Swish!
With a swift motion of the knife, several figures lurking in the woods were cleaved in two. Hatake Kakashi, however, immediately turned to Naruto with a serious expression.
"Naruto, we've been discovered. I'll cover your retreat," he said firmly.
'Snake ninjutsu? Shouldn't it be the Fourth Hokage dealing with this at this time?' Kakashi quickly assessed the situation, considering the ninja known for summoning strange figures.
Other than Orochimaru, there was only his disciple Anko. As for Orochimaru's other apprentice, Nawaki, he hadn't mastered snake-based techniques.
"Such fluid, graceful swordsmanship—like flowing clouds and water. I didn't expect anyone else in the ninja world to know Sakumo-senpai's Hatake sword technique."
The cold, hoarse voice came from nearby, sending chills through the dark forest.
"And those eyes… they bear a striking resemblance to Sakumo-senpai's. Are you a hidden ninja of the Hatake clan?"
The next second, Kakashi noticed two giant pythons lunging toward him at an alarming speed.
Shua! Shua!
Two white streaks of light flashed, followed by faint sparks of thunder. Kakashi slashed through the pythons in one swift motion.
However, his sharp eyes caught something troubling: the snakes' bellies were lined with detonating tags. A cold sweat broke on his brow as he processed the danger.
Just as he and Naruto leapt to safety, Kakashi realized something odd—the detonating tags were fake.
In the stillness of the night, this had to be a deliberate distraction. Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, wouldn't make such a blatant move without reason.
'His real target is Naruto!'
Kakashi's mind raced. Orochimaru had been testing his strength, gauging his abilities. But his real plan, Kakashi now realized, was already in motion.
A younger, less experienced target would be easier prey.
As if on cue, the Orochimaru they had seen earlier dissolved—it was merely an earth clone. The real Orochimaru had already moved in on Naruto.
A sharp hissing sound filled the jungle as several snakes emerged from the shadows. Uzumaki Naruto, who had just landed on a tree branch, found himself entangled by six or seven figures.
The serpents coiled tighter, threatening to crush him. This was Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, a technique perfect for subduing opponents.
"Hiss…"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile. But then, something unexpected happened.
As the snakes tightened their grip on Naruto, a soft, milky-white halo suddenly surrounded his body. The shield-like aura nullified the serpents' hold, preventing them from sinking their fangs into him.
"What ninjutsu is this?" Orochimaru muttered, his curiosity piqued. "You seem to be of… significant research value."
The serpents, now limp, fell to the ground, lifeless. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru. They may not be enemies," a calm voice echoed from the forest.
A figure stepped out of the shadows—it was Kain.
Both Kakashi and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of him. Naruto, however, looked especially excited.
At Kain's words, Orochimaru paused, retracting his intent to attack.
"Not enemies? Kain-san," Orochimaru asked, his interest now redirected, "do you know these two?"
After taking a closer look at Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi, Kain turned to Orochimaru and said, "I have a few ideas about them. Leave them to me. As for what we discussed earlier..."
"It can wait until we return to the village," Orochimaru interrupted with a smile. "I doubt they have the energy to start a war in Sand Shinobi Village anytime soon."
He then added, "The two fire dragons I gave to Minato are special. Once summoned in Sand Shinobi Village, they'll prove very effective."
With that, Orochimaru turned and began walking toward Kikyo Castle. The matter between him and Kain wasn't urgent; it could wait until they returned to discuss further.
Once Orochimaru left, only Kain, Uzumaki Naruto, and Hatake Kakashi remained. Kain spoke up, "You… you must have come from the future."
"Wow! You guessed it right away!" Naruto exclaimed, his face lighting up in surprise. He walked up to Kain with a smirk. "Then why don't you guess my identity too?"
Kain observed Naruto carefully before replying, "I rarely give alchemy items to anyone outside my family. And even if I do, they always contain black magic. Yet, the item you're wearing is clearly my alchemical creation."
He then shifted his attention to Kakashi. "As for you—white hair, a mask, and the White Fang sword technique. Only Hatake Kakashi in the entire ninja world matches this description."
As he watched Naruto's cheerful yet somewhat naive demeanor, Kain couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was his descendant.
The boy's personality reminded him of Kushina, though his actions seemed far less sharp. Still, no one in the ninja world could craft the alchemical items Naruto possessed except Kain himself.
"You two, put your hands on me," Kain instructed. "We'll talk somewhere else."
Naruto and Kakashi exchanged a brief glance before obediently placing their hands on Kain.
Though Kain's appearance hadn't changed much from ten years into the future, the sternness in his voice made both Naruto and Kakashi acutely aware of the gravity of the situation.
In the next instant, the three of them disappeared through Apparition.
….
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