Chapter 50: A Serpent in the Forest
The heavy gate of the Forest of Death clanged shut behind them, sealing Team 7 inside the oppressive wilderness. They hadn't ventured far from the perimeter when a figure dropped from the trees, blocking their path.
"You three little brats, hand over your scroll!" a ninja from the Village of Hidden Rain demanded, his voice dripping with contempt.
"He came alone, which means his two teammates are hiding nearby, waiting for an ambush," Kamikawa Hiraoka analyzed in a low whisper.
"Hmph. To think someone would deliver themselves to us so quickly," Uchiha Sasuke snorted, falling into a ready stance.
"Hand over the scroll and leave," Hiraoka said, his tone deceptively light. "Otherwise, you die."
"Hah! You dare to talk to me like—" The Amegakure ninja's words were cut short as his eyes bulged in shock. A kunai was already buried deep in his chest, its handle vibrating slightly. He hadn't even seen it thrown.
He looked up in horror at Hiraoka, who was still smiling calmly. "I... I don't have the scroll! My teammates have it! Please, let me go!"
"No scroll?" Hiraoka's smile didn't falter. "Then your life will have to suffice." With a flick of his wrist, a second kunai flashed through the air, this one striking the ninja squarely in the forehead.
The two hidden Amegakure ninja, having witnessed their companion's instant death, immediately fled without a trace.
Uchiha Sasuke watched, a chill running down his spine. He was shocked by Hiraoka's decisiveness. When Hiraoka killed, there was no hesitation, no flicker of emotion. It was as natural to him as breathing.
Sasuke approached the body and confirmed it. "He really didn't have a scroll."
"Let's go," Hiraoka said, his gaze turning toward the dark, dense heart of the forest. "We head deeper in."
The three of them moved on, their senses on high alert. It wasn't long before they were halted once more. A man stood silently in a small clearing ahead, his face shadowed by a large bamboo hat.
Hiss— Hiraoka drew a sharp, quiet breath. He knew exactly who this was.
Orochimaru's golden, snake-like eyes slid from Uchiha Sasuke to Kamikawa Hiraoka. A slow, unnerving smile spread across his face as he ran an impossibly long tongue over his lips, the sight deeply unsettling.
"Are you here for our scroll, too?" Uchiha Sasuke asked, his body tense with wariness.
Orochimaru didn't answer. His purpose wasn't a mere scroll; it was to inspect the quality of a potential vessel. And the best way to test a vessel's quality was under pressure.
"Scroll?" Orochimaru finally spoke, his voice a dry rasp. He produced a scroll from his robes, draped his long tongue over it obscenely, and then, to their disgust, swallowed it whole.
"That's disgusting!" Uzumaki Naruto yelled, pointing an accusatory finger.
"Kukuku... If you want a scroll, you'll have to fight for it... to the death," Orochimaru cackled.
Hiraoka's mind raced, analyzing every possible angle of the coming confrontation. He had no illusions about killing a Sannin like Orochimaru; survival was the only realistic goal.
Without another word, Orochimaru bit his thumb and weaved a series of hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
With a massive POOF of smoke, a giant serpent, over ten meters long, materialized before them, its scales glistening menacingly. Team 7 instantly scattered.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke stared, wide-eyed at the colossal creature.
The Sharingan... should I use it? Hiraoka thought, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the beast.
Uchiha Sasuke acted first, swiftly tying several explosive tags to a kunai and hurling it at the serpent. The snake reacted with surprising speed, its tail whipping through the air to bat the explosive projectile away before it could connect.
Orochimaru watched Sasuke's Sharingan-activated movements, his tongue flicking out again. "Kukuku... So you're the last one Uchiha Itachi left alive."
At the mention of his brother's name, a visible wave of pure, unadulterated hatred radiated from Sasuke.
Hiraoka, observing from the side, could practically feel the fury boiling within the young Uchiha.
"You know Uchiha Itachi?" Sasuke's voice was as cold as ice.
Naruto looked on in confusion at the sudden shift in atmosphere.
Orochimaru's gaze was pitiless. "I know of him."
"Where is he?!" Sasuke demanded, the killing intent around him thickening the air. "Tell me!"
"You are no match for him as you are now," Orochimaru stated flatly.
"If you won't talk, then die!" Sasuke screamed.
He leaped into the air, his hands a blur. "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
A volley of crimson fireballs shot forth, fanning out before slamming into the giant snake's body. The beast thrashed and roared in pain as its scales blackened. Enraged, it swung its massive tail down toward Sasuke with crushing force.
Sasuke sneered, pushing off with his feet to leap backward, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow.
"Naruto, Sasuke! You are not on his level!" Hiraoka warned, his voice grave and urgent.
But Sasuke was beyond listening. He was consumed by the need to extract information from the man who knew his brother's whereabouts.
To Orochimaru, however, Sasuke's desperate attacks were little more than minor annoyances. He clasped his hands together. In a move that defied human anatomy, his neck stretched out like rubber, elongating over ten meters. His head shot forward, his jaws unhinging before clamping down on Sasuke's neck, depositing the cursed seal.
Sasuke cried out, his hands flying to his neck as a searing, alien pain wracked his body.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Seeing his friend fall, Naruto surged forward, only to be stopped by Hiraoka's firm hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto," Hiraoka said, his eyes locked on the smirking Orochimaru. "See to Sasuke. I'll handle this."
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