Self-introductions and sharing dreams—it had always been a tradition in the Hidden Leaf Village.
"I'm Uzumaki Kushina. I love salty ramen, hate bitter foods and tomatoes. As for my dream…"Kushina lifted her head slightly and said seriously, "I want to become the first female Hokage of the Hidden Leaf."
Orochimaru glanced at her, slightly intrigued, and gave a small nod to signal the next person.
Kitase Yoru gave a timid glance at Amano Ren, who was gazing off to the side. After a brief pause, he spoke softly:"My name is Kitase Yoru. I like rainy days, dislike sweet things, and my dream is… to become a man who can stand tall in this world."
Orochimaru frowned slightly at Kitase Yoru's timid demeanor. His gaze turned toward Amano Ren, who, sensing the attention, slowly turned his head and met his teacher's eyes directly.
"My name is Amano Ren. My hobby is eating, and there's not really anything I particularly dislike."With his eyes lowered, Ren added in a calm tone, "My dream is to find a way to return."
All three were momentarily stunned by Ren's words.
Return?Kushina looked puzzled. "How is that even a dream?"
Kitase Yoru was just as confused.
Ren glanced at Kushina but didn't bother to explain. Orochimaru stared at him intently for a moment, but without pressing the matter, reached into his pocket and pulled out three small silver bells.
"Your task is to try and take these bells from me by any means necessary. If you can't get one before sunset, you'll be sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the course. If you don't want that, then do your best—fight with everything you've got."
The three were caught off guard. They had assumed graduating from the academy meant they were already Genin. No one told them their squad leader would conduct another test.
Orochimaru had never mentioned this, but one thing was clear—none of them could afford to go back. That would mean another three years wasted.
Determination flashed across their eyes. Orochimaru noticed the change and gave a cold smile. Stepping back a few meters, he announced calmly, "The deadline is sunset. The exam begins now."
With the last syllable, the three Genin disappeared from sight at top speed, each hiding in a predetermined location.
One of the key lessons in the academy was learning how to hide quickly, a skill that worked hand-in-hand with substitution techniques and other deceptive tactics.
Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed straight ahead. He didn't appear to know where they had gone, but in truth, he had already deduced each of their hiding places the moment they moved. Their footwork and speed were still too raw, too immature.
Amano Ren hid in a dense patch of short grass farther away, gripping a kunai tightly in his hand. His gaze stayed low, focusing on Orochimaru's lower body.
By watching the legs, one could judge movement. And avoiding eye contact reduced the risk of being discovered.
How can I get the bell? Ren thought, eyes never leaving Orochimaru.
Kitase Yoru and Kushina had both chosen to hide in the trees. Watching from above also made it harder to be seen.
Kushina was thinking hard about how to snatch the bell from Orochimaru, while Yoru was considering how to contact the others in secret. To him, the best strategy was teamwork.
Just then, Orochimaru made a move none of them expected—he raised his hand slowly.
Ren's eyes instinctively followed as Orochimaru lifted one of the bells between his fingers.
And then…
They saw him tilt his head back with a blank expression, open his mouth, and casually toss the bell inside. With a gulping sound, the bell slid down his throat. They could clearly see the lump move down his neck.
"…What the hell?!"Ren couldn't help but curse under his breath—and in doing so, gave away his position. With no choice, he stood up and leapt out from the grass.
Kitase Yoru stared dumbly at Orochimaru's throat, his mind snapping like a taut string that had just broken. He was stunned speechless.
Kushina glanced at Ren, then looked back at Orochimaru's emotionless face. She rubbed her forehead, speechless.
He swallowed the bell? How are they supposed to get it now? Cut him open? Kill him?
Ren stared at Orochimaru with an expression of disbelief. After spending three years together, this was the first time he had ever seen such a bizarre side of their squad leader.
Facing Ren's strange look, Orochimaru remained calm and expressionless. In his hoarse voice, he said:
"Bind me. Cut open my stomach. Even kill me, if you must. The only thing you need to think about… is how to get the bell. Everything else is irrelevant."
His calm words painted an incredibly cold and cruel reality.
This was just a test. Why did it have to go this far?
Neither Kitase Yoru nor Kushina could understand. Ren didn't fully grasp it either—but since Orochimaru had spoken, he wouldn't hesitate.
Besides, Ren didn't believe he had the ability to kill Orochimaru anyway. The only option was to try everything, give it his all. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up.
Ren raised his kunai and charged straight at Orochimaru.
"A frontal attack?" Orochimaru whispered, pulling out a kunai of his own.
Ren quickly used his free hand to pull out several shuriken from his pouch. With both hands, he threw the kunai and shuriken toward Orochimaru.
The shuriken spun through the air in three distinct arcs, all aimed at the same target. The kunai flew straight.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!Orochimaru flicked his wrist and knocked all the projectiles aside with surgical precision—no wasted movement.
But in that fleeting moment when Orochimaru's focus shifted to the shuriken, Ren formed hand seals. Just as he closed in—barely a meter away—his entire body vanished in a burst of white smoke.
Whoosh!The smoke cleared, revealing a flurry of black sand flying toward Orochimaru.
At the same time, Ren—clutching a kunai—had repositioned behind Orochimaru, eyes locked in.
"Sand? That's…" Orochimaru jumped back instantly to dodge the cloud. He locked eyes with Ren and threw a kunai mid-air. Ren hurled his own in return.
Orochimaru didn't even glance at it. He caught the kunai flying toward him barehanded and landed steadily.
Once on the ground, he switched the kunai to his other hand, then opened his palm. A thin cut traced along his index finger, beads of blood forming.
"No doubt about it—that was a substitution technique. Normally, objects like animals or plants are used. But sand? Clearly not meant for escaping damage. If I had let my guard down and sand got in my eyes, that would've been troublesome."
Orochimaru stared silently at Ren, who now looked a bit disappointed.
He didn't even know how to comment on Ren's choice of technique. Honestly… the word that came to mind was delinquent.
To use substitution in that way revealed just how limited Ren's options were. The academy had only taught them the most basic jutsu—and none of them were offensive in nature.