Orochimaru with a Tongue Stretched Out So Long

At noon, Houka got up and headed toward the Kurama Clan.

Although the Kurama Clan had fallen from grace, there were still quite a few members, though most were only genin or chunin. Aside from their noteworthy genjutsu, everything else was... well, let's just say it was underwhelming!

Entering the home of Kurama Murakumo, Houka navigated the familiar path to the backyard, where the horse-faced, gloomy man Kurama Murakumo had been waiting for quite some time.

"Kid, you've been learning genjutsu from me for over two months now. Let me see just how far your mastery has actually come."

Kurama Murakumo got straight to the point and immediately cast a genjutsu at him.

The space distorted instantly, and huge green plants shot up from the ground. Looking closely, they were actually pea plants, grown to an absurd, massive size.

Kurama Murakumo's upper body emerged from one of the peas, sneering as he fired off a barrage of shuriken.

"Remember, if you get hurt in a genjutsu, the damage will be reflected in the real world!"

"This level of trickery can't hurt me."

Houka drew a kunai to deflect the shuriken, his internal chakra fluctuating in speed as he tried to dispel the illusion.

But the massive peas around him kept multiplying, pressing in frantically.

"It's useless. If this is all you've learned, then I can only say it's a pity, kid!" Kurama Murakumo's shuriken became increasingly sharp and tricky... aiming specifically for my crotch—are you a pervert?!

Houka was furious and immediately activated the Eight Inner Gates.

"Gate of Opening! Gate of Healing! Open!"

BOOM!

As the brain's limiters were instantly released, his physical strength was forcibly boosted, and the chakra within him surged like a broken dam, creating a raging storm inside his body.

Having opened two gates in succession, Houka's body immediately felt a wave of discomfort, sending a strong warning signal to his brain.

I can only hold this for ten seconds at most!

Houka didn't hesitate; he leaped up and charged toward the base of a giant pea plant in the corner: "Leaf Great Whirlwind!"

"Nani?" There was clearly no one in that spot, yet a sound of surprise echoed out.

"Your genjutsu doesn't work on me anymore!" Houka silently counted down the time, closed in again, and delivered a kick.

BANG!

Kurama Murakumo landed in a heap, looking disheveled, and the peas in the air vanished amidst the distortion.

"You bastard, you idiot!" Kurama Murakumo scrambled up from the ground, pointing at Houka's head and cursing him out, "I was testing your genjutsu, and you actually countered with taijutsu? Stupid, moron!"

Houka closed the gates, and his body was immediately hit by a wave of soreness and various aches.

"Don't give me that sour look!" Kurama Murakumo roared.

"Well, Kurama-sensei, you only taught me the theoretical knowledge of genjutsu. How am I supposed to use that theory to compete with you in a genjutsu battle?" Houka endured the pain and rolled his eyes at him.

"Do you expect me to teach you the secret genjutsu of my Kurama Clan? Kid, you're thinking too much!" Kurama Murakumo gritted his teeth. To be beaten by a kid was simply a disgrace!

What else could Houka say? Wasn't this clearly a case of bullying a child?

Kurama Murakumo's anger hadn't subsided, and as his temper flared, he began to reminisce about the glorious past of the Kurama Clan.

Houka thought to himself that this was bad. Judging by his posture, he would probably recount everything from the Warring States period to the Second Shinobi World War. He wouldn't get anything done this afternoon; he had to slip away!

"...Until later, when the God of Shinobi Senju Hashirama founded the Hidden Leaf Village, my Kurama Clan was the first to respond to the call and join the village, providing a large number of genjutsu specialists for the Leaf. My Kurama Clan... hm? Kid, you bastard, you actually ran away!"

Kurama Murakumo was so angry his face grew even longer.

Leaving the Kurama residence, Houka went straight to the Hokage Rock to begin practicing the Rasengan.

Hum...

Chakra gathered in his palm, rotating. One could see the chaotic chakra rising and falling in his hand, but a powerful repulsive force emerged, and the Rasengan dissipated before it could even take shape.

Houka frowned. He had been working on the fourth stage of training for a long time, but there had been no progress. To make matters worse, Minato Namikaze had been away on missions for the past two months and couldn't spare the time to teach him.

Houka tried seven or eight times in a row, then shook his head helplessly.

"Interesting!"

Suddenly, a cold, snake-like voice came from behind him.

Houka felt goosebumps rise the moment he heard the voice, as if he were being watched by a venomous snake, and he didn't even dare to move.

It couldn't be Orochimaru, could it?

Houka's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head slightly and saw a handsome man standing not far behind him, with skin as fair as jade, eyes as narrow as a fox's, and a pair of golden snake pupils.

Houka's pupils constricted.

Talk about a jinx; it really was Orochimaru.

"Who developed this technique?" Orochimaru walked over slowly.

Houka didn't know if Orochimaru was conducting human experiments during this period, but he instinctively felt danger approaching and couldn't help but step back.

Orochimaru suddenly revealed a strange smile and stuck out his tongue to lick his own eye socket.

Houka's eyelid twitched. A normal person's tongue shouldn't even be able to reach the tip of their nose, right!

Are you Orochimaru or Long-Tongue Maru!

"Brat!" Orochimaru didn't stop his pace.

"I developed it myself!" Houka said.

"A jutsu you developed yourself? Kid, haven't you grown tired of playing games from the Ninja Academy yet?" Orochimaru sneered, his snake-like pupils narrowing. A terrifying killing intent surged forth like a tangible, raging tide. Houka felt like a lone skiff in the deep sea, on the verge of being swallowed at any moment.

Houka gritted his teeth, his Chakra circulating automatically within his body to resist Orochimaru's terrifying killing intent.

At this time, having experienced the Second Shinobi World War, especially the battle against the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, Orochimaru had officially entered his golden age. His strength was advancing by leaps and bounds, improving almost every single day; he was already at the level of a Jonin!

"Not bad, your capacity." Orochimaru stuck out his tongue to lick the corner of his mouth, a three-star level of perversion.

Finally, he slowly withdrew his killing intent: "Tell me your name!"

"Uchiha Houka!"

"Heh, so you're a brat from the Uchiha clan." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, "That is truly surprising."

"And who are you?" Houka asked, despite knowing the answer.

"You aren't worthy of knowing my name. Come ask me again once you've stepped onto the battlefield."

Orochimaru turned and walked away. Before leaving, he glanced back, one snake-like pupil staring coldly at him with a cryptic expression.

The goosebumps were falling all over the floor!

Houka took a deep breath and gave himself ninety-nine likes to calm his nerves; he held back one so he wouldn't get too arrogant.

So what if you're Orochimaru? Do you think I'm afraid of you!

Give me ten years and I'll beat you into an earthworm!

Houka rested on the spot for a while before continuing to practice the Rasengan. He condensed Chakra in his palm, shaping it into a sky-blue sphere. Perhaps it was the stimulation from Orochimaru, but this time it went unusually smoothly.

Houka was overjoyed and hurriedly slammed the Rasengan into a nearby rock.

BOOM!

The black rock was instantly shattered by the Rasengan, leaving a bowl-sized hole with dense cracks spreading out nearby, and flakes of stone falling from the fissures.

Houka widened his eyes.

"I succeeded!"