Chapter 27: Combat Training (Part 1)
The three genin took a moment to adjust their breathing and center themselves. Then, at the very instant Orochimaru announced the start of the exercise, they vanished from sight—each hiding their presence.
They all understood how dangerous Orochimaru was. None of them would be foolish enough to challenge him head-on, unlike how Naruto once blindly charged at Kakashi during a similar test in the original story.
In a situation where the power gap was this large, the only wise move was to stay hidden and wait for the right moment to strike.
Seeing all three of them choose to hide immediately, Orochimaru was quietly pleased. This... is how a proper ninja should think.
That said, they were still just newly graduated genin. Their stealth skills couldn't be expected to be particularly advanced. In fact, Orochimaru had already roughly pinpointed all three of their locations.
Anko and Hayate were easy—both were typical genin with no real experience. Their hiding techniques were clumsy at best. Orochimaru saw through them immediately.
Nan, however, was a different story.
His father, had been an intelligence-nin. Stealth and concealment were his specialties.
Nan had inherited that talent, and it showed. His stealth techniques were already nearing jōnin level.
Of course, it still wasn't enough to fool Orochimaru—but even he was impressed. The level of precision and confidence in Nan's movements didn't resemble a fresh graduate at all.
If technique could be learned through training, experience could only be gained through true combat.
And Nan moved like someone who had been through more than a few battles.
Suppressing his surprise, Orochimaru found himself even more intrigued by the boy.
He had originally assumed Nan's talents were limited to medical ninjutsu. But it now appeared that he also had incredible potential as a combat ninja.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru had unparalleled experience in tracking down enemies.
He targeted Anko first. She specialized in techniques he had taught her personally, so he knew her style inside and out.
With a flicker of movement, Orochimaru used the Body Flicker Technique to appear instantly behind her. He grabbed her by the head and flung her to the center of the training field.
For a Kage-level ninja, subduing a genin was child's play.
Next up was Hayate Gekkō.
While Hayate didn't have any real stealth techniques, he did possess a rare Kekkei Genkai called Transparent Escape Technique (Tōton), which allowed him to partially phase and obscure his presence.
It was enough to hide from average opponents.
Unfortunately, Hayate was still too young. He hadn't yet trained his bloodline ability to a high level.
Even when using it, his outline remained clearly visible to a seasoned veteran like Orochimaru.
In a blur, Orochimaru closed the distance and appeared in front of Hayate.
Before the genin could react, Orochimaru landed a heavy punch to his stomach. Hayate doubled over in pain, nearly passing out.
Lifting him effortlessly, Orochimaru tossed him next to Anko.
In just a few seconds from the start of the test, two of the three students had already been eliminated.
Now, with only Nan left, Orochimaru slowly turned toward his last opponent.
His gaze locked on Nan's general direction, a clear message in his eyes:
"I've found you. Hiding any longer is pointless."
Seeing his two teammates already defeated, Nan gave up his concealment and calmly stepped out into the open, facing Orochimaru head-on.
Anko and Hayate, who had recovered slightly, also stood up and regrouped beside him—ready to face their teacher as a team.
Orochimaru looked at the three of them and spoke:
"I'm glad to see you all understand the importance of concealment. As ninjas, this is a fundamental skill—and you've all shown awareness of it. That's a good start."
Orochimaru smirked coldly and said:
"Your stealth skills mean nothing before me. Let's not waste time—why don't all three of you attack me at once? I'd like to see just how much strength you really have."
Nan had already been planning to go all out against Orochimaru, and hearing this, he didn't hold back. Without hesitation, he activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Anko and Hayate also readied themselves—drawing kunai and ninjatō into defensive stances. After witnessing Orochimaru's terrifying strength, they both understood that their only chance, however slim, was to attack together.
But truthfully, Nan didn't need their help.
Orochimaru scanned their stances and gazes, clearly evaluating them. His eyes lingered on Nan.
