Naruto: Reborn As Orochimaru

"Company?"

Tsunade was stunned for a moment upon hearing Orochimaru's words, but quickly recovered and stood up, drawing a kunai along with Jiraiya. The two of them immediately took up defensive stances, ready for anything.

"Where's the enemy?"

"Show yourself! Jiraiya Sama has already spotted you!" Jiraiya yelled, his eyes scanning the surroundings with heightened vigilance.

Orochimaru, noticing their reaction, chuckled softly. "Don't worry. The enemy isn't here just yet."

"What?" Tsunade groaned, relaxing her stance in exasperation. "Can't you just say everything in one go?!"

"Yeah, you got us all worked up for nothing," Jiraiya added with a sigh.

It was clear that this exam wasn't much of a challenge for the three of them. They didn't underestimate their enemies, but they only took things seriously when a worthy opponent appeared.

Jiraiya, despite his usual carefree and idiotic behavior, was no fool when it mattered. He was just as dependable as anyone else in critical moments.

"Oh, by the way, Orochimaru," Tsunade suddenly remembered something. "Didn't you say earlier there was a ninja team trailing behind us?"

She and Jiraiya had been so focused on Orochimaru's massive summoning jutsu earlier that they hadn't even noticed the presence of anyone nearby.

"Yes," Orochimaru confirmed, his expression unreadable.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "So, since you knew they were back there, why didn't you take their scroll? That seems pretty out of character for you."

"Want to know why?" Orochimaru replied calmly.

Tsunade nodded eagerly, curious about his reasoning.

"It's simple. I was in a good mood after dealing with... something, so I decided to let them be."

"In a good mood…?" Tsunade's face turned dark with disbelief. "What if you stay in a 'good mood' all the time and no one shows up to challenge us? What if we fail the mission?"

Orochimaru smirked, not bothering to answer directly. "Do you think that's possible?"

His response left Tsunade momentarily speechless. In this forest, filled with ambitious ninjas looking to pass the Chunin Exams, it was impossible to avoid confrontation for long. Someone would always come looking for a fight.

Jiraiya chuckled and shrugged. "Tsunade, I've got to say, your question was a bit dumb. People always say big breasts mean a small brain, but how do you explain your flat chest being this brainless? You weren't always like this, were you?"

He rubbed his chin in mock contemplation, pretending to ponder the meaning of life.

Tsunade's eyes immediately twitched with fury, her fists clenching as veins bulged on her forehead. "Jiraiya… you're looking to die, aren't you?!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Jiraiya waved his hands frantically as he backed away, realizing he had poked the bear. "There's an enemy nearby, remember? Let's not cause a scene!"

But Tsunade wasn't having it. She stormed toward Jiraiya, ready to deliver a punishing blow.

Just as Tsunade was about to strike, an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh, is this the Chunin Exam, or are you just playing house?"

"Who's there?" Tsunade stopped mid-charge, her frustration now directed at the unknown voice.

Orochimaru stood up as well, a cold gleam in his eyes. A moment later—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three figures dropped from the trees, landing strategically on the ground to form a triangle around Orochimaru and his team.

Seeing the three teenagers appear, Orochimaru remained completely unfazed. He had expected this; every time he stopped to rest, he released a swarm of small invisible flies to monitor the surrounding area. Combined with his keen perception abilities, he had known about these three for a while now.

The trio looked to be about thirteen years old, and judging by the emblem on their clothes, the one leading them belonged to the Uchiha clan.

"So, you're Orochimaru?" the lead Uchiha boy asked, his eyes narrowing as he sized him up.

Orochimaru's response was nonchalant, almost dismissive. "Do we really need introductions before fighting?"

Tsunade had to stifle a laugh at Orochimaru's bluntness, and even Jiraiya was momentarily caught off guard. This wasn't the Orochimaru they were used to he usually wasn't one for banter.

Uchiha Dan, the leader of the trio, frowned at Orochimaru's arrogance. "You've got some nerve, kid. Do you even know who you're talking to?"

Uchiha Dan an was a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan and was well aware of his own abilities. At thirteen, he was confident in his strength, even more so after hearing about Orochimaru's reputation. Dan's competitive spirit, typical of the Uchiha, flared up when he thought about how much praise Orochimaru had been receiving.

Genius? Dan scoffed. No matter how talented Orochimaru might be, he wasn't from the Uchiha clan. To someone like Dan, no one could compare to the might of his own bloodline.

"Do you really think you're strong, kid?" one of Dan's teammates taunted. "You're just an orphan with no parents. What's there to be so arrogant about?"

Their taunt struck a chord. They had clearly done their homework, knowing enough about Orochimaru's background to use it against him.

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's expression darkened. Tsunade and Jiraiya were both startled as well.

Having been together for so long, they knew better than anyone that Orochimaru's parents had passed away when he was young. But as teammates, they never brought it up, understanding how sensitive a subject it was for him.

Jiraiya still remembered the menacing aura Orochimaru had exuded the first time someone mentioned his parents. If Tsunade hadn't stepped in back then, Jiraiya was convinced Orochimaru would have done something drastic.

However, this time seemed different. Orochimaru remained calm, his eyes locked onto the Uchiha boy.

"Tell me your name."

"Uchiha Dan," he responded proudly, puffing out his chest.

Typical of the Uchiha clan, always full of arrogance.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin smile. "You're overconfident. Don't overestimate your abilities."

Dan's face twisted in anger, and he quickly reached for the sword strapped to his back.

With a swift motion, Dan unsheathed his blade, and his two teammates followed suit, drawing their kunai.

It was clear that they had no intention of negotiating for the scroll. They wanted to take Orochimaru down first.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru's figure vanished from sight.

"So fast!" Dan gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief.

He barely had time to react before Orochimaru reappeared right in front of him.