This kid...
He's still mocking me!
As one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, renowned throughout the entire ninja world, Orochimaru was finding it hard to contain himself, being so contemptuously dismissed by a mere child!
Orochimaru abruptly raised his arm, and several brown serpents suddenly slithered out from his sleeve, causing a chill to run down anyone's spine!
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Countless snakes bared their sharp, poisonous fangs and lunged at Uchiha Sasuke. Each one was venomous enough to incapacitate any ninja with just one bite!
"Chidori!"
Suddenly, a mass of lightning appeared in Uchiha Sasuke's hand! With the boost of the Cursed Seal Chakra, the lightning turned silver, cutting through the myriad snake heads like a sharp blade!
The black-haired boy spread the black wings on his back, propelling his body rapidly toward Orochimaru, the silver lightning shining brightly in Orochimaru's eyes!
"Too fast!"
Orochimaru's pupils widened in shock, and he quickly retreated, but not before Sasuke's silver Chidori severed his arm in a split second!
Crash!
A nearby large tree was also destroyed by the Chidori!
Orochimaru looked at his severed arm and then opened his mouth wide. Two arms emerged directly from his mouth as another Orochimaru crawled out!
This was Orochimaru's Substitution technique! By expending a large amount of chakra, he could heal all injuries!
Just as Orochimaru shed his skin and emerged, he spat out a sharp Kusanagi sword, which fell into his hand instantly!
Clang!
A ninja sword covered in Lightning Release chakra struck down!
Orochimaru raised the Kusanagi sword to block, but his body was paralyzed by the electric current, forcing him to release the sword and leap back!
"Wind Release..."
Orochimaru swiftly began forming hand signs to release his jutsu!
Sasuke suddenly threw his ninjas sword, charged with Lightning Release chakra, like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, it pinned Orochimaru to the ground, paralyzing his body with electricity!
Orochimaru opened his mouth wide again!
Another Orochimaru with a snake tail quickly crawled out of his mouth. This substitution technique allowed him to escape any perilous situation rapidly!
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Sasuke raised his fingers and spat out numerous fireballs!
Each fireball rapidly expanded, falling toward Orochimaru's escape path, igniting the forest vegetation as they exploded!
Intense explosions continuously erupted in the forest!
Even a basic C-rank Fire Release technique used by the Uchiha clan, when enhanced by the Cursed Seal mode, was wielded by Sasuke with extraordinary power. In the real world, Sasuke had even trained under Uchiha Madara for a time, mastering the Uchiha clan's Fire Release techniques to perfection!
Orochimaru was left with almost no way to escape!
"Feel despair..."
Sasuke casually formed a hand seal, his body suspended in mid-air by his wings, looking down at Orochimaru with disdain.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A gigantic fireball descended from the sky like a meteor!
The entire forest saw a burst of flames reaching for the sky in an instant. When the fireball hit the ground, it turned into a sea of fire, igniting the surrounding forest and lighting up the sky!
Outside the Forest of Death's examination site.
A group of examiners watched in horror.
No one had expected that someone could use such a powerful Fire Release technique in the second Chunin Exam, a level of power that would make any ninja specializing in Fire Release feel ashamed!
In the monitoring room for the second exam.
Since the cameras could not cover the entire Forest of Death, the Konoha higher-ups observing could only see the meteor-like fireball and the flames spreading in one area of the forest.
"..."
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, puffed on his pipe, exhaling a long ring of smoke, unable to calm the shock in his heart.
As a ninja most proficient in Fire Release techniques, Hiruzen had never mastered such a powerful jutsu. This time, the genin participating in the Chunin Exam were extraordinarily strong!
"Investigate..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his pipe, maintaining the composure of a Hokage: "Which class is this ninja from?"
"It should be Sasuke..."
Hatake Kakashi scratched his cheek, looking up at the ceiling of the monitoring room: "Other than Sasuke, no one else is proficient in Fire Release..."
"I remember Sasuke is only twelve this year, right?"
Konoha's advisor, Homura Mitokado, widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at Hatake Kakashi: "His Fire Release technique already has this level of power?"
"He's a bit too strong..."
