Orochimaru

"Big Brother Kintsuchi?!" Naruto froze in place. "How could you?"

"We're friends!"

"Best friends!"

Sasuke was much more decisive. He had already activated his Sharingan and readied a kunai, prepared for battle. Though his eyes held some apprehension, they also gleamed with barely contained excitement.

Jingxin nearly lost his composure at the sight.

In the original story, Sasuke acted a lot like a honey badger.

He refused to back down from anyone and always wanted to throw down.

And the result?

He ended up battered and bruised almost every time.

Yet he never learned his lesson.

It wasn't until he was "redeemed" and fought Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki alongside Naruto that he finally scored one of the few genuine victories of his life.

Even that final battle could only be called a draw. There were no winners.

As for Sakura Haruno...

Hmm?

Why was this girl so calm?

Jingxin was a little surprised. His gaze settled on Sakura Haruno.

She wore a smile and, without the slightest hesitation, took out her scroll and tossed it to Jingxin. "Here!"

"What?!" Naruto immediately started shouting. "Sakura! How could you do that?!"

Sasuke's brow furrowed as he shot Sakura another impatient glance.

But Jingxin took the scroll, gave it a look, then tossed it back to them.

The two teams' scrolls didn't match.

Under Naruto and Sasuke's astonished gazes, Sakura put her scroll away.

She glanced at her two clueless teammates and sighed. "Did neither of you notice? Our scrolls don't make a pair. There's no reason for us to fight."

Naruto and Sasuke: "..."

"Oh no! Oh no, oh no!! They have the right scrolls to fight us! Gaara, shouldn't we get out of here?"

A nervous voice came from nearby.

Team 7 and Jingxin turned to look.

Gaara stood with his arms folded, his older brother and sister behind him.

The voice had come from Kankuro.

When Gaara saw Jingxin looking their way, he didn't hesitate. He copied Sakura and tossed him the scroll.

Jingxin caught it and tucked it away, pleased. "Thanks."

He knew exactly why this adorable little panda had done it.

"Wh-what?!!!!" Kankuro's eyes went wide. "He took it! Gaara, what are you doing?"

Gaara glared at Kankuro. "Shut up!"

Only when Gaara stayed near Jingxin would Shukaku stop its incessant barking in his head.

Right now, Gaara didn't want to go anywhere. He planned to stick with Jingxin.

As for the scroll?

They could kill a few people from another team along the way and sort that out, couldn't they?

While Jingxin talked with the Sunagakure team, Team 7 prepared to slip away.

As expected, Jingxin noticed and followed them.

And it wasn't just Jingxin. As soon as he went over, Gaara followed along like a shadow.

When Naruto realized Jingxin was following them, he asked, "Um... Big Brother Kintsuchi, why are you following us instead of going to the Central Tower?"

Jingxin thought for a moment, then explained, "Simply put, my 'sensory abilities' are weaker than my target's 'ability to hide,' so I can't track them. I also learned from my intel that they'd come looking for you, so..."

Sasuke's eyelid twitched. "So you're using us as 'bait'?"

What a humiliation!

An absolute humiliation!!

But there wasn't much he could do about Jingxin.

Sakura hurriedly said, "Since he isn't going to attack us, he isn't a threat. Let's get moving..."

She was almost at her limit.

This place was so gloomy and frightening that it kept bringing all sorts of unpleasant things to mind.

Sakura could accept either passing or failing, as long as the exam ended soon.

So Team 7 had no choice but to accept that Jingxin was tailing them.

Jingxin's goal was clear: find Orochimaru.

And try to recruit him!

Orochimaru might have a terrible reputation in the Ninja World right now.

But Jingxin knew that by the end of the story, pretty much everyone would be redeemed.

More importantly, technology was the primary productive force.

And he had the prerequisites to recruit Orochimaru, with a decent chance of success.

And so Team 7 entered the Forest of Death.

They had barely gone in when the main event arrived.

A sinister Sound Ninja wearing a conical hat blocked the way ahead of Team 7.

The instant they saw Orochimaru, Team 7 became alert.

Jingxin, on the other hand, relaxed.

After all, as things stood, Orochimaru was the only one in the Forest of Death who could reliably keep Deidara in check.

With Orochimaru here, there was no way anything would happen to Deidara and the others.

Orochimaru noticed Jingxin and Gaara's team, but didn't become especially wary.

Jingxin and Gaara might be a little troublesome, but not everyone was a monster like Itachi Uchiha.

"My scroll happens to match yours~" Orochimaru produced his scroll, then stuck out his repulsive tongue and slowly swallowed it, murderous intent gleaming in his snake-like eyes.

Next, he would properly test just how strong his future self had become.

Since Orochimaru was mainly targeting Team 7, Jingxin and Gaara's team were left alone.

A battle was about to begin.

