231-235

Chapter 231: Temari's Surprise

After dealing with Baki, Hattori dismissed him and then led Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro to his residence.

Hattori had his arm around Gaara’s neck, walking ahead, while Temari and Kankuro followed behind with strange expressions, almost like two lackeys. Their faces showed clear tension—not only because of Gaara but also from the intimidating aura surrounding Hattori, a legendary Shinobi.

Hattori’s reputation was enormous!

He had stormed Iwagakure and injured the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki; led Suna shinobi to assault Konoha in the Battle of Kikyo Pass; defeated the Jinchuriki of Iwagakure on the northern battlefield, singlehandedly vanquishing thousands of enemies; infiltrated Kirigakure and killed the Third Mizukage; and even defeated Rasa with one blow upon returning to the village, establishing his dominance. He had also resolved Suna’s ten-year crisis in the Wind Capital, convincing the Daimyo to reinstate military funding and missions for Suna.

Each of these achievements elevated Hattori to the status of a hero in Suna, his standing akin to that of Konoha’s Legendary Sannin—perhaps even higher!

To Suna’s younger generation, who revered heroes, someone like Hattori was a figure of awe and curiosity.

Temari and Kankuro, however, felt slightly different.

While other Suna children openly admired Hattori, they couldn't express such sentiments because their father, Rasa, despised Hattori and even forbade them from mentioning his name, let alone admiring him.

Now, this "legendary" figure was right in front of them, amiably holding the terrifying Gaara, and Temari and Kankuro's expressions were undeniably conflicted.

Hattori noticed their discomfort and couldn't help but laugh.

"You two don’t need to be so stiff around me. I may not get along with Rasa, but your mother and I were like siblings. I won’t eat you alive!" he joked, turning to Temari with a playful grin. "Especially you, little Temari. You were the most ungrateful one. Do you even know how many times I bathed you when you were little? And that precious pine pollen powder, which Suna girls would never waste on their faces—I can’t count how much I used on your little bottom. Yet now you don’t seem to remember any of it!"

Temari: "(ˇˇ)"

Did that really happen?

Hearing Hattori’s words, Temari’s face instantly turned red, and she began stammering, "Well... I... actually..."

"Alright, alright!" Hattori interrupted, waving his hand before she could finish. "If you don’t know what to say, don’t worry about it. Let’s just go eat something. We can talk more over food!"

"Uh... sure!" Temari quickly nodded in agreement.

Before long, Hattori brought the trio to his home and gestured for them to make themselves comfortable. "Sit wherever you like. Help yourselves, fruit on the table, and feel free to grab a drink. I’m going to change clothes."

With that, he went to his room to change.

After Hattori left, Gaara put down his sand gourd and turned to his siblings. "Hattori said you can eat whatever on e table."

"Oh... okay, thank you!" Kankuro, nodding quickly and thanking Gaara, grabbed a piece of fruit and began eating it—almost as if he had been ordered to.

Gaara didn’t say anything further and started eating a banana himself. Temari, however, didn’t reach for any food; instead, her gaze was drawn to a picture frame beside the table, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Is that... me in this photo?"

Indeed, the photograph she was staring at showed a younger Hattori holding her alongside their mother, Karura.

Seeing Temari's surprised expression, Gaara frowned slightly. "This photo—have you never seen it before? Hattori mentioned our mother should have a copy."

"I don’t know about that!" Temari shook her head and frowned. "I went through all of Mother’s belongings, but I never found this photo."

"Then Rasa must have thrown it away."

As Temari and Gaara exchanged puzzled looks, Hattori emerged from his room in fresh clothes. He walked over, took the frame from Temari's hands, and smiled at the photo.

"Temari, you were only a year and a half old back then. You used to cling to me constantly, and your mother suggested we take this picture. But..." His face darkened. "Less than two weeks later, Rasa tried to have me assassinated, and someone I cared about dearly lost their life because of it. I returned to Suna intending to kill Rasa, but I held back for your mother’s sake—and because Gaara hadn’t been born yet."