Another advisor, Koharu Utatane, sighed deeply as if recalling something: "A child of the Uchiha clan... another genius like Itachi?"
"..."
"This kid is even more terrifying than Itachi..."
Orochimaru, enduring the scorching flames, did not use Water Release techniques to extinguish the fire, as his Water Release could not counter such powerful Fire Release.
Facing Uchiha Sasuke directly, Orochimaru knew better than anyone how terrifying this twelve-year-old boy truly was!
"No..."
"I must conserve enough chakra..."
Orochimaru gritted his teeth, shedding his skin once more, transforming his lower body into a serpent. Ignoring the burning pain, he swiftly fled towards the edge of the flames: "The arrogance of the Uchiha... does this kid think I am truly at his mercy?"
In the forest.
Sasuke's figure hovered.
The black-haired boy fixed his gaze on Orochimaru, his wings flapping rapidly as he relentlessly pursued!
As Orochimaru finally escaped the flames, Sasuke landed, his wings creating a gust of wind that scattered the approaching flames!
The gust messed up Orochimaru's hair!
"Stop running, Orochimaru..."
Substantial Lightning Release chakra appeared on Sasuke's body. He intercepted Orochimaru, his arm striking Orochimaru's body!
"This is..."
Orochimaru's eyes widened in disbelief!
This move...
It looked familiar, a high-level Lightning Release taijutsu move that only higher-ups members of Cloud Village like the Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki could learn!
"Liger Bomb!"
Sasuke's arm instantly split Orochimaru's body in two!
"..."
Orochimaru's upper half fell to the ground, his eyes still reflecting shock, unable to believe Sasuke's jutsu.
Is this a joke?
Is this kid really a genin of Konoha or the Raikage of Cloud Village?
Blood...
Flowed on the ground...
Orochimaru's two halves lay motionless, seemingly killed by Sasuke in that move.
"Hmph..."
Sasuke casually retracted his chakra, looking at Orochimaru's severed body, and coldly said: "Enough pretending. If one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, could be killed by me so easily, it would be too disappointing..."
Before he finished speaking…
The upper and lower halves of Orochimaru's body simultaneously sprouted serpents, which quickly began to intertwine, and his body merged once more.
"Have you realized the gap between us?"
"No matter the ability, I am far superior to you. Even if I use the most troublesome methods, killing you would be as easy as turning my hand…"
Uchiha Sasuke looked down at Orochimaru, who was rising from the ground, and coldly questioned, "Now, have you found the person I want?"
"If Sasuke-kun could satisfy my curiosity…"
Orochimaru's body slowly rose.
Along with him, doubts began to surface in his mind. Compared to other matters, he was more curious about where Uchiha Sasuke had learned the secret techniques of the Cloud Village, techniques that only successive Raikages could master!
A mere Konoha Genin…
How did he obtain those secret techniques?
But…
Orochimaru would soon get his answers.
Because the little white snake quickly brought back news of Yakushi Kabuto's whereabouts.
Yakushi Kabuto and his two teammates were all Orochimaru's subordinates. When they saw Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke appear, they were somewhat surprised.
However, Uchiha Sasuke didn't care about that. Upon seeing Yakushi Kabuto, he immediately asked a question: "Kabuto-senpai, could you please tell me where Akihara Kagura is?"
"..."
Yakushi Kabuto was momentarily bewildered.
Although he quickly suppressed his confusion, it was still caught by Uchiha Sasuke, who was staring intently at him.
Damn it!
This world's Yakushi Kabuto doesn't know Akihara Kagura!
"Then what about Dean Yakushi Nono?"
Uchiha Sasuke looked at Yakushi Kabuto and asked another question, not willing to give up hope: "After the second exam, I want to meet Dean Yakushi Nono…"
The entire higher-ups of Konoha knew…
The Dean of the Konoha Orphanage, Yakushi Nono, had a deep relationship with Akihara Kagura. It was only because Yakushi Kabuto and Akihara Kagura always worked together that people overlooked the Dean.
In fact…
Akihara Kagura always respected the Dean, treating her like a mother. Dean Yakushi Nono also always felt guilty towards Akihara Kagura, even knowing that Akihara Kagura was an outsider, she still considered him a child of her orphanage.
