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Inoiki wasn't about to let the opportunity slip. With Orochimaru montarily stunned from the ntal attack, he sent his five kunai hurtling toward him, each aid at vital points with deadly precision.
But Orochimaru was no ordinary opponent. The pain from Inoiki's ntal assault was intense, but it was far from the worst he'd endured. He had subjected himself to countless agonizing experints, each far more excruciating. His recovery was swift, almost inhuman.
Yet even Orochimaru's speed couldn't completely save him. The mont he regained his senses, all five kunai pierced his body, striking critical areas. He staggered slightly, blood dripping from the wounds.
Sasuke and Sakura, watching from the sidelines, felt a surge of relief and triumph. A smile crossed their faces as they thought the battle was over. "We've won," Sakura whispered, her voice shaky with hope.
But Inoiki wasn't celebrating. His eyes remained fixed on Orochimaru's unmoving form, his expression grim. It's not over, he thought. His instincts scread at him, and his worst suspicions were soon confird.
Orochimaru's body twitched unnaturally before splitting apart. Like a serpent shedding its skin, his body peeled open, and a new, fully healed form erged, slithering out from his mouth. The kunai-stabbed husk crumbled lifelessly to the ground.
Orochimaru's golden eyes glead with amusent as he straightened. "Impressive," he said, his voice carrying a twisted admiration. "You're the first opponent in a long ti to cause such pain. Though, I must say..." He chuckled darkly, his tongue flicking out like a snake's. "I've felt worse."
His lips curled into a grotesque smile. "I should return the favor, don't you think?"
Inoiki's breath was labored, his chest heaving. The ntal attack had drained him, leaving him visibly fatigued. I've already used a quarter of my chakra, he noted grimly, trying to steady himself.
Orochimaru wasted no more ti. Without warning, he launched forward, activating his Slithering Snake Mode again. This ti, his speed was blistering, far greater than before. It was clear he had been holding back during his earlier attacks.
Inoiki's reflexes kicked in, and he hastily erected a ntal barrier with his Psychokinesis. At the sa ti, he commanded his kunai to intercept the attack. But Orochimaru's speed was overwhelming. The kunai couldn't reach him in ti, and the barrier, created in haste and weakened by Inoiki's lack of control, shattered under Orochimaru's punch.
The blow connected with full force. Inoiki crossed his arms in an X-shape to shield himself, but the impact was still devastating. Orochimaru's punch sent him hurtling backward, crashing through the tree before skidding to a stop. Dust and leaves scattered around him as he groaned in pain, his left arm broken from absorbing the brunt of the strike.
Orochimaru stood tall, his malevolent grin unwavering as he watched Inoiki. "Co now," he taunted. "Surely, you've got more fight in you."
The air grew heavy with tension.
Inoiki crashed into the trunk of a massive tree, the impact jarring his head painfully. His vision swam as he slumped to the ground, his back pressed against the tree for support. Dizzy and disoriented, he struggled to regain his senses, but the throbbing pain in his head, coupled with the searing agony of his broken arm, made it nearly impossible to focus.
His vision blurred, the world around him an indistinct haze. He clenched his eyes shut, then forced them open again, repeating the process in a desperate attempt to steady his mind. Each movent sent sharp pangs of pain through his body, but he grit his teeth and fought to concentrate.
Orochimaru, standing a short distance away, watched the battered shinobi with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He assessed Inoiki's condition with ease. The boy's strength was impressive, but now he could barely sit upright. Orochimaru smiled coldly, realizing that Inoiki could no longer stand, let alone fight.
Deciding not to waste ti with words, Orochimaru took action. His neck extended unnaturally, stretching like a serpent's, as his head moved toward Inoiki with frightening speed. His jaws parted slightly, revealing sharp teeth. His goal was clear—he intended to bite Inoiki and mark him with the cursed seal, claiming him as a future vessel and subject for his twisted experints.
Inoiki's dazed mind began to clear just in ti to see Orochimaru's neck elongating toward him like a striking viper. The surreal sight snapped him out of his stupor, adrenaline surging through his veins. His heart pounded as fear gripped him, and a singular, desperate thought filled his mind:
No. I can't let him bite . I won't beco one of his vessels, one of his experints.
The thought spiraled into a frantic refrain, echoing louder and louder in his mind. No, no, no!
His body trembled as he forced himself to react. The panic fueling him was raw, but it was enough to push him to fight back against the overwhelming terror and physical pain.
Inoiki's mind, racing with panic monts ago, suddenly shifted. Sothing clicked deep within him, and the world around him seed to slow. Orochimaru's elongated neck, hurtling toward him like a striking viper, now appeared to move in slow motion. Ti stretched, and the chaos of the mont crystallized into sharp clarity.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Inoiki's lips, growing into a wide grin. Then, he chuckled softly, the sound breaking the heavy tension of the scene.
Orochimaru froze mid-attack, startled by the sudden shift. His sharp eyes studied Inoiki carefully, noting the unexpected smile and the eerie calm that had overtaken the battered shinobi. Before he could react, an invisible force stopped him in his tracks, as though a barrier had sprung up between him and his prey.
Orochimaru's neck recoiled involuntarily, and his elongated form was pushed backward by the unseen power. His golden eyes narrowed in intrigue.
Inoiki, who only monts ago had been slumped against a tree in pain and desperation, began to rise. His body lifted off the ground as though carried by an unseen force, and he floated in the air, exuding a powerful, almost otherworldly energy.
Then, he laughed—a deep, resounding laugh that echoed through the clearing. "Hahaha! Fear? I was feeling fear?" His voice rang with a mix of defiance and exhilaration. "When I ca here to fight you, Orochimaru, I was prepared for this. I was ready for pain, for injury, for the possibility of death. I've always been cautious. But fear?"
He spread his arms wide, his broken one trembling but steady. His grin turned into a confident smirk. "I've never truly felt fear in this life. Perhaps it's my confidence in my Kekkei Genkai, or maybe sheer stubbornness. But for the first ti—here, today—I felt it."
His gaze locked on Orochimaru, his eyes blazing with intensity. "And what an honor it is to feel fear... from one of the strongest ninja in the world!" He laughed again, the sound bold and unrestrained.
On the sidelines, Sakura stared at the scene, her confusion etched on her face. "Is he... alright?" she murmured, unsure whether to feel relief or worry.
Sasuke stood frozen, his dark eyes darting between Inoiki and Orochimaru. He didn't have an answer either.
Orochimaru, however, grinned with unsettling amusent. He licked his lips, his eyes alight with sinister curiosity. "Interesting," he murmured, his voice low and smooth. A smile crept across his face, matching Inoiki's energy.
The tension thickened as the two forces faced off, their shared exhilaration setting the stage for what would co next.
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