If You Want Power

"Hehe... Huang Mao, you were so arrogant before," Sak sneered, his head held high with excitement.

During the first exam, though they weren't reported by this yellow-haired kid, the method of falsely accusing candidates of cheating and getting them eliminated was his doing.

Their mission was to take down Uchiha Sasuke, but that didn't stop them from wanting to crush the yellow-haired puppet master in front of them. Sak had learned that this boy's strength came from his puppetry. Without his puppet, this yellow-haired kid was nothing. And it just so happened that Sak was confident in destroying things like that. After all, his Zhankong Wave could even shatter rocks.

"I'm going to torture you..." Sak said with a cruel smile as he slowly raised his hands, aiming at the yellow-haired boy. He planned to use his sonic attack to destroy the boy's puppet.

Sasuke and Sakura stood aside, not even considering stepping in. Naruto, on the other hand, gripped the large iron door with one hand and, without even opening a light door, disappeared from sight. He reappeared in front of Sak in an instant, lifting the massive iron gate above his head. The large shadow it cast brought a slight chill to Sak.

Sak looked up, dumbfounded, as the door panel loomed larger and larger in his vision. He even noticed four words written on the opponent's weapon—though they made no sense to him, the sight alone filled him with dread.

He smelled death. If this hit him, he would die. He would definitely die!

Naruto's speed was so fast that the three Sound Ninja had no time to react. It was as if Sak had just finished speaking, and the next moment, Naruto was already in front of him. Naruto, now airborne, raised the door high, his entire body forming a 'human' shape in mid-air.

In his mind, Sak's figure overlapped with that of Uchiha Obito. This made Naruto add even more force to his attack.

"Did I break your defense?!" Naruto's words echoed as the door came crashing down.

Boom!

With a deafening noise, a strong shockwave burst forth, making it difficult for the Sound Ninja beside Sak to even open their eyes. The moment the colorful door panel met Sak's head, he didn't even have a chance to scream. He was smashed directly into the ground, a small crater forming where he once stood. If he hadn't closed his mask in time, his blood would have splattered all over Naruto.

Blood pooled at Naruto's feet, the red splatters stark against the green bushes. As for Sak... he was reduced to a pulp, unrecognizable. Naruto, not daring to look at the mess he had made, estimated that Sak's fate was no less gruesome than those hit by semi-trailers in his past life, who were turned into nothing more than meat pies.

"Ah!!"

"Run... Run!" The two remaining Sound Ninja, having regained their senses and seeing Sak's miserable state, were trembling all over, their scalps tingling with fear. They had only one thought: to escape from this monster! Otherwise, they were sure they would die!

They exchanged a quick glance and bolted into the forest, one to the left, the other to the right.

Naruto, still holding the door panel in one hand, shook it twice to fling off the blood. If it weren't for the door panel in his hand, he would have looked like a swordsman after slaying an enemy. Glancing at the fleeing enemies, Naruto stored away the door panel, opened a light door, and gave chase.

Not long after, Naruto returned to the team, covered in blood.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting..." Before he could finish his sentence, Sasuke stepped forward, raising the Xuanzhong Ruler and swung it at Naruto's face. Even Sakura jumped back, tossing a kunai aimed at Naruto.

Without hesitation, the two launched their attacks.

Boom!

Naruto was knocked away by Sasuke's strike with the Xuanzhong Ruler. Both Sasuke and Sakura spoke in unison.

"Who are you!?"

"The real Naruto... never says sorry!"

"Hehehehe..." The imposter chuckled, his voice growing darker. "I underestimated you." He formed a seal with his hands, removing his disguise to reveal his true appearance—Orochimaru.

Naruto, who had just finished cleaning off the blood, saw this scene as he reappeared and nearly cursed Orochimaru aloud.

Of all people, it's him! Naruto thought, mentally cursing the snake ninja's love for role-playing.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto opened a light door and reappeared in front of Orochimaru, ready to take out the door panel and smash it over his head. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had already noticed the sudden light door behind him and was prepared. He kicked Naruto back and quickly formed a seal to release a jutsu.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The next second, Naruto was blown back to his original spot. Confusion clouded his face as he processed what just happened. Orochimaru's kick had been weak, but it was the first time Naruto had been interrupted while casting a spell.

This guy really lives up to his reputation, Naruto thought.

Before he could recover, a violent Wind Release chakra surged from the light door behind him, slamming into Naruto's body. The weight of his Iron Man armor almost gave way. Although the armor was designed for temporary load-bearing and had no defensive functions, it still took some damage from Orochimaru's attack.

