Naruto: The Clanless Prince

Time flew by.

More than eight months had passed since Sora began Orochimaru's new training plan.

Now 13 years old, Sora stood on the coastline of the Land of Fire, the salty breeze from the ocean whipping through his hair. Orochimaru had assigned him a C-rank mission: to eliminate a group of pirates that had landed on the Land of Fire's shores.

Scattered across the sand around Sora were countless headless corpses—remnants of the pirates who had dared to invade.

However, what caught Sora's attention was the presence of ninjas among the pirates.

This was unexpected. A C-rank mission shouldn't involve enemy shinobi.

Three individuals were standing a short distance away. Their demeanour and the way they used ninjutsu made it clear—they were not ordinary pirates. These were ninjas from a hidden village, likely disguising themselves among the pirates to infiltrate the Land of Fire.

As Sora observed them, he pieced together the situation. These shinobi had likely been hiding among the pirates, using them as cover to cross the border undetected.

The three enemy ninjas stood tensely, their eyes locked on Sora. Their expressions betrayed their unease. In mere moments, the boy in front of them had slaughtered every pirate, leaving them the only ones standing. If they hadn't stayed on the outskirts of the group and tried to interfere with Sora from a distance, they might have been among the corpses.

The leader of the three glanced at his comrades and muttered, "Retreat."

Realizing they were no match for the young shinobi, the trio began to back away.

But Sora smirked, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. "I can't let you run. I'll take you down and collect the credit!"

Drawing his sword, Sora muttered, "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"

A crackling sound of thunder tore through the air. Sora's body blurred into a streak of lightning, charging toward the closest ninja at incredible speed.

With a single, precise strike, his blade connected with the enemy. Though he used the back of the blade, the force was devastating. The sound of breaking bone echoed as the ninja screamed in pain and collapsed, their body crumpling to the ground like a broken doll.

Sora had fractured their spine with just the blunt edge of his sword.

Without pausing, Sora formed a series of hand seals, his movements swift and precise. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he prepared to unleash his next attack.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!"

Sora exhaled, spitting out four fire dragons that roared toward the second ninja from all directions—above, below, left, and right.

The targeted ninja's eyes widened in panic. Quickly forming his own seals, he slammed his palms against the ground.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

Chakra surged through his hands and into the earth, and a towering wall of water erupted upward in an attempt to shield him from the blazing assault.

The Water Wall successfully blocked the fire dragons attacking from above and below, but it failed to defend against the two coming from the left and right.

As the fire dragons made contact, they detonated in a violent explosion. The ninja caught in the blast was flung through the air, his body charred from the intense flames, before crashing lifelessly to the ground.

Sora turned his gaze to the final ninja, who had already started to flee. The man had gained some distance, but not enough to escape Sora's reach.

Pointing his tachi at the fleeing enemy, lightning crackled around the blade, roaring with destructive energy.

"Thunder Breathing, Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!"

With a sharp swing, Sora unleashed a high-temperature, lightning-infused slash that tore through the air like a thunderbolt. The strike moved so quickly that it reached the fleeing ninja in an instant.

The ninja let out a strangled cry as the attack struck him. His hair stood on end, his body convulsed violently, and white smoke rose from his scorched form. Before the electricity could finish him off, Sora ceased the technique, ensuring the man was incapacitated but alive.

In mere moments, Sora had neutralized all three enemy ninjas, leaving them with no chance to retaliate.

He gathered the unconscious bodies of the three ninjas, laying them together on the ground. Then, forming a quick series of hand seals, he pressed his palm to the earth.

"Summoning Technique!"

With a burst of smoke, a massive white snake appeared before him. Its cold, slitted eyes fixed on Sora, and it greeted him with a detached tone. "Lord Sora."

Sora gestured to the unconscious ninjas. "White Snake, swallow them. I need them stored temporarily in your body."

The white snake's demeanour immediately shifted, becoming overly enthusiastic. Its long body coiled around Sora, and it spoke with a gushing tone. "Ah, Lord Sora, you're so thoughtful! You know I'm always hungry, and you bring me food! I love you to death~"

Sora rolled his eyes at the snake's dramatic change in attitude. 'Of course, it's all about food for this one,' he thought dryly.

As the white snake opened its mouth to devour the ninjas, Sora interjected sharply, "They're not food. I still need them for something. You can eat the other corpses lying around, but not these three."

The snake froze, its mood instantly souring. "What? They're not food? Are you wasting my feelings, Master Sora? These bodies are useless to eat now!"

Annoyed, Sora grabbed the snake by its neck. "Stop being so picky. Do it, or I'll summon another snake from Ryūchi Cave. They're full of replacements."

The white snake hissed in irritation but relented. "Fine, fine! Can't I even grumble a little? Summoning me and exploiting me like this..."

Muttering complaints under its breath, the snake turned to the surrounding corpses of the pirates. One by one, the bodies disappeared into its gaping maw at a speed visible to the naked eye. Sora watched in mild surprise as the snake's stomach showed no signs of swelling, no matter how much it consumed.

When the snake finished the pirates, it returned to the three ninjas.

Sora reminded it again, "Don't eat them. Just store them temporarily."

The snake flicked its tongue toward him in annoyance. "Master Sora, I have professional ethics, you know!"

Opening its mouth wide, the white snake swallowed the three ninjas one by one. This time, its belly swelled noticeably.

Curious, Sora asked, "Why didn't your stomach swell earlier when you ate the other corpses?"

The snake replied nonchalantly, "My gastric juices corrode flesh instantly. Those bodies were digested as soon as they entered my stomach. These three, on the other hand, are in a part of my body without gastric juices. Don't worry—they'll remain intact."

Realizing the logic, Sora nodded. "I see. Alright, I'll summon you later when I need them."

With a puff of smoke, the white snake disappeared, returning to Ryūchi Cave.

After tidying up the battlefield, Sora set off for Konoha.

Over the past eight months, Orochimaru had consistently assigned Sora C-rank missions, one nearly every month. If not for his Genin rank, Orochimaru might have given him B-rank missions instead.

These months of relentless training and combat had transformed Sora's strength.

Building on his prior mastery of lightning-based chakra form and Nature Transformation, Sora successfully applied the same principles to fire-based chakra. He had mastered the Uchiha clan's Fire Release ninjutsu, fully grasped the Summoning Technique, and even learned several of Orochimaru's secret techniques.

Moreover, through rigorous training and battles, Sora's Sharingan evolved into the Two Tomoe Sharingan, greatly enhancing his visual prowess and combat ability.

But the most remarkable change was his chakra reserves. Thanks to his Senju clan lineage, Sora's chakra had grown significantly. Now, his chakra capacity rivalled that of Kakashi while using his Sharingan—a level comparable to that of a high-level special Jōnin.

Sora understood this growth was a gift of his heritage. 'The Senju bloodline is incredible. My chakra reserves are growing steadily, and it feels like there's still room for improvement.'

With his newfound power and confidence, Sora pressed forward, ready for the next challenge that awaited him in Konoha.

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