My Techniques are a bit off

[Next up, the second round begins.]

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

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

Of course, Orochimaru still had the terrifying arsenal of the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and other no-hand-sign techniques. 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, placing unwavering trust in Link. He had staked his life to create this opportunity.

Link felt his temples throb as he glanced at Ensui, now barely clinging to life.

If he left his mentor unattended, there was a real chance Ensui 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, focusing entirely on the battle.

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

Suddenly, a hooded figure landed beside Orochimaru.

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

The hooded figure was none other than Kabuto Yakushi, a trusted subordinate.

He noted the 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 chūnin.

How amusing.

Orochimaru's face darkened as Kabuto taunted him. "Kabuto, handle them. Leave the shadow to me."

Kabuto removed his hood, revealing his calm and collected face. "Unfortunately, Lord Orochimaru, Konoha's reinforcements have arrived."

"Thud!"

A blur of green landed between the Konoha trio and their adversaries. It was none other than Konoha's Proud Green Beast, Might Guy.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

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

The sight of Guy, clad in his iconic green jumpsuit and vest, instantly eased Link's mind.

With this man here, even Orochimaru didn't stand a chance.

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 working on stabilizing Ensui's injuries.

[Don't die, Ensui-sensei.]

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

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

Meanwhile, Orochimaru glanced at the incoming reinforcements. Seeing the resolute stance of Might Guy and the protective formation around Link, a strange smile crept onto his face.

"Link-kun, I'll come for you again..."

With those words, Orochimaru turned to Kabuto. "Let's go."

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

"The enemy has retreated," Hyūga Neji confirmed, deactivating his Byakugan after scanning 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 Extraction Technique.

Pressing his hands firmly on Ensui's wounds, Link felt 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 command to be transferred to another host.

When the technique finished, Ensui's condition stabilized slightly. He was no longer on the brink of death.

[Please, don't let the next time we meet be through a summoning ritual...]

Exhausted beyond his limits, Link collapsed, his body unable to endure any longer.

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

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

Hyūga Neji, unable to watch his clueless teacher embarrass himself, corrected him. "The unconscious one is Link."

Guy paused, scratching his head. Then, noticing Ensui's condition, his tone grew serious.

"Ensui doesn't look good. We'll need to 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-clad shinobi... is dangerous. Do not act rashly."

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

[That boy named Link… is dangerous.]

Baki couldn't shake the image of Orochimaru retreating.

The infamous Sannin had been forced to flee, his plans disrupted by a single chūnin's bizarre sealing technique.

"Can Orochimaru overcome that seal?"

"And if he can't... what happens to the Konoha Crush Plan if that boy steps in?"

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

[Konoha Crush Plan...]

~~~

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