Orochimaru let out a slight sigh of relief and slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with fervor. He licked his lips and said, "Is this the power of Mr. Adam? Truly unbelievable. To think it could allow me to instantly reach another place through someone else's dream. This power is incredible!"
This was the first time he truly experienced the power of the 'Path of God.'
This brief, temporary experience undoubtedly intensified Orochimaru's deep desire to obtain the 'Path of God' written on the Blasphemy Slate.
He couldn't wait even for a moment, practically itching to rush to the 'gathering point' immediately.
After a quick transformation into the young man's appearance, Orochimaru slowly opened the bedroom door and stepped into the noisy streets.
Though he had managed to escape from the Second Hokage's watchful eyes through the young man's dream, he was still within Konoha, near the edge of the village, with the Konoha gate not far away.
Watching the bustling crowd, with people chatting about the recent topic of Orochimaru's defection and how he had been beaten by the Hokage, Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh lightly. He wasn't concerned and walked boldly toward the main gate of Konoha.
Once he stepped out of the village gates, he would no longer have to hide his true intentions.
Arriving at the gate, he found it empty. Orochimaru chuckled softly. It seemed everyone had been drawn elsewhere, which was just as well.
Suddenly, a rough hand reached from behind and rested on his shoulder.
As countless thoughts flashed through his mind, wondering if he had been discovered, a hearty, honest voice came from behind: "Ikeda, something big happened. Orochimaru has declared defection. The Second Hokage has ordered us to search for his whereabouts. Once we find him, report immediately."
Orochimaru slowly turned around. The man who had placed his hand on his shoulder was a middle-aged man with a center-parted hairstyle, wearing a green, tight-fitting outfit.
"Well, I didn't expect to run into you here," Orochimaru said with a smirk.
The man sighed, looking troubled, and said, "Looks like we'll have to go together. As you know, I'm not good at searching."
Orochimaru paused for a few seconds in silence, struggling to recall the man's name.
"What's the matter, Ikeda? Don't recognize me?"
The man, whose hair was oily and shiny like a watermelon rind, looked dramatically distressed and said loudly, "No way! I'm Dai! Might Duy! You really forgot me, huh?!"
Might Duy… Oh, now that he mentioned it, Orochimaru vaguely remembered him.
He recalled that this guy was skilled in taijutsu but terribly lacking in other areas. In the end, he had barely made it as a Genin due to pity.
"I didn't forget," Orochimaru said quickly. "I just woke up, my mind's a bit foggy." He casually made up an excuse and added, "Weren't we supposed to search for Orochimaru? Let's go quickly, or he might escape."
"Oh, right, right, right!"
Might Duy couldn't really understand, nodding his head repeatedly.
Just then, a hunched figure blocked their path: "Wait, Duy."
Might Duy, stopped in his tracks, scratched his head, looking confused. "Kosuke, why are you stopping us?"
Kosuke? Maruboshi Kosuke!
Orochimaru's heart shook slightly. He had heard of this name before.
A lifetime of being a Genin, Kosuke's ninja skills were considered above average, on par with a Jōnin. It was said that he had been taught by three Hokage.
Maruboshi Kosuke was dressed simply, with a black pot on his back. However, his face was serious as he quietly drew a short sword from behind his back, his eyes filled with a hint of killing intent. "Duy, you need to look more carefully. That person is not Ikeda!"
"Kosuke-san, stop joking around."
Orochimaru, confident in his disguise, innocently said, "I'm Ikeda. Did you make a mistake?"
"Tch, your disguise is terrible!"
Maruboshi Kosuke sneered. "First off, Ikeda would never call me 'san.' Only Guy would address me like that. Second, Ikeda would never fail to recognize Duy. Just now, your eyes clearly showed you didn't know him. And most importantly, your scent is off!"
"Scent?"
Duy's eyes widened in shock.
"I've spent years in the wild, searching for herbs."
Maruboshi Kosuke rubbed his nose, confidently continuing, "Through years of herb hunting, I've developed an incredible sense of smell. While it's not as good as the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs, it's still more than enough. Just now, when I passed by you, the scent was completely different from Ikeda's!"
"Leaf Village: Strong Fist Whirlwind!"
Might Duy gathered strength and spun around, using centrifugal force to whip his leg at the fake Ikeda.
Bang!
The fake Ikeda was knocked back several steps, but quickly steadied himself, clicking his tongue.
"Time to reveal your true form!"
Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy watched him warily, silently trying to figure out which village had sent this spy posing as Ikeda.
What was this called?
A near victory, just a step away, and yet two Genin had stopped him.
Forget it. There's no need to keep up the disguise anymore.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, silently judging the two in front of him, and a cold smile rose within him.
"One's an Eternal Genin, the other's only good with Taijutsu. I'll take care of them quickly. We're so close now, it doesn't matter if they realize who I am."
Then, he tore off his face mask, revealing his true appearance.
Upon seeing that familiar face, Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy both widened their eyes in shock, staring in disbelief.
"Orochimaru?!"
********
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