In the darkness of the night, Tatsuya and Kyoko walked silently, Tatsuya in front, with Kyoko a step or two behind.
"Tatsuya-san, congratulations on your promotion to Chunin!" After a period of silence, Kyoko's voice broke through the darkness.
"It's just Chunin. I'm sure you'll pass the next Chunin Exam too, Kyoko," Tatsuya stopped, turned to face Kyoko, and smiled brightly. In Kyoko's bright, sparkling eyes, Tatsuya saw the purest form of blessing and joy.
"Yes! I'll do my best, Tatsuya-san!" Under the dim lamplight, with Tatsuya staring directly at her, Kyoko's cheeks rapidly flushed crimson. She lowered her head and whispered, her voice soft but filled with determination. She didn't want to be left behind by Tatsuya because of her lack of strength.
Having said this, the girl seemed to have exhausted all her courage. She lowered her head shyly and ran off.
Watching Kyoko's slender figure receding into the distance, Tatsuya shook his head helplessly. Kyoko was wonderful in every way, except for being a little too shy. Such a personality was rare in the ninja world.
After standing there for a few seconds, Tatsuya resumed his walk home. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The instant he entered, Tatsuya felt his breath catch, his entire body freezing in place. A cold, powerful chakra had already locked onto him in the darkness, preventing him from moving freely.
"Tatsuya-kun, congratulations on your promotion to Chunin!" A raspy, deep voice sounded from within the room.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Hearing the voice, Tatsuya turned his head with difficulty. By the faint light coming through the window, he saw the slender figure standing on the windowsill. His voice was strained.
In Konoha, if there were people Tatsuya feared the most, Orochimaru and Danzo would definitely be at the top of the list. One was a mentally disturbed scientist obsessed with forbidden techniques and immortality, and the other was a true psychopath who committed all sorts of atrocities under the guise of protecting Konoha. Both were utterly ruthless in achieving their goals.
Tatsuya had no desire to become a target for either of them. He had always tried to avoid any involvement with them. Unfortunately, due to the commotion caused by his summon, he had already attracted their attention.
"Hehe, Tatsuya-kun, you seem to be afraid of me?" Casually switching on the lights in the room, Orochimaru fixed his golden, serpentine eyes on Tatsuya with keen interest, his tone light.
"How could that be! I was simply caught off guard by Lord Orochimaru's sudden appearance in my home. You are a hero of the village; I have always held you in high regard!" Having overcome his initial shock and fear, Tatsuya immediately forced himself to calm down and replied respectfully. Compared to the unrestrained Danzo, Orochimaru's actions were, ironically, easier to accept.
"Tatsuya-kun, since you respect me so much, how about becoming my student?" Orochimaru extended his long tongue and licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light as he looked at Tatsuya.
"I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru, I already have a teacher," Tatsuya's body tensed slightly, but he lowered his head and refused without hesitation.
What a joke! What good could come of being Orochimaru's student? You'd either be an experimental lab rat for curse seal research or a spare body for his Immortality Transference. Tatsuya didn't believe he could outsmart someone as strong and intelligent as Orochimaru.
Hearing Tatsuya's reply, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, and the cold chakra in the air solidified further.
Tatsuya, his body slightly bowed, clenched his hands, already preparing to summon Seiryu to resist. Even against the powerful Orochimaru, Tatsuya would not surrender without a fight.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Orochimaru's figure flashed, appearing directly in front of Tatsuya.
Shunshin no Jutsu! (Body Flicker Technique)
Tatsuya, caught completely off guard, raised his hand towards his mouth, preparing to bite his finger and perform the summoning seal to call Seiryu.
Thwack!
Thud!
However, just as Tatsuya raised his right hand, Orochimaru, who had suddenly appeared before him, grabbed it with his left hand. Then, Tatsuya felt a sharp pain in his abdomen as Orochimaru's right fist slammed into him.
The intense pain instantly robbed Tatsuya of his ability to resist. Orochimaru's right hand changed from a fist to an open palm and pressed against Tatsuya's chest. A black sealing formula quickly spread across Tatsuya's abdomen. The Contract Seal was formed in an instant.
In that moment, Tatsuya felt his connection to both Seiryu and Cha-maru severed. Seeing this, Tatsuya simply stopped struggling, giving up all resistance.
Orochimaru held Tatsuya lightly by a vital point, lifting him slightly. In a matter of seconds, Tatsuya had been completely overpowered by the formidable Orochimaru. The immense gap in their power was despair-inducing.
Tatsuya, who had been feeling somewhat smug just moments before due to Seiryu's strength and his successful promotion to Chunin, felt his heart sink to the bottom. At this moment, faced with harsh reality, Tatsuya clearly recognized how weak he still was.
"Tatsuya-kun, what do you say? Have you changed your mind?" Orochimaru's raspy voice sounded in his ear again.
"Lord Orochimaru, I am just an ordinary ninja. I am not worthy of such favor!" His body held captive by Orochimaru, Tatsuya forced himself to answer through the searing pain in his chest and abdomen.
Although Orochimaru's sudden attack had caught him off guard, it hadn't completely crushed Tatsuya's hope. In Konoha, the Akimichi clan was not just any ordinary ninja clan. It was a powerful clan second only to the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. Even someone as strong as Orochimaru wouldn't openly attack a member of the Akimichi clan within their own compound. It wasn't worth the risk for such a minor figure as himself.
"Hehe, Tatsuya-kun, I'm becoming more and more interested in you!" This time, Tatsuya's refusal didn't anger Orochimaru. He suddenly chuckled, his raspy voice filled with amusement.
With that, Orochimaru released his grip on Tatsuya.
Cough! Cough!
Falling to the ground, Tatsuya coughed violently a few times before looking up at Orochimaru.
"Tatsuya-kun, let's make a deal," Orochimaru said calmly, meeting Tatsuya's gaze.
"Lord Orochimaru, what kind of deal do you propose?" Tatsuya's eyes flickered, and he asked tentatively.
"It's simple. I need you to provide me with some cell tissue samples from that ninja snake summon of yours. In return, I will provide your summon with a suitable place to live," Orochimaru said casually.
Seiryu's cell tissue! Tatsuya understood. The mutation that had occurred in Seiryu had caught Orochimaru's attention.
"If Lord Orochimaru desires it, I shall, of course, offer it freely!" After a few seconds of silence, Tatsuya spoke. Since he couldn't resist, he might as well agree readily.
Hearing Tatsuya's prompt agreement, a slight curve formed at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth. His golden, vertical pupils stared intently at Tatsuya. "Very good! Tatsuya-kun, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You are quite impressive!"