Orochimaru

Shao Nan released Sage Mode and placed a hand on Kosuke's back.

Chakra flowed from his hand into Kosuke.

Kosuke felt as though his entire body had become incomparably light.

In an instant, the water dragon rose into the sky, soaring through the clouds.

The thousand-meter-long water dragon circled through the air.

Kosuke controlled the water dragon, wrapping it around the great tree once before spiraling down.

BOOM!!!

In an instant, the entire Forest of Death was flooded.

All the examinee ninja were forced to leap into the trees to avoid being swept away by the floodwaters!

Fear appeared on everyone's faces.

Even Gaara and Shukaku within him were no exception.

"Konoha! The village of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, truly is extraordinary!

Shukaku, you're scared again!!!"

Hehehehe!!!

A strange voice emerged from Gaara's mind.

"Like you aren't scared yourself!!!"

On the roof of the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and a group of jonin stood there, looking toward the Forest of Death.

Kakashi: This must have been Shao Nan and Kosuke's doing!

Kurenai Yuhi: I sensed that tree. It's at least two thousand meters tall and five hundred meters thick!

Nara Shikaku: Perhaps Konoha's landmark from now on will be that tree!

Hiruzen Sarutobi: What are those two trying to do? Is this how one plants a tree and waters it?

Shao Nan finished replenishing Kosuke's chakra.

"God of the Ninja World! That path is even harder than becoming the God of Shinobi!"

"Kosuke, have you wavered?"

"This old man already has one foot in the grave. Why would I waver!"

Just then, Karin Uzumaki walked over.

"Brother Shao Nan, you're so powerful. You'll definitely help save the Uzumaki clansmen, right!"

Shao Nan gently flicked Karin Uzumaki's nose with his finger.

"The Uzumaki clansmen are my clansmen too. Once things here are over, I'll go with you to the Land of Grass and rescue them."

"Brother Shao Nan! You're so nice!"

This was bad! Karin Uzumaki kept calling me brother, and she'd even given me a good-guy card!

I definitely have to make Karin Uzumaki break this habit!

"Karin Uzumaki, follow me for now!"

Karin Uzumaki nodded. "Okay!"

Shao Nan walked up to the great tree and placed his hand on it.

"Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique."

Shao Nan said to the wood clone, "From now on, stay inside this tree and sleep!"

The wood clone nodded, then approached the tree and slowly merged into it, becoming one with the tree!

Just as Shao Nan's shadow clone was about to be sent off to complete its task,

he pierced his own palm with a kunai.

Blood seeped out!

Shao Nan smeared the blood across the wood clone's face.

The wood shadow clone instantly entered Sage Mode.

Finally, it vanished from the tree's surface and entered the tree!

Elsewhere in the forest, Naruto had been swallowed by a giant snake.

Naruto struggled desperately inside it.

Meanwhile, a strange man stood before Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura!

With an unnaturally long tongue, the man was unmistakably Orochimaru, though he was using someone else's body!

"Since the tree has stopped growing and the floodwaters have receded, let the scroll-snatching battle begin."

Though Orochimaru marveled at the commotion in the forest, his target this time was Sasuke Uchiha.

He wanted to bite him and plant a Cursed Seal on him!

Suddenly, Orochimaru raised his left hand to his left eye and forcefully pulled down his lower eyelid.

Orochimaru's vertical pupil was revealed.

A powerful killing intent swept toward Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura like genjutsu.

With only a glance from Orochimaru, Sasuke Uchiha dropped to his knees and began vomiting.

Struck by the wave of killing intent, Sakura sat on the ground with her legs splayed like a frog's, her body convulsing violently.

Sasuke Uchiha muttered:

"This is just pure killing intent! This man is so strong!"

Orochimaru slowly raised a kunai and walked toward Sasuke Uchiha.

Just as he was about to attack, a wooden board shot up from the ground and blocked Orochimaru's path.

"Sasuke Uchiha, the man in front of you could be defeated in one move by Itachi Uchiha! You really aren't good enough!"

Shao Nan's voice reached Sasuke Uchiha's mind.

"Boss, are you serious? Itachi Uchiha could defeat this man in one move?"

Sasuke Uchiha asked, still shaken.

Shao Nan, Karin Uzumaki, and Kosuke walked over to Sasuke Uchiha.

"Yes! Though it may be hard for you to accept, that is the truth!"

Orochimaru examined the man before him. He looked exactly like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

In an instant, a flash of lightning crossed Orochimaru's mind.

Could this towering tree have been created by this man?

If it truly was him, then he possesses power comparable to the God of Shinobi.

He might be able to kill me with ease!

It seems my plan is about to be ruined.

Well, forget it. I'll look for another opportunity later!

And even if it wasn't him, the old man behind him, Maruboshi Kosuke...

