Chapter 63: Maruko Series Gaia Energy Cannon

Chapter 63: Maruko Series Gaia Energy Cannon

“Izayoi!!”

At the sudden appearance of Izayoi, both Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki’s faces lit up with wild relief, as if spotting a savior in their darkest hour.

Sasuke especially felt an inexplicable sense of security wash over him.

“Didn’t expect you two to get this unlucky—getting targeted by this guy,” Izayoi said, grabbing both boys by their collars and yanking them out of the swamp before tossing them back onto solid ground.

Sasuke zeroed in on the critical detail immediately. “Izayoi, do you know who this guy is?”

“I didn’t before. But sensing his chakra, it’s definitely not something a mere genin could possess.”

Izayoi watched as Orochimaru’s head snapped back to its normal shape, his body slowly rising. “Now that he’s revealed himself, it’s obvious. He’s one of the Legendary Sannin—and a notorious S-Rank missing-nin from the Hidden Leaf… Orochimaru.”

“Him?!” Sasuke’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “A historical figure like him? Why’s he here?!”

“Dunno. But he’s clearly after something you two have.”

“Is it my Sharingan?” Sasuke caught on instantly, his expression darkening. “Izayoi, what’s the plan? Fight or run?”

“Escaping from someone this strong won’t be easy,” Izayoi replied. “Our only option is to stall until backup arrives. Still got fight left in you?”

Sasuke smirked. “Of course.”

“Don’t forget about me! I’m not done yet either!” Naruto interjected, puffing his chest out.

Izayoi grinned. “Then let’s see how this ‘legendary’ ninja really stacks up!”

Orochimaru, meanwhile, studied Izayoi with a smirk. “Unexpected… another prodigy in this generation, aside from the Uchiha brat and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. The Hidden Leaf truly is a cradle of talent.”

“But I’ve no time for childish games,” Orochimaru hissed, vanishing in a blur of Snake Body Flicker toward the trio.

As Izayoi predicted, Orochimaru was racing against time—needing to implant the Cursed Seal on Sasuke before reinforcements arrived. Yet he underestimated the new generation.

The moment he lunged, Izayoi vanished.

Reappearing in front of Orochimaru, Izayoi struck with a kunai crackling with electricity, aiming for his head. Orochimaru’s eyes narrowed—familiar with the technique, but stunned by its speed.

Orochimaru spat out a blade, extending it to pierce Izayoi’s neck. But as the kunai shattered, Izayoi disappeared again.

Sasuke leapt into the air, exhaling a stream of fire that erupted into a massive dragon.

“Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!”

Sasuke’s chakra reserves, vastly improved under Izayoi’s training, made this jutsu his preferred choice over the Great Fireball.

Orochimaru stood his ground as the fire dragon engulfed him, his body liquefying into mud.

“Earth Replacement!” Sasuke realized mid-air, landing with his Sharingan spinning wildly, scanning the ground for ambushes.

A colossal snake erupted from behind a fallen tree, jaws wide to swallow Sasuke whole. But Sasuke vanished, reappearing beneath it, slamming his foot into its head to snap its jaws shut.

Then, the snake’s belly split open, releasing a swarm of snakes.

“Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hands!”

Caught mid-movement after his Leaf Whirlwind, Sasuke braced as the snakes lunged—only for razor-sharp wind blades to slice through them.

“Wind Release.” Izayoi’s voice cut through the chaos, his Gale Palm technique cleaving the serpents apart.

Orochimaru’s scowl deepened at Izayoi’s interference. But before he could retaliate, Izayoi pivoted, exhaling a torrent of flames at Orochimaru mid-emergence.

“Aaargh!” Orochimaru screamed as fire engulfed him.

Izayoi leapt skyward, summoning a swirling blue energy sphere between his palms.

“Sasuke, move!”

Sasuke vanished with Body Flicker, reappearing beside a stunned Naruto.

“Gaia Energy Cannon!”

The sphere erupted into a blazing fireball, hurling downward.

The explosion shook half the Forest of Death, a colossal fire tornado spiraling skyward.

“Such devastating Fire Release! Combined with Wind?!”

Even veteran jōnin, witnessing the spectacle, paled.

“First a wide-range Wind Release, then a fire attack of this scale… Could someone actually be fighting Orochimaru?”

The implications left them reeling. If true, this Chūnin Exam had birthed a monster.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end