Travis called out to Yamato, who was focused on extracting the Nine Tails' chakra. As the air pulsed with the raw power being drawn from Naruto, Travis stepped forward, his gaze fixated on Orochimaru. The air around them seemed to shift as the two titans stood across from one another.

  " Ohh, who might you be?" Orochimaru hissed, a smirk curling on his lips, his tongue flicking out like a snake ready to strike. His eyes gleamed with interest as he took in Travis's calm demeanor, sensing the aura of a dangerous adversary before him.

  " I'm Travis," he replied nonchantly, his voice smooth like silk. " Why don't we skip the formalities and simply get to the fight?"

  In the blink of an eye, a blue saber materialized in Travis's hand. The air seemed to hum as the bde gleamed in the light, and with a fluid motion, he spun it around, the weapon cutting through the air in a vortex of wind. Dust and debris flew in every direction as the surrounding forest was momentarily cleared, revealing a now pristine battlefield.

  As Travis twirled his weapon, he observed his opponent, sizing him up. 'Hmm, he seems interesting. He took down Naruto-kun without much effort, but there's something off about him. Why haven't I heard of him before? He must be strong.'

  Orochimaru didn't flinch. His grin remained wide, as if anticipating the challenge. He pulled out a pair of kunai, gripping them tightly in preparation for the battle.

  In the next instant, the world seemed to distort around them. Orochimaru blinked, and within that millisecond, Travis was already there, standing directly in front of him.

  Woooooosh

  The sound of Travis's movement cut through the air like a bde itself. Orochimaru's eyes widened in momentary shock, but his reflexes kicked in immediately. He attempted to block with his kunai, but the blue saber came crashing down with such ferocity that the heat radiating from the bde scorched the air around them. The kunai was no match for the intensity of the attack, and the bde sliced clean through it like butter. Orochimaru's arms burned from the heat, and he instinctively leapt back to avoid the full brunt of the strike.

  But Travis wasn't done. In a fluid, near imperceptible motion, he turned mid-air, his body a blur, and unched himself toward Orochimaru once again. His foot connected with Orochimaru's face in an explosion of power.

  Pow

  The force of the kick sent Orochimaru flying backward, his body crashing through the forest like a ragdoll. Trees cracked and splintered, massive boulders shattered into pieces, and the very earth seemed to shudder under the brutal force of the impact. The sound of his collision with the ground echoed, a final thundering boom as the forest was torn apart by the collision.

  The aftermath was deafening, the forest now disheveled and scarred. For a moment, there was a stillness, broken only by the crackling of dispced energy and the distant cries of disturbed wildlife. Orochimaru slowly picked himself up, his face contorted in pain, yet there was no sign of retreat in his eyes. Despite his battered state, he was far from finished.

  As he rose, he shed his skin, allowing his serpentine form to take over in preparation for his next move. But before he could react further, Travis was already upon him again, his presence completely masked in the haze of battle. A silent predator, Travis moved with the precision of a hunter.

  In a quick and savage sequence, Travis sshed through Orochimaru's arm with the bde, a clean and surgical strike that severed the limb in a single motion. The sound of the bde tearing through flesh was unmistakable, followed by Orochimaru's shriek of pain as his arm fell to the ground, blood spilling freely.

  Splurt

  Orochimaru staggered, disoriented by the sudden onsught. Before he could process the pain, Travis's fist collided with his face, the punch so forceful that it rattled his skull. Blood spttered across the dirt as Orochimaru's form wavered, his body reeling from the brutal blow.

  In that fleeting moment, Travis seized his chance. He grabbed Orochimaru's head with both hands, smming his face into the ground with a violent sm.

  Boooom

  The ground trembled as Orochimaru's body hit the earth with earth-shattering force. Rocks cracked, and the entire area seemed to ripple with the energy of their csh. The destruction that followed was absolute—trees snapped, the earth buckled, and the air was thick with the scent of blood and earth.

  Orochimaru's scream echoed, a raw, agonizing sound that reverberated through the battlefield, yet even as his body was battered and broken, his gaze burned with fury. He gred at Travis with hatred, unwilling to show any sign of weakness.

  Travis, however, only ughed. A cold, mocking sound that seemed to mock Orochimaru's very existence.

  "Ahhhhh!!!" Orochimaru screamed again, his voice filled with seething rage, but it only fueled Travis's amusement.

  With a casual flick of his foot, Travis pressed it down onto Orochimaru's chest, his full weight crashing down on him.

  Booom

  The force of the impact rattled the ground beneath them, and Orochimaru let out a guttural scream, the air thick with his agony. Travis stood over him, his foot pressing down with merciless pressure.

  "You know, I'm not really fond of conflict," Travis mused aloud, his tone oddly calm. "I try to avoid it, actually. But once it starts, I can't stop. And you're so weak that I'm getting bored. I'm really hoping the other Akatsuki members will be more interesting to fight."

  He paused, a smirk crossing his face. "Farewell, Orochimaru. Let's hope we never cross paths again."

  Bam

  Travis spun on his heel and walked away, the sound of his footsteps the only thing that marked his departure. Orochimaru y there, struggling to even breathe under the weight of the defeat. His body burned, the wounds searing, and yet he remained on the ground, seething with hatred and frustration.

  'That... that was fun. I could wait for him to get up, but honestly, it's not worth it. Then again no one in this whole verse is as strong or even a percentage close to my strength' Travis thought, a faint smile pying on his lips as he disappeared into the distance.

  Travis turned around and began walking back, leaving Orochimaru behind in the smoldering crater that had been carved into the earth by his own defeat. The air around him was thick with the scent of destruction, the surrounding forest torn to pieces. As he neared the camp where Naruto and the others waited, the weight of the battle lingered in the air, but Travis didn't let it affect him. His stride was steady, the same confidence in his steps as always.

  Yamato watched him approach, his expression guarded, though there was an edge of suspicion in his eyes. He knew Travis was strong, but something about how effortlessly the fight had ended made him uneasy. However, there was nothing he could do about it now.

  "Did you kill him?" Yamato asked, his voice steady, yet holding a tinge of wariness.

  "Nope, he escaped unfortunately," Travis replied with a casual shrug, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. "Is Naruto alright?"

  "Yeah, but where is Sakura, by the way?" Yamato asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Oh, I almost forgot," Travis said, sounding genuinely surprised. He turned around and walked off, leaving Yamato and the others for a moment.

  He quickly found Sakura, who had finally woken up, much to his relief. She was still a little groggy, but alert enough to understand the urgency. With a tired smile, she got to work healing Naruto. Despite his injuries, Naruto was stable, and Sakura's medical skills were unparalleled in getting him back on his feet.

  Travis, however, had no intention of healing Naruto himself. He didn't want to make things too easy. The fight had already been enough of a spectacle, and healing him right away would just make the story boring. So, instead, he conjured a chair, made it comfortable, and sat down to wait, observing the surroundings with detached interest.

  "Where's Sai?" Sakura asked, her voice still a bit weary but ced with curiosity.

  "He ditched us," Travis said with a shrug. "I guess Danzo had a reason for assigning him to our team."

  "Oh," Sakura murmured. "Did we lose all trace of Orochimaru?"

  "Nah," Travis said, his tone reassuring. "I know where they went. So calm down, we'll see Sasuke soon enough."

  Sakura looked at him, still wary, but nodded slowly. "If you say so. I'll have to trust you on your words."

  TO BE CONTINUED