The Mandara Formation, Orochimaru's Gift of a Sword

The next second, countless snakes as thick as arms surged from the ground, the tree canopy, and the crevices of rocks, rushing toward the Rock ninjas like a tidal wave.

Those snakes were pitch-black, their scales covered in dense brown stripes, and they spat purple toxic mist from their mouths.

The snake swarm moved with astonishing speed, entangling several watching Chunin in the blink of an eye. Sharp fangs pierced flesh, and the Chunin collapsed, twitching and dying instantly before they could even let out a scream!

"Mandara Formation!"

Gari's expression finally changed.

The several Jonin present were no strangers to this technique.

This was the signature ninjutsu of one of the Konoha Sannin, the Cold-Blooded Orochimaru!

The overwhelming tide of snakes engulfed the entire forest.

Toxic mist permeated the air, and shadows of snakes were everywhere.

Even being bitten by a single snake was enough to render a Chunin combat-incapable within a few breaths.

The Rock ninjas' attack rhythm was completely disrupted.

A Rock Chunin attempted to use Fire Release to burn back the swarm, but there were simply too many snakes; for every ten burned to death, a hundred more surged forward. It was impossible to kill them all.

Uchiha Jun took advantage of the chaos to retreat to the side, leaning against a rock and gasping for air, his face filled with the lingering fear of someone who had just escaped death.

In reality, however, Uchiha Jun's sensory abilities had long since captured that cold, sinister chakra—Orochimaru was nearby!

He was currently standing on the tallest tree to the southeast, watching the battle as if it were a play.

Clearly, Orochimaru had been waiting the entire time.

He was waiting for a moment he deemed worthy of intervening!

For instance, the Rock Jonin who had been ambushed by Uchiha Jun.

The snake tide's assault lasted for about a quarter of an hour. All the Rock Chunin in the pursuit squad fell, and only Gari managed to blast a bloody path through with the power of his Explosion Release, retreating from the battlefield with the other Rock Jonin whom Uchiha Jun had ambushed.

A figure appeared in the center of the battlefield and raised a hand to retract the snake swarm.

Orochimaru turned his head to look at Uchiha Jun, then at Yamazaki Kengo.

"Apologies for being late."

Orochimaru's tone was as flat as if he were merely stating a fact, and he wore a half-smile that showed not a hint of apology.

Yamazaki Kengo was silent for a moment before bowing to him. "Many thanks for your assistance, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru did not respond, instead walking over to Uchiha Jun.

Uchiha Jun looked up, meeting those golden snake-like pupils.

Orochimaru stared at him for a long time before suddenly speaking.

"You passed."

Uchiha Jun was stunned.

"What?"

Orochimaru did not repeat himself, only curling the corners of his mouth into a meaningful arc.

"You knew I was there from the beginning, didn't you?"

Uchiha Jun felt a jolt of alarm, but his face perfectly displayed a look of confusion.

"Lord Orochimaru, what are you talking about? I was almost killed by that Rock ninja just now. If you were here, how could you—"

"That trap." Orochimaru interrupted him. "You set up explosive tag traps around the perimeter of the stronghold, but you didn't arrange them in the conventional circular pattern; you left a path open."

"The direction of that path happened to be exactly where I was standing before I left."

Uchiha Jun fell silent.

He had indeed known Orochimaru was observing from the shadows, which was why he had deliberately left a path for Orochimaru to enter the fray, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that Orochimaru had never intended to truly abandon them from the start.

He was merely testing them—testing what Uchiha Jun would do in a desperate situation: flee or fight.

If Uchiha Jun had chosen to run just now, Orochimaru would never have shown himself.

"You can continue to play dumb." Orochimaru turned and walked toward the forest. "But I am very satisfied with your performance just now."

Uchiha Jun watched Orochimaru's retreating back and let out a long breath.

On the surface, however, Uchiha Jun only scratched the back of his head, revealing the honest, simple smile expected of a twelve-year-old Genin.

"So... Lord Orochimaru, does this count as passing the assessment?"

Orochimaru did not answer, his figure disappearing into the woods.

But the prompt that popped up on the system panel gave Uchiha Jun his answer.

[Ding! Orochimaru Favorability +15, current favorability 35 points (Interest → Recognition)]

[Ding! Mission Completed: First Mission (A-Rank)]

[Rewards Obtained: A-Rank Ninja Fragments ×5, Ninja World Recruitment Scrolls ×3, Copper Coins ×10,000,000]

[Current A-rank mission completion count: 1/7]

[Copper coin balance: 17,000,000]

[Ninja recruitment scroll balance: 9]

Uchiha Jun nearly lost his composure.

