Orochimaru felt the adrenaline leaving his body. His eyes couldn't help but turn towards the blasted grounds — large craters dotted the plains as if someone had dipped ink on a painting.
Ruining it.
He shook his head, his eyes landing on the boy. He is strong — that Jutsu should have been B-rank, yet its firepower in the boy's hand is clearly near A-rank.
Just the fact that his Sage Mode let him enhance the scale of his Jutsus made him a terrifying opponent to think about.
Yet Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh. He is still too green behind the ears.
He walked towards the Uchiha. "How often have you fought with actual Ninjas?" His voice was curious yet apathetic.
The Uchiha paused before answering. "After my team was murdered by a Kiri Ninja, I have mostly taken C-ranks. I have mostly eradicated bandits." Kyojiro's eyes lowered. "I have fought strong Ninjas only recently."
He could have lied. He could have told Orochimaru that he had always fought with Ninjas — not like the Sannin would truly check. Yet Kyojiro would rather someone laugh at his truth than be blinded by his lie.
Ever since that day, I tried to be strong — yet I knew my strength wasn't enough to take on the truly difficult missions. It wasn't cowardice but strategy.
The job of Ninjas was unpredictable. Dangerous. One could die as early as their first mission.
Kyojiro shook his head, his eyes softening. I still remember, I had upped my hopes of somehow increasing my Sharingan's stage.
He remembered how frustrated he felt that the Sharingan remained the same for the next four years. He had almost lost all hope — almost wondering whether taking difficult missions was all he could do.
Shaking him out of his thoughts was Orochimaru.
The Sannin licked his lips, his eyes turning understanding. "That makes sense — your basic skill set is good, wondrous even. However, you can't utilize it to your fullest potential." He turned around, his back to the Uchiha.
Kyojiro followed behind, wondering what else the Sannin had to say.
"You are too direct — your attacks come too linear. Sword, Jutsu… either explosive power or explosive speed."
He suddenly stopped, turning back. He gazed at Kyojiro seriously for the first time. "You are the disciple of my friend, so I am telling you this."
His voice hardened, some emotion leaking through that Kyojiro couldn't exactly grasp. "You are an Uchiha. Your Sharingan isn't just an advantage in optics — you can copy Jutsus, or anticipate them. You can work on your Genjutsu with your sword."
He turned back, walking toward the camp. "Boy… you have been given gifts. Use them well."
Kyojiro remained stumped as he heard it all. He clenched his hand. The Sharingan? I had gotten so used to using it as an auxiliary — I wonder, can I combine it all?
His eyes shined as he looked at the back of the snake. My swordsmanship, my ninjutsu, and my Sharingan Genjutsu?
It wasn't as if Kyojiro was bad at Genjutsu; he didn't exactly know his exact aptitude, because the clan never let him borrow much.
He knew it was because of his grandfather… but since he had no say nor strength — he didn't put his mind to it.
His figure entered the camp again with Orochimaru, chaotic thoughts running rampant through his head. My battle IQ… it's not yet polished. Perhaps that snake is right, I am far too direct in a fight. Especially since I can't even use full concentration breathing for long…
Shaking his head, he couldn't help but ask one question that was stuck in his mind. "Leader… I have just one more question."
Hearing the words, Orochimaru stopped in his tracks. Somehow Kyojiro could sense that the man was listening, so he continued. "I know my Jutsu covered all your escape routes — I didn't even see you make hand seals. Then how did you dodge it all?"
Orochimaru turned, his face remaining as stoic as before. "Your fireball — its large size serves as a blind spot. I simply exchanged myself with a shadow clone. That flicker you must have seen" — a soft smirk emerged on his face — "it was a decoy… and you fell for it."
His expression turned distasteful for a moment. "Having a Sharingan yet still falling for such a trick is pathetic."
Saying what he had to, he turned around — leaving the Uchiha all to himself, lost in his thoughts.
....
The moment Orochimaru entered the camp, his eyes widened slightly.On his chair sat a man. He appeared in his prime — fair skin, pineapple-like hair. His eyes looked sleepy, as if the man was far too tired.
"What has brought you here, Shikaku?" Orochimaru spoke.
Shikaku looked up, his eyes widening. He stood up slightly in respect and courtesy — a Sannin and a disciple of the Hokage still had a lot of prestige.
And even the Nara clan head did not wish to anger such a person.
"I was wondering where you were, Lord Orochimaru," the Nara spoke, his eyes swimming with dark circles. "Lord Hokage has sent me here to oversee the camp."
He turned aside, picking up a scroll with ease and throwing it to the Sannin.
Orochimaru caught it in his grasp. "A mission?"
The Nara clan head shook his head. "It's a camp. He thinks the Kumo might launch an attack there."
Orochimaru nodded, reading through the scroll in a jiffy. His expression remained distant, yet countless thoughts formed in his head. A battalion is being sent there as we speak, huh…
A small tremor occurred in his stoic heart — not of fear, but of something different. Excitement.
I wonder… just how strong is their Raikage?
It was highly unlikely that the Kumo would truly send their Raikage, yet Orochimaru still steeled his heart.
Better to be prepared and not have to act… than the opposite.
He nodded at the Nara. "I will be heading out then."
He turned behind, ready to leave the camp — yet he stopped himself.
Turning back, he spoke one last time. "I will be taking one Shinobi with me." Without waiting for an answer, he licked his lips before exiting the camp.