Naruto : Gamer System-Chapter 45 : Forest of Death

Haruto took Sasuke and Naruto carefully through the jungle. Although most candidates likely wouldn't dare to provoke them, those who did would definitely not be ordinary. Caution was necessary.

Suddenly, Naruto's expression changed and he stopped.

Haruto and Sasuke asked nervously at the same time: "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto replied with a sheepish grin: "I have to go to the bathroom."

Haruto and Sasuke shouted in exasperation: "Naruto! Can you not be so dramatic?!"

Naruto smiled, turned around, and began unbuckling his belt. Just then, a strong gust of wind blew through—Naruto was knocked flat to the ground.

"Ahhh!" he cried.

Ignoring Naruto's miserable state, Haruto and Sasuke tensed up immediately. As the dust settled, a tall woman stepped forward slowly.

Haruto muttered sarcastically: "Why does everyone have to make such a dramatic entrance? Do you die if you don't show off?"

The woman—Orochimaru in disguise—smiled wickedly, exuding oppressive Kage-level chakra.

Feeling the pressure from the opposite side, Sasuke broke into a cold sweat. "So strong..." he thought. "Even stronger than Haruto's aura..."

Sasuke's eyes darted around, but he didn't see anyone else.

Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Don't bother looking, Sasuke. He came alone."

Sasuke calmed slightly. At least their side still had a numbers advantage, and their team was one of the strongest.

Naruto struggled up and shouted angrily: "That was a cheap shot! Attacking someone mid-pee?! I won't forgive you!"

Then he charged straight ahead.

"Naruto, get back!"

"Naruto, watch out!"Haruto and Sasuke shouted simultaneously.

Orochimaru chuckled: "Interesting child."

He raised his hand and muttered: "Genjutsu: Killing Intent."

Suddenly, all three were struck with vivid hallucinations—each of them seeing themselves being killed.

Even Haruto froze for a second. Sasuke was rooted to the spot, unable to move.Naruto stood paralyzed, completely stunned.

"Summoning Jutsu: Multiple Serpent Chaos!"

Orochimaru unleashed his signature summoning—several enormous serpents erupted from the ground, charging toward the trio.

Naruto, still stunned from the genjutsu, was immediately swallowed by one of the snakes before he could even react.

"Damn it!" Sasuke didn't hesitate and rushed forward. Haruto followed at the same time.

Haruto and Sasuke exchanged glances—without speaking, both pulled out oversized shuriken-like darts.

"Ninjutsu: Windmill Blade Control!"

Each dart had a long steel wire trailing from its tail. As they flew through the air, the wires wrapped tightly around the giant snakes, binding them together in a thick, metallic web.

"Ninjutsu: Black Oil Technique!" – Haruto

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique" – Sasuke

Haruto's black oil coursed along the wires, soaking the serpents, and then Sasuke's flames ignited the path. The giant snakes were quickly engulfed in fire—burning flesh sizzled in the air as they writhed and collapsed, incapacitated.

As the fire died down, Haruto and Sasuke turned their gaze to Orochimaru. With a nod, Sasuke broke formation to rescue Naruto, while Haruto remained locked on their enemy.

Just as Sasuke approached the downed serpent—

"Boom!"The snake's belly bulged—and then burst apart. A scorched but intact Naruto emerged with a shout:

"Ahhh—! That was suffocating!"

Sasuke sighed in relief, but quickly scolded: "Idiot. You're always the one lagging behind."

But this time, Naruto didn't argue.

He fell silent for a moment, then tied his forehead protector firmly, tightened his grip on his kunai, and stared at Orochimaru with fierce determination.

"I won't. Not anymore, Sasuke, I'll make an opening for you." His voice was unwavering.

Sasuke blinked, a little surprised—then, slowly smirked: "You better not be bluffing."

Haruto stepped forward beside them. Chakra gathered around his blade, and as more surged into it, Murasame began to glow—white light radiating from its edge.

"Let's do this. Three-man formation."

The trio charged forward.

Naruto took the front. Haruto and Sasuke flanked him in a perfect triangle.

Orochimaru chuckled darkly: "This so-called teamwork of yours... is riddled with flaws."

"Really? Then come try it!" Naruto roared with determination.

"Summoning Jutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru once again summoned—a massive serpent burst from the his hand, lunging straight toward the trio.

It was undeniable—Orochimaru's summoning jutsu was versatile: low chakra cost, powerful, and fast in response. It was indeed a deadly arsenal.

