Orochimaru's Appearance

Running with the unconscious Kimimaro on his back, Jun Tianlin had already put a significant distance between himself and the Kaguya Clan's territory.

It was strange; although Jun Tianlin felt he and Kimimaro had moved far away from the center of the battlefield, they were, after all, still within the borders of Kirigakure. How could they have gone such a long time without encountering a single person?

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work...

At first, Jun Tianlin was so worried about his own life that despite his curiosity, he chose to ignore it, instead stretching his legs and sprinting as far away from the Kaguya Clan as he could.

However, after running this far without seeing a soul, something felt fundamentally wrong!

It was at this moment that a cold, bloody figure gradually surfaced in Jun Tianlin's mind—Orochimaru.

In an instant, all of Jun Tianlin's doubts were resolved, and the source of the strangeness became crystal clear.

In the original story, the Kaguya Clan was wiped out by Kirigakure, yet Kimimaro, a mere child, managed to escape unscathed. He not only evaded Kirigakure's search parties but also safely waited for the appearance of Orochimaru.

It was obvious: Orochimaru had been hiding in the vicinity of Kimimaro all along, clearing away obstacles for him, and then, at the moment when his heart was at its most hollow, he played the role of a human trafficker to lure him in.

Having figured this out, Jun Tianlin's frantically running body gradually came to a halt. Once his tightly wound nerves relaxed, exhaustion and fatigue surged over him like a tidal wave.

Gently leaning Kimimaro's body against a tree, Jun Tianlin sat on the ground without a shred of decorum, gasping for air in deep, ragged breaths.

"Come out, you who hide in the shadows. Although I don't know who you are or what you're planning, regardless, you must have put in a great deal of effort to ensure that Kimimaro and I didn't run into anyone from Kirigakure along the way, right?"

"Since you've gone to such lengths, even risking the offense of Kirigakure to save two brats like us, wouldn't you care to show yourself?"

After his breathing gradually steadied, Jun Tianlin raised his head and shouted sharply toward the sky.

"Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap."

After a brief silence, a round of applause rang out from thin air, echoing from all directions, making it impossible for Jun Tianlin to discern the location of the person behind the sound.

"Little brat, your brother is quite impressive. An unparalleled Kekkei Genkai, decisive killing intent, and astonishing talent, coupled with a calm mind and keen insight—the more I look, the more satisfied I am, and the more jealous I become!"

A low, hoarse voice, carrying a strange, seductive quality, suddenly rang out...

Accompanied by the sound of soft footsteps, a man wearing a white kimono, with a pale face and yellow-brown snake-like pupils, gradually appeared before Jun Tianlin.

Although he had known Orochimaru was lurking nearby, upon actually seeing him, Jun Tianlin's pupils still constricted, and his small, thin body trembled imperceptibly.

Powerful, truly powerful!

It was currently the year of the Kirigakure era, which translated to the time of Konoha 43. Orochimaru, who had not yet defected from Konoha, had at most only just begun to touch upon forbidden human experimentation, let alone developed the Living Corpse Reincarnation. All of that was still a long way off.

Precisely because of this, the Orochimaru who had not yet experienced that "Living Corpse Reincarnation" nonsense still had his soul in its prime state, possessing none of the fragility he would show when facing the Sharingan over a decade later.

Even a super genjutsu like the Mangekyo's Tsukuyomi would not be able to exert much effect on the Orochimaru who was currently at the peak of his life.

After all, the reputation of the Cold Lord Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, was not built on nothing!

"Oh, judging by your words, full of jealousy over the Shikotsumyaku, it seems you intend to take our bodies and seize our bloodline, right?"

Seeing the greed and jealousy revealed in Orochimaru's eyes, Jun Tianlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. At last, he had managed to save his and Kimimaro's lives!

Although, compared to everything else, this Orochimaru was a thoroughly dangerous individual.

But at the very least, in the short term, while Kimimaro's body had not yet matured and his Kekkei Genkai had not reached its peak, Kimimaro would not face any trouble.

After all, it was still unknown whether Orochimaru had even developed that trashy immortality technique, the "Living Corpse Reincarnation," at this point.

Even if Orochimaru had truly developed it, given his confidence and pride, he would certainly wait until Kimimaro's body was fully mature and his Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai had reached its zenith before taking action.

Did one not see that in the original story, Orochimaru knew full well that once Sasuke grew up, his Sharingan would be his nemesis, yet he still spent great effort to cultivate him? This was only because Orochimaru believed he could absolutely gain the upper hand and occupy Sasuke's body.

The current cultivation was merely an investment; once he occupied Sasuke's body, all this investment would be for the sake of cultivating his own body. It was just a pity that the protagonist's halo was too overpowered, resulting in Orochimaru being the one to suffer in the end.

"Hiss, I didn't expect that not only your brother, but even you, the younger brother, would possess such a calm mind and analytical ability. It seems you really are brothers; at such a young age, your talent is terrifying to this degree!"

Within those cunning yellow-brown pupils, Orochimaru's cold gaze narrowed slightly, clearly surprised that Jun Tianlin could be so calm and analyze the current situation so thoroughly.

"It's nothing special. Compared to Kimimaro being able to bring me out of that chaotic battlefield single-handedly, this is not worth mentioning."

"Most importantly, you cannot control the desire in your heart. That gaze filled with greed has been sweeping over Kimimaro and me the entire time. Coupled with the greed and jealousy in your words regarding our Kekkei Genkai, I can fully understand the situation Kimimaro and I are in right now."

Lowering his head, Jun Tianlin spoke indifferently, remaining unmoved by Orochimaru's words...