Orochimaru: Itachi Is Such a Good Boy

Rustle—

Tap, tap, tap!

Orochimaru raced through the forest, weaving between the trees and occasionally stopping to glance back.

When he saw Shinji Uchiha pursuing him,

a faint smile appeared on his face.

He licked his lips. "Ah... delicious. The Ocular Power of your Sharingan is even more exquisite than Itachi's. He wasn't lying. What a good boy."

Shinji followed at an unhurried pace, stopping now and then.

Orochimaru was fast, but to Shinji, he was like a scantily clad woman luring him on—drawing him close, then slipping away, as though this were a game of teasing him to the brink.

Thud!

At last, Orochimaru stopped in a clearing surrounded by towering trees.

He turned to face Shinji Uchiha at his leisure.

His tongue darted out hungrily.

Shinji frowned. "Could you tone that down, Orochimaru?"

"Oh? You know me?"

Orochimaru's eyes shifted as he regarded Shinji with a half smile.

"One of the Konoha Sannin, student of the Third Hokage. You commanded us in the last Shinobi World War, so of course I served under you. I doubt I was anyone you'd have noticed back then, though."

Shinji looked at him with open admiration.

"...Huh?"

Orochimaru looked momentarily baffled.

Then he gave a sly smile. "No matter. Since you, my prey, followed me here, I'll gladly take the Sharingan you've delivered to me!"

With that, Orochimaru whipped out his sleeve. "Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

"Is that so? I don't think you've figured out which of us is the hunter and which is the prey..."

Shinji leaped onto a tree trunk and glanced at the tree that had been snapped in two. "But shouldn't we talk first?"

A faint smile lingered on Orochimaru's face. "Oh? What would you like to discuss, Shinji?"

Hiss—

Pop!

Shinji seized the venomous snake lunging