Orochimaru

That out-of-the-blue remark left Naruto and Sasuke stunned.

"Yo, what's wrong? Who's here?" Naruto followed his gaze but saw nothing.

Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan and focused on sensing their surroundings.

But apart from the trees, he couldn't detect any distinct presence.

"Can you feel it?"

Yo looked at Karin.

"I... I..."

Karin began trembling violently, her little face turning deathly pale.

Behind her thick lenses, her eyes widened with fear.

She took an unsteady step backward, staring in that direction as if she'd seen a demon.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?"

Naruto hurriedly asked.

Sasuke quickly shifted his gaze from the woods to Karin. His expression grew more grave, though confusion still showed in his eyes.

What could possibly have frightened this woman so badly?

Karin's voice trembled. "Th-that... over there... the chakra... it's terrifying..."

At her words, Sasuke and Naruto immediately went on high alert. They pulled out their kunai and warily watched that direction.

They didn't know how Karin could sense chakra.

But the Forest of Death was full of danger, and they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

"Heh heh heh..."

A hoarse, chilling laugh drifted over, its eerie echo raising goosebumps.

The laugh alone seemed to carry a tangible chill, lowering the temperature around them.

As they watched,

a figure wearing a broad hat strolled out of the shadows.

She wore an Otogakure forehead protector and a loose robe, her face concealed beneath the shadow of her hat.

All they could see was a long tongue, like a snake's, constantly licking her lips.

The tongue was bright red, and its movements held the greedy air of a predator sizing up its prey.

The hat tilted up slightly, revealing golden, slit-pupiled eyes. They swept over the trembling Karin, and a playful voice spoke:

"Red hair? Are you a little brat from the Uzumaki Clan?"

Then the gaze shifted to Naruto, and finally settled on Yo and Sasuke.

When it caught sight of the tomoe in Sasuke's eyes, the golden pupils gleamed.

"How interesting... How very interesting... The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and the last two Uchiha!"

"And now there's an Uzumaki descendant, too... Heh heh heh!"

Orochimaru's laughter suddenly rose in pitch, brimming with the feverish cruelty of someone who'd discovered rare test subjects.

"This Chunin Ninja Exam is so much fun! What a wonderful surprise you've given me!"

Orochimaru was laughing.

But Naruto and Sasuke's faces had gone pale, their eyes filled with terror.

Killing intent!

An almost tangible killing intent, like an invisible hammer, slammed into their minds.

They felt their bodies stop obeying them. Even breathing became difficult.

Their legs felt as heavy as lead, pinning them in place so they couldn't move at all.

Karin had already crumpled to the ground, trembling all over.

Of the four, only Yo remained standing straight, his expression calm.

He watched the figure approach, completely unaffected.

"Orochimaru, you're one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, for goodness' sake."

"You can't go around picking on kids just because they're down on their luck!"

"Otherwise, when we come after you in the future, you'll say we're bullying an old man!"

Orochimaru was only acting tough now. Once Naruto and Sasuke grew up, either of them could beat him senseless.

"Hmm?"

Orochimaru paused, and his tongue stopped licking his lips.

A hint of surprise showed in his golden, slit-pupiled eyes as they settled on Yo.

"Oh? So my name still carries quite a reputation."

"Even a little brat from Konoha like you knows who I am?"

"But I'm curious... How did you recognize me?"

"I don't look much like the person in the wanted posters, do I?"

"That's easy!"

Yo's tone remained casual, with even a hint of disdain.

"In the entire shinobi world, who else could be this revolting, if not you, Orochimaru?"

The answer was blunt, crude, and even a little insulting, but somehow... impossible to argue with.

Orochimaru froze for a moment, apparently not expecting such an "attack on his appearance."

Then he let out an even lower, raspier laugh.

"What an interesting little brat... Since you know it's me, aren't you afraid?"

Orochimaru's voice sounded like a snake hissing. His killing intent grew even more concentrated, surging like an icy tide.

Being personally insulted by a brat had made Orochimaru furious.

"Afraid? Of course I am!"

Yo's lips curled into a smile. "But more than being afraid of you, Orochimaru... I want to... take you down!"

"Oh?"

Orochimaru narrowed his slit-pupiled eyes.

"Let's see what gives a little brat like you the nerve to have such an outrageous thought!"

The instant the words left his mouth,

Orochimaru vanished from where he stood without warning!

In the next moment,

he appeared like a phantom behind Yo. A monstrous snake shot out of his wide sleeve like lightning.

It instantly wrapped around Yo, squeezing him tight. The snake's body constricted with a grating, bone-chilling creak.

Orochimaru's long tongue flicked out, and his cold voice whispered in Yo's ear. "You're too slow, brat!"

"Am I?"

Yo smiled.

Chidori Flow!

CRACKLE!!!!

A blinding flash of azure lightning erupted from Yo's entire body like an erupting volcano.

The brown snake coiled around him took the full brunt of it. It spasmed violently, charred and carbonized, then turned to ash in an instant.

Orochimaru, standing right beside him, was struck hard by the lightning.

"Ugh!"

Orochimaru grunted as his body convulsed violently in the current.

His skin blackened and cracked, his hair stood on end, and before long he had become a charred corpse.

Thud!

The blackened "Orochimaru" fell flat on his back, hitting the ground.

But it turned into a puddle of murky water that quickly seeped into the earth.

"D-did he die?" Naruto stared at the puddle on the ground, both shocked and delighted, and cried out in a trembling voice.

"No!"

Yo dispersed the lightning around his body and calmly scanned his surroundings.

"If Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, could be taken out that easily, he wouldn't deserve the name."

With the way things had changed, Orochimaru was an early-series boss who barely mattered later on.

But when it came to staying alive, few in the shinobi world could match Snake Guy!

Sure enough!

Hissss!

A snake's hiss, enough to make their scalps crawl, suddenly rang out.

The next moment,

to Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin's horrified stares, the ground ahead and to the side of them exploded.

Dirt flew everywhere as a massive python, thicker than a water barrel and covered in deep brown scales, burst out of the earth.

The snake reared high, its icy eyes looking down at them as its scarlet tongue flickered in and out.

The giant snake then opened its jaws. Saliva stretched between its teeth as a wet figure slowly crawled out.

It was Orochimaru!

His body seemed boneless as he slid out of the snake's mouth in a way that defied reason, then landed steadily on the ground.

His golden, slit-pupiled eyes fixed on Yo once more. His long tongue swept across his lips, and his voice held undisguised admiration.

"Not bad lightning release... Was that Kakashi's Chidori?"

"No!"

"It wasn't an ordinary Chidori! You changed its form!"

"To think you'd come up with a way to counterattack instantly like that. Brat, you're making me more and more interested!"

"Ugh... That's disgusting! Why won't this guy die already?"

Naruto and Sasuke stared at Orochimaru, their stomachs churning.

At the same time, they were terrified by his eerie, almost immortal ability. It was far too unnatural!

Yo had expected this. "Thank you for the praise, Orochimaru."

"Heh heh heh..."

Orochimaru laughed lowly, his long tongue once again sliding slowly over his lips.

"Then... let's see if you can bring me even more... surprises."

Before he'd even finished speaking,

Orochimaru suddenly leaned forward and flattened himself against the ground, opening his mouth. "Ninjutsu: Myriad Serpent Formation!"