"..."
Yakushi Kabuto's face changed.
The young man with grayish-white hair slowly lowered his head after hearing the familiar name of Yakushi Nono. He took off his glasses and began to wipe them slowly.
"..."
A peculiar smile suddenly appeared on Orochimaru's lips.
There's a flaw!
This Uchiha Sasuke knows a lot!
Because this Uchiha Sasuke knew about Yakushi Kabuto and Yakushi Nono, he even knew about their close relationship!
However…
This Uchiha Sasuke didn't know everything!
Because this Uchiha Sasuke didn't know what had happened between Yakushi Nono and Yakushi Kabuto, he didn't know that Yakushi Nono had long been killed by Shimura Danzo's conspiracy, at the hands of the child she worried about the most, Yakushi Kabuto!
"The Dean has long passed away…"
Yakushi Kabuto wiped his glasses and did not hide his past, speaking calmly: "I personally caused the Dean's death…"
"Impossible!"
Uchiha Sasuke quickly retorted and made his voice gentle: "Don't worry, Kabuto-senpai, I won't harm Dean Yakushi Nono…"
Such a lie is too unconvincing, isn't it?
Everyone in Konoha and the entire ninja world knew how much Yakushi Kabuto respected his adoptive mother Yakushi Nono. How could he possibly harm her?
No…
Wait…
Uchiha Sasuke suddenly remembered something, recalling the disgusting things done by the first head of the Root, Shimura Danzo, and the origins of hatred between his real-world brother and Akihara Kagura. He said a name slowly, word by word.
"Because… Shimura Danzo?"
"Yes…"
Orochimaru's smile grew brighter, and he said with a grin: "I witnessed Yakushi Nono's death myself, Danzo wanted to eliminate them…"
"..."
Uchiha Sasuke's mind went blank for a moment.
It wasn't the news of Yakushi Nono's death that shocked him…
But Uchiha Sasuke's mind instinctively began to ponder…
In this world…
Is Akihara Kagura truly gone?
Without Akihara Kagura…
Would such a thing happen in this world?
A death?
Has this world's Dean Yakushi Nono died?
Without Akihara Kagura, Yakushi Nono and Yakushi Kabuto fell victim to Shimura Danzo's conspiracy, leading to Yakushi Nono being killed by the child who always respected her, Yakushi Kabuto?
This world is clearly a reflection of the real world, everything continuing according to the real world's trajectory. Team 7 took the mission to the Land of Waves, then participated in the Chunin Exams upon returning. How could it deviate to such an extent?
If Yakushi Nono is dead…
Then the surviving clan members in the real world…
Uchiha Sasuke's mind was blank, recalling the night of the blood moon, remembering his brother wielding the butcher's knife. Could those clan members still survive?
No…
No…
This has nothing to do with me.
It's fine…
This is just an illusory world…
This is just a world I inexplicably arrived at…
Uchiha Sasuke's mindset quickly calmed down. He always considered himself an outsider in this world, not caring about anything here, and his feelings towards the people in this world were merely reflections of his real-world friends…
"Whew…"
Uchiha Sasuke's mind became completely calm.
Because he is the third generation leader of the Root in the real world, he has experienced the most painful things in this world. He was constantly trapped in a cycle of gaining and losing, and his mind had long become unbreakable!
He once had the world's warmest love, only to lose it all in one night; he had once found new hope, only to have it shattered in a day!
It doesn't matter…
No need to care…
No need to care too much…
This world is just an illusion, unrelated to him. He is merely a passerby in this world, existing in the true reality.
This illusory world…
Is just a distraction for his mind…
"Sasuke-kun…"
"You seem to have some unusual experiences…"
Orochimaru said softly, his smile penetrating everything: "Sasuke-kun, you seem to know me very well, and you respect Kabuto even more than I do. This seems somewhat illogical…"
"It seems…"
"Sasuke-kun's experiences must be quite extraordinary."
Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Sasuke in front of him, spreading his hands and softly inviting: "I wonder if we have the honor of knowing a bit about them?"
~~~
This is getting exciting! Author still cooking on Extras