Leaving Otogakure

In the cold, gloomy room, Orochimaru's sinister voice echoed for a long time...

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Jun Tianlin's face stiffened as he reveled in his delight. After taking two deep breaths, he looked at Orochimaru, waved a hand, and sighed helplessly.

"I knew it. Orochimaru, you'd never let the two of us come and go freely from Otogakure so easily. So tell me, what kind of test have you set for us?"

Seeing Jun Tianlin's helpless, indignant expression, Orochimaru spread his mouth in a wide grin and laughed happily. Even the sinister edge in his voice had faded somewhat, replaced by a hint of delight.

"Heh heh, don't worry. I've worked hard to train you for seven years, bringing you to where you are today. I'd never set you up in a situation where you were certain to die.

"With your abilities, even if you ran into some powerful jōnin, you could easily escape if you couldn't beat them. Unless some shameless old Kage Level fighters came after you, the whole Ninja World was yours to roam!

"So, with that in mind, I've prepared a test for you. Here, the targets for your test are listed in these scrolls. Remember, I want you to kill everyone named in your scroll within a month, cut off their heads, and bring them back. That'll prove whether you've passed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru slipped his right hand into his sleeve and sent two Black Scrolls flying into the air.

"Clack."

After two soft thuds, each of the brothers had a Black Scroll in hand.

Seeing Jun Tianlin and Kimimaro catch the Black Scrolls, Orochimaru impatiently waved them away and ushered them out with his eyes half-closed.

"All right, you've got your scrolls. You can leave now. Why are you still hanging around? Do I have to kick you out?"

Seeing that Orochimaru was already shooing them away, Jun Tianlin said nothing more. He gave Orochimaru a long look, then turned and strode out of the room with Kimimaro.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention: you can't work together during the test. In other words, you have to split up and deal with the targets in your own scrolls. If you team up, you'll fail!"

Just as Jun Tianlin stepped through the doorway, he heard Orochimaru spring another trap on them. He didn't turn back to argue, but simply quickened his pace toward the exit...

In the cold, gloomy room, just as Jun Tianlin and Kimimaro turned and walked out, Orochimaru's half-closed eyes opened again. A strange glint showed in his cold, yellow-brown eyes.

For a moment, as Orochimaru watched Kimimaro and Jun Tianlin leave, he saw himself in them—the young man who had become a student of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi many years ago.

He remembered the kind look Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him when he first became his student...

He remembered the proud look Sarutobi had worn when he, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had earned the legendary title of the Sannin during the Second Shinobi World War...

He remembered how, after his forbidden human experiments were discovered, he had been forced to leave Konoha and become an S-rank rogue ninja. Sarutobi's pained, regretful expression had said it all: he had been furious and heartbroken that Orochimaru had failed to live up to his expectations...

Suddenly, as Orochimaru watched Kimimaro and Jun Tianlin walk away, he seemed to see his own lonely, helpless figure from all those years ago, when he had left Konoha!

At that moment, Orochimaru seemed to understand how Sarutobi had once felt about him. It had been affection, helpless grief that Orochimaru refused to change, and regret that he had chosen the path of a fugitive.

Now, even Orochimaru, who had always been cold and heartless, showed the faintest hint of regret—the regret he felt over the path he had chosen, and even more, the longing he felt for his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi!

In a sudden flash of understanding, the thought Orochimaru had entertained seven years ago—that he might take Jun Tianlin and Kimimaro as his students—quietly took root amid his turmoil and grew without limit.

"Teacher Sarutobi... was I... wrong...?"

Leaving Orochimaru lost in his memories, Jun Tianlin had returned to his room, packed everything he needed for the trip into his Ninja Tool Pouch, and made all the necessary preparations. Now he and Kimimaro stood at the gates of Otogakure.

"Tianlin, we can't go together on this mission. Be careful in the days ahead. If you run into someone you can't beat, run at once. Don't let your pride get the better of you!"

Usually a man of few words, Kimimaro surprised Jun Tianlin with a long string of parting advice. Then he headed down the road to the left.

By contrast, after watching Kimimaro leave, Jun Tianlin didn't seem especially reluctant to part. Grinning with excitement, he strode off along the path to the right.

"The Ninja World... After all these years, I finally have the time to see its wonders for myself!"