Hattori looked at Gaara, his expression softening. "In hindsight, sparing him had some benefits, didn’t it, Gaara?"

"..."

Gaara didn’t respond, but his expression became gentler.

Seeing Gaara’s reaction, Hattori ruffled his hair. "You’ve grown taller in just a year, and your killing intent has intensified. Save that for outsiders, alright? Be kinder to your family."

"Okay," Gaara nodded and then asked, "When are you coming back to Suna?"

"Once this matter is settled," Hattori sighed. "I won’t be able to avoid it after everything that’s happened... But let’s not dwell on that now. Kankuro, here’s something for you."

Hattori tossed a scroll to Kankuro, who caught it with a puzzled expression. "It’s a sealing scroll for storing your puppets. There’s also a Mist Puppet inside. It’s a basic sealing puppet, but it should be useful for you at your current level."

"A sealing puppet?" Kankuro’s eyes lit up, and he broke into a huge grin. "A sealing puppet?! That’s amazing! Thank you... Uncle Hattori!"

"Tch... smart kid!" Hattori chuckled, patting Kankuro on the shoulder. "Let’s go eat. Temari, leave your fan on the couch; there’s no need to carry weapons here."

"Uh... okay!" Temari quickly complied, setting her three-star fan on the sofa and following Hattori as they headed out for some barbecue.

While the four of them enjoyed their feast at BBQ restaurant, the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was in his office announcing new orders to Kakashi and the others.

"Well then... it’s official. Starting today, the countdown begins. On July 1st, one week from now, the Chunin Exams will commence!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 232: Hattori Takes On Orochimaru (Part 1)*

A week later, the Chūnin Exams hosted by Konoha Village arrived as scheduled.

Hundreds of Genin from nearby small and large ninja villages gathered in Konoha, competing in a unique showcase of their strength in times of peace.

As in the original storyline, the first test focused on the candidates' observation and intelligence-gathering skills. However, thanks to Naruto’s disruptions, many more participants passed than usual.

The second round, however, was far more intense. Participants were randomly given either a “Heaven” or “Earth” scroll and had to battle in a closed-off wilderness area, striving to collect both scrolls to advance to the next stage.

It’s worth mentioning that this part of the exam was genuinely dangerous.

Not only were there fierce battles between candidates over the scrolls, but the testing ground itself — the Forest of Death — presented a deadly challenge. The forest, closed off from the outside world for years, held countless hidden dangers. Anyone who wandered in rarely survived, earning the place its ominous name.

And this time, the Forest of Death would be even more perilous.

An old hero of Konoha, now an S-Rank missing-nin and one of the legendary “Sannin” — Orochimaru — had infiltrated the forest! Disguised as a Grass Village ninja, he entered and immediately set his sights on Team 7.

More specifically, he had his eyes on Sasuke!

Obsessed with his quest for immortality, Orochimaru wanted a perfect vessel for his soul, and the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan was a power he longed to possess.

Once in the Forest of Death, Orochimaru swiftly attacked Sasuke and his team, testing Sasuke’s potential to see if he met his high standards.

But an S-Rank ninja’s test was no simple matter. Sasuke and his teammates faced one life-threatening danger after another, barely escaping death on multiple occasions.

Watching Sasuke's frightened and tense demeanor, Orochimaru, who considered himself a "hunter," was thoroughly amused.

Emerging again, he grinned menacingly at Sasuke.

“Not even for a moment can you afford to let your guard down. Prey like you should always be on edge, running for your life in the presence of a predator. Heh heh heh heh…”

With those words, he extended his long tongue and lunged at Sasuke, laughing all the while.

Sasuke, overwhelmed by Orochimaru's power, was paralyzed with fear, forgetting to dodge as Orochimaru closed in.

But just before Orochimaru could reach him, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking warily at Sasuke.

"Why are you here?" Orochimaru asked with a tense expression.

Sasuke: "???"

What is going on with this guy?

