Inuzuka Kiba continued leading the way, though he grumbled to himself.
He'd thought they were so strong, but they still ran as soon as they saw someone powerful.
"Woof! Woof!"
Akamaru's warning brought him back to reality.
"There are enemies up ahead."
"Byakugan!"
"I see them," Hinata said. "Two people are fighting."
"Two?"
Shinmoku raised a hand, and everyone stopped. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Yes," Hinata replied. "One of them is... Examiner Mitaraishi Anko?"
"..."
Then Hinata's breathing caught. "The person fighting her seems to have spotted me."
Shinmoku was at a loss. He should've known better and fought Gaara.
"Our cooperation is over. You can leave."
They'd already been spotted. At the very least, he could buy them some time.
"At least... say hello before you go."
An eerie voice drifted over. Not far ahead, a figure emerged from the branches.
His snake-like, vertical pupils radiated an invisible killing intent.
"Orochimaru."
"You recognized me? No wonder you're so good at gathering information."
"Could you pretend you didn't see us?" Shinmoku asked with a bitter smile.
"Sorry, I can't. I happen to be looking for you, too."
"Run!" Anko hurried over, her palm pierced through and gushing blood. "He's after the Uchiha!"
"That's right." Orochimaru's lips curled upward. "I wanted Sasuke, and I wanted you, too—at least, before I met you."
"Have you changed your mind now?"
"Yes. Your eyes don't hold what I want to see. No hatred, no obsession, no desire for others' recognition... The person beside you has promising eyes, but I've already got Sasuke."
"Then... see you?" Shinmoku tried.
"I have another goal here in Konoha," Orochimaru said as if to himself. "Destroy it! Will you join me?"
[Quest triggered: Destroy/Protect] [Choose your side: will you join Orochimaru and destroy Konoha, or stand with Konoha and resist him?] [Quest rank: C–S]
"Why devote yourself to Konoha? You complete missions but don't get the treatment you deserve, and you're constantly watched... Shall I take care of a little problem for you?"
While Orochimaru tried to talk him around, Shinmoku was thinking about the quest.
Protecting Konoha would be easier, since Orochimaru ultimately failed, but getting a high score was practically impossible.
Likewise, if he wanted to earn an S-rank achievement, his only option was to join Orochimaru. It would still be difficult, but at least there was a chance.
So the question was: should he become a rogue ninja for this quest?
"It is pretty annoying," Shinmoku replied after thinking it over. "Being watched every day, having my abilities and every jutsu I use recorded... I have no privacy at all. It's infuriating!"
The Anbu in hiding tensed.
"But I want to observe things a little longer, so..."
"I refuse."
Demonic Illusion: Ignis Fatuus!
The instant Shinmoku answered, Shinna activated her Sharingan.
Orochimaru's mind was dragged into the illusion, where he became a human-shaped illustration. Flames ignited and began climbing up from his calves.
Shinmoku had already drawn his blade, his whole body seeming to turn into a bolt of lightning.
Decapitation!
A head rolled away.
"Is he dealt with?"
Inuzuka Kiba asked in a trembling voice. The three of them hadn't been able to leave; the killing intent had paralyzed them.
"Many Serpent Formation!"
A distant voice came from above. Snakes filled the sky, spitting out Kusanagi Swords and twisting as they stabbed toward them.
Shinmoku rushed backward and grabbed Inuzuka Kiba by the collar. At the same time, Shinna wrapped an arm around Hinata's waist, while the clone seized Shino by the back of his collar.
After tossing them to safety, Shinmoku and Shinna turned toward the snakes at the same time.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Flames instantly engulfed the forest. Crackling filled the air, and the aroma of roasted meat spread everywhere.
The clone dashed beneath the flames. To make sure he'd recover to full strength before the exam, he'd only received a fifth of the original's chakra.
As a clone, he could disappear from any mishap, so he needed to make every move count before that happened.
The two of them could handle the front. He would go after Orochimaru himself.
There he was!
Gripping his short blade in reverse, he swept upward. Super Vibration Lightning Blade!
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Orochimaru thrust out his arm, and a snake shot from his sleeve, its fangs glinting coldly.
The upward slash turned into a diagonal sweep. The blade flashed and severed the snake.
"Summoning Technique!"
Orochimaru formed Hand Seals and summoned a giant snake out of nowhere. It opened its jaws wide as if to welcome him.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The snake's belly caught the fireball and swelled, a faint light shining through it.
"Boom!"
The summoned beast exploded in a rolling cloud of smoke.
"Demonic Illusion: Flower in the Mirror!"
Through a gap in the smoke, the clone activated his Sharingan and met Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, dragging him into the illusion once more.
On a smooth, mirrorlike expanse of water stood a stone platform. A book lay on it, exerting an irresistible pull on him, as if opening it would reveal every truth in the world.
"Interesting."
Orochimaru chuckled softly and dispelled the illusion.
He also summoned a Kusanagi Sword to knock Shinmoku's short blade aside, then grabbed his throat with his other hand.
By then, Shinmoku had finished dealing with the snakes and rushed over. Seeing what happened, he formed Hand Seals.
"Explode!"
A hissing sound came from beneath the clone's cloak. He grabbed Orochimaru's arm.
"Boom—"
The clone vanished. The pain was shared, as if a ten-thousand-ton hammer had smashed into Shinmoku's back. Beads of sweat dripped down as he dropped to one knee, barely stopping himself from passing out.
"Cough, cough—"
Orochimaru emerged from the depths of the crater and smiled at Shinmoku.
They couldn't kill him, and he couldn't do much to them in the short term. He had no choice but to give up on those two targets for now.
"My offer still stands." Orochimaru stood some distance away. "You can watch me destroy Konoha. After that, the doors of the Hidden Sound will still be open to you."
"...What offer?" Shinmoku couldn't help asking.
"..."
Now that he thought about it... he hadn't actually made one.
"What do you want me to promise?"
"I don't want anything... Oh, wait. Do you have the Heaven Scroll or the Earth Scroll?"
"?"
Orochimaru laughed in exasperation and casually tossed him a scroll.
Yes! It was the Earth Scroll!
Shinmoku glanced at it, and when he looked up again, Orochimaru had disappeared.
"Did he leave?"
Anko staggered over.
"He did." Shinmoku let out a sigh of relief, too.
"So, how did I do? Was that good enough?"
Anko smiled at that.
"I won't go back on my word, but first I have to report this to the Hokage."
As she spoke, her expression gradually turned serious.