Chapter 213: Second Battle with the Slippery Snake, My Genjutsu is Even Slipperier
Orochimaru fell silent. He suddenly remembered something.
Konoha had recently exposed Danzō's scandals. Although there were many errors in the details, the fact that anyone knew this black material at all was strange.
Orochimaru had previously thought it was a sign of internal strife. Now, it seemed that a new power, hidden in the shadows, had truly emerged within the village.
Of course, it could also be the work of ninja from another village.
But in any case, this Chūnin Exam had become much more interesting.
Orochimaru licked his lips. His two subordinates leaped over, half-kneeling, ashamed that they had failed to protect him.
He naturally wouldn't hold it against them. This was a time when he needed manpower.
"Let's go."
He had sought out Karin because he had sensed her peculiarity and wanted to investigate. He hadn't expected to hook a big fish like Akiyama Makoto. The sound of the battle just now would definitely attract Konoha's ninja. He had to hurry and find Sasuke and give him the Cursed Seal of Heaven.
With that, Orochimaru's team left.
The battlefield, which had just been filled with smoke, returned to its quiet state.
A minute later, another Orochimaru burrowed out of the ground, then vanished in a puff of smoke. It was, of course, a contingency he had left behind. He had already sensed Anko's chakra. Since the other man had not reappeared, it was clear he was truly gone.
The current Orochimaru had no desire to see Anko, so it was better to avoid her.
Anko leaped onto a tree trunk, looking at the traces of battle with a puzzled expression. The scorching aura had not yet completely dissipated.
Who on earth used such a powerful Fire Style? That Uchiha brat? Impossible. This isn't the chakra a Genin should have.
Could it be... that he really came?
She was about to chase in Orochimaru's direction, but he suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Little brother? What are you doing here? Wait, you—"
She was about to say, How can you be here? I've never seen you use this kind of jutsu before.
But the next second, she had already gone limp in his arms, and he was kissing her.
The familiar feeling made her eyes light up. The tension on her face disappeared, replaced by an unusual passion, and she kissed him back fiercely, as if to vent all the fear she had felt from seeing Orochimaru.
But she hadn't lost her mind. A minute later, she pushed him away, her face red. "Wait. Why are you here? Did you just use..."
"That's right. Flying Thunder God. I just learned it. Impressive, right?"
The look of adoration in her eyes almost set him on fire. She still had so much she wanted to talk to him about, but the thought of Orochimaru made her face darken.
She still forced a smile. "Alright, I know you're amazing. Now go back and wait for me at home."
"I'll... reward you properly tonight. Remember to wash up and wait for me."
She urged him to use his Hiraishin and leave, but he pulled her down to sit. "Alright, I know what you're thinking."
"See the fire jutsu traces below? I did that."
She stared at him, stunned. Then, cold sweat broke out on her forehead. "You fought Orochimaru?"
"You... how could you be so reckless!"
She was both angry and anxious. She knew he was strong, and had even learned the Flying Thunder God, but that didn't mean he was a match for Orochimaru. He was one of the Sannin, famous for ages, with Kage-level strength. Even the Fourth Hokage wouldn't have been able to say he could guarantee a win against him. At least, that's what she thought. Orochimaru had left a huge psychological shadow on her.
She ran her hands all over his body, wanting to check if he was injured.
Seeing that he was about to be "pushed" into a combat-ready state, he finally held her and forced her to calm down. "Relax. The one here just now was only a shadow clone. I was curious about what the Chūnin Exam was like, so I snuck in to take a look."
Only then did she relax. She then looked at him with a mix of pouting and anger. "You have to promise me you'll never do such a dangerous thing again! If something happens to you, what will I do?"
This was the sentence he had been waiting for. He gently nibbled her earlobe. "You have to promise me, too. Don't go looking for trouble with Orochimaru by yourself. If something happens to you, what will I do, having lost one of my wives?"
Her eyes filled with tears. She, who had been trying to remain serious, let out a puff of laughter. The warmth and happiness in her heart made her unable to stop herself from kissing him again.
A minute later, she managed to push him away. "I know, I'll go back safely. But as the proctor of this exam, I have to solve the Orochimaru problem."
"Then why don't you just call the Hokage and the others?"
"It's too late. Unless..."
She looked at him. With his Hiraishin, they might still make it.
But she immediately shook her head. He had told her about the Flying Thunder God out of trust. But she also knew that he didn't want to be a ninja. If the Hokage found out about his strength, would he still let him be free?
"Alright, let me go. I promise I'll come back safely. You just wash up and wait for me tonight. That's all!"
She bit his lower lip hard, then left without looking back. Her heart was still filled with joy and warmth. She was determined to return to his side. To do that, she had to defeat Orochimaru with all her might.
He shook his head. He had never thought he could stop her from meeting Orochimaru just like that. This was a knot in her heart that had to be untied.
The reason he hadn't strengthened her yet was also because of this. If there were any changes in her, Orochimaru might see through them. So, he could only strengthen her after this was all over.
But since he was here, he naturally wouldn't let her challenge Orochimaru alone.
He activated his sensory ability and followed her silently, intending to make Orochimaru suffer a little in the dark.
She chased after him, but she was still a step too late.
At dusk, she heard Sasuke's scream and followed the sound.
Sasuke and Naruto had already lost consciousness. Sakura was trying hard to heal him. But the Cursed Seal of Heaven on his shoulder was not a problem the Mystical Palm Technique could solve, so her treatment was useless.
At this time, although Team 7's strength was extraordinary, they still couldn't change the situation in the face of Orochimaru. What's more, after encountering Makoto, Orochimaru had been even more ruthless than in the original story, seeking to end the fight quickly to prevent him from interfering.
After succeeding, Orochimaru did not leave immediately, but hid himself to observe the changes in Sasuke's cursed seal.
And this gave her the chance to find him.
She injected chakra into her own cursed seal, which contained his. His chakra, disturbed by hers, resonated with the main body.
The closer she got, the more pain she felt. She soon discovered him, hidden in a tree trunk.
She silently rushed up and grabbed his neck, then used the Striking Shadow Snake technique to bind him tightly.
He laughed in a low voice. "Using the forbidden jutsu I taught you against me, Anko? You still haven't grown at all."
Immediately after, his neck elongated, and his head, like a hammer, sent her flying.
But she, relying on her endurance, resisted it, and then pulled his body back with her, before throwing him over her shoulder and slamming him into a tree trunk.
Then, she used kunai to pin her own and his hands, preparing to use the Twin Snakes Mutual Annihilation technique. This was the only chance she could think of to defeat him.
Unfortunately, the "Orochimaru" in front of her had long since been replaced by a clone.
"Anko, you're already a Special Jōnin of Konoha. Can't you even tell the difference between a clone?"
Orochimaru stood leisurely on a nearby branch, while the "him" in front of her vanished in a puff of smoke.
Anko endured the intense pain, looked at him, and said in a low voice, "What are you doing here? Are you here to assassinate the Hokage?"
"How could that be? I only have a few subordinates. I can't do such a thing. I just took a liking to a certain child and gave him the Cursed Seal of Heaven. But he's not like you. He'll survive it."
"Looking at your expression, you seem very jealous. Jealous that I abandoned you, who was useless?"
Orochimaru was about to say something more to shatter her mental defenses, but his vision suddenly went black.
In the distance, Makoto, with one hand, aimed at him, opened his Yin Seal, and silently cast the D-rank genjutsu, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, using the Formless Wave.
This low-level genjutsu should have been useless against Orochimaru.
But... what if he cast it five, or even ten times, in one second?
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