Before Sasuke could react, a voice rang out from behind him.

"If you can be here, why would it be strange for me to show up? Right, Uncle Snake?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Sasuke turned to see Hattori, with his long red hair cascading down to his waist.

“Hattori!” Sasuke shouted, feeling genuine relief as he looked at the man who had once slapped him around with those powerful hands. Hattori, to Sasuke’s amazement, seemed more radiant than ever.

Hattori noticed Sasuke’s joy and smiled, ruffling his hair.

“This fight is beyond what you can handle right now. Take Sakura and stay far back.”

“Got it!”

Sasuke nodded, grabbing Sakura and retreating dozens of meters. Despite his initial fear of Orochimaru pursuing him, he noticed Orochimaru remained still, focused warily on Hattori.

"We should be safe now!" Sasuke thought, his expression serious as he watched Hattori and Orochimaru prepare to clash.

Sakura, puzzled, asked, “Sasuke, why did we stop? Isn’t this the perfect chance to run?”

“No, running now won’t do us any good!” Sasuke shook his head and looked back at Hattori and Orochimaru.

“If Hattori wins, we’re safe. If he loses, there’s no escape for us anyway. But I don’t believe he’ll lose. That guy… is unbelievably strong!”

His eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Watching a battle of this caliber isn’t something you get to see every day. Even if it’s dangerous, I won’t look away. I have to become stronger!”

Sakura bit her lip anxiously but didn’t argue, instead turning to watch Hattori and Orochimaru with him.

Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, noticing their interest.

“Heh heh heh heh… Those two kids seem to have great faith in you. I’m curious, how did an outsider like you earn that?”

Hattori shrugged, smiling. “I guess it’s my charming looks. Someone like you, who changes skins for a living, probably wouldn’t get it. Say, why don’t you try me out? I’d bet my body’s a solid choice.”

Orochimaru laughed dryly. “Heh heh heh heh… Since you’re so eager, then…”

Before he could finish, his tongue shot out like a whip, lashing at Hattori. At the same time, his arm transformed into a mass of venomous snakes, striking in tandem!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

The attack left Hattori with no apparent escape routes, a move that could fluster even elite Jōnin.

But Hattori didn’t even flinch.

He waited until Orochimaru’s tongue wrapped around him, then grinned. “You done? Now it’s my turn!”

Hattori grabbed Orochimaru’s tongue and yanked hard.

“Ha!”

The force was so tremendous that Orochimaru’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“How is this possible?!”

But disbelief or not, his body was pulled forward, as if hooked like a fish. Before he could react, Hattori’s fist smashed into his face.

“BAM!”

The impact sent Orochimaru flying back at even greater speed, crashing into a tree so hard that the trunk caved in. Yet Hattori wasn’t done.

Still holding onto Orochimaru’s tongue, Hattori pulled him back again, ready for a second strike!

Orochimaru wouldn’t go down so easily. Taking advantage of the distance, he spit out a sword from his mouth.

The Kusanagi Sword!

He grabbed the blade, aiming to stab Hattori as he was pulled in.

But Hattori wasn’t about to let that happen!

Letting go of his punch, Hattori instead grabbed Orochimaru's tongue with both hands, spinning him around in circles.

“Off you go!”

He swung Orochimaru like a whip, crashing him into yet another tree, only to repeat the process like playing with a yo-yo, slamming Orochimaru into the surrounding trees over and over.

All the while, he yelled, “Three spins left, three spins right, twist your neck and shake your hips! Early to bed, early to rise, let's exercise!!”

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto stood dumbfounded, jaws dropped.

(Д)(Д)(Д*)

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 233: Hattori's Third Battle Against Orochimaru (Part 2)*

Orochimaru was feeling frustrated.

He hadn’t expected his most skilled technique, the “Tongue Attack,” to become Hattori’s most effective counter against him. Orochimaru’s entire tongue was gripped tightly by Hattori, preventing him from using even a basic substitution jutsu.