The wounds on his body weren't a big problem—they healed in less than two seconds.

Seeing Naruto attacked, Sasuke told Sakura to stay back and protect herself. Thunder flashed around him as he lifted the Xuanzhong Ruler, charging at Orochimaru with sparks and lightning. From the few attacks Orochimaru had thrown at Naruto, Sasuke could tell—this man's strength was on par with Kakashi's.

To deal with such an enemy, Sasuke knew he had to give it his all. His Sharingan activated, the three tomoe spinning as he appeared behind Orochimaru, twisting his waist, using the momentum to swing the Xuanzhong Ruler toward Orochimaru's waist. If this hit connected, it would shatter Orochimaru's spine on the spot.

But Naruto was even faster. After suffering a blow from Orochimaru, he quickly stored the damaged armor into his system, opened a light door next to Sasuke, and pulled out the colorful door panel, aiming it at Orochimaru's head.

The two attacked Orochimaru simultaneously, one from the left, the other from the right. Orochimaru was genuinely surprised by their speed. He had come here only to test the strength of the Uchiha orphan and see if he was suitable as his next vessel.

But this battle had Orochimaru even more excited.

He glanced at the massive blade in Sasuke's hand and dodged in a bizarre posture. He kicked Sasuke in the abdomen, sending him flying dozens of meters away, knife and all.

Bang!

Orochimaru raised his hand to catch Naruto's door panel, and the two locked in a wrestling match. Orochimaru couldn't help but be surprised when he got a good look at the weapon in Naruto's hand.

Is this kid... using a door panel?

Even for a well-informed ninja like Orochimaru, this was a first. Who on earth used a door panel as a weapon? Just as he was pondering this, a strange noise came from the door panel.

"Did I break your defense? Did I break your defense?"

The voice echoed in Orochimaru's ears like a taunt, chipping away at his usually calm demeanor. The snake ninja, who had remained unshaken for years, felt his temper rising thanks to the yellow-haired boy in front of him.

"Kid... you..." Orochimaru began, but was cut off as Naruto, frustrated that Orochimaru had caught his attack, used his free hand to aim a punch at Orochimaru's lower body.

Smack!

Orochimaru quickly caught Naruto's punch with his other hand. Now he was holding the door panel above his head with one hand and clutching Naruto's fist with the other. The situation had reached a stalemate.

Orochimaru intended to toss the kid away, but he was shocked by the boy's sheer strength. Despite using all his power, Orochimaru's neck was turning red from the effort.

Naruto gritted his teeth, annoyed that the snake ninja had countered his attack so easily. He couldn't even use his signature Rocket Headbutt move because they were too close, and he needed some external force to break the deadlock.

Orochimaru, with his snake-like eyes locked on Naruto, was just about to extend his neck and deliver a deadly bite when he heard Naruto shout...

"Tread on the hemp, and hunt for a wall… Who will build the Water Style dam if I ride a horse… Ho—"

Naruto spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm, aiming it directly at Orochimaru's face. The unexpected attack landed on the snake ninja's side face, the thick brown phlegm clinging to his hair and cheek. Orochimaru's calm expression morphed into one of sheer fury.

"Did I break your defense?"

The voice in his ear was the last straw. Orochimaru, who had remained composed for years, finally snapped.

Enraged, Orochimaru doubled his strength, preparing to overpower Naruto. But Naruto quickly stored the door panel back in his system. The sudden disappearance of the door panel caused Orochimaru to stumble, disrupting his rhythm.

Naruto seized the moment, pulling out his Nether Metal Fist Blade and diving into Orochimaru's arms, thrusting the blade forward with both hands.

But instead of feeling the expected resistance of flesh, Naruto's attack passed through nothing but air. Orochimaru's figure twisted and dissolved into a puddle of mud, disappearing from sight.

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed, realizing that Orochimaru had used a clever ninjutsu to escape. This snake ninja was a tactical genius!

Just as he was about to complain, Naruto's vision darkened, and he was greeted by a foul smell. A giant snake emerged from the darkness and swallowed him whole.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who was hiding in the shadows, launched an attack on Sasuke, who was rushing toward him.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu."

Sasuke's feet sank into the ground, the familiar sensation triggering memories of Kakashi's training. Without even thinking, he realized what technique had been used. Kakashi often employed this move to catch him off guard.

But this time, Sasuke was ready. He had anticipated this scenario countless times in his mind, rehearsed it over and over, just for this moment. As his feet sank into the ground, he performed a cartwheel, grabbed the Xuanzhong Ruler, and smashed it into the ground.

