"Haah..."
After cutting down another giant snake that had lunged at her, Uchiha Hikari panted slightly, her Sharingan warily scanning the surroundings as she searched for Orochimaru's true body.
He truly was the Third Hokage's most prized student. Even without using high-level ninjutsu, he could display tremendous skill.
He was also adept at reading people and setting traps during battle. She had nearly fallen for his tricks several times.
By now, she had lost a great deal of stamina and spent most of her chakra, yet she still hadn't found Orochimaru's true body. Every time she killed him, it had been one of his clones. Clearly, he was guarding against her genjutsu.
"Time to go!"
Without hesitation, Hikari used Lightning Body Flicker to retreat at high speed, building on her Chidori Godspeed state.
Continuing to fight would put her at a disadvantage. Retreat was the best choice.
Orochimaru emerged from behind a large tree and watched the girl hurry away without pursuing her.
He had experienced just how troublesome she was. Compared to the strength she had shown in the Land of Iron a year ago, she had improved tremendously in every regard.
That made her a real problem. He had thought he could capture her, but he hadn't expected her to improve so much.
And here, he couldn't unleash a massive amount of chakra and use large-scale ninjutsu. If the village sensed it, things would become troublesome.
This Chunin Ninja Exam was unlike the previous ones. The other Four Great Shinobi Villages were participating, too. If he really botched things, even as the Hokage's student, he would suffer for it.
"We'll meet again!"
Licking his lips, Orochimaru sank into the ground and left.
Though he had failed this time, he could always look for another opportunity. He had always