"Earth Style : Earth Wall" A thick wall of earth rose up in front of them, blocking the serpent's charge.

"Summoning Jutsu : Formation of Ten Thousand Snake!" From his mouth, a swarm of venomous snakes fell.

"Fire Style : Great Fireball Jutsu"Sasuke inhaled and spat out a large fireball. Dozens of snakes were incinerated mid-air, but the survivors hissed as they spat venomous sprays at the group.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto summoned over a dozen clones, each intercepting a different venom stream, shielding the group while absorbing the damage.

Watching the team's seamless coordination, Orochimaru's smirk deepened, no longer looking amused—but intrigued. "Fascinating... you're making this more and more entertaining."

As the three advanced, Orochimaru's eyes flicked to Murasame glowing faintly in Haruto's hand.

"White Fang's sword... brings back memories. Show me, Haruto—show me what the heir of White Fang can do." With a vile grin, Orochimaru opened his mouth unnaturally wide—and drew the Kusanagi sword from his throat.

A moment later, steel clashed against steel.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The battle broke out fiercely.

"Ninjutsu: Windmill Blade Control!"

Sasuke's kunai, controlled with ninja wire, spun from all directions, probing for weaknesses in Orochimaru's guard.

"Naruto Barrage!"Naruto's shadow clones formed a tight formation, attacking and defending in perfect rhythm, rotating positions mid-battle.

"Lightning —Body Flicker—Burst!"Haruto struck relentlessly, weaving through Orochimaru's defense with Murasame, mixing fast sword strikes, feints, and bursts of chakra-augmented speed.

The three worked like clockwork—whenever one was under pressure, another intervened.When Orochimaru struck at Sasuke, Naruto deflected. When Naruto exposed himself mid-attack, Haruto covered. When Haruto stepped in with a decisive slash, Sasuke's kunai sealed escape paths.

But—Orochimaru was a monster.

A true Kage-level shinobi, no obvious weaknesses, no wasted movement.

Even with his weak resistance to genjutsu—relative only when compared to monsters like Itachi—he remained untouchable in this domain.

And in Taijutsu, his body—modified through countless forbidden techniques—moved like a serpent incarnate. His flexible limbs, unnatural reflexes, and the impossibly sharp Kusanagi blade parried or avoided every strike, holding off the three-man assault.

The battle was just beginning—and it was clear: Even with teamwork, they were facing a monster far beyond their level.

As Haruto, Naruto, and Sasuke blocked another of Orochimaru's unpredictable strikes, a sudden movement caught them off guard—

Swoosh!

Orochimaru's arm stretched unnaturally, twisting midair as the Kusanagi blade flashed past. A thin red line appeared across Haruto's shoulder—he'd been cut.

"Damn it," Haruto muttered, clutching the wound.

In the flurry of battle, Naruto and Sasuke were also struck with shallow cuts. Though Orochimaru had taken hits too, breathing more heavily now, he didn't seem fazed.

Then—

Guuuuhhhhhk—!

Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, wider than any human should be able to.

From the gaping mouth, a whole figure emerged, climbing out like a snake shedding its skin.A moment later, a completely unharmed Orochimaru stood before them—reborn.

Naruto's jaw dropped in horror. "That's disgusting! What kind of jutsu is that?!"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly, voice laced with madness: "You can think of it... as a technique that allows me to recover from any injury instantly. What do you think? Feeling hopeless yet?"

"Whatever your creepy techniques are, we'll still beat you!" Naruto growled, summoning more shadow clones and rushing forward.

But Orochimaru no longer seemed interested in a brawl. With a flick of his wrist, he shattered Naruto's clones effortlessly, then glanced at the trio coldly: "If this is all you have... then this battle is meaningless."

He formed a quick hand seal."Summoning Jutsu." – Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

Snakes burst from his sleeves, forcing the three to jump back under the sudden pressure.

Then Orochimaru's chakra surged again.

"Summoning Jutsu : Formation of Ten Thousand Snake."

From beneath the forest floor, from tree trunks, from shadows—all around them—countless snakes erupted, forming a living tsunami of fangs and scales.

The ground trembled. The trees cracked under the mass. The trio's scalps tingled. There were too many. Even large-scale ninjutsu wouldn't be able to wipe them out in time.

Sasuke gritted his teeth.Naruto's fists clenched.Haruto's hand tightened around Murasame.

They were outnumbered, Outmatched, But not broken—not yet.