Naruto: Reborn As Orochimaru

Although Uchiha Dan had previously seen Orochimaru and his teammates in action, and had some understanding of their body flicker techniques, witnessing it firsthand in battle was a completely different experience. 

Fortunately for him, he reacted quickly. Defense was often easier than offense, especially if he could avoid his opponent's initial burst of speed. He believed that if he could just hold off that first strike, the rest of the battle would fall into place.

But something was off.

When he prepared to defend himself, he realized Orochimaru wasn't coming for him. Instead, Orochimaru had changed targets, attacking his teammates. In his hand, at some point, a kunai had appeared.

"No... murderous intent!" Dan thought in horror.

Murderous intent was a specific type of aura, one that only appeared in those who had taken a life before. Did this kid no, this monster already kill someone?

Dan's thoughts raced, but he had no time to dwell on them. He knew that if he didn't act now, his teammate would be dead in seconds. In Konoha Village, killing a fellow ninja was tantamount to betraying the village, but the Chunin Exam was different. Here, the rules were crueler. Fatalities were allowed.

For Dan, it wasn't that he cared so much for his teammate's life, but he knew that if his teammate died, their team would be eliminated from the exam. He had to act.

Whoosh!

Dan quickly used his own teleportation technique, throwing himself between Orochimaru and his teammate at the last moment.

"Don't underestimate me!" he shouted, his ninja sword meeting Orochimaru's kunai in a loud metallic clash.

Clang!

The sheer force of the collision shocked Dan. Orochimaru's strength was unreal.

"How... how is he not just fast, but also this strong?"

Realizing he couldn't hold back anymore, Dan's eyes flashed with determination. Using Orochimaru's force, he pushed off and pulled his teammate back to safety, distancing them from Orochimaru's immediate range.

As they retreated, Dan's dark eyes morphed into a deep scarlet Sharingan. 

"Latent Shadow Snake Hand!" Orochimaru's voice rang out, and in an instant, countless snakes shot from his hands, heading straight for the retreating Dan.

With his Sharingan now activated,Dan's vision slowed the world around him. The snakes appeared to move in slow motion. He twisted his body in unnatural ways, narrowly dodging the snapping jaws of the serpents.

However, while Dan managed to evade the attack, his teammate wasn't as lucky.

"Nani…?" the teammate gasped.

The fangs of multiple snakes dug into his skin. He felt the crushing force of their bodies wrapping around him, and before he could even react, he was pulled violently toward Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade and Jiraiya shouted in unison, fearing the worst.

But what Orochimaru did next caused them to exhale in relief.

Instead of plunging the kunai into the trapped boy's heart, Orochimaru simply clenched his fist and delivered a brutal punch to his face.

Bang!

The punch sent the boy flying like a cannonball.

Boom!

The ground tore apart in his wake as he skidded over ten meters, creating a deep trench, dust and debris filling the air. His body finally crashed into a distant tree with a loud thud.

Orochimaru's strength, while not something he had trained excessively, was formidable. His naturally enhanced physique ensured that anyone struck by him would feel it deeply.

"A-amazing..." Dan's remaining teammate muttered, too stunned to move.

Not only was Orochimaru fast, but his raw strength was terrifying.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot!" Dan barked, snapping his teammate out of his daze.

However, by the time the teammate came to his senses, it was too late. The ground beneath him had turned into a swamp.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!" Jiraiya called out, grinning mischievously.

"Hey, you can't be caught daydreaming in the middle of a battle!" Jiraiya teased.

The trapped ninja struggled, but the more he tried to free himself, the deeper he sank into the mire. Before he could come up with a plan to escape, a shadow loomed over him.

"Here comes a punch!" Tsunade shouted gleefully as she leaped into the air, bringing her fist down toward the helpless ninja.

He raised his arms in a desperate attempt to block, but with his feet stuck in the swamp, there was no way he could withstand Tsunade's monstrous strength.

Bang!

Her punch connected, sending him flying out of the swamp and crashing into the ground like a ragdoll, following the fate of his other teammate.

Just like that, what had started as a 3v3 battle quickly became a 3v1.

"Finally willing to join the fight, huh?" Orochimaru said with a smirk, his eyes shifting toward Jiraiya and Tsunade. The two of them hadn't lifted a finger since entering the Forest of Death, and now it seemed they were finally getting involved.

"As long as you're not killing anyone, I'm happy to step in!" Tsunade responded with a grin. She stepped across the swamp, chakra concentrated in her feet to prevent herself from sinking. She then clapped her hands playfully.

As Orochimaru's teammates, both she and Jiraiya knew that once Orochimaru's Latent Shadow Snake Hand took hold, it would only take a kunai to finish off the enemy. But instead, Orochimaru had held back and delivered a punch.

That, in Tsunade's eyes, confirmed that Orochimaru was still the teammate she trusted someone who wasn't killing needlessly.

"Afraid I'll kill someone?" Orochimaru asked, his tone calm.

"It's fine to kill enemies, but they're from our village, and this is just an exam…" Tsunade didn't finish her sentence, but she trusted that Orochimaru understood her point.

"I see," Orochimaru replied, his tone indicating he had no problem with that.

"Damn it! Are you all just going to ignore me?!" Dan shouted angrily, realizing that the trio had been chatting leisurely while completely disregarding him.

The Uchiha clan prided themselves on their innate talents and spiritual power. To be ignored like this especially by three kids younger than him was unbearable.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya taunted, crossing his arms with a smirk. "You still think you can take on all three of us by yourself?"

Dan's fists tightened in anger. He knew better than anyone that the odds were against him now. With his two teammates down, and the combat prowess the trio had displayed, he didn't stand a chance.

Realizing his predicament, he made a quick decision.

"As much as I hate to admit it… I don't have a choice," he said through gritted teeth. "Take the scroll and let us leave."

He slowly reached into his pouch and placed the scroll carefully on the ground.

The word "地" (Earth) was clearly inscribed on the scroll.

*****

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