"This new body is far inferior to Sasuke."
Under the moonlight, a pair of vertical, snake-like pupils surfaced, calmly observing their surroundings.
The faucet hadn't been turned off properly. Drip after drip fell into a sink piled high with dirty dishes.
The stovetop hadn't been wiped down after cooking. Grease coated the surface, echoing the soot-stained walls nearby. The whole place felt even filthier because of it.
So…
I'm in a kitchen?
Orochimaru rolled his neck, then stuck out his tongue out of habit.
A sharp pain shot through the corner of his mouth.
The scab there split open. Blood immediately welled up.
He curled his tongue and tasted it.
This blood…
Fresh.
The temperature was fine too. 36.3 degrees. No sign of illness.
"At least this body is healthy."
While evaluating his new vessel, Orochimaru slowly scanned the small kitchen.
No traps. No traces of ninjutsu. It looked like an ordinary civilian home.
Thinking that, he casually picked up the main kitchen knife from the counter and gave it a light spin between his fingers.
"Not as flexible as a kunai, but it'll do."
He slid the knife behind his waist and instinctively retreated into a corner, coiling himself like a snake ready to strike.
He was being this cautious because something had gone wrong with his Immortality Jutsu.
The exact reason wasn't clear yet. For now, he could only suspect the Third Hokage's Reaper Death Seal.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. His focus snapped inward.
This was instinct, the kind only forged on battlefields. It let him stay calm and dissect the situation.
First, he wasn't trapped in genjutsu. The sharp pain from his torn wound should have broken any ordinary illusion.
Second, this body was definitely not Gen'yūmaru's. There was foreign energy inside it. Possibly an unknown Kekkei Genkai.
And finally…
This body was abysmal.
It had never refined Chakra even once. Its physical strength was worse than a fresh ninja academy student.
The situation was dangerous. He couldn't afford carelessness.
While staying alert to every sound around him, Orochimaru worked frantically to refine Chakra inside his body.
He didn't need much. Just enough to match a ninja academy student would be sufficient. That would allow him to use Substitution Jutsu and gain a bit of protection.
Just as he was calculating how much Chakra he'd managed to gather, a sound suddenly drifted over from afar…
A hiccup.
Then another. A string of drunken hiccups, followed by a suffocating stench of alcohol.
A trap meant to lower my guard?
Orochimaru's pupils narrowed, and a cold smile crept onto his face.
He liked enemies who thought they were clever.
He shrank deeper into the shadows, until it felt like his entire body had melted into the darkness.
At the same time, approaching footsteps drew closer.
"Slake! Your mom's a freak, and you're a little freak too!" The man kicked the kitchen door open and roared inside. "I'm gonna beat you to death and knock that weird power right out of you!"
Orochimaru listened calmly, as relaxed as if he were watching a windmill turn in the breeze.
He already had a solid guess about where he was.
The Land of Water.
Only the foolish Kirigakure would harbor this much hatred toward Kekkei Genkai.
Which meant his new body likely belonged to the son of a female ninja with a Kekkei Genkai, someone who'd changed her name and lived in hiding.
She must have been discovered by her husband, forced to flee, leaving behind a child who'd never received ninja training and hadn't even awakened his Kekkei Genkai.
Orochimaru felt confident in his deduction.
Still, it wasn't enough. He needed confirmation.
He checked the amount of Chakra he'd refined.
It was still low. Likely because the unknown Kekkei Genkai was interfering with Chakra refinement. But it was enough now to cast a single jutsu.
Thinking that, Orochimaru smiled darkly. A flicker of anticipation gleamed in his vertical pupils.
Then he let out a panicked scream:
"Dad, please don't turn me in! I'm begging you!"
"Little monster! Who said you could call me Dad!" The man outside bellowed and charged in.
Orochimaru gave his opponent a quick once-over out of habit.
Large build. Similar to someone from the Akimichi Clan. But his hair color was strange. Blond, with a big bald patch.
Judging by his footsteps and breathing…
A civilian.
Orochimaru didn't like civilians. They lacked research value.
Except on the battlefield. There, they were quick to kill.
Conclusion: no threat.
Move.
Eight hand seals flashed by in an instant. To ensure the jutsu's effectiveness, Orochimaru even murmured its name.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Snake Abyss Technique!"
This was a new jutsu Orochimaru had recently developed. It combined elements of Headhunter Jutsu, Death Mirage Jutsu, and a trace of his Snake Clone Jutsu.
Once someone was caught, they would experience…
"Snakes! Why are there snakes biting me! Bastard, what did you do to me!"
The man screamed in agony.
There was nothing around him but scattered trash, yet blood seeped from his skin as if real snakes were sinking their fangs into him.
And by the way…
His entire body was now buried in the kitchen floor tiles, with only his head exposed.
Orochimaru didn't reveal himself right away.
He stayed hidden in the shadows for a while, observing. Then he shook his head in disappointment.
He didn't sense any Mist Ninja Chakra nearby.
In other words…
His trap hadn't caught any real prey.
With a faint sigh, Orochimaru slid out of the shadows like a snake and glided up beside the man.
The next moment, the cold tip of the knife pressed against the man's face.
"I'm not a patient ninja. So I'd appreciate it if you answered my questions properly and didn't make things difficult for me."
Before the man could reply, Orochimaru drew a cut across his face.
It wasn't long, but it was deep.
Blood immediately spilled out, flowing like a tiny spring.
Orochimaru smiled and decided to apply a bit more pressure.
He licked the blood.
Just as expected, the man started trembling in terror.
"Oh, almost forgot. I don't like the taste of drunk blood. Try not to drink so much next time, all right?"
"What kind of ninja are you!" the man cried. "You're just like your mother. Both of you are crazy. Completely crazy!"
Seems this place is remote enough that no one's even heard of ninja.
That's good.
I can hide here for a while. Maybe study this new body's Kekkei Genkai too.
It's something I've never seen before.
While thinking that, Orochimaru lightly scraped the man's face with the kitchen knife, shaving off his thick beard.
His chin became smooth, like an egg. As if that made it easier for Orochimaru to cut him next.
At least, that's what the man thought. He was so terrified he didn't even dare to shake anymore.
"My dear Dad, could you tell me where we are?"
"You lunatic! You little monster…"
"Dad. Say something useful. I don't have much patience."
"Privet Drive! This is your home!"
A place name he'd never heard before.
Not satisfied, Orochimaru decided to be more specific.
"Which of the Five Great Nations does Privet Drive belong to? Which village? And how far is it from the Five Great Ninja Villages?"
"And also, my dear Dad, I still find it hard to believe that anyone in this world wouldn't know what a ninja is."
"So please think carefully before you answer. Give it some real thought."
Orochimaru's vertical pupils glimmered faintly as he spoke, perfectly polite.