As dawn broke, Orochimaru got up from the tatami after a good night's sleep and washed up.
"Erlang, is your hand injured?" a Mist Ninja teammate beside him asked.
Orochimaru glanced down at his 'left hand,' wrapped in bandages, and smiled. "Don't worry. It won't affect the exam."
Because of the rejection from the First Hokage Cells, his left shoulder couldn't accept an ordinary person's arm. To avoid arousing suspicion, Orochimaru had prepared a prosthetic long ago, then wrapped it in bandages to disguise it. An ordinary person would never notice.
As for his slit pupils, he'd covered them with colored contact lenses. They made his eyes look a little dull, but who would pay attention to one little Mist Ninja?
After breakfast, Orochimaru followed the Mist Ninja team in a grand procession toward the Konoha Ninja Academy.
How nostalgic...
When he reached the entrance to the Ninja Academy, nostalgia welled up in Orochimaru's eyes. But behind the dull contact lenses, no one could see what he was thinking.
Just then...
"Naruto Namikaze!!"
Hozuki Suigetsu, at the head of the Mist Ninja team, suddenly leaped forward and bounded up to three Genin wearing Konoha Headbands.
They were Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin!
We meet again so soon, Sasuke Uchiha... Orochimaru's gaze landed on Sasuke and wouldn't move.
Fortunately, dozens of Genin from Kirigakure were watching Naruto and the others, along with Hozuki Suigetsu, who was hopping around in front of them. Sasuke didn't notice anyone plotting against him.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked, looking at Hozuki Suigetsu in confusion.
"You... don't remember me?" Hozuki Suigetsu froze.
Three years ago, he'd gotten into a fight with Naruto. To get back at him, Naruto had shamelessly pulled strings through Hanfu, then gone to the written exam for the first round of the Chunin