Chapter 14: The Encounter with Orochimaru

Obito stood silently, his face expressionless, eyes cold as a venomous snake, staring intently at Uchiha Ru. His chilling focus sent a shiver down Soraki's spine.

He had initially intended to warn Obito but quickly realized that Obito's combat skills were far beyond what he had imagined. Once he decided to act, there was no hesitation or doubt.

He had heard that Obito was a so-called "dead last," but the scene before him made Soraki question that notion: this didn't resemble the weak boy from the rumors at all. The composure and concentration he displayed in battle were beyond what many of his peers could muster, not to mention his actual fighting abilities.

Soraki suddenly remembered that Obito was labeled "dead last" because he had lost to Kakashi. But who was Kakashi? A genius of Konoha, personally taught by Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo—even true elites found it hard to match him. Could someone who could fight against Kakashi truly be weak?

As Soraki was lost in thought, Obito and Uchiha Ru on the battlefield clashed once again. Uchiha Ru did have a slight advantage, but it was only marginal. Perhaps due to more training, Obito gradually fell into a disadvantage.

The rhythm of their battle began to change slowly. Obito was kicked by Uchiha Ru, his stance unstable, retreating several meters. Clearly, this strike exposed Obito's lack of experience.

However, even so, Obito possessed an advantage that Uchiha Ru did not—resilience. He did not retreat because of this; instead, he gritted his teeth and continued to fight.

As time went on, Obito gradually regained some ground. The battle, which was initially clearly unfavorable to him, was now reaching a delicate balance.

If this trend continued, Soraki calculated inwardly, the final victor might very well be Obito. As an observer with memories from two lives, Soraki could somewhat see through the shifts in the situation.

Sure enough, in the ensuing battle, Obito became increasingly adept, while Uchiha Ru gradually seemed to be struggling. Suddenly, Obito gathered his strength and delivered a powerful kick towards Uchiha Ru's chest. Although Uchiha Ru quickly crossed his arms to block, the strong impact still forced him back several steps, his face turning slightly pale.

Soraki frowned tightly. "Something's not right. Uchiha Ru clearly could have dodged that kick." He was puzzled, feeling that Uchiha Ru seemed to have intentionally shown a flaw. Just as Soraki was pondering, Uchiha Ru's hands began to form seals rapidly.

Although his movements were somewhat slow, his gaze was exceptionally firm. And that seal—Soraki was all too familiar with it—it was the signature ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.

"Obito, be careful! Get out of the way!" Soraki suddenly stood up, a hint of urgency in his voice. However, at this point, it was too late to dodge or interrupt. The distance between Uchiha Ru and Obito had already widened enough to complete the ninjutsu.

Obito clearly also realized the danger and began forming seals without hesitation. However, he was obviously a beat slower, and Soraki clearly remembered that Obito had not yet fully mastered this jutsu.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu was not an ordinary ninjutsu. As an A-rank technique, its power was enough to easily severely injure those with insufficient strength.

And at Obito's current level, he could only be considered "cannon fodder." Soraki felt a subtle worry in his heart. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, finally landing on a broken brick under the big tree next to the swing.

"Looks like I have to take a gamble!" Soraki's mind raced, and the chakra in his body quickly gathered in his legs. He suddenly burst into action, crossing several meters almost instantly, swiftly picking up the half brick and hurling it fiercely towards Uchiha Ru.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Uchiha Ru shouted loudly, flames rapidly condensing in his mouth. At this moment, Obito's seals were still incomplete.

Just as the Great Fireball was about to erupt, Soraki shouted, "Fire my foot!" The half brick, with a sharp whistling sound, flew straight towards Uchiha Ru's face. At this moment, Uchiha Ru could only choose between continuing to release the ninjutsu or dodging the attack.

Of course, there was a third possibility—to use the Fire Style to directly destroy the incoming brick. With the power of the Great Fireball Jutsu, it could completely turn it to ashes and might even affect Soraki. However, to Soraki's surprise, Uchiha Ru was so startled by the sudden brick that he froze, neither dodging nor continuing his jutsu.

"What the heck is he doing!" Soraki cursed inwardly. He had originally just wanted to force Uchiha Ru to stop his ninjutsu, not to actually hurt him. If the brick hit too hard, or if he had used too much force, things might become unmanageable.

Just as the brick was about to hit Uchiha Ru, Soraki's heart was in his throat. At that critical moment, a dark figure appeared like a phantom in front of Uchiha Ru.

It was a young man with cascading black hair, deep and cold eyes, and skin so pale it was almost sickly, yet he exuded an indescribable charm and danger. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight, eerie smile.

Soraki recognized him at a glance, and a storm surged in his heart—Orochimaru! Compared to Danzo, the person Soraki dreaded more was him.

Orochimaru casually extended his hand, as if the brick had flown into his palm of its own accord, catching it steadily. He looked down at the broken brick in his hand, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Then, he exerted a slight force, and the half brick turned into powder in his hand, scattering with the wind. Orochimaru raised his head, his gaze locking onto Soraki, as if he were examining an interesting toy.

Soraki felt his throat go dry, cold sweat dripping down his back. He knew that this time, he might have gotten himself into big trouble. The appearance of Orochimaru meant that things had gone beyond his expectations and control.

"This time, things have really taken a turn for the worse," Soraki sighed inwardly, not daring to make any rash moves.