"Rustle—"
With a soft sound, the utterly weakened Anko was slowly released by two white bone serpents and fell to the ground in a miserable heap.
Pain flashed across her face, but she had no time to pay it any mind. She hurriedly raised her head, staring at Orochimaru before her with a grave, pale expression as she coldly demanded, "What exactly are you trying to do, Orochimaru!?"
"Was betraying Konoha not enough? Why did you return to Konoha at a time like this!?"
Hearing Anko's words, the corners of Orochimaru's pale lips curled slightly into a smile. His cold, serpentine pupils glanced at her as he chuckled in a hoarse voice.
"Konoha..."
"Anko, do you think I returned here because of Konoha?"
At his words, Anko's gaze sharpened as she said coldly, "Isn't that the case? You want to destroy these Chunin Exams being held by Konoha. As a rogue ninja of Konoha, isn't that exactly what you would want to do!?"
In response, a faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's face as he murmured hoarsely, "Unfortunately, Anko, you are still as naive as you were before."
"Perhaps that is not entirely accurate. Maybe it is because I, as your teacher, failed to teach you the proper way of thinking..."
As he said this, a sharp glint flashed through Orochimaru's cold snake eyes, and he slowly rasped, "That is precisely why you have remained immersed in Konoha's narrow little world, allowing it to blind your eyes!"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Anko involuntarily took a step back. Her lovely face had turned ugly as she rasped heavily, "You've gone mad. Completely mad, Orochimaru!"
At her words, Orochimaru merely glanced at Anko.
He made no move, simply wearing a faintly eerie smile on his pale face, his lips curled into a wide arc