The passing time for the second exam was five days, and Uchiha Shu certainly could not rush over to the Forest of Death ahead of time to wait around.
He had already taught them everything he should, and with Naruto and Sasuke's current strength, they could steadily hold the upper hand even if they ran into Gaara's team, provided that Shukaku was not dragged out.
Therefore, Uchiha Shu naturally continued his music and dancing on this end, enjoying the pleasures of the place so much he forgot all about home.
It was not until the third day that Tsunade came knocking on his door, dragging him out of his nest of gentle indulgence.
"Orochimaru is back! That guy used the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to usurp the identity of a Kusagakure squad and sneaked into the second exam. I don't know what scheme he is plotting, but the only ones I can think of are those two Jinchūriki, Naruto and Gaara."
"I figure he shouldn't be crazy to that extent yet."
Uchiha Shu immediately laughed in spite of himself; in the original story, Orochimaru had no interest in Naruto whatsoever.
He had even casually tossed him a Five Elements Seal to make Naruto's already disrupted chakra even more chaotic, which showed just how fed up he was with him.
It would have been one thing if there were no interests involved before, but if he were truly plotting against a Jinchūriki, Konoha and Sunagakure would likely team up and dig three feet into the ground just to pluck out his snake tendons.
"I actually do know a little something about that guy, though..."
"I'll add more money!"
Tsunade grabbed Uchiha Shu's hand in one swift motion, pressed it against her own chest, and said with a stern face, "Keep talking."