What made it worse was that Hattori was swinging him around like a yo-yo, making it impossible for Orochimaru to throw shurikens, use his Snake Hands jutsu, or even summon creatures. It was truly suffocating.

Seeing that Hattori seemed to have endless strength, Orochimaru didn’t dare gamble on how much longer he could hold out. So, he resorted to his ultimate survival technique.

“Substitution Jutsu!”

But it wasn’t an ordinary substitution; it was his self-developed “Serpent Style Substitution.” Unlike standard substitutions, which use an external object as a stand-in, this technique uses the original body itself, shedding skin like a snake.

This jutsu was incredibly powerful; it effectively rebuilt his body from scratch, allowing him to fully recover even from severe injuries after “shedding.” However, it consumed an immense amount of chakra. Even someone as strong as Orochimaru couldn’t use it more than twice. This time, Hattori had forced him into a corner, leaving him no choice.

After being slammed into a tree branch again, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, and a slimy hand stretched out from within.

Seeing this, Hattori immediately understood Orochimaru’s intent.

“Trying to pull a ‘golden cicada shedding its shell’? In your dreams!”

He yanked the long tongue hard, attempting to counterattack before Orochimaru could complete his substitution. But Orochimaru had anticipated this and severed his own tongue with the hand that emerged, simultaneously launching an attack.

“Multiple Shadow Snake Hands!”

Instantly, his hand transformed into dozens of ferocious, venomous snakes, lunging at Hattori.

Hattori didn’t flinch. Raising his hand, a thick black rod appeared. With a swift swing, he slashed through Orochimaru’s Shadow Snake Hands, then lunged forward with the rod like a sword.

Swish!

Orochimaru, who hadn’t finished his substitution, was pierced by the black rod, pinning him to a nearby tree.

Just as Hattori was about to smirk in victory, the pinned Orochimaru crumbled into a pile of black mud and slid down the tree.

“A Mud Clone? Since when?”

Hattori frowned, activating his Kagura’s Mind Eye to locate Orochimaru.

To his surprise, Orochimaru was already several hundred meters away, and by the time Hattori sensed him, he had already moved another hundred meters, fleeing at astonishing speed.

“Damn!”

Hattori cursed aloud.

“You’re one of the legendary Sannin, and you flee after just one round? Where’s your pride?”

Hattori was angry. He had come all this way to confront Orochimaru, hoping to obtain the “advanced version” of the Reanimation Jutsu. But with Orochimaru’s retreat, all his efforts felt wasted.

“Damn, this was a major loss. Not only did I fail to get what I wanted, but I also alerted Orochimaru and scared him off. Now he probably won’t return anytime soon…”

Resigned, Hattori clicked his tongue and waved to Naruto and his teammates.

“All right, that guy’s gone. You all can continue with your exam—I’m out!”

With that, he used a Body Flicker Technique and vanished.

Naruto and his teammates were stunned for a moment but then regrouped and continued their exam.

However, after they left, Hattori reappeared and quietly followed them.

In truth, Hattori hadn’t left; he just didn’t want Naruto and his friends to know he was watching over them. He hoped Orochimaru might return.

But his gamble didn’t pay off. Perhaps he had injured Orochimaru too badly, or maybe there were other reasons, but Orochimaru didn’t show up for the rest of the exam.

Hattori was a bit disappointed but not too discouraged. He knew that Orochimaru would eventually appear again—he still had his “Konoha Crush” plan to execute.

“Orochimaru will definitely be there for the final round.”

Hattori had no doubt about this. And he was right.

On the day of the Chunin Exams finals, he spotted Orochimaru in the stands, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, seated boldly next to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Seeing this, Hattori couldn’t help but smile.

“Just as I thought!”

However, standing next to him, Baki’s expression grew grim.

“Lord Hattori… is that truly not the Kazekage?”

“Heh… still holding onto hope, are you?”

Hattori quickly dashed Baki’s last bit of optimism.

“Whether Rasa is dead, I can’t say for sure, but I’d bet my head that the man in the stands is Orochimaru!”

