In just a few seconds, the Black-Scaled Giant Snake could no longer endure the agony of the flames. It dispelled the Summoning Jutsu and returned to Ryūchi Cave, leaving behind lengths of wire still burning on the forest floor.
When Uchiha Gen saw this, he stopped feeding chakra to the wires, and the flames died instantly.
Ignoring the lingering embers and the wires that still glowed red-hot, Uchiha Gen sprinted without hesitation toward the river.
Although he had defeated the Black-Scaled Giant Snake smoothly and in a short time, it had still cost him a minute or two. He needed to relocate quickly and erase his scent once more.
Meanwhile.
Orochimaru juggled the bell in his hand while riding atop the head of a massive brown serpent.
Beside him sat Uzuki Ruri, who had already lost her bell. Perched atop the snake, she was curiously enjoying the rare experience of riding a giant Summoned Beast.
Oh? It was beaten badly enough to flee back to Ryūchi Cave?
An intrigued smile crept across Orochimaru's face as he formed a hand seal.
The summoning was rejected was it hurt that badly? Interesting.
Now Orochimaru was even more curious about what had happened to the Black-Scaled Giant Snake. He knew the creature's strength well; it was definitely not something an ordinary Genin could handle. Whether in defense or destructive power, it outclassed any ninja of Genin rank. Simply escaping from it would have been impressive.
Yet that very snake had been defeated by a newly graduated Genin, forced to flee back to Ryūchi Cave in fear for its life. Its injuries were so severe that even his own summoning call had been refused.
Orochimaru reached out and patted the brown serpent beneath him. Understanding his intent, the huge snake twisted its massive body and set off.
Soon the three of them arrived at the site where Uchiha Gen had clashed with the Black-Scaled Giant Snake. They saw the lingering fires scattered through the forest and the shuriken and spring-loaded wires that had not yet been cleared away.
"These traces it must be Gen," Uzuki Ruri said, surveying the battle-scarred ground.
Sarutobi Enjun couldn't manipulate shuriken with such fine control.
Orochimaru also knew it was Uchiha Gen; after all, Fire Style combined with wire-controlled shuriken was a classic Uchiha tactic. He glanced up at the surrounding trees, sniffed the air, and quickly inspected the battlefield. With his experience, he could reconstruct parts of the fight from these traces.
"The fight was short. The tactics show a few minor flaws, but since they were set up as a spontaneous ambush, his reaction speed is quite good."
After surveying the scene, Orochimaru offered his assessment.
"Back at the Ninja Academy, Gen always ranked first in theory. After I entered the elite class, every written exam he took was near-perfect. Naturally, his grasp of tactics is excellent," Uzuki Ruri said softly.
"Excelling at theoretical tactics and excelling at applying them in real combat are two different things."
Orochimaru folded his arms, looking quite satisfied. Near-perfect scores on every theory exam? Good very much like himself.
"Let's go find Uchiha Gen."
Orochimaru tapped the brown serpent again. The snake immediately flicked out its tongue, sampling the pheromones Uchiha Gen had left in the air.
Two minutes later.
Following the trail, the trio reached the river that cuts through the Forest of Death. Here, the scent vanished.
Clearly, Uchiha Gen had slipped into the water to escape, using the current to wash away his scent. He must have surfaced somewhere else by now and was still on the run.
In other words they had lost him.
Orochimaru was unsurprised. He had come here only to confirm his suspicion; had Uchiha Gen lacked the sense to do this, he would have been disappointed. Now, however, Orochimaru could be sure: with Uchiha Gen in the squad, even if he were absent on a future mission, the team would not be easily wiped out.
Excellent only the living can achieve anything; noble birth means nothing once you're dead. That was the most valuable lesson Orochimaru had learned after Nawaki's death. And what he would teach these three disciples was how to stay alive and how to grow stronger.
Gazing at the surging river, Orochimaru seemed to sense something; he formed a hand seal and summoned a small, white-scaled snake.
Amid the snake's hissing, Orochimaru looked out across the vast Forest of Death.
"Since we've lost him, let's go after the other one he's already been found."
Elsewhere.
Thanks to his greater agility, Sarutobi Enjun had finally shaken off the Two-Headed Snake and could breathe a sigh of relief. He swallowed a military ration pill to restore his chakra only to find snakes of every size slithering out around him.
Thick or thin, long or short, serpents poked their heads from the trunks of the surrounding trees. Even amid the dense vegetation underfoot, colorful snakes could be glimpsed, their lithe bodies writhing.
"Well, my location is blown."
Sarutobi Enjun sighed, took a bottle from his tool pouch, and gulped down a mouthful of oil.
Unlike during his earlier skirmish with Uchiha Gen, the open forest gave him plenty of chances to use lamp oil. The Two-Headed Snake itself had been driven off when he ignited a large swath of forest with a massive, oil-fueled Fire Style jutsu, disrupting the snakes' infrared senses with flames and their scent-tracking with thick smoke.
But escaping that snake had cost him too much time, allowing the rest of the serpent swarm to surround his position. If he couldn't fight his way out, the Two-Headed Snake and other giant serpents would arrive soon. Worse, Orochimaru must already know what was happening and would be heading this way.
Once Orochimaru arrived, his elimination would be all but certain.
Even though plenty of time remains, I can't afford to conserve chakra any longer. If I break through, I'll still have time to recover and last the full hour; if I can't, I'm finished.
Feeling his chakra replenished under the effect of the Nara Clan's refined ration pill, Sarutobi Enjun puffed out his cheeks.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A dozen minutes later.
Sarutobi Enjun stood panting and blood-stained amid heaps of dead snakes. Three huge serpents among them the very Two-Headed Snake that had harried him ringed him in.
Ordinary serpents were expendable in Ryūchi Cave; only when these stronger snakes died would Orochimaru feel any regret.