"Tch, that guy ran away, huh," Izanami clicked her tongue as she put her weapon back into her shadow.
Although she looked annoyed, there wasn't much anger in her voice. In fact, her eyes showed that everything was going according to plan. As an ancient power, how could she be fooled by such a simple trick? If she really wanted to, she could have expanded her domain, trapped the snake on the spot, and killed him permanently so he could never come back.
But a living snake was far more useful for her future plans than a dead one. Besides, she hadn't let him leave completely unharmed.
"Aww, man! Did that old creep really get away?" Naruto asked, jumping down from the wall and landing nearby with his hands behind his head.
"He didn't escape," Izanami corrected him as he looked at the young ninjas. "I simply let him run."
Sasuke and Sakura dropped down right behind Naruto. Sasuke stared at the massive crater left behind, his mind still shaken by her overwhelming power.
"Why let him go?" Sasuke asked, his voice still shaky from recovering from the aftereffects of resisting Orochimaru's full bloodlust. "You could have easily erased him right here."
Izanami glanced down at the young Uchiha, her eyes cold and indifferent. "Because a living piece on the board is useful, while a dead one is just trash. He still has a role to play. And besides..." A faint, sharp smirk touched her lips. "I left him a little gift that he would definitely love "
…..
In the forest, quite a distance from the battlefield, a small snake crawled out of the ground. The small snake slithered up a tree trunk and coughed up a pale, slime-covered hand. With a wet sound, Orochimaru tore his way out of the tiny snake's jaws, sliding onto the thick branch.
He was breathing heavily, his pale skin covered in sweat and dirt. He had survived.
"Kukuku... ahahahaha!" Orochimaru let out a raspy, strained laugh, wiping the foul liquid from his face. His yellow eyes gleamed with wild delight. "What an unbelievable monster! To think someone like her really exists in this world… I really want to examine her and find the secrets of her body!"
Even though he was terrified, he was also burning with excitement. His intuition screamed that if he could unlock the secrets inside her body, true immortality—and a power beyond anything in the ninja world—would finally be within his grasp.
"With a body like that... who cares about the Uchiha?" Orochimaru muttered to himself, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "She is the ultimate vessel."
He tried to stand up, ready to slip deeper into the trees to plan his next move. But the moment his expression turned serious as, he jumped away.
Just then, " Fire style: dragon bomb jutsu " a giant fireball was fired straight at the place where Orochimaru had just been the next moment. The fireball burned the tree completely, leaving only a pile of ashes.
Orochimaru landed lightly on a nearby branch, wiping blood from his lips. "Kukuku... as persistent as ever, Jiraiya," he sneered, looking up at the huge man standing on a tree across from him.
Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed, his long white hair blowing in the wind. His face was completely serious, with none of his usual silly attitude.
"Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, his deep voice cold. " Why did you come back to Konoha?"
"Hehe, what can I say? I began to feel nostalgic, so I came back to catch up." Orochimaru's yellow eyes narrowed, but a creepy smile stayed on his face.
"I don't care about your crazy ideas," Jiraiya barked, making quick hand seals. "You came here to mess with kids during the exams. It's my job to stop you right now!"
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!" Jiraiya shouted. His long hair turned sharp like metal needles and shot straight toward Orochimaru like a storm of arrows.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Orochimaru yelled, forced to defend himself even though he was totally exhausted. A thick wall of mud popped up to block the needles, but the force blew the wall into tiny pieces.
Through the dust, Orochimaru shot forward, pulling a sword out of his mouth and swinging it at Jiraiya's neck. Jiraiya leaned back just in time, dodged the blade, and slammed a heavy, chakra-filled fist right into Orochimaru's chest.
BOOM!
Orochimaru flew backward, smashing through two giant trees before crashing onto the ground. He coughed up black blood, his body trembling. Fighting Jiraiya right after barely surviving Izanami's attack was way too much for his battered body.
Jiraiya landed on the ground, his eyes sharp and worried. "You're weak, Orochimaru. Your chakra is a total mess. Who did this to you?"
Orochimaru pushed himself up, letting out a weak, raspy laugh. "Kukuku... wouldn't you like to know? But I don't have time to play with you, Jiraiya. I have work to do."
Before Jiraiya could charge at him again, Orochimaru's body turned into mud and sank deep into the ground, escaping into the dark earth.
Jiraiya stopped his jutsu and looked around the quiet forest, frowning deeply. He turned his head toward the direction Orochimaru had fled from, feeling a strange, scary energy still hanging in the air.
"Just who... did that snake run into? Could it be Izanami, right? No, if he met with her, he wouldn't be able to come alive, " Jiraiya muttered to himself.
After that, he jumped into a tree and disappeared. No matter what, he needs to inform Tsunade about this. Orochimaru's presence is definitely not a good thing for Konoha.
…..
Although there were some ups and downs in the second phase of the Chunin Exam, the exam still continued on.
After Orochimaru fled, Team 7 didn't waste any more time. After Izanami disappeared into the shadows, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura took a small rest to calm themselves and then began walking towards the tower.
Earlier during that maze, they had already defeated many teams and were able to get both Heaven and Earth scrolls. So without much hesitation, they entered the tower and completed their exam.
And following the instructions on the wall, they opened both the Heaven and Earth scrolls at the same time.
A sudden cloud of smoke erupted between them, and out stepped Iruka Sensei with a warm smile on his face.
"Congratulations, Team 7!" Iruka said proudly. "You are the first team to pass the second phase of the Chunin Exam!"
" Oh, first place- it seems we weren't late " Naruto spoke as he high-fived Sakura and the reluctant Sasuke.
Sakura looked toward Iruka and asked. "So, Iruka Sensei... what happens now?"
Iruka's warm expression softened into something a bit more serious. "Now, you rest. But be prepared. Once the deadline for the Forest of Death passes, all the surviving teams will assemble in the main hall for the next stage."
He gestured toward a set of heavy wooden doors at the end of the room. "Head through there. There are rooms set up for you to get some food, treat any injuries, and catch your breath."
"Sweet! Food!" Naruto shouted, charging straight down the hall without waiting for anyone else. He was very hungry and couldn't wait to go and fill his stomach.
"Naruto, wait up, you idiot!" Sakura yelled, chasing after him. Sasuke also joined them as he was also hungry.
******
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