I know his strength all too well!

Even I would not dare claim to be his match.

Orochimaru said calmly, "You aren't planning to capture me, are you? Have I been exposed?"

Maruboshi Kosuke was somewhat confused by the strange man's words.

Seeing this, Shao Nan explained to Kosuke, "That is Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. He is merely using someone else's body!"

Maruboshi Kosuke's aged eyes suddenly widened.

"You are Orochimaru, the rogue ninja who slaughtered countless lives in the village?"

Orochimaru said dismissively, "They gave themselves to science! You should respect their wishes!"

"Pah! This old man cannot stand people like you, who harm innocent civilians!"

Kosuke had barely finished speaking when he was about to attack, but Shao Nan stopped him.

"Kosuke, don't make a move!"

Then he said to Sasuke Uchiha, "I'll demonstrate only once. After that, you must properly hone your own strength."

After Shao Nan spoke, scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes.

Sasuke Uchiha said in shock, "Sharingan! Boss, are you part of the Uchiha clan too?"

Shao Nan nodded. "I am part of the Uchiha as well! Now I will use genjutsu to control your body. Focus and experience it carefully!"

"Wood Release: Sage Mode."

"Sharingan: Genjutsu."

Sasuke Uchiha suddenly closed his eyes, then climbed up from the ground.

He said coldly:

"Orochimaru, you coveted something you should not have coveted.

This time, I will only teach you a lesson.

You are someone I have chosen. With your help, I will gain another great asset on my path to unifying the Ninja World!"

In Sage Mode, Shao Nan strengthened the ocular power of his Sharingan.

He controlled Sasuke Uchiha's body.

And now, two soul entities existed within Sasuke Uchiha's body.

One was Sasuke Uchiha's original soul, while the other was the soul entity formed by Shao Nan's Sharingan genjutsu.

The moment he entered Sasuke Uchiha's body,

Shao Nan discovered an earth-shattering secret about Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke Uchiha, so you are..."

Sasuke Uchiha's soul said shyly, "Boss, you'll keep this secret for me, right!!!"

Shao Nan nodded seriously.

At last, he understood why, on the night he awakened Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan,

the strange broken sound Sasuke Uchiha had made while swallowing blood,

and why Sasuke Uchiha's body had been so soft when Shao Nan put an arm around his shoulders on the way to the Chunin Exams written test.

Then Shao Nan said sternly to Sasuke Uchiha, "This is how your power should be used!"

Sasuke Uchiha's soul nodded. "Boss! This completely overturns everything I know!"

Then three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in Sasuke Uchiha's eyes.

They began spinning wildly, transforming into Mangekyō Sharingan with a six-pointed star pattern.

Orochimaru said in terror, "Mangekyō Sharingan? When did Sasuke Uchiha awaken it!? Damn it!"

Controlling Sasuke Uchiha's body, Shao Nan said, "Use your full strength, Orochimaru! Otherwise, you truly will die!"

After Sasuke Uchiha spoke, his left eye focused on Orochimaru.

"Amaterasu."

Black flames immediately ignited across Orochimaru's body.

Orochimaru cried out in agony.

Then,

Orochimaru peeled away his own skin, casting the black flames of Amaterasu aside.

Then Orochimaru's true body walked straight forward and spoke calmly.

"How interesting. I can tell that you do not wish to kill me!"

"Since you wish to play, then I shall play with you!"

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation."

BOOM!

BOOM!!

The ground before Orochimaru slowly trembled, and then two coffins rose from the earth.

BANG!

BANG!

The lids of both coffins opened simultaneously!

Tears welled in Maruboshi Kosuke's eyes as he said nostalgically, "Lord Hashirama, Lord Tobirama!"

Sasuke Uchiha spoke, "Now this is more like it, Orochimaru! Otherwise, how could I teach Sasuke Uchiha how to adapt to his own power!"

Orochimaru had summoned none other than the First Hokage and the Second Hokage.

The brothers Hashirama and Tobirama!

Hashirama stepped out of his coffin, and his first words were, "Wasn't I already dead?"

Tobirama also noticed the problem. "Brother, that young man behind us used my technique to summon us from the Pure Land."

Hashirama held his forehead and said helplessly, "Tobirama, your Impure World Reincarnation is against human ethics. You should never have invented it!"

Orochimaru interrupted their conversation. "You two, please fight the youth in front of you!"

Tobirama snorted coldly. "You have simply insulted the technique I created. You revived us, yet our strength is only one or two tenths of what it was in life."

Hashirama laughed. "If we had our strength from when we were alive, Tobirama, I suppose you would kill the young man who summoned us the very first moment."

Just then, Kosuke shouted, "Wait, Lord Hashirama, Lord Tobirama!"