Before he could even react, that Konoha Genin had already spoken.
His voice was very loud. So loud it seemed intentional, as if he wanted the entire forest to hear.
"Orochimaru! Your plot has been discovered!"
That voice echoed through the dense forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.
When Shinji shouted those words, he had only one thought in mind.
Make Orochimaru mistakenly believe that Mei Terumī was coming for him.
A person like Orochimaru is suspicious and cautious; seeing a Mizukage appear in a place like this, his first reaction would definitely be one of vigilance.
Coupled with those words, he would surely think the Mizukage had obtained some intelligence and had come specifically to deal with him.
As for whether Mei Terumī was actually chasing him...
How could Orochimaru know?
He would only see a Mizukage charging over with murderous intent, holding a blood-stained ninja sword in her hand.
That was enough.
Shinji didn't stop, skimming past the edge of the clearing and continuing to run forward.
Behind him, that ball of fire paused for a moment.
Just for a moment.
Then came the hiss of a giant snake.
Shinji didn't look back. But he knew what had happened.
Orochimaru had made his move; that giant snake had lunged to bite Mei Terumī.
He ran even faster.
A cold snort came from behind him.
Then came that familiar sound.
Sizzle.
It wasn't a snake's hiss; it was the sound of evaporation.
Shinji had heard this sound countless times in the simulations—it was the sound of the Mist Release they had developed burning, the sound of it consuming everything.
Three seconds.
Three seconds at most.
That snake would be turned to ash.
He gritted his teeth and poured all of his Chakra into his legs.
The ground beneath his feet receded rapidly, and the trees in his field of vision turned into blurred shadows.
Blood welled from the wound on his back, spilling drop by drop onto the fallen leaves with the rhythm of his running, but he couldn't afford to care.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One second.
A loud crash came from behind—the sound of the giant snake hitting the ground.
Then came Mei Terumī's voice, carrying irrepressible rage:
"Shinji, you're not going anywhere!"
Shinji ran even faster.
But he didn't look back.
He knew that ball of fire was still in pursuit.
But Orochimaru wouldn't let her pass easily; that vessel, even knowing he might not be able to win, would still strike.
Because that was Orochimaru.
Suspicious, cautious, but also arrogant. Having his pet snake killed right in front of him, he wouldn't