Crunch!

Baki’s face contorted with rage, his fists clenched, and his teeth grinding in fury.

“Orochimaru… how dare he replace the Kazekage! I’ll make sure he and the Sound Village pay!”

“Indeed, it’s about time.” Hattori nodded. “Proceed with the original plan!”

“Yes!”

With that, Baki vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.

Once Baki left, Hattori turned his gaze to Orochimaru in Kazekage disguise, his smile growing.

“This time, you won’t escape so easily, Orochimaru.”

He pulled a scroll from his cloak, tossed it into a nearby fire pit, and watched it turn to ash. As the scroll burned completely, a flash of golden light engulfed him, and Hattori’s presence vanished.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 234: Hattori's Third Battle Against Orochimaru (Chūnibyō)*

The finals of the Chūnin Exams were progressing steadily.

Just like in the original story, Naruto, who no one believed in, defeated Neji, who everyone thought would win.

Shikamaru surrendered to Temari, and Sasuke arrived fashionably late for his fight against Gaara…

Everything seemed like a prearranged drama, unfolding in a meticulously planned manner.

As for Orochimaru, he was no exception. He captured the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and launched the "Konoha Crush" plan.

Inside the barrier created by the Sound Four with their Four Violet Flames Formation, under the watchful eyes of the Konoha Anbu, Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the master and apprentice, began their battle of life and death.

"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone!" Hiruzen Sarutobi launched the first attack!

"Too naïve!"

In response to Hiruzen’s attack, Orochimaru used his signature move!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

With a shout, his tongue turned into a venomous snake that lunged at Hiruzen’s neck.

But before Orochimaru could rejoice, Hiruzen turned into a pile of dirt.

It was just an Earth-Style clone.

Realizing this, Orochimaru found Hiruzen launching an attack from his flank!

"Earth-Style: Mud River! Earth-Style: Earth Dragon Bullet… Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Living up to his title as the “Professor of Ninjutsu,” Hiruzen unleashed three high-level jutsu in quick succession.

Unfortunately, they were ineffective.

Such jutsu were clearly not enough to harm Orochimaru, who remained unscathed after Hiruzen’s attacks.

Of course, Hiruzen knew this too—those attacks were just a warm-up.

Now, the real battle was about to begin!

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

With a low shout, Hiruzen threw a shuriken at Orochimaru.

As the shuriken flew, it multiplied rapidly, turning into a swarm of shuriken that rained down on Orochimaru.

Faced with this barrage, Orochimaru didn’t take any chances. He clasped his hands together and used his trump card.

"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"

With his shout, a dark purple spatial door opened on the ground beneath him, and a coffin marked with "First" rose from the earth.

"The first… and the second!"

As Orochimaru spoke, another coffin marked with "Second" rose up, blocking all of Hiruzen’s shuriken.

When a third coffin, marked "Fourth," began to rise, Hiruzen panicked.

"I must stop the third one!"

He quickly performed hand signs to counter Orochimaru’s summoning ritual, forcing the third coffin back underground.

Orochimaru didn’t seem bothered, even smirking slightly.

"It seems the third won’t work, but it doesn’t matter!"

With a grin, Orochimaru watched as the lids of the first two coffins opened, revealing two figures covered in dirt.

Seeing them, Hiruzen’s face turned deadly serious, while Orochimaru burst out laughing.

"What’s your next move, Hiruzen-sensei… or should I say, Third Hokage?"

"…"

Hearing Orochimaru’s words and seeing the two familiar figures before him, cold sweat broke out on Hiruzen’s face.

At the same time, the two figures stepped out of the coffins and greeted Hiruzen.

"Long time no see, monkey!"

"It’s you… You’re older now too, Hiruzen!"

Hearing them speak as if they were old friends, Hiruzen didn’t relax. His face grew even more tense.

"I never thought we’d meet again under such circumstances. First Hokage, Second Hokage, prepare yourselves!"

These two figures were none other than the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, summoned by Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation.

