Karin's Disappearance

"Just as I thought, you recognized me, Shunichi!" Orochimaru said, dropping his false voice.

Uchiha Shunichi fell silent for a moment before replying, "It's not that I recognized you. I just sensed that whoever defeated me in the Chunin Ninja Exams couldn't possibly be a Genin."

Uchiha Shunichi didn't want to explain too much. Anyone who had read the original story would have recognized Orochimaru. Still, in this world, Orochimaru was exceptionally good at hiding his identity.

After all, if you peeled off someone else's face and fitted it perfectly over your own... even their mother wouldn't recognize them at first glance.

"Shunichi, I've become a little interested in you," Orochimaru said, extending his long tongue to lick his lips.

"Lord Orochimaru, you'd be better off giving up on that idea. Even if you have a Soul Backup in the Cursed Seal, I know far more than you might imagine." Uchiha Shunichi smiled faintly, delivering the threat calmly.

At Uchiha Shunichi's words, Orochimaru's pupils contracted, and his expression grew serious.

When he'd first heard Yakushi Kabuto mention this interesting child, Orochimaru had thought, He sounds amusing.

But when he actually met Uchiha Shunichi, he realized the boy always gave him an inexplicable sense of danger.

A ninja's sixth sense was extremely important.

So although Orochimaru seemed unconcerned when facing Uchiha Shunichi, he'd unconsciously treated him as an equal in their conversation.

"It seems I'm being threatened!" Orochimaru drawled, his long tongue lolling as his tone turned menacing.

The two sides fell into a standoff. Both were on guard, as if time itself had stopped.

After a long moment, Orochimaru suddenly smiled and spoke gently. "Shunichi, in that case, let's leave it here for now. But... remember to keep this secret!"

Then Orochimaru's body turned into a puddle of mud and flowed across the ground.

After Orochimaru left, Uchiha Shunichi breathed a sigh of relief. He hurried toward Naruto Uzumaki's defensive position, pulling out an Anbu Signal Flare and firing it into the sky.

Uchiha Shunichi knew perfectly well that Naruto was fine, but since Sarutobi Hiruzen had given him a mission, he had to at least put on a show.

By the time Uchiha Shunichi arrived, Orochimaru had already done everything he intended to Sasuke. The Cursed Seal on Uchiha Sasuke's neck stood out starkly, and he was unconscious.

Naruto wasn't injured, but the Nine-Tails Chakra inside him had been completely sealed away. If Naruto tried to practice Ninjutsu now, he would find it much easier.

Unfortunately, Naruto had also fallen unconscious. Of the three, only Sakura—the one who'd been a burden the whole time—was still in perfect condition.

Seeing this, Uchiha Shunichi didn't approach. He watched quietly from a nearby tree until Anko Mitarashi arrived. Then he gave her a brief report before going to check on his two unlucky teammates.

But... by the time Uchiha Shunichi found his teammates, Tenzō had already arrived.

"Void, what happened?" Tenzō still addressed Uchiha Shunichi by his codename.

"I found Orochimaru. I couldn't beat him. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki should be fine, but Uchiha Sasuke seems to have been attacked." Uchiha Shunichi didn't hide much, giving him the general outline of what had happened.

At the name Orochimaru, Tenzō couldn't help frowning. As one of Orochimaru's surviving test subjects, Tenzō had complicated feelings about him.

But now, Orochimaru was simply an enemy.

"Void, your mission is over. From here on, continue with the Chunin Ninja Exams. If you encounter Orochimaru, you may consider giving up," Tenzō ordered at once.

"Understood. I'll make sure these two teammates reach the finish line." Uchiha Shunichi nodded and watched Tenzō leave.

Once Tenzō had disappeared from sight, Uchiha Shunichi dropped his two teammates beneath a tree and left a Shadow Clone behind. Then he wandered through the Forest of Death.

He already had some of Naruto's flesh and blood, but he was still curious about a true member of the Uzumaki Clan. Since they were opponents, there shouldn't be a problem with injuring one of them, right?

However... to Uchiha Shunichi's disappointment, he couldn't find Karin anywhere in the Forest of Death. It was as if she hadn't entered the exam at all.

Unwilling to give up, Uchiha Shunichi kept searching until the exam was nearly over, but he found nothing.

With no other choice, Uchiha Shunichi gave up on the Forest of Death exam. He'd snatched a scroll from a small ninja village along the way.

"Shunichi, I heard you encountered Orochimaru during your mission. How did it go? Did he let anything slip?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, staring sternly at Uchiha Shunichi in a small meeting room.

"I was no match for Orochimaru... He was strong. I don't know what he was after, but there's a good chance it was Uchiha Sasuke."

"There was just one thing I found strange. My eyes are clearly more powerful, so why..."

Uchiha Shunichi gave his report, still puzzled.

"I see! So that's it. That Orochimaru... He actually has..." A trace of sorrow flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.

"But don't be too discouraged. For someone your age to survive a fight with Orochimaru is already remarkable." Sarutobi Hiruzen praised him warmly.

"I know." Uchiha Shunichi remained cold in the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen's praise.

He couldn't bring himself to be warm toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, so he simply acted as if he didn't care about anything.

From what he'd observed, this attitude seemed to put Sarutobi Hiruzen at ease. Uchiha Sasuke, by contrast, seemed to worry him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had mentioned Sasuke to him more than once, but Uchiha Shunichi had ignored him each time.

"Any other missions? It's almost time for the next test. After all, I'm still a Genin taking the Chunin Ninja Exams." Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen lost in thought and silent for a long time, Uchiha Shunichi interrupted him.

"Oh, right! Is it almost time? I should go host the next event too." Sarutobi Hiruzen came back to himself, his eyes hazy.

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked like an old man too frail to walk.

But a moment later, he had recovered.

"Oh!"