Jingxin watched from a distance, looking completely at ease.

Gaara made no move, either. He didn't care about anything except whether Shukaku would bark.

Team 7's battle with Orochimaru began.

With Orochimaru deliberately holding back, he finally got a clear measure of Sasuke's true strength.

Orochimaru was a little disappointed.

Still, it didn't matter.

Other than Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke was currently the only Uchiha left in the Ninja World.

He was a little weak, but Orochimaru could slowly train him~

"The games are over."

Orochimaru used the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique to grossly reset his injuries. His gaze swept past the exhausted Naruto and Sakura Haruno before settling on Sasuke.

His neck stretched out at an absurd speed, and he bit down on Sasuke's neck.

Jingxin watched without reacting.

Sasuke's strength really would improve more slowly in Konoha. He'd be better off with Orochimaru.

As for Jingxin telling Itachi Uchiha, "I'll help you complete your mission once and for all," that was just to keep Itachi constantly thinking that Jingxin might attack Sasuke.

In fact, those words had become Itachi's greatest worry over the past few years. They had indeed taken a further toll on his mind and body.

Naruto struggled to get up and save Sasuke, who was screaming in pain, but his body had already reached its limit.

With no other choice, Naruto turned to Jingxin. "Big Brother Kintsuchi! We're friends, right?!"

Sakura Haruno: "..."

At a time like this, he was still expecting someone else to save them?

Orochimaru's neck retracted. He stared at Sasuke expectantly. "I'll be waiting whenever you're ready, Sasuke-kun."

Jingxin flew over from a distance and looked down at Sakura Haruno. "Take Naruto and Sasuke and go."

Orochimaru looked over with interest. "That chakra... It's astonishing."

What a shame he wasn't an Uchiha...

Otherwise, this boy from Iwagakure named Kintsuchi would clearly be the better choice.

Sakura Haruno had been too frightened to fight from the very beginning. Now, hearing Jingxin's words, she managed to pull herself together. "Thank you."

Sakura Haruno helped Naruto and Sasuke up and slowly left under Orochimaru's watchful gaze.

Orochimaru had already accomplished his goal, so he didn't try to stop them.

Only after Team 7 had left did Orochimaru ask Jingxin, "Now then, little friend from Iwagakure, what do you want with me?"

Orochimaru had been watching Team 7 from the shadows. He knew what Jingxin had said to them.

Jingxin raised a hand, removed his mask, and revealed a handsome face.

Orochimaru's pupils shrank sharply.

That face, those Sharingan!

It was Jingxin Uchiha!!!

After being defeated by Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru had long coveted the Uchiha Clan's bloodline.

He had collected plenty of information about the clan.

Jingxin Uchiha was one of Orochimaru's greatest regrets.

Even as a child, Jingxin Uchiha had displayed talent far beyond his peers.

He was incomparably stronger than Sasuke.

In Orochimaru's judgment, Jingxin Uchiha's talent was at least on par with Shisui Uchiha's.

Perhaps... even close to Itachi Uchiha's.

But after the Uchiha Massacre Night, all information on Jingxin Uchiha had vanished without a trace, just like that of the rest of his clan.

"Interesting..." Orochimaru trembled with excitement, inwardly lamenting his bad luck.

The Heaven Curse Mark wasn't cabbage. He had only prepared one this time, and he'd already given it to Sasuke Uchiha.

"So what is your goal?" Orochimaru didn't attack outright or try to capture Jingxin. Instead, he decided to probe him with words first.

This little fellow...

He'd disappeared for so many years, only to show up as an Anbu and Genin of Iwagakure.

How mysterious~

The three Tomoe in Jingxin's eyes fixed on Orochimaru. He spoke calmly. "The Sharingan is the eye that reflects the heart. Its intermediate form is the Mangekyō Sharingan. The abilities of each Mangekyō Sharingan differ from person to person, but generally relate to what its awakened user desires most at the time."

Orochimaru frowned.

Why was he telling me this?

Jingxin continued.

"No matter whose body from the Uchiha Clan you take over, you'll never obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan ability you want."

"That includes, but isn't limited to... a Mangekyō ability that might be connected to immortality."

Orochimaru's heart began pounding.

Jingxin continued, "I suggest using the cells of an Uchiha Clan member to cultivate a clone. That way, you can obtain a body perfectly suited to you, and you won't have to worry about losing a struggle against another soul and being possessed."

"More importantly, a clone cultivated from the cells of an Uchiha Clan member would inherit some of the cell donor's talent."

He knew too much.

Orochimaru felt as if Jingxin could see right through him.

That feeling again...

Itachi Uchiha's face flashed through Orochimaru's mind. He narrowed his snake-like eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

Jingxin smiled. "In short, I know where Madara Uchiha's cells are."

From Jingxin's perspective, Orochimaru's expression shifted as if by magic.