained in line with Naruto's position, knowing that Naruto would be mindful of Sakura and Sasuke and avoid attacking in that direction.
Yet the sheer power of Shukaku was overwhelming. Even from a distance, the force of the wind generated by Shukaku's movements uprooted trees. One wrong step could result in death or serious injury.
Summoning a giant toad like Gamabunta requires an enormous amount of chakra. Even Naruto's chakra alone isn't enough—it must be the Nine-Tails leaking chakra to support the summoning. If the Sage Mode requires even more chakra, how did people like Jiraiya, Minato, and Naruto manage to learn it?
And what about Kabuto? Although his version of the Snake Sage Mode looked like a flawed product, it was still a success. How did he accomplish that? Surely it wasn't just because of Orochimaru's cells. If even Orochimaru couldn't master it, how could his cells be the medium? It just didn't add up.
Perhaps the world indeed favors geniuses like Kabuto. True brilliance can't be suppressed.
Mizuki briefly considered collaborating with a prodigy like Kabuto but shook his head. The village politics were too treacherous. Even if he wanted to stand out, now wasn't the time. Mizuki had to remain cautious—too much exposure would only paint a target on his back. It would be wiser to wait until Tsunade returned and stabilized the situation before considering any alliances.
Meanwhile, back at the Chunin Exam arena, Orochimaru stood at the center, a gleam of sadistic delight in his eyes. The battlefield had shifted toward the spectator stands, putting countless civilians at risk.
"Orochimaru! You've abandoned the way of the shinobi!" Hiruzen roared. "To involve innocent civilians in this battle—is this the path you've chosen?"
"Shinobi way? Such outdated drivel. Only those who survive can preach about their ideals. Dead men are just corpses," Orochimaru sneered.
The chaotic battlefield raged on, with Shinobi from Konoha struggling to contain the threat posed by Orochimaru and his summoned beast. The battle lines between duty, honor, and sheer survival had blurred, leaving behind nothing but chaos and bloodshed.
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