Bab 15: Tenchi Bridge Mission - 4
The wind roared as Sai, Sakura, Yamato, and I faced Orochimaru and Kabuto.
"Just tell me, where's Sasuke?" I demanded, standing firm before Orochimaru.
"Even after all this time, you're still after Sasuke? Haven't you learned?" Orochimaru taunted.
"Listen, I asked a question. You answer it. Simple as that," I replied, my tone sharp and unwavering.
"Oh, really? And what if I choose not to answer? What will you do then?" he sneered.
"Same old question, huh? I'm getting tired of this. Every time I ask, I hear the same thing: 'What are you gonna do?'." I said, stepping towards Orochimaru, but Kabuto swiftly moved between us.
"You've got to face me first, Naruto!" Kabuto declared.
"Is that so?" I replied, as he launched an attack. I quickly teleported to his right side and sent him flying off the bridge into the lake below with a swift strike.
"Oh! What was that?" Orochimaru exclaimed.
"Already impressed? You haven't seen anything yet," I said confidently.
"Arrogance, huh?" he questioned.
"Naruto, don't fall for his provocations. We need to work as a team," Yamato advised.
"I know, but I can't help wondering if I'm strong enough to take him on alone," I admitted. "And honestly, I feel a sense of reassurance that I can beat him, but..." Before I could finish,
"Then let's see for ourselves," Orochimaru interrupted, sending his snake attacks toward me like he did to Captain Yamato.
But as the snakes approached, they stopped right in front of me without me lifting a finger.
"What?!" Orochimaru exclaimed, jumping back in shock and retracting his attack. "What did you just do?" he demanded.
"I'm not the type to explain my techniques during a fight. I'm not that naive," I said.
"Well, Naruto, you've certainly grown stronger," Orochimaru acknowledged. "So much so that I have to resort to my backup plan already."
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" he yelled, as snakes shot out from his sleeves. But instead of attacking me, they bypassed me completely. Wait...
Before anyone could react, he targeted the bridge itself.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!" I called out, sending a blade of wind to slice through the snakes. But it was too late; the bridge was already shifting. The railings and the middle section were breaking apart, and it began to collapse.
As I looked back, I saw both Kabuto and Orochimaru standing there, smiling. "Well, it was great to meet you," Orochimaru said as he and Kabuto vanished. I tried to run towards them, but the bridge suddenly collapsed, and Sakura and Sai started to fall.
"Damn it!" I cursed, quickly teleporting to Sakura and catching her, landing safely on the water.
Captain Yamato also landed on the water using his Wood Style Jutsu.
"You guys alright?" Yamato asked.
"Yeah, we're fine!" Sakura replied. "Thanks, Naruto!"
"It's okay," I said, looking around. "Wait, where's Sai?"
"He was with me on the bridge, but he's not here. Where could he have gone?" Sakura wondered.
"Wait... I can still sense their chakra. Let's follow it; it might lead us to Orochimaru's base. I have a feeling Sai is following Orochimaru," I said.
"Sensing chakra? I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Yamato remarked.
"So, let's go," I urged.
"Okay, I guess our mission and plan both failed. We have no choice!" Yamato said.
Using my chakra perception, we started following them. Although Orochimaru seemed to teleport, he didn't cover a very long distance. I could sense his and Kabuto's chakra not too far away, and Sai was right behind them.
I should have used the Flying Raijin seal on Kabuto or at least on Sai when I had the chance. I messed this up big time. Clenching my fist in frustration, I felt the weight of my mistake.
"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sakura asked, noticing my clenched fist.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's keep moving," I replied, pushing the frustration aside.
"Yeah, it's just... I could have caught them both, but I got distracted," I admitted.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You did great. You surprised me, and even Orochimaru was taken aback by your strength. That's why he ran," Yamato reassured me.
"I guess," I said, trying to shake off the disappointment. "But I really want to take them down," I thought to myself, the determination burning in my eyes.
[A.N: Hey everyone!
So, I Wrote this up in about 24 minutes—what do you think? Is it good? I know it's a bit shorter than the last chapters, but I promise the next one will be way longer! Just hang tight!
Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]
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