Upon hearing Hiruzen, Tobirama paused, then turned to look at Orochimaru.

"Impure World Reincarnation… This young man summoned us with a forbidden jutsu? Quite an impressive fellow!"

His tone carried little anger or resentment, even a touch of admiration.

Hashirama then looked at Hiruzen.

"It seems, Hiruzen, we must fight you now."

"…"

At this, Hiruzen fell silent, while Orochimaru broke in with a smug smile.

"Enough chit-chat, old men. Let’s get started, shall we?"

Hiruzen’s face turned from grave to furious.

"Desecrating the dead and toying with souls will bring you no good!"

But Hiruzen’s anger only made Orochimaru smile with even greater satisfaction.

"Let’s begin, then. But first, allow me to restore you two to your original states, Hiruzen-sensei. Get ready!"

He took out two kunai with talisman tags and inserted them into the backs of Hashirama and Tobirama’s heads.

This final step in Orochimaru’s modified Impure World Reincarnation reactivated the deceased’s powers and controlled their actions.

As the tags were inserted, Hashirama and Tobirama’s bodies began emitting steam, and their gray skin turned vibrant.

Watching this, Hiruzen couldn’t help but wipe a tear.

"They look more and more like they did in life!"

Seeing Hiruzen’s reaction, Orochimaru’s smile widened.

"Do you understand, now? The thrill of harming the person you once called teacher… I crafted this scene just for you to savor it. Enjoy yourself!"

With that, he performed hand signs, commanding Hashirama and Tobirama to attack Hiruzen!

But just then, something unexpected happened.

A coffin slowly rose from the ground before Hiruzen.

The scene was identical to Orochimaru’s own summoning ritual.

Seeing this, Orochimaru was first stunned, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha… Toying with the dead? Isn’t the Third Hokage the same?"

"This isn’t… I didn’t…"

Hiruzen tried to explain, but before he could finish, the coffin’s lid was kicked open from within.

Crack… Boom!

With a loud crash, the lid shattered into pieces.

Amid swirling dust, a man clad in dark red armor, with long, commanding hair and three-tomoe Sharingan eyes, stepped out slowly.

He spoke in a deep voice.

"Do you wish to dance too?"

Chapter 235: Hattori Third Battle Against Orochimaru (Part 2)

The powerful figure who kicked open the coffin lid appeared with such overwhelming energy that even the Hidden Leaf Anbu outside the barrier were stunned. Orochimaru himself couldn’t hide his confusion.

"Such presence… and those Sharingan eyes. Who is he?"

He turned his gaze toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, only to see the Third Hokage's expression had become incredibly serious, far more so than when he first saw the reanimated First and Second Hokages.

Witnessing this, a flash of excitement crossed Orochimaru’s face. He licked his lips eagerly.

"If even the summoner is this cautious, this guy… he must be someone of great renown. Let’s see just how strong he is!"

With this thought, Orochimaru redirected his attack, commanding Hashirama and Tobirama Senju to strike the newly emerged figure.

To his surprise, the target didn’t even move a step. The figure effortlessly blocked both Senju brothers’ taijutsu attacks while remaining rooted to the spot. Within ten moves, he had kicked both reanimated Hokages away.

“Insignificant mongrel, not even worth half of me.”

He spoke calmly, then looked directly at Orochimaru.

“You can’t even put up a decent fight? How disappointing. In that case, let’s end this… Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!”

With a low command, a colossal blaze erupted from his mouth, engulfing Orochimaru in flames. The inferno was so immense it filled the entire Four Violet Flames Formation, transforming it into a sea of fire.

Orochimaru screamed in agony as the flames consumed him.

“Ahhhh…”

Feeling his body burn and the stench of charred flesh, Orochimaru swiftly used the Great Serpent Substitute Technique.

Once he completed the jutsu, the flames vanished, along with the barrier and everything around him. Orochimaru found himself sitting back in the Chunin Exam stands, his shed skin on the ground beneath him, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his Hokage robes, looking at him with a mix of shock and suspicion.

