As he ran, Jun Tianlin carried the unconscious Kimimaro on his back. They had already put a great distance between themselves and the Kaguya Clan's territory.
It was strange. Although Jun Tianlin felt that he and Kimimaro had already gotten far from the heart of the battlefield, they were still within Kirigakure's territory. How had they gone so long without running into a single person?
When things go against the norm, there's usually something behind it...
At first, Jun Tianlin had been worried about his life, so although he was curious, he hadn't paid it any mind. Instead, he'd bolted in the opposite direction from the Kaguya Clan.
But they had come this far without meeting a single person. However he looked at it, something was wrong!
It was then that a cold, bloodthirsty figure slowly surfaced in Jun Tianlin's mind: Orochimaru.
In an instant, all of Jun Tianlin's doubts were resolved. Everything strange about the situation suddenly made perfect sense.
In the original story, Kirigakure wiped out the Kaguya Clan, yet Kimimaro, still a child, managed to escape unscathed. He not only evaded Kirigakure's search but also waited safely until Orochimaru appeared.
Clearly, Orochimaru had been hiding near Kimimaro from the start, taking care of the trouble for him. Then, when Kimimaro was at his most vulnerable, Orochimaru had turned into a human trafficker and kidnapped him.
As Jun Tianlin pieced everything together, his frantic running gradually slowed. The moment he let his taut nerves relax, exhaustion and fatigue washed over him like a tide.
He gently leaned Kimimaro against a tree, then sat down on the ground without an ounce of decorum, panting heavily.
"Come out, whoever's hiding in the shadows. I don't know who you are or what you're plotting, but no matter how you look at it, you must have had a hand in keeping Kimimaro and me from running into anyone from Kirigakure all this way.
"Would someone who went to such lengths, and even risked offending Kirigakure to save two little brats, care to show himself?"
Once his breathing had settled, Jun Tianlin raised his head and suddenly shouted toward the sky.
"Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap."
After a brief silence, applause rang out of nowhere, echoing from every direction. Jun Tianlin couldn't tell where its owner was.
"Kid, your brother is quite something. An unparalleled Kekkei Genkai, decisiveness in battle, and astonishing talent, on top of a calm mind and exceptional insight. The more I look at him, the more pleased I am—and the more jealous I get!"
A low, hoarse voice rang out, laced with a strange allure...
Amid the sound of soft footsteps, a man in a white kimono appeared before Jun Tianlin. His face was pale, and his eyes were those of a snake, yellow-brown and slit-pupiled.
Although Jun Tianlin had known all along that Orochimaru was hiding nearby, his pupils still contracted when he actually saw him. His small frame trembled almost imperceptibly.
Powerful. Incredibly powerful!
It was only the year of the Mist Rebellion—Konoha Year 43. Orochimaru hadn't yet defected from Konoha and had only just begun his forbidden human experiments, let alone developed the Reincarnation Technique that granted eternal life. That was still a long way off.
And so, since Orochimaru hadn't yet experienced that so-called "Living Corpse Reincarnation," his soul was still at its peak. He wasn't remotely as vulnerable as he would be more than a decade later when faced with the Sharingan.
Even the Mangekyo's ultimate genjutsu, Tsukuyomi, wouldn't have much effect on Orochimaru at the height of his life.
After all, the reputation of Orochimaru, the Cold Lord and one of the legendary Sannin, wasn't for show!
"Oh? Judging by your words, you sound quite jealous of our Shikotsumyaku. So you plan to take our bodies and steal our bloodline?"
Seeing the greed and envy in Orochimaru's eyes, Jun Tianlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least he and Kimimaro had managed to keep their lives!
Compared to other threats, Orochimaru was certainly dangerous.
But at least, while Kimimaro's body was still immature and his Kekkei Genkai hadn't reached its peak, nothing would happen to him.
After all, it was still uncertain whether Orochimaru had developed that worthless immortality technique, the "Living Corpse Reincarnation."
Even if Orochimaru had developed the Living Corpse Reincarnation, given his confidence and pride, he would surely wait until Kimimaro's body had fully matured and his Shikotsumyaku had reached its peak before making a move.
Just look at the original story: Orochimaru knew that once Sasuke grew up, his Sharingan would become Orochimaru's nemesis, yet he still spared no effort to train him. That was because Orochimaru believed he could seize the upper hand and take over Sasuke's body.
The training was just an investment. Once he took over Sasuke's body, all that effort would amount to training his own body. Unfortunately, the protagonist's plot armor was so powerful that Orochimaru was the one who ended up losing out.
"Hiss. I never expected that not only your older brother, but you too, would have such a calm mind and such strong analytical skills. You really are brothers. To have such terrifying talent at such a young age!"
Orochimaru's cold gaze narrowed slightly behind his sly, yellow-brown eyes. He was clearly surprised that Jun Tianlin could remain so calm and analyze the situation with such thoroughness.
"It's nothing. Compared to Kimimaro bringing me out of that chaotic battlefield all by himself, what I did doesn't even rate a mention.
"More importantly, you can't control your own desires. Your greedy gaze keeps sweeping over Kimimaro and me, and your words are full of envy and greed for our Kekkei Genkai. From that, I can understand exactly what kind of situation Kimimaro and I are in."
Lowering his head, Jun Tianlin spoke calmly, unmoved by Orochimaru's words...
Before you continue