Sasuke, having just put away the scroll, suddenly felt a dangerous presence looming behind him.
He turned sharply—only to find himself face-to-face with the massive head of a snake, less than half a meter away.
A cold sweat trickled down his neck.
Are snakes in this forest really that big?
Before he could react further, a deep, almost mocking voice called out from behind him.
"Uchiha… Sasuke."
"The last bloodline of the Konoha Uchiha clan."
"Impressive… You've already taken down three Genin teams on your own."
Sasuke turned slowly toward the voice. Standing there was a figure wearing a Sound Village forehead protector. The oppressive aura radiating from the man made Sasuke's muscles tense involuntarily.
"But where's your teammate? I don't see him anywhere," the man remarked casually.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The moment his body loosened, he lashed out with a blade in a lightning-fast strike.
Orochimaru—his thin lips curling into a smile—sidestepped with ease. At the same time, the giant snake behind him lunged, striking twelve times in quick succession.
Swish!
Sasuke's body vanished.
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly. "Body Flicker Technique?"
When had a Genin mastered such a skill—and with this level of precision?
He leapt lightly onto the snake's head, arms crossed. "Ahh… I didn't expect that. He's even polished the Shunshin no Jutsu to this extent."
On a branch opposite, Sasuke reappeared, breathing steadily. It hadn't been a deadly exchange, but the oppressive pressure from this stranger was suffocating.
So strong… Could there really be someone this powerful among the Sound Ninja?
"Surprised?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk. "Konoha's shinobi aren't invincible. Isn't it natural for strong ninja to exist outside the Leaf?"
It was true. Being one of the Five Great Nations didn't mean Konoha had a monopoly on strength.
"Hmph." Sasuke's gaze hardened. "So what if you're strong? Fighting powerful opponents… that's the only way to make a battle worth it!"
He sprang forward, hands moving rapidly into a string of seals.
Orochimaru tilted his head in mild interest.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Boom!
A blazing sphere roared toward Orochimaru. The Sannin merely shook his head, guiding the snake to coil around a nearby tree and launch toward Sasuke again.
In that instant, three shuriken whistled through the air.
Orochimaru flicked his kunai, knocking them aside effortlessly.
Then—chirp chirp chirp—the sound of birds singing filled the forest.
His eyes widened slightly. Sasuke's Sharingan gleamed crimson, and in his hand surged Kakashi's signature technique—Chidori.
"So… Kakashi's jutsu," Orochimaru murmured, his voice carrying an odd, almost hungry admiration. "And those eyes… beautiful. Just like his."
His hands blurred. "Striking Shadow Snake!"
From his sleeves, a swarm of serpents shot forth, enveloping Sasuke.
With no opening toward Orochimaru, Sasuke drove Chidori into the snakes, obliterating them in a burst of electricity.
But before he could reset his stance—
Orochimaru's head emerged from behind him like a serpent striking, sinking fangs into his neck.
"Ah—!"
Agony flooded Sasuke's senses before darkness swept over him.
Orochimaru withdrew with a satisfied smile. The curse mark had been planted.
"Done."
Sasuke staggered to his feet, clutching his neck. "What… did you do to me?"
"A gift," Orochimaru replied silkily. "To reward such an impressive performance."
"Bas…tard!"
A gift? Sasuke didn't believe it for a second. This was no act of kindness—something was terribly wrong. His body was growing weaker by the moment, his senses dulling.
If this continued, he'd be finished.
He hadn't expected to encounter an opponent of this caliber in the Chūnin Exams. His guard had been far too low.
Orochimaru extended his hand toward him.
Naruto's arrival was sudden—a sharp hiss of wind cutting through the forest. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as his extended arm was cleanly severed.
A massive shuriken, its edges wrapped in slicing wind chakra, whirled past and smashed into a distant tree.
Crack!
The trunk split cleanly in two before toppling with a heavy thud.
Orochimaru's gaze followed the weapon's path to its source.
Naruto dropped from the trees, landing firmly between Sasuke and their attacker.
"How dare you lay a hand on my comrade, you bastard!" Naruto barked, before glancing over his shoulder. "Sasuke, you okay?"
Sasuke sat slumped against the ground, his body drained of strength.
"Na…ruto… be careful…" he managed weakly.
Naruto had heard the unmistakable chirping sound of Chidori earlier and rushed toward it. He hadn't expected to find Sasuke defeated—especially by another Genin. It didn't seem possible.
Orochimaru examined his severed arm with a frown. In seconds, pale flesh writhed and reformed, regenerating the limb entirely. His yellow eyes lifted back to Naruto.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki… he's progressed far.
That wind-infused shuriken… powerful indeed.
But the Sannin's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"With that level of skill, you think you can save him? Don't underestimate me."
The ground beneath Naruto shifted. Countless snakes erupted upward, coiling around him like living chains.
Naruto's hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals.
"Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm!"
Blades of wind slashed outward, cutting through the serpents with ease. Freed, Naruto hoisted Sasuke up and leapt back, retreating deeper into the forest.
But Orochimaru had no intention of letting them go.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled. From ahead, the massive summoned snake looped around and intercepted their path, its enormous jaws yawning open to swallow them whole.
From behind, Orochimaru closed in, his sleeves writhing with more serpents.
With Sasuke still in his grasp, Naruto spun and thrust out his palm.
"Rasengan!"
The swirling sphere of chakra detonated against the wave of snakes, blasting them apart in a burst of light and force.
Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly.
"The Rasengan… The Fourth Hokage's technique. So, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki has mastered it too?"
A low chuckle escaped him. "As expected of the Yellow Flash's son… such talent."
But while the swarm of snakes fell, the giant serpent behind them still lunged, fangs and gaping maw ready to consume both boys in a single bite.
Hiss—
Orochimaru suddenly froze. A strange chill prickled his skin.
A brilliant light flared before his eyes, forcing him to blink.
When his vision cleared, the enormous snake was gone—encased completely in ice.
And in the frozen air above them… countless thin, glowing lines had begun to appear.
...
TN:
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