"Are you… Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru: "╭(°A°`)╮"

What the hell just happened?

It took him a few seconds to process, but when he did, his face twisted with rage.

"An illusion… Damn it!"

Orochimaru realized he had been trapped in a genjutsu from the moment he sat in the stands. Everything—the kidnapping of Hiruzen, their battle, the Reanimation Jutsu, and even the appearance of that fearsome enemy—had all been a genjutsu crafted by his adversary.

If he hadn’t used the Great Serpent Substitute Technique, who knew how long he would have remained trapped!

“A genjutsu this real… even more terrifying than Uchiha Itachi's. Who is behind this?”

Despite the questions swirling in his mind, Orochimaru knew it wasn’t the time to ponder.

“Continue with the plan!”

Determined, he grabbed Hiruzen Sarutobi and pressed a kunai against his throat. The Sound Four, disguised as Sand ninja and following closely behind, immediately activated the Four Violet Flames Formation.

A careless Leaf Anbu touched the barrier and was instantly turned into a blazing fireball, rolling off the rooftop.

Watching this familiar scene, a sense of deep unease settled in Orochimaru. He drove a kunai into the back of his hand to test reality.

“Slash!”

Blood spurted from the wound, and the pain was real. Instead of showing pain, Orochimaru smirked.

Just then, Hiruzen, whom he had taken hostage, began to laugh.

“Don’t worry, this time it’s not an illusion!”

“Hmm?”

Hearing this, Orochimaru's face twisted again. He plunged the kunai into Hiruzen’s neck, only for his target to explode with a puff of smoke and transform into a wooden puppet.

“A substitution jutsu? No, it’s a puppet technique!”

Orochimaru’s expression grew darker, and the feeling of dread only deepened.

It was as if he had been caught in a carefully laid trap from the beginning, with his unseen foe lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

Suddenly, an eagle’s cry echoed in the air.

“Caw…”

Orochimaru looked up at the hawk soaring overhead, his snake-like eyes narrowing.

"Abort the mission! Retreat!"

He tried to order the Sound Four to withdraw, but to his horror, they did not respond and continued maintaining the barrier.

Seeing this, Orochimaru realized he was in serious trouble.

"Hehehe… Interesting. If I can’t escape, let’s see who is really the hunter!"

He bit his finger, clapped his hands together, and performed a summoning.

“Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!”

With a shout, three coffins marked First, Second, and Fourth emerged from the ground.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The lids fell away, revealing Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Rasa.

After inserting the kunai with talismans into the backs of their heads, Orochimaru completed the final steps of the Reanimation Jutsu.

Finally, seeing the three reanimated shinobi regaining their power, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“This should be enough!”

Orochimaru was confident that with these formidable fighters and his own escape techniques, he could at least get away if things went south.

Just then, a flash of golden light streaked before him, and he felt a hand slap onto his forehead.

"Stamped you!"

Orochimaru froze in confusion. Before he could react, the person who marked him vanished in another burst of light.

“Damn it!”

Orochimaru cursed, not just because of the slap, but because he realized he had lost control of the reanimated shinobi. He couldn’t even dispel the Reanimation Jutsu!

The dread of what those three might do to him made him feel like he had dug his own grave.

“Damn it! Contract Seal… and Flying Thunder God? Who the hell was that?”

Orochimaru was on the verge of losing it. The Contract Seal was a powerful jutsu that could not be undone easily, even if he cut the marked area off!

With the three shinobi about to fully awaken, Orochimaru had no choice but to use another emergency escape technique.

“Substitution Jutsu!”

Using the Great Serpent Substitute Technique once more, Orochimaru’s chakra reserves dropped dangerously low, but at least he had broken free from the seal.

The cost of shedding his skin was worth the price.

But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, another golden flash appeared, and a warm hand slapped onto his forehead once more.

“Another freebie, here you go!”

Orochimaru: “(Д*)”

Freebie, my ass!

(End of chapter)