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Orochimaru withdrew his blade, showing no intention of continuing his attack.
Naruto took two steps back. The wound on his abdomen was already steaming with white vapor, gradually healing.
Inside the seal's space, the Nine-Tails slowly seeped chakra out of its prison to help repair Naruto's body.
After all these years of freeloading, it's about time I gave something back. Otherwise, people might say the old man has poor parenting skills.
[Yeah, exactly.] The Nine-Tails thought smugly.
"Thanks, you big fox," Naruto muttered. He could recover from this injury on his own, but with the Nine-Tails' assistance, the process was much faster than usual.
"Tch." The fox continued munching on skewers, ignoring him completely.
Outside
Naruto pulled out a brick, ready to give himself a boost of confidence. He'd heard that bricks were among the most powerful weapons—though in truth, he knew it wouldn't make much difference. His attacks barely landed, and even when they did, Orochimaru would regenerate like a snake. In the world of Naruto, Orochimaru was practically immortal—at least as far as Naruto knew, there wasn't a way to kill him.
Naruto charged forward, swinging the brick at Orochimaru's face. If you're going to hit someone with a brick, you might as well aim for the face—it's not like holding back makes any sense here.
Orochimaru snatched the brick out of Naruto's hand and smacked him in the face with it. He didn't know why he felt compelled to slap Naruto's face—he just went with what felt natural.
Then, using Kusanagi, he slashed Naruto's arm.
Unbothered by the injury, Naruto pulled out another brick and kept going.
After several exchanges, Naruto realized something was off about this fight. It felt... incomplete.
He paused to think about it and soon realized what was missing: BGM. How could this be considered a proper battle without background music?
Closing his eyes, he silently recalled songs he'd heard before. One stood out vividly.
The Phoenix.
An overused track, sure, but it was iconic for a reason—it was absolutely electrifying. Countless battle videos had featured it.
As he replayed the melody and lyrics in his mind, Orochimaru sneered, seeing Naruto close his eyes.
"Oh? Giving up, brat?"
Put on your armor
Naruto opened his eyes, and his entire demeanor changed.
There was an inexplicable power to this song. He still remembered how it once fueled his ridiculous decision to charge into enemy territory and take down foes single-handedly.
Brick in hand, he pressed forward.
In my BGM, nobody can defeat me.
"You're quite impressive, kid," Orochimaru complimented him. He could feel Naruto charging harder now, with an unyielding determination that earned his admiration.
"Thanks." Despite the interruption to his mental playback, Naruto mumbled his gratitude through gritted teeth. Acknowledging praise was a virtue instilled in him—even during life-or-death battles, manners mattered.
With the song playing in his head, the fight continued. After all, recalling memories mid-battle was practically canon in the Naruto universe.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
...
Naruto was pummeled repeatedly, sent flying in various directions, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain. His clothes were torn to shreds, blood soaking the ground. This scene, more fitting for a battlefield, unfolded between only two combatants.
Naruto lost count of how much blood he'd spilled. He figured his complexion must look worse than Sasuke's after that one time he suffered severe blood loss.
"What force drives such a weakling to keep attacking me, Naruto-kun?!" Orochimaru shouted, genuinely intrigued. He had come to respect this boy—a fighter who never backed down, no matter how dire the odds. Each injury, each near-fatal bleed-out only fueled his resolve. Not once had Naruto retreated; even death itself seemed secondary to pressing forward. This source of strength fascinated Orochimaru more than studying Naruto's physical capabilities.
If only Naruto knew—the secret lay in the phrase 'Charge!' inspired by countless viewings of Sword of Valor.
Picking up the brick he'd dropped earlier, Naruto resumed his assault, the BGM still blazing in his mind.
Orochimaru dodged Naruto's strike, drawing Kusanagi and plunging it straight through Naruto's heart. The blade pierced clean through, dripping blood from its tip. "And now? Do you still have the strength to continue?"
With his heart impaled, Naruto staggered backward, collapsing onto the ground. Shaking his head to clear the haze, he rose to his feet again, leaving the sword embedded in his chest—it wasn't lethal enough to kill him immediately.
The BGM played on.
I wish to bear the cross, pray silently, and die on the battlefield
Naruto grabbed a barrel of alcohol and hurled it toward Orochimaru with great effort.
Orochimaru casually deflected it, sending the barrel crashing into a nearby fire. An explosion lit up the area, casting flickering shadows across the battlefield.
This kid—I'll take him under my wing! Someone who keeps attacking despite having their heart pierced is rare. Such unwavering resolve usually belongs to soldiers on the brink of death, choosing to take their enemies down with them. But Orochimaru saw no despair in Naruto's eyes—only relentless determination.
Forming seals with both hands, Orochimaru prepared to bestow the Cursed Seal upon Naruto.
Silver clouds with grey linings
Naruto smirked, dragging himself forward.
"Hmm?" Orochimaru noticed Naruto's smile and sensed something amiss. Turning sharply, he spotted a shadow clone wielding a brick, smashing it squarely into his face. The impact sent Orochimaru stumbling back several steps. Meanwhile, Naruto's main body lunged forward, delivering a crushing blow to the back of Orochimaru's head.
The shadow clone had been hidden since earlier, concealed during the distraction caused by the exploding barrel. Its sudden appearance caught Orochimaru off guard, allowing it to deliver the devastating strike.
"Stop!" Anko shouted, finally arriving at the scene. She'd been so stunned earlier that she forgot to intervene.
Under the fiery glow of the explosion, the crimson-stained battlefield revealed a blood-soaked youth, a sword lodged in his chest, using a shadow clone to smash a brick into her master's face—and then bashing the back of his head with the real thing.
Her worldview shattered. That was Orochimaru—the cold-blooded genius—who'd just been humiliated by a mere genin armed with a brick?
Looking at the Kusanagi piercing Naruto's chest—right where his heart should be—she couldn't help but recall Kakashi's words: "They are my strongest subordinates."
He'll definitely become a formidable warrior someday—I'd bet my weight on it!
Young and self-conscious about her figure, Anko hesitated briefly before noticing Sasuke lying unconscious in Sakura's arms, the cursed seal spreading across his neck. Confusion set in once more.
If your target is Uchiha Sasuke, why waste time fighting the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? Aren't you afraid of awakening something strange?
Naruto gazed at Orochimaru's stolen face, now battered by bricks, revealing the pale visage beneath. He grinned.
Orochimaru reached up to touch his ruined face, chuckling softly. His laughter echoed around them. "Heh... Naruto-kun, I'm starting to admire you more and more."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Orochimaru stepped forward, preparing to imprint the cursed seal onto Naruto.
Completely disregarding Anko's presence, Orochimaru viewed her as nothing more than a pawn in his game.
Inside the Seal's Space
The Nine-Tails looked at Naruto, battered and bruised, struggling to stay upright due to exhaustion. It mocked him mercilessly. "You're pathetically weak, brat."
Naruto rolled his eyes. Even now, the damn fox couldn't resist taunting him. Wasn't it supposed to be helping?
Something felt off.
Before Naruto could react, a massive tail lashed out, sending him flying into the wall. He slumped unconscious.
A chakra-infused hand grabbed Naruto and tossed him into a pool of cola.
"It's my turn now!"