Yin Jie and Orochimaru

"Here will do!"

Orochimaru led Yin Jie to a clearing deep within the forest. A hint of scrutiny flashed through his golden vertical pupils.

He was quite interested in Yin Jie's strength. He did not believe that what Yin Jie had displayed during the graduation assessment was the full extent of his abilities.

Besides, he wanted to see just how far Yin Jie could go now, so he could formulate a targeted training plan and help him grow faster.

"Use all your strength and every method at your disposal. Then come at me with the resolve to kill me!"

"Yin Jie-kun!"

Orochimaru's voice echoed continuously in Yin Jie's ears.

At the same time, along with Orochimaru's words, surging killing intent swept toward Yin Jie in wave after wave within an instant!

The battle between master and disciple erupted at once!

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Scarlet quietly filled Yin Jie's eyes. Then, he hurled a large handful of mixed shuriken and kunai at Orochimaru with all his strength.

Amid a series of metallic clangs, quite a few shuriken and kunai changed direction mid-flight, sealing off every route Orochimaru could use to evade.

"As expected..."

Orochimaru was not surprised in the slightest by Yin Jie's opening barrage of shuriken.

He had known Yin Jie had held something back during the graduation assessment. This was the classic fighting style the Uchiha Clan should possess!

So, what would come next?

An unreadable expression crossed Orochimaru's face as he formed hand seals and lightly slapped the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!!!"

A wall of earth roughly as tall as a person instantly rose from the ground before Orochimaru, intercepting every attack coming from the front.

As for attacks from other directions, especially those from blind spots behind and to his sides, Orochimaru's response was just as simple. As though he could see everything happening behind him, he merely jumped lightly and perfectly evaded every attack that had ricocheted into his blind spots after colliding with one another.

Then, after landing atop the earthen wall and steadying himself, Orochimaru bit open his finger and swiped it across his palm. The Summoning Technique activated at once.

In an instant, a mottled python around twenty meters long slithered out of the smoke. Flicking its long tongue, it hissed as it rapidly slid toward Yin Jie.

Its foul, fishy breath spread through the air. It could be smelled from far away.

Yin Jie instinctively furrowed his brow. It did not affect him much, but the foul stench made him deeply uncomfortable.

Not to mention, a "large" summoned beast like this was not easy to deal with, even though Orochimaru was clearly holding back.

So, Yin Jie rapidly retreated while forming hand seals, swiftly mobilizing the chakra within his body. The tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly as well.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Stone Spears!!!"

Several sharp rock spires appeared at just the right spots along the python's unavoidable path, throwing its advance off balance before pinning it in place.

After using Earth-Style Stone Spears, Yin Jie stopped where he was, keeping his hands in a seal. The Snake and Tiger seals followed immediately afterward, completed in an instant.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!!!"

A massive fireball spewed forth, engulfing most of the python's body in the blink of an eye. The smell of scorched meat soon filled the entire battlefield.

This time, Yin Jie had used the Great Fireball Technique without holding anything back, after simplifying its hand seals. Thus, although he had cast the Great Fireball Technique after the Earth-Style Stone Spears, the two attacks struck the python's body almost simultaneously.

As for why Yin Jie was no longer concealing his abilities when facing Orochimaru—

It was because Orochimaru was his teacher. Only after Orochimaru fully understood his situation could he devise the training plan most suitable for him.

Moreover, based on his familiarity with the story, Yin Jie had analyzed Orochimaru's personality. He knew that Orochimaru was not truly the same kind of person as the others, especially Danzo Shimura.

Therefore, he was not actually worried that Orochimaru would reveal his information.

Of course, even so, Yin Jie still had to keep some trump cards in reserve.

As far as he was concerned, as long as someone was not an enemy he had to fight to the death, he would never reveal all his information completely.

"Oh? Simplified hand seals! Yin Jie-kun, you've given me quite a huge surprise!"

A sharp gleam flashed in Orochimaru's eyes when he saw Yin Jie's nearly instantaneous Great Fireball Technique.

In just two exchanges, Yin Jie had displayed two abilities that had not been recorded in the intelligence reports. This made Orochimaru look forward to Yin Jie's performance even more.

As the flames gradually dispersed, Yin Jie and Orochimaru stood a considerable distance apart, staring intently at one another without speaking.

The python, still giving off the scent of meat, had already been dismissed by Orochimaru and sent back to Ryūchi Cave.

Then, in the next second—

Yin Jie and Orochimaru moved at the same time.

Yin Jie threw several more kunai, while Orochimaru charged at him in a twisting, serpentine path.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Yin Jie and Orochimaru began exchanging taijutsu. The dull sounds of fists colliding with fists and kicks striking kicks rang out without pause.

Since Orochimaru was only testing Yin Jie's strength and had not gotten serious, coupled with the formidable perception granted by Yin Jie's two-tomoe Sharingan, Yin Jie temporarily held the upper hand.

But that was all. Yin Jie could never press further and turn that advantage into a "winning edge."

"Boom!"

After another clash of fists, Yin Jie and Orochimaru retreated simultaneously and separated.

Even with him holding back this much, this is all I can manage...

Yin Jie steadied himself, his breathing slightly labored.

Of course, he knew Orochimaru had not been serious at all. Yet even so, he could not gain the slightest advantage against him.

"In that case, let's try this move!"

Yin Jie did not give up. Blazing fighting spirit surged within him.

Then, he fired the last kunai from his ninja tool pouch at Orochimaru and charged after it.

"What will it be this time?"

Curiosity flickered through Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils. He was somewhat curious about the technique Yin Jie had saved for last.

But immediately afterward, realization appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, as though he had guessed something.

Because he saw several faint strands of silver light behind the incoming kunai, occasionally glinting beneath the sunlight.