To his delight, his plan worked perfectly.

He had always imagined how he would counter this Earth Style technique, and now he had succeeded. If the enemy dared to use this jutsu on him, he was 100% confident he could crush them with the Xuanzhong Ruler.

Bang!

A figure suddenly appeared before Sasuke, grabbing his hair and kneeing him in the abdomen. Orochimaru followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks, catching Sasuke off guard. The Uchiha struggled to fend off Orochimaru's relentless assault, but after several rounds, his Sharingan managed to track the snake ninja's movements. Seizing an opportunity, Sasuke blocked an attack with the Xuanzhong Ruler and retaliated with a backhand strike, aiming for Orochimaru's face.

The impact shattered Orochimaru's disguise, revealing his true form. Orochimaru dodged backward, impressed by Sasuke's resilience.

This Uchiha kid... He's been taking my hits and still has the strength to fight back? Orochimaru mused.

The two stared each other down. Sasuke wiped the blood from his mouth, his fighting spirit burning brighter than ever.

This Xuanzhong Ruler... it's amazing!

Throughout the battle, Sasuke had been injured at the start, but after using the Xuanzhong Ruler to block and counterattack, he discovered something incredible—his chakra and injuries were recovering.

Now, with his three-tomoe Sharingan activated, Sasuke was ready for more.

Orochimaru, too, was excited. So perfect! Uchiha Sasuke's body is so perfect! I must have him!

As the two prepared to continue their battle, a series of explosions suddenly echoed through the forest. The deafening noise caused both Orochimaru and Sasuke to flinch, their ears ringing from the sound.

The purple light door appeared beside Sasuke again, and Naruto stepped out of it, cursing under his breath.

"Stupid snake! You think you're so tough, putting everything in your mouth!"

Naruto had just been swallowed by the giant snake. Without hesitating, he had dropped a large amount of TNT into the snake's belly and used his clone to create a spiraling vortex, causing the explosives to detonate inside the creature. Then, he quickly opened a light door and escaped.

"What a surprise!" Orochimaru muttered, observing the light door with interest. "Didn't expect the Nine Tails Jinchūriki to have a space-time bloodline limit. Could it be a mutation inherited from the Fourth Hokage?"

Discovering something special about Naruto made Orochimaru momentarily forget his anger.

But Naruto wasn't pleased at all. The mention of his father, the Fourth Hokage, made him think of the Flying Thunder God technique, which he had never been able to master. And now, he had to pretend that he had a natural talent for space-time ninjutsu.

A few days ago, the Third Hokage had even asked him when he would learn the Flying Thunder God technique... It was so frustrating!

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance, and the next moment, dozens of purple light doors appeared around the battlefield.

Without hesitation, Sasuke took out a sealing scroll from his shirt and unleashed a barrage of shuriken and kunai. After releasing them, he quickly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

A stream of fiery projectiles, each tied with an explosive tag, rained down on Orochimaru's position, followed by a blazing inferno.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Naruto multiplied into a thousand clones, each activating their bloodline ability in seconds, appearing in front of Orochimaru. The sheer number of projectiles and clones overwhelmed Orochimaru's senses, confusing his judgment.

It wasn't until Naruto's real body appeared before him that Orochimaru realized the seriousness of the situation. By then, Sasuke had already moved behind him.

The two boys attacked in tandem, one wielding the door panel, the other the Xuanzhong Ruler. Their speed was so fast that Orochimaru couldn't form hand seals or use ninjutsu in time to defend.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

In an instant, Orochimaru's head was severed, and the Xuanzhong Ruler impaled his chest.

If it were an ordinary person, they would be unquestionably dead. But Naruto wasn't convinced.

After all, this was Orochimaru they were dealing with—the most difficult person to kill in the ninja world. He couldn't believe that the snake ninja had died so easily.

Sasuke observed for a while before asking, "Is it over?"

"Not sure..." Naruto replied as he began placing TNT around Orochimaru's body. Just as they were about to ignite the explosives, Orochimaru's severed head suddenly spoke, startling both boys.

"My name is Orochimaru... If you seek power... come to me."

Orochimaru's head tried to continue speaking, but Naruto rushed forward and kicked it away.

I knew it! Orochimaru doesn't die that easily!

At that moment, another head emerged from Orochimaru's headless body and bit Sasuke's neck, planting the curse mark. Before Naruto could react, Orochimaru quickly fled the scene, leaving the boys behind.

Sasuke felt a sudden numbness in his neck, followed by a wave of weakness spreading through his limbs.