"Why do you insist on doing something so dangerous again?" Tsubaki said with obvious displeasure and concern. "You haven't even fully recovered from your injuries in the Land of Waves, yet here you are causing more trouble."
"Don't worry," Mizuki explained. "No one discovered me this time—not even Orochimaru knows it was me. I ran away long before anyone could get close."
Hearing that the situation wasn't too serious, Tsubaki felt much relieved.
"Just stay away from the Forest of Death then. If you're discovered, we'll be in big trouble."
"I'm afraid that won't work," Mizuki replied. "I'm a mobile reserve for the second Chunin Exam. With something this big happening, I have to go check it out."
"With someone as dangerous as Orochimaru involved, shouldn't you call in Anbu instead?"
"Hmm, don't worry," Mizuki said. "It's getting late. Let's cook something to eat first. Later there might be an emergency mission, and then we won't have time for a meal."
Sasuke Uchiha was in a terrible mood. Just moments ago, their squad had driven off a lone ninja but failed to seize the scroll from him. Though they had defeated him through teamwork, they hadn't managed to capture him, watching helplessly as their enemy escaped right before their eyes.
"We couldn't even dominate a mere Genin!"
In the three-man squad, Sasuke Uchiha had always been the strongest by far compared to his two teammates. But recently, Naruto had begun showing extraordinary talent. His Shadow Clone Jutsu, combined with tremendous physical strength and massive chakra reserves, enabled him to overwhelm most Chunin and Genin who found it nearly impossible to handle multiple attackers at once. Naruto was steadily showing signs of becoming a true powerhouse. This filled Sasuke with mounting anxiety.
What made things worse was Sakura Haruno—once a fangirl he couldn't stand, someone who was only slightly notable for her top grades at the Ninja Academy and average chakra control. Yet her recent ability to maneuver effortlessly through layers upon layers of traps and barriers astonished even Sasuke.
As for himself, aside from activating his Sharingan, he was still relying on basic ninja academy techniques and a few fire release jutsu passed down from his family. Compared with his teammates, his progress seemed painfully minimal.
"Your alertness is completely inadequate. Truly disappointing," came a raspy, strange voice from a nearby tree trunk.
"Who's there?" Sasuke quickly stood up, going on guard.
"I was careless. All the battles today drained too much energy—I should've sensed someone getting this close." Sasuke inwardly scolded himself for spacing out earlier.
This sudden development startled both Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno, who immediately turned toward the source of the sound, staying alert.
"Uchiha Sasuke?" Orochimaru said in his eerie tone, having already removed his Sound Ninja disguise. "We meet for the first time. My name is Orochimaru, and I am here to fulfill your wishes."
Focused solely on Sasuke, Orochimaru directly began trying to tempt him, paying no attention to the other two, whom he regarded as insignificant insects.
"Wishes? Do you really expect me to believe such obvious lies?" Though intimidated by the opponent's strength, Sasuke was quite annoyed by his arrogant manner.
"Unconvinced, are we?"
"Orochimaru, a master of human psychology, remained unmoved. 'Didn't that recent battle make you realize your own weakness? Or has the peace of Konoha made you forget the hatred of your clan's massacre?'
Bringing up his most sensitive wound, Orochimaru enraged Sasuke so much that his eyes turned red. 'How would you know about that? Were those traps set by you just now?'
'Nope, not at all, Sasuke-kun,' Orochimaru replied with a condescending tone. 'It's understandable for an Uchiha orphan to lack strength due to no guidance after your whole clan was murdered. However, being toyed around like that by such a childish trap is truly disappointing.' He kept attacking Sasuke's willpower without pause. 'With such limited resolve, when will you ever manage to kill that man?'
'So you've met Itachi Uchiha?' Sasuke asked in surprise.
'Yes, truly an awe-inspiring warrior. Konoha truly is the birthplace of geniuses. You're nothing like him, though you do bear a striking resemblance.'
'Killed? Seeking revenge? Who's Itachi Uchiha? What are you even talking about?' Naruto Uzumaki, standing nearby and clueless until now, chimed in. 'By the way, was it you who launched that terrifying attack earlier?'
'No, that was the one who set the traps. I was the one ambushed from below, though I still don't know who. Just some sneaky little weasel, I assume.' Orochimaru answered.
'Huh?' The unexpected response shocked all three greatly. If someone possessing the power to launch such an attack was already considered heaven-defyingly powerful, then surviving such an overwhelming assault was something they couldn't even imagine. Moreover, Orochimaru standing before them seemed completely unscathed, showing not the slightest injury.
Seeing their disbelieving expressions, Orochimaru decided not to waste any more time—the people from Konoha should be taking action soon enough anyway.
'It seems you're completely ignorant of the truth about this world, Sasuke-kun. Allow me to personally let you experience the cruelty of ninja life. First, you must understand your own weakness and ineptitude.'
Saying this, he immediately unleashed a terrifying genjutsu laced with killing intent, instantly rendering the three young ninja immobile.
The effects of the Naraka Sight Technique combined with killing intent far beyond what Genin could endure gave the Genin their first true taste of mortal fear.
Just as Orochimaru was still observing Sasuke's reaction to decide his next move, surprisingly, Naruto Uzumaki regained mobility first.
'Hmm, what's going on?' Orochimaru himself found this situation peculiar. 'Could it really be that the strongest among you, Sasuke Uchiha, wasn't the one regaining consciousness first?'
Everyone could see beast-like markings appearing ominously on Naruto Uzumaki's face, making him look extremely eerie as his eyes displayed both fear and anger.
Naruto recovered his movement ability, rapidly forming hand seals. A dense swarm of Shadow Clones surrounded Orochimaru, and countless kunai rained down alongside the clones, swarming toward him in a furious assault.
Faced with this intensive attack, Orochimaru calmly performed a summoning technique. Suddenly, a giant serpent appeared; the kunai thrown at it bounced harmlessly off its thick scales. With a swing of the snake's tail, scores of Shadow Clones exploded into clouds of chakra smoke and vanished in an instant. Naruto's most reliable technique was utterly useless against such overwhelming power.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>