[ up, the sed round begins.]

  After a brief moment of etion, Link resumed f hand seals, activating both Shadow e Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu. Nearby, Orochimaru's shadow also slithered back, coiling on the ground, searg for an opening to attack.

  No matter how strong Orochimaru was at full power—his mastery of ninjutsu asu—none of that mattered now. Without the ability to form hand seals, he was forced onto the same pying field as the shadow.

  Of course, Orochimaru still had the terrifying arsenal of the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and other no-hand-sign teiques. It was bound to be a brutal fight.

  But at least there was hope now.

  This glimmer of victory came at a cost: Nara Ensui, the seasoned jōnin, had willingly sacrificed himself, pg unwavering trust in Link. He had staked his life to create this opportunity.

  Li his temples throb as he g Ensui, now barely ging to life.

  If he left his mentor unattehere was a real sui wouldn’t survive until the battle was over.

  "Step."

  Two weary figures—Iris and Ami—stepped in front of Link.

  Just like always.

  [But they’re just shields… Just shields.]

  Link shoved his emotions aside, fog entirely otle.

  Some burdens were simply too heavy for him to bear right now.

  Suddenly, a hooded figure nded beside Orochimaru.

  With a lighthearted tone, he said, “Lord Orochimaru, you look rather battered.”

  The hooded figure was her than Kabuto Yakushi, a trusted subordinate.

  He he state Orochimaru was in: chakra reserves running low, both hands sealed by the Five Elements Seal, and now even forced into a standstill by a shadow. Without his intervention, Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, might actually lose to a in.

  How amusing.

  Orochimaru’s face darkened as Kabuto taunted him. “Kabuto, hahem. Leave the shadow to me.”

  Kabuto removed his hood, revealing his calm and collected face. “Unfortunately, Lord Orochimaru, Konoha’s reinforts have arrived.”

  "Thud!"

  A blur of green nded between the Konoha trio and their adversaries. It was her than Konoha's Proud Gree, Might Guy.

  "Swish! Swish! Swish!"

  Behind him, the Team 3 of Konoha arrived in formation.

  The sight of Guy, his iic green jumpsuit a, instantly eased Link's mind.

  With this man here, even Orochimaru didn’t stand a ce.

  Feeling secure, Link turned and hurried to Ensui’s side. He quickly used chakra to staunch the bleeding before pulling out the Kusanagi Sword. Pressing both hands over the wound, he began w on stabilizing Ensui's injuries.

  [Don’t die, Ensui-sensei.]

  Despite his disdain for wasting chakra on others or f bonds, Link pushed himself beyond his limits.

  Ensui's injuries were severe—two life-threatening wounds. His shoulder was shattered, with bone fragments pierg surrounding tissue from earlier strain. His chest wound had narrowly missed the heart, yet the blood loss was immense.

  Meanwhile, Orochimaru g the ining reinforts. Seeing the resolute stanight Guy and the protective formation around Link, a strange smile crept onto his face.

  “Link-kun, I’ll e for you again...”

  With those words, Orochimaru turo Kabuto. “Let’s go.”

  Kabuto nodded, f hand seals. A cloud of white smoke erupted, and the two vanished.

  “The enemy has retreated,” Hyūga Neji firmed, deactivating his Byakugan after sing the area for lingering threats.

  [Even with this reprieve, Ensui-sensei won’t survive the trip back...]

  Link made a snap decision. Drawing upon every ounce of chakra he could muster, he activated Delicate Illness Extra Teique.

  Pressing his hands firmly on Ensui’s wounds, Li a strange sensation: an almost tangible stream of impurities flowed out of Ensui’s body and into his own hands.

  He could feel them—every fragment of damaged cells, every trace of toxins, waiting for his and to be transferred to another host.

  Wheeique finished, Ensui’s dition stabilized slightly. He was no longer on the brink of death.

  [Please, don’t let the ime we meet be through a summoning ritual...]

  Exhausted beyond his limits, Link colpsed, his body uo endure any longer.

  Ami silently took over, tinuing to heal Ensui with what little chakra she had left.

  "You must be Link," Might Guy began, gng at Iris.

  Hyūga Neji, uo watch his clueless teacher embarrass himself, corrected him. "The unscious one is Link."

  Guy paused, scratg his head. Then, notig Ensui’s dition, his tone grew serious.

  “Ensui doesn’t look good. We’ll o move faster than we came!”

  "Yes!" Lee responded with fiery determination.

  Tenten, however, looked less enthusiastic.

  Far away, atop a ridge...

  The Sunagakure siblings watched the Konoha group retreat.

  "Sensei, shouldn’t we intercept them?" Temari asked.

  Baki shook his head. “That green-cd shinobi... is dangerous. Do not act rashly.”

  Despite leading a team, Baki wasn’t fident they could take down Might Guy. Letting him escape would jeopardize the entire Konoha Crush Pn.

  [That boy named Link… is dangerous.]

  Baki couldn’t shake the image of Orochimaru retreating.

  The infamous Sannin had been forced to flee, his pns disrupted by a single in’s bizarre sealing teique.

  " Orochimaru overe that seal?"

  "And if he ’t... what happens to the Konoha Crush Pn if that boy steps in?"

  Baki let out a deep sigh, a sense of foreboding weighing heavily on him.

  [Konoha Crush Pn...]

  Bleam