Orochimaru’s Interest

Just as Kabuto was about to strike Tsunade with his chakra-coated hand, a kunai suddenly pressed against his neck.

"Chakra scalples.. huh?" Kabuto didn't even turn his head, speaking calmly.

The one who had stopped him didn't waste time responding. With a swift movement, the kunai slashed across Kabuto's throat.

But with a sudden "puff," Kabuto's body transformed into a log.

Substitution Jutsu.

Kabuto narrowly evaded the attack meant to aid Tsunade. He gasped for breath as he reached into his pouch, about to retrieve a blood replenishment pill to counteract the blood loss from his previous injuries.

"Look at your feet," came a cold voice from Furen.

Kabuto glanced down, his eyes widening in shock. Surrounding him were kunai embedded in the ground, all attached to blue orbs at their ends.

Ice Style – Explosive Kunai.

With a swift series of detonations, the blue orbs exploded, releasing sharp icicles that pierced Kabuto's body, leaving multiple gaping wounds.

"Ugh…" Kabuto gritted his teeth in pain but quickly broke off the icicles lodged in his body and managed to escape the immediate danger.

As he emerged from the aftermath of the explosion, his wounds began to rapidly heal.

"As expected of an Ice Release kekkei genkai user," Kabuto muttered, breathing heavily. "I concentrated all my chakra into my wounds, healing them before the damage could fully set in."

Furen said nothing, merely observing Kabuto's words as a stalling tactic.

"The reason I gained Orochimaru-sama's trust wasn't due to any special ninjutsu or technical prowess... but my exceptional regenerative abilities," Kabuto continued. "By enhancing my cellular activity, I can rapidly regenerate new cells."

Within moments, the gaping wounds from the icicles had completely healed, with fresh skin and muscle regrown.

Kabuto exhaled in relief, ready to launch another assault. But just as he moved forward, a sharp pain surged from his newly healed wounds. The lingering frostbite from the Ice Style technique activated, causing secondary damage.

Kabuto's body hunched over in pain, unable to stand straight as the cold assaulted his injuries once again. Recognizing the danger, Kabuto wasted no time retreating to Orochimaru's side.

Orochimaru, standing by, smiled ominously. His snake-like eyes gleamed with a hunger for something he had just discovered.

During the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru had briefly encountered Furen in the Forest of Death, though at the time he had merely dismissed him as a rare bloodline user. Their second encounter was during the death of the Third Hokage, when Furen had used Reverse Summoning to enter the barrier, leaving a more profound impression on Orochimaru.

Now, in this third encounter, Furen had easily overwhelmed Kabuto, one of Orochimaru's most trusted subordinates. Orochimaru's desire to claim this person's body for himself intensified.

Despite his previous fascination with the Uchiha clan, particularly after being bested by Itachi, Orochimaru was not limited to them. His subordinates like Kidomaru, Guren, and Kimimaro—members of the Sound Four—were all potential vessels for his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique.

Furen, having positioned himself protectively in front of Tsunade, locked eyes with Orochimaru and his four subordinates.

In this situation, the only real threat to Furen was Orochimaru himself.

However, due to the Dead Demon Consuming Seal used by the Third Hokage, half of Orochimaru's body had been sealed, preventing him from performing hand seals and severely limiting his strength. For now, he could only rely on non-seal techniques and taijutsu.

Without a new body through his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, Orochimaru posed little threat to Furen.

Moreover, Furen still had the Kurama clan's powerful genjutsu bloodline as a trump card. Although the Kurama clan's genjutsu required the user's soul to be stronger than the target's, Orochimaru's resistance to genjutsu had weakened due to the instability of his soul caused by his frequent body-swapping.

Furen was confident that even without resorting to Wood Style, he could take down Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's gaze grew more intense as he stared at Furen. His subordinates could sense the growing desire in their master's eyes.

Kabuto approached and knelt down, unwrapping the bandages from Orochimaru's left hand. After smearing some of his own blood on Orochimaru's hand, Kabuto used his chakra to assist Orochimaru in forming seals despite the restrictions.

With Kabuto's help, Orochimaru finally managed to complete the necessary seals, summoning a massive purple snake—Manda, the king of serpents from Ryuchi Cave.

At the same time, Tsunade, who had been paralyzed by her fear of blood, raised her head and looked at the massive snake.

"Be careful... that summon isn't ordinary," she warned for the first time, her voice trembling slightly.

"Don't worry," Furen reassured her with a calm smile. "I've got this."

As Manda loomed over them, Furen bit his own finger, pressing his hand to the ground.

With a loud boom, a summoning cloud appeared, revealing a massive, pink-skinned toad—Gamaken, one of the great toads from Mount Myoboku!

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T/N:

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