Wind howled through massive trees of Training Ground 44.
Orochimaru stood on a thick branch looking down with yellow reptilian eyes. His tongue flicked out tasting fear in air.
"You have courage Rain boy" Sannin hissed. "But courage often leads to early graves."
Uehara Naraku stood firmly between legendary Sannin and trembling Leaf Genin. He shuffled glowing cards in his hand. His new item Rylai's Crystal Scepter pulsed with cold energy infusing his chakra with biting frost.
"Courage is profitable" Uehara replied keeping his gaze locked on yellow eyes. "And I hate seeing bullying. Especially when victim is a cute Uchiha."
Sasuke Uchiha was panting heavily behind him holding a kunai with shaking hands. He looked at Uehara's back with confusion.
"Why..." Sasuke grit his teeth. "Why are you helping us? We are enemies."
"Naruto owes me ramen" Uehara lied smoothly. "If he dies I don't get paid. Now stop talking and start running."
Orochimaru laughed. Sound was like sandpaper scraping on bone.
"Run? No one runs from me."
Sannin moved. He didn't weave signs. He simply lunged forward with terrifying speed. His neck stretched like rubber elongating ten meters in a split second. His mouth opened wide revealing sharp fangs dripping with venom aimed straight at Sasuke's neck.
"Wild Cards!"
Uehara reacted instantly. Three cards shot forward glowing with icy blue light.
Cards slashed across Orochimaru's extended neck. Normally Sannin would ignore such minor cuts. But this time something strange happened.
Frost spread rapidly from wounds. Ice crystals coated pale skin.
Orochimaru felt his muscles stiffen. His speed dropped dramatically. What should have been a lightning fast strike became sluggish and heavy.
[Effect Applied: 20 Percent Slow.]
"What is this?" Orochimaru frowned retracting his neck slowly. He looked at patches of frost on his skin. "Ice Style? No. It affects chakra flow directly."
"It is called a speed limit" Uehara grinned. "You were going too fast sir."
Sasuke saw opening. He grabbed Sakura's arm.
"Let's go!"
He dragged pink haired girl backward jumping into dense bushes.
"You let them go" Orochimaru turned his cold gaze back to Uehara. "Now you have to entertain me in their place."
"I charge high rates for entertainment" Uehara said sweating slightly.
Pressure from Sannin was immense. It felt like gravity had doubled.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru thrust his arm forward. Dozens of vipers erupted from his sleeve hissing and snapping jaws.
Uehara threw a Red Card at his own feet.
BOOM!
Explosion kicked up cloud of dust and debris. Blast wave knocked snakes away and propelled Uehara backward creating distance.
"Slippery" Orochimaru licked his lips. "But futile."
Sannin performed hand seals.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A massive gust of wind erupted from Orochimaru's mouth. It wasn't just air; it was a hurricane compressed into a narrow tunnel. It ripped up trees and tore through bushes destroying everything in its path.
Uehara couldn't dodge. Blast radius was too wide.
"Command: Protect."
Invisible barrier formed around him shimmering under stress.
CRASH.
Wind slammed into shield. Uehara felt his mana drain rapidly as shield absorbed impact. He was pushed back his boots carving deep trenches into dirt but barrier held.
"He blocked a C rank wind jutsu without signs?" Orochimaru narrowed eyes. "Curious. Very curious. You are not a normal Genin."
"I get that a lot" Uehara panted. Shield faded.
He was running low on mana. Fighting a Kage level monster was draining.
"I need to retreat" Uehara analyzed. "I slowed him down enough. Mission should be complete."
But Orochimaru wasn't done.
Sannin vanished.
"Too slow."
Voice came from behind.
Uehara's eyes widened. He spun around but a heavy kick slammed into his ribs.
Crack.
Uehara flew sideways crashing through a rotting log. Pain exploded in his side.
[Health Regenerating: Warrior's Blood active.]
Warmth spread through his chest knitting cracked bone back together. But impact left him winded.
Orochimaru walked over casually. He looked down at boy in purple raincoat.
"Regeneration too?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with greed. "You are a treasure trove of unique abilities. Perhaps I should take you instead of Sasuke."
He reached out a pale hand to grab Uehara's throat.
"Flash!"
Zop.
Uehara vanished in a burst of yellow light appearing ten meters away on a high branch.
"Teleportation?" Orochimaru stopped hand grasping empty air. "Space time ninjutsu?"
Uehara stood on branch clutching his side. He drew a Gold Card.
"You are touchy today Snake Man" Uehara gasped. "I think you need a time out."
He threw Gold Card.
Orochimaru didn't dodge. He wanted to test ability. He raised an arm to block.
DING!
Gold Card hit his forearm.
Paralysis took hold. Orochimaru froze mid step his body locked in golden stasis.
[Stun Applied: 2 Seconds.]
"Two seconds is all I need" Uehara turned and ran.
He activated Berserker's Greaves pushing his speed to limit. He sprinted through trees putting as much distance as possible between himself and monster.
Two seconds later Orochimaru broke free. He flexed his arm.
"Fascinating" Orochimaru whispered. "A jutsu that halts movement completely bypassing chakra defense. Rain Village is hiding secrets."
He looked in direction Uehara fled then in direction Sasuke went.
"Priorities" Orochimaru decided. "Uchiha boy first. Rain boy later."
He sank into ground merging with earth to chase his original prey.
Uehara didn't stop running until he was kilometers away. He leaned against a tree gasping for air.
"That was close" Uehara wiped sweat from his forehead. "Too close. If I didn't have Flash I would be a snake experiment right now."
He checked System log.
[Mission Complete: Interrupt the Sannin.]
[Reward: 300 Gold Coins.]
[Hidden Achievement: Survive encounter with Orochimaru.]
[Reward: 500 Gold Coins.]
"800 Gold" Uehara grinned despite pain. "Worth a few broken ribs."
Suddenly bushes rustled nearby.
Shigure and Baiu emerged looking terrified. They had been hiding nearby watching battle from a safe distance.
"Captain!" Shigure cried out running over. "You are alive! We thought he killed you!"
"I am hard to kill" Uehara straightened his coat. "Did you see which way Team 7 went?"
"They went North" Baiu pointed. "Towards tower."
"Good" Uehara nodded. "We are going South."
"South?" Shigure blinked. "But tower is North."
"I know" Uehara said. "But Orochimaru is going North. And I don't want Round 3 just yet. We will take long way around. Let's go find some other unlucky teams to farm."
Team Rain moved out leaving site of battle behind.
Uehara looked at his Gold balance.
[Gold: 1700]
"I need more items" Uehara thought. "Next time I meet Orochimaru I won't just run. I will make him bleed."
Forest of Death grew darker as night approached. Screams of other candidates echoed through trees signaling that true nightmare of exams had only just begun.
...
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
15 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
30 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!