Orochimaru

"Fire Fist!"

Seeing that the wound on the neck of the Anbu Chunin lying on the ground had already congealed, Yun Xi did not hesitate.

After releasing the fiery aura within his body, he prepared himself for battle.

At the same time.

Utilizing agile footwork, Yun Xi immediately leaped into the wide-open space outside the house.

But stepping out proved to be a grave matter.

A scene that shocked Yun Xi to his core appeared before him...

Everyone who had been monitoring him was dead...

Whether they were from the Anbu, the Root Division, or members of the Hyuga Clan.

Not a single one remained.

They were all sprawled on the ground.

Judging by the corpses, these people had all died by the blade of a kunai...

"Who did this?"

If only the personnel of one faction had died, it could be explained as the other two factions working together.

However...

They were all dead.

In an instant, an inexplicable chill surged directly up Yun Xi's spine.

"Run!"

At this moment, Yun Xi had no time to think.

Whoever could silently take out nine Chunin while acting with such extreme ruthlessness was definitely someone the current Yun Xi could not handle.

Furthermore, not much time had passed since Uchiha Itachi left.

It had only been a few minutes...

And to be able to slaughter all these elite Chunin hidden near his home in just a few minutes...

A Kage Level powerhouse!

Only a Kage Level powerhouse could accomplish this.

And this was not something an ordinary Kage Level powerhouse could do...

Because Yun Xi had not heard any commotion earlier, which meant that when killing these Chunin, the perpetrator had not used any ninjutsu...

They had relied solely on assassination...

"Who in the Hidden Leaf is both a master of assassination and a Kage Level powerhouse..."

As Yun Xi made his escape, his mind raced, trying to figure out who could have done this...

"The only ones in the current Hidden Leaf who could be called Kage Level powerhouses should be the Third Hokage..."

"And Gekko Hayate is only a Chunin right now; with his strength, he couldn't possibly do this..."

"Kakashi..."

"Might Guy..."

After running through all the familiar characters, Yun Xi could not find anyone to suspect...

"Could it be!?"

Suddenly, the figure of a person emerged in Yun Xi's mind.

Orochimaru!

One of the legendary Legendary Sannin.

Possessing immense strength while also being a master of assassination techniques.

And...

In this timeline, it seemed Orochimaru had been researching the Wood Style cells of the First Hokage with Danzo.

"Could it really be Orochimaru?"

Thinking of this, a bitter smile instantly appeared on Yun Xi's face.

Judging by the strength, the method of killing, and the behavior, it really was something only Orochimaru could do...

But Yun Xi still had one question in his heart.

If these people were truly killed by Orochimaru, then what was the reason...

If Orochimaru was indeed in the Hidden Leaf right now, according to normal logic.

Keeping a low profile was the most correct choice.

And killing people could absolutely never be considered low-profile.

Although the area where Yun Xi's home was located belonged to the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village, aside from a few patrolling ninjas, no one else usually appeared here.

Tenten's family, who lived closest to Yun Xi's home, was also a street away.

But...

Even a fool would know that a major event like murder would never go unnoticed simply because of a remote location.

Furthermore, the people killed were from the Anbu and the Root Division.

At the same time, there were also members of the Hyuga Clan...

"How could something like this happen? My head hurts..."

Yun Xi was currently full of helplessness; he truly had not expected things to develop in such a way.

Originally, in Yun Xi's plan, these people monitoring him were his very amulets.

As long as he kept his strength hidden and did not let them discover anything unusual, he would absolutely not be noticed by Danzo or the Third Hokage behind them.

But he hadn't expected...

They had actually died...

And they had died in such an inexplicable manner.

Although Yun Xi could prove that he was not the one who did it.

But...

It would ultimately make Danzo and the others even more vigilant.

Most importantly!

Among those who died, there were members of the Hyuga Clan.

"I should have let Uchiha Itachi leave later..."

At this moment, Yun Xi also felt some regret.

If Uchiha Itachi had not left so quickly, perhaps this incident would not have happened.

Even if it had still happened!

If Uchiha Itachi had been by his side, Yun Xi would not be so passive right now!

"I must report this matter to the Third Hokage immediately!"

As Yun Xi ran at full speed, he reached the edge of the main street of the Hidden Leaf Village. Thinking that the person behind the attack might be Orochimaru, Yun Xi immediately intended to tell the Third Hokage this information.

After all...

Among these three forces, the Third Hokage was the only one who was safest for Yun Xi.

As for Danzo and the Hyuga Clan...

Yun Xi held no hope for them at all!

"Kid, it seems Danzo still underestimated you..."

Just as Yun Xi was prepared and ready to head toward the Hokage Office Building, a feminine voice drifted from behind him.

Yun Xi turned his head to look...

It was none other than Orochimaru.

With his long, jet-black hair and a strange smile flashing across his pale face, a hint of curiosity toward Yun Xi flickered within his grey-brown snake-like pupils.

"Damn it, it really is him..."

Seeing that the person who had arrived was Orochimaru, Yun Xi's entire body tensed up.

Although he was not far from the main street of the Hidden Leaf Village now.

However...

It was definitely considered a remote spot within the Hidden Leaf Village.

And...

As luck would have it, the place where Yun Xi was standing was in a rather dark alleyway.

Never mind people, even stray dogs might not necessarily come to a place like this.

"Could it be that Orochimaru has been following me the whole time?"

Seeing that his position was so awkward, Yun Xi was secretly calculating in his heart.

To say this was a coincidence?

Even if he were beaten to death, Yun Xi would not believe it!

But...

What exactly was Orochimaru's goal?

First, he killed the Chunin who was monitoring him, and then he followed him all the way here...

Yun Xi's heart was filled with confusion.

However.

Yun Xi did not panic. Seeing there was no way left to retreat, he came to a direct stop.

Looking up at Orochimaru on the eaves, Yun Xi spoke slowly, "Greetings, Senior. I wonder what business you have with me?"

"What a clever fellow. Even that man Danzo was kept in the dark by you..."

Unlike the nervous-looking Yun Xi, Orochimaru stared at him with a smile on his face, a flicker of surprise and delight flashing through his eyes.

"Kid, tell me your name, and also..."

"What was the name of that Fire Style ninjutsu you used earlier..."

Finally, Orochimaru spoke.

He questioned Yun Xi in a tone heavy with pressure.

At the same time, he stared at Yun Xi as if a venomous snake had discovered exquisite prey...

"It seems..."

"I'm really in trouble this time..."

This time, Yun Xi did not answer Orochimaru, instead calculating in his mind how to escape this place.

After all...

Among the entire cast of the Hokage, Orochimaru definitely held a place as one of the most troublesome characters to deal with...