Ten million copper coins!

Three recruitment scrolls!

Five A-rank ninja fragments!

This haul was an absolute steal!

Uchiha Jun forcefully suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling upward, feigning a look of utter exhaustion as he followed Yamazaki Kengo toward the extraction point.

In his mind, he was already calculating how to pull for cards once he returned.

The morning mist on the border of the Land of Fire had yet to dissipate.

Uchiha Jun followed at the rear of the squad, stepping over dew-dampened grass. The wounds on his body had already mostly healed under the vitality of his Senju bloodline.

Still, he kept a few bandages wrapped around his arm and maintained a perfectly calibrated expression of fatigue on his face.

If one is going to act, one must commit to the full performance.

Yamazaki Kengo walked at the front, his pace significantly lighter than the previous night; after all, he had fully expected to perish there.

Gekko Kazuichi was being carried on Akimichi Dodo's back. His face remained pale, but his breathing had steadied considerably.

Hyuga Shuichi's Byakugan swept the surroundings from time to time, confirming the movements of any pursuers.

"Jun, thanks to you last night."

Yamazaki Kengo suddenly slowed his pace, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Uchiha Jun.

"If it weren't for you, we might not have held out until Lord Orochimaru arrived."

Uchiha Jun waved his hand, looking honest and simple-minded: "Senior Yamazaki, you flatter me. I was just helping out; it was mainly you who held off Gari's attacks."

Yamazaki Kengo shook his head but didn't say anything further.

He saw it clearly enough. During the battle last night, although this Uchiha brat had been coasting on the edges, he had appeared in the most critical position at the most critical moment every single time.

If that Iwagakure jonin hadn't been tricked by Uchiha Jun and had his hatred drawn away, he, Yamazaki Kengo, would already be a dead man.

This kind of battlefield intuition was certainly not something an ordinary genin should possess.

However, Yamazaki Kengo was not a meddlesome man.

Since Uchiha Jun didn't want to expose his strength, he didn't intend to press for answers.

In this day and age, who didn't have a few secrets tucked away?

Especially an Uchiha.

The squad continued forward.

Half a day later, the silhouette of Konoha Village appeared on the horizon.

The three massive heads on the Hokage Rock shimmered with a faint golden hue in the morning light, and the sentries at the village gate had already been replaced by a new shift of ninjas.

Orochimaru had arrived before them and was standing at the gate, waiting.

His golden vertical pupils swept over the group, finally settling on Uchiha Jun.

"Rest well tonight."

Orochimaru said, his tone as flat as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather. "At eight o'clock tomorrow morning, I will send a summoning animal to find you. Come to my laboratory to report."

Uchiha Jun felt a chill in his heart, but he responded crisply and clearly: "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru nodded and was about to turn away when he suddenly stopped.

He glanced at Uchiha Jun, then suddenly reached out, a pitch-black snake slithering out from his sleeve.

The small snake slid down Orochimaru's arm onto the empty ground and suddenly opened its mouth wide.

The snake's jaw opened far beyond the range of a normal creature, and it spat out a ninja sword coated in mucus.

He performed his signature "snake spitting a blade" right there for Uchiha Jun.

"It's yours."

Orochimaru tossed the sword to Uchiha Jun.

Uchiha Jun caught it instinctively. The hilt still had the slick, slimy feel of the mucus, but the craftsmanship of the blade made his eyes light up—it was a standard katana design, long and straight, with a hamon pattern like a crescent moon. The hilt was wrapped in non-slip black cord, and a primitive snake emblem was engraved at the pommel.

"Your previous sword wasn't worthy of your swordsmanship." Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth. "This blade doesn't have a name in the 'Kusanagi' series, but the material is far superior to an ordinary ninja sword. Your swordsmanship is decent; don't let inferior weapons ruin it."

Uchiha Jun gripped the sword, his heart stirring slightly.

The Kusanagi series!

Although it was the most inconspicuous piece in the Kusanagi series, far inferior to the true Kusanagi Sword, the 'Sword of Heaven-Gathering Clouds' in Orochimaru's possession, it was definitely not something an ordinary ninja could ever hope to touch.

[Obtained Equipment: Kusanagi Sword (Unmarked)]

[Quality: A-rank Ninja Tool]

[Effect: Chakra conduction efficiency increased by 20%, damage from swordsmanship skills increased by 15%]

[Description: One of the works from the Kusanagi series personally collected by Orochimaru. Although unnamed, its sharpness is sufficient to sever steel.]