Facing Orochimaru (Part One)

Two days later, early in the morning, at Training Ground Six.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves onto the clearing. Nara Tsukimi had arrived early. Dressed in a sharp black uniform, he sat against a tree with his hands in his pockets, looking thoroughly at ease.

Before long, footsteps approached. Tsukimi looked up to see Asuma strolling over with a blade of grass between his teeth, greeting him as he walked.

"Tsukimi, you're here early!"

Why's this guy acting like he's out for a stroll?

Tsukimi's mouth twitched. He strongly suspected the old Third hadn't told Asuma who his supervising Jonin would be. Otherwise, there was no way Asuma would be this carefree.

He really knows how to set his son up!

"Being late is a serious mistake for a Ninja, Asuma. Don't start acting like Obito."

Before Tsukimi could speak, a voice came from the entrance to the training ground.

Kurenai Yuhi walked toward them. She wore a dark red short-sleeved top and dark trousers today, with her hair tied in a ponytail. Training with Tsukimi and the others over the past two years had worn away her former softness. She already carried a hint of the poised, confident air she would have one day.

"Do either of you know who our supervising Jonin is? Dad didn't tell me yesterday."

When she reached them, Kurenai looked from one to the other, curiosity in her red eyes.

"I don't know either. I asked my old man yesterday, but he wouldn't tell me. Tsukimi, do you know?"

Asuma scratched his head and looked to Tsukimi for an answer.

Tsukimi nearly laughed. People in Konoha loved playing mysterious. Enough with the riddles already!

"I don't know either, but I have a guess. It's—"

Before he could finish, Tsukimi caught a chemical smell of decay. Formalin. The other two noticed it as well. Their relaxed postures vanished, and their bodies tensed. Asuma drew his Flying Swallow blades, while Kurenai pulled out a Kunai and took a defensive stance.

"Looks like our supervising Jonin is here."

A breeze rustled the leaves. A figure in white emerged slowly from the trees.

Orochimaru wore a white robe. His skin was pale as though he had spent years out of the sun. Golden snake eyes swept over the three of them, and a sinister air seemed to roll off him as he walked steadily into the center of the clearing.

So it was you, Orochimaru! Hiruzen Sarutobi had played his balancing game to perfection. He had given the Three Clans their due, brought Tsukimi into the Hokage's line of mentorship, and pulled Orochimaru out of Root.

Not that it would do much good. Orochimaru had probably already come into contact with Hashirama Cells by now.

That smell fits. Did Orochimaru come straight from his lab?

"I'm Orochimaru. I'll be your team's supervising Jonin."

His probing gaze settled on Tsukimi. His flat tone betrayed nothing.

The other two finally came to their senses. Asuma spat out the blade of grass, and he and Kurenai bowed slightly, looking somewhat stiff. Neither had expected their supervising Jonin to be Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.

Orochimaru's gaze lingered on Tsukimi. After receiving the Third Hokage's appointment two days ago, he had gathered information on the boy. The altered Shadow Secret Technique had piqued his interest.

A faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's face, and his raspy voice rang out.

"Before we begin in earnest, I need to see what you can do."

He raised his right hand. Two bells hung from his fingertips, chiming clearly as he shook them.

"The bell test isn't worth much, but it'll do for measuring your abilities. Your goal is to take these two bells from me within ten minutes. Use any means you like."

"Begin!"

Asuma and Kurenai's expressions turned serious at once. They knew an ordinary Jonin's test would be difficult enough, let alone one set by a legendary Sannin.

They looked toward Tsukimi. After two years of training and sparring together, they knew his strength and trusted his judgment.

Tsukimi dropped his languid manner too. Orochimaru only intended to test their abilities and wouldn't go all out, but the three of them still had no chance in a head-on fight.

Besides, a certain voyeur was probably watching.

We need a plan.

Tsukimi kept his expression mild as he thought through a strategy. Once he had settled on one, the three moved a short distance away, and he laid out the plan.

In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had the crystal ball before him as usual. It showed Training Ground Six. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu watched beside him.

Seeing that Tsukimi and the others had stopped to discuss tactics rather than rushing in, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke and nodded approvingly.

"Faced with Orochimaru, they've kept their heads and know to work together. They're far more composed than others their age."

Back at the training ground, the three finished their discussion and returned to the clearing. They took up their positions while Orochimaru watched from where he stood, visibly intrigued.

"Let's go!"

At Tsukimi's signal, he formed Hand Seals. The shadow beneath his feet churned, and a flood of Shadowkhan surged out. Nearly two hundred figures from all six groups spread across the entire training ground.

The Shadowkhan advanced in layers. Those in front moved in to grapple, those in the middle blocked escape routes with their blades, and those in the rear attacked from above. Their numbers pressed in on Orochimaru from every side.

At the same time, Tsukimi formed Hand Seals from the rear. Shadows gathered into Shuriken and shot through gaps in the Shadowkhan's ranks. Attacks from near and far overlapped, leaving Orochimaru no opening to break away.

Orochimaru stood still, his golden snake eyes taking in every attack. Tsukimi's shadow Shuriken interested him even more.

"Oh? A change in Yin Release's form?"

With a flick of his right hand, Orochimaru caught a Kunai. Facing the countless shadows, he bent as though his bones had vanished. His upper body tilted aside while his feet slid back, and with a few small shifts, he evaded a storm of slashes.

The Shadowkhan that closed in had no time to pull back before Orochimaru's Kunai cut through them. A cold flash, and their black bodies fell apart. He wove through the crowd with drifting steps, every movement clean and precise. Each time he raised his hand, another part of the encirclement broke.

In the next instant, the shadow Shuriken were upon him. Orochimaru remained unhurried. As he dodged, he tried to parry one with his Kunai—but the moment the weapons touched, the shadow Shuriken turned to liquid and snaked up the blade.

Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He immediately sent a pulse of Chakra through it, shaking the shadow loose. He gave up parrying with his Kunai and focused on dodging.