"Is that Jiraiya?"
Orochimaru stared fixedly at the swaying tree. In all of Konoha, there was only one person who could make him feel this way: Jiraiya.
Sasuke and Sakura also looked toward the tree, their hearts full of anxiety. They were afraid another monster like Orochimaru would appear.
"Since you're here, stop hiding."
Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals and summoned a giant snake. In an instant, it flattened the tree in the distance, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
A breeze passed by, slowly scattering the dust that filled the air.
A handsome, delicate-featured young man with flowing long hair stood steadily atop the giant snake.
The raging snake became docile in that moment.
A closer look revealed its body trembling slightly, its eyes filled with fear.
It was like a ferocious beast suddenly encountering its natural enemy—one capable of crushing it with ease.
"Ye Fan?!"
Sasuke and Sakura stared in astonishment at the figure on the snake.
Orochimaru's expression turned complicated as he began to examine Ye Fan very carefully.
This was the first time he had truly taken a close look at Ye Fan.
Until now, he hadn't given this Uchiha with no Kekkei Genkai a second thought.
But after what he had just sensed, he began to take Ye Fan seriously.
He realized Ye Fan wasn't as simple as he appeared.
Orochimaru had absolute faith in his instincts. They had never been wrong.
"Orochimaru, did I interrupt you?" Ye Fan asked softly, his expression calm.
"What?!"
"He's Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin?!"
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened like saucers.
Only now did they understand what kind of person they had just faced.
At once, countless questions arose in their minds.
Why had Orochimaru, a rogue ninja from Konoha, chosen to take part in the Chunin Ninja Exams?
Sasuke's feelings were even more complicated. He realized that what Orochimaru had just told him—that he should come to him if he wanted power—might actually be true.
And Orochimaru really might be able to give him enough power to defeat Itachi!
At the thought, Sasuke's expression grew troubled, and he hesitated.
On one hand, he desperately needed power. On the other, he didn't want to betray Konoha.
If he really chose to follow Orochimaru, the consequences were obvious.
"Sasuke, Orochimaru might be able to give you power in a short time, but it wouldn't be enough to defeat Itachi."
Ye Fan had seen through Sasuke's thoughts and spoke slowly.
"All he can offer you is the Cursed Seal. A trick like that can never last."
At the mention of the Cursed Seal, Orochimaru's expression turned serious.
He realized Ye Fan seemed to know quite a bit about him.
Sasuke, meanwhile, was completely lost. He had no idea what Ye Fan was talking about.
"Sasuke, you can't go with Orochimaru. If you do, you'll be betraying Konoha, and the village will hunt you down forever!"
Sakura saw that Sasuke was tempted and hurriedly spoke up.
She couldn't bear to watch Sasuke set out on a path of no return.
Sasuke's mind was in turmoil as he stared at Ye Fan, lost in thought.
Ye Fan was someone he had sworn to kill, yet the strength Ye Fan had shown in the first exam was far beyond his own.
And now, even the legendary Sannin Orochimaru seemed wary of Ye Fan.
That made Sasuke even more conflicted. It seemed the farther he went, the farther away he was from getting his revenge.
"Heh, Ye Fan, you're young, but you sure talk big."
"Just a Cursed Seal? A mere trick?"
"You have no idea what someone with a perfect Cursed Seal can do!"
Orochimaru was deeply displeased by Ye Fan's words.
The Cursed Seal was a research achievement he was immensely proud of!
"I was planning to come find you once I was done here. Since you've come to me yourself, that saves me the trouble."
Orochimaru licked his lips. He decided to use Ye Fan's body as a temporary vessel, then switch to Sasuke's once he had grown enough.
During his earlier test, Sasuke had earned his approval. He only needed to get a little older to qualify as Orochimaru's vessel.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Sasuke with the Sharingan was far better than Ye Fan without it.
"Orochimaru, can you really give me the power to defeat Itachi and kill Ye Fan?"
"If you can, I'll go with you!"
Facing the person he had sworn to kill, Sasuke made up his mind.
As long as he could get revenge, he would even sell his soul to the god of death.
"Sasuke! What are you saying? He's Orochimaru, a rogue ninja from Konoha! How can you believe him?"
Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she clutched Sasuke's clothes and pleaded with him.
"Get lost!"
Sasuke swung his arm and hurled Sakura away, slamming her into the ground.
Once he had calmed down, he sorted a few things out. Orochimaru wasn't trying to kill him!
If Orochimaru really wanted him dead, he could do it in the blink of an eye. There was no need for all this trouble.
He didn't understand Orochimaru's true motives, but as long as he could give him power, Sasuke didn't care about anything else!
Seeing that Sasuke had made his choice, Orochimaru's lips curled into a wicked smile.
"Heh, I can't give you the power to kill Uchiha Itachi in a short time, but I might be able to give you enough to kill Ye Fan."
"Besides, I can promise you this: in no more than five years, you'll have the power to kill Itachi with your own hands!"
"Five years?" Sasuke murmured, becoming even more determined to go with Orochimaru.
Ye Fan gave a disdainful laugh. "Orochimaru, you're really something—like an old cow touching a power line, sparking all the way. You're insanely full of yourself!"
"You're not even a match for Uchiha Itachi, yet you think you can give Sasuke the power to kill him?"
"And what's even more ridiculous is that you think you can give him the power to kill me in a short time? Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about your own strength?"
"I've summed up your chances of killing me: there's only one way—you'll have to wait until I die of old age!"
"Heh, Uchiha Ye Fan, you sure are confident. Let's see if your strength is as solid as your mouth!"
"Sasuke, I'll kill Ye Fan for you. If you want real revenge, go kill your brother!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru hurled a Wind Style technique at Ye Fan.
The gale, sharp as a blade, tore through countless trees as it swept toward him.
Ye Fan felt the terrifying force of the Wind Style technique, but his heart remained still and undisturbed.
Bang!
Ye Fan shattered the Wind Style technique with one punch. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Orochimaru, throwing another punch at his head.
Boom!
Orochimaru's body shot backward like a bullet fired from a gun, smashing through more than ten towering trees.
Before Orochimaru could react, Ye Fan rushed over and kicked him again.
Orochimaru's body flew into the air once more.
A flurry of blows rained down on Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, if you want my body, show me some real skill."
"Like that Impure World Reincarnation you prepared in advance!"
Ye Fan leaned close to Orochimaru's ear and spoke softly.
At his words, Orochimaru's eyes widened, his thoughts churning like a storm.
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