"He's already awakened the three tomoe? Looks like my intel is outdated. But that just makes things more fun."
The battle was about to erupt.
Nan made the first move, using a classic Uchiha tactic: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, launching a massive wave of flames directly at Orochimaru.
But it wasn't meant to cause real damage—it was a feint to obscure Orochimaru's vision.
Orochimaru responded instantly with Water Style: Water Wall, countering the fireball and extinguishing it mid-air.
However, as the steam and mist filled the training ground, a flurry of shuriken suddenly shot out from the haze—flying in unnatural arcs toward Orochimaru. It was the Uchiha clan's signature technique: the Shurikenjutsu with curved trajectories.
Orochimaru, well-versed in Uchiha tactics, wasn't fazed. He casually drew a kunai and, with a few swift flicks, deflected every incoming shuriken with ease.
Nan had expected as much. A seasoned shinobi wouldn't be taken down by mere projectiles.
"Hayate—now!" Nan called out.
Hayate took the cue and dashed forward with his sword, slashing at Orochimaru. But his swordsmanship was still immature.
Orochimaru calmly blocked with a kunai. Within two strikes, he had disarmed Hayate and forced him backward.
Anko seized the opportunity to leap in, engaging Orochimaru directly.
She used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, a technique Orochimaru had taught her himself. Predictably, it had no effect.
Orochimaru countered by using the exact same jutsu—only his version was faster, stronger, and far more vicious. Multiple snakes burst from both their sleeves and clashed mid-air.
But Anko's serpents were no match. In moments, Orochimaru's snakes tore through hers, snapping their necks with brutal precision.
Defeated, Anko retreated, regrouping beside Nan and Hayate.
The probing assault was over. And the results were clear.
Despite their best efforts, the three genin hadn't so much as made Orochimaru take a single step. He hadn't moved from his original position—yet still parried and countered everything they threw at him.
Now that their offensive had ended, it was Orochimaru's turn.
In a flash, he vanished using the Body Flicker Technique, appearing in the midst of his students.
Anko and Hayate didn't even have time to react. Before they knew it, Orochimaru had already struck them and sent them flying. Only Nan, with his Sharingan, was able to track his movements.
But even then, it was too late to assist his teammates—he had no choice but to engage Orochimaru one-on-one.
By the time Anko and Hayate recovered and moved to rejoin the fight, Nan and Orochimaru had already exchanged a full round of blows.
That's when the two of them realized something shocking:
It was one thing for Orochimaru to be overwhelming—that was expected.
But Nan, someone even younger than them, had actually managed to hold his own.
They couldn't even find an opening to support him.
Orochimaru, too, was impressed. That Nan could face his onslaught alone—and endure—was beyond what he'd expected from a genin.
As for Anko and Hayate, while they hadn't been particularly effective, Orochimaru still gave them credit. Just having the courage to face a Sannin so soon after graduating from the Academy was commendable in its own right.
Nan, meanwhile, was growing increasingly aware of how dangerous Orochimaru truly was.
If I don't activate my Divine Speed, he thought, there's no way I'll gain any edge in this battle.
After a moment of thought, he spoke:
"Orochimaru-sensei, you're even stronger than I imagined.
But I haven't used my trump card yet.
Once I do, even someone like you might slip up… and lose."
Then, turning to Anko and Hayate, he said:
"You two should probably fall back.
From here on out, the fight might get intense—and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."
Orochimaru let out a mocking chuckle, clearly amused.
Kids really don't know the meaning of fear, he thought.
If all three of them hadn't attacked together, he wouldn't have taken Nan seriously. No matter how skilled the boy was, he was still only six years old. There was no way he could truly pose a threat—right?
Nan had deliberately said those words to test Orochimaru's reaction.
And now, seeing Orochimaru's dismissive expression, he knew: the Sannin didn't believe him.
Perfect, Nan thought. That gives me the opening I need.