"I'm not just turning into a mirror, you know!"
"Water Gun Jutsu!"
Suigetsu Hozuki's loud voice suddenly echoed through the area, and his figure appeared inside one of the ice mirrors.
Unlike Haku, Suigetsu was floating inside, half-transparent, like he might melt into the ice at any moment.
Then, a fast water bullet shot out from the mirror behind Orochimaru and hit him directly.
Suigetsu was borrowing the mirrors, so he couldn't move around as fast as Haku or use the same secret techniques.
But he could build up inside any of the mirrors and launch sneak attacks, since all the mirrors were made from his water.
Haku moved fast from mirror to mirror, but Suigetsu was constantly breaking himself apart and reforming as he flowed through the mirrors.
"Tch."
Orochimaru clicked his tongue without meaning to. He was hit squarely in the back by Suigetsu's water bullet, and his face twisted in pain.
The shot tore right through his body, and a water ball rolled out from him, falling to the ground below.
All three paused, eyes locked on Orochimaru, ready for anything.
That hit definitely wasn't enough to kill him — Kimimaro knew that clearly. His fingers tightened around the bone sword in his hand.
Orochimaru's face was twisted with rage as he glared at Kimimaro. In a flash, Kimimaro had pulled back, now standing just in front of one of the ice mirrors.
Haku was also hidden in the mirrors, closely watching what would happen next.
Some parts of the mirrors had already started to melt. Without enough moisture in the air, the mirrors would slowly break down.
That's why in a place without much water, this jutsu had to end things fast.
Kimimaro was the main attacker inside the ice mirrors, with Haku giving support, and Suigetsu handling sneak attacks.
As long as someone was trapped inside the ice, the three of them were almost guaranteed to win.
"You'll regret this, kid."
These three kids with Kekkei Genkai were seriously tough. Whether it was their control of their powers or how well they worked together, they were way ahead of the other teams.
Their skill level was probably already above the Chunin rank.
Too bad they didn't manage to catch them this time.
Orochimaru frowned and muttered in a hoarse voice, then glared sharply at Kimimaro with his golden eyes.
Suddenly, he lunged forward like he was about to attack.
Kimimaro almost swung his sword—he thought it was a real attack.
But right at that moment, Orochimaru dropped headfirst down through the branches.
Hatake Satoru, crouching on a lower branch, clearly saw the exact moment Orochimaru fell.
His mouth opened wide in a strange way, almost like a snake shedding its skin starting from the mouth.
In a fast and practiced motion, he slipped out of his own body like it was a shell and disappeared into the shadows.
"Well, running away in a panic from three kids… that's gotta be one of the most embarrassing moments of his life~"
Hatake Satoru rubbed his chin thoughtfully and let out a small laugh. Still, Orochimaru hadn't really changed much.
A few years ago, didn't he sneak up to him too? Same story—ran off quietly again.
But those three were a surprise to Hatake Satoru.
Who would've thought Kekkei Genkai users could work together so well? It was thanks to Haku and Suigetsu coming up with the idea to use Suigetsu as the base for the ice mirrors.
Kekkei Genkai users are rare to begin with, so having two that actually cooperate is a big deal.
He thought their teamwork wouldn't be anything special, but now it seemed like if you're strong enough, you can make anything work together.
"Well, that actually turned out pretty good."
"Uwahh, so cold, so cold, so cold—maybe we shouldn't use that jutsu too often."
"And I think my whole body's frozen stiff."
Suigetsu rolled out of the mirror like a wobbly blob of jelly, shaking all over.
His body and face were covered in rippling water patterns. Clearly, he hadn't fully recovered yet.
The ice mirrors shattered into countless pieces. As they fell around Suigetsu, they slowly moved closer to him, helping to patch up his damaged body.
"Looks like you've turned into Ice Moon."
Haku smiled and started melting the broken pieces of the mirror to help Suigetsu recover faster.
"Don't mix my name with bad puns."
Suigetsu muttered at Haku.
Even though he said that, both the cold and his shattered body could be fixed.
If he and Haku could keep working together like this, maybe they could even create some amazing new jutsu.
In Kirigakure, everyone was trained to work alone. Not because they wanted to be cold, but because it was more efficient.
If one person could handle a mission, why send three? That would just waste manpower.
During the Bloody Mist era, lots of people died. Even after loosening graduation requirements, Kirigakure still didn't have enough ninja.
Most missions outside the village were dangerous, and unless someone stayed inside, the risk of dying was high.
So except for fresh Genin who needed help, most missions were reassigned depending on the situation.
"That guy probably isn't part of the Chunin Exams. The teacher will probably come to check things out later."
Kimimaro looked in the direction Orochimaru had fallen, deep in thought.
Kirigakure didn't really have a clear rule about stuff like this, which was how the three of them ended up getting into the Chunin Exams like a bug in the system.
"Ah—wait! Did we forget to take the scrolls from those guys earlier?!"
"Can we still get them if we go back for the bodies?"
Suigetsu suddenly realized and started shouting at the other two.
Looks like those three actually get along pretty well.
Hatake Satoru stood under the tree, looking up with a satisfied expression and crossed his arms.
Whether it was teamwork or how they got along, there really wasn't anything to worry about with those three.
Then Hatake Satoru's eyes landed on Kimimaro. In the original story, this guy was totally loyal to Orochimaru—he practically wanted to merge into him.
But now, under Hatake Satoru's watch, he was fighting people head-on. That was pretty interesting.
Those two should run into each other, right? Hatake Satoru raised an eyebrow. But even if they didn't, it didn't really matter. He was heading back to grab a bite.
Hatake Satoru casually pulled at a branch above his head and vanished in an instant.
The sudden rustling noise startled Kimimaro. He looked down, but there was already no one there.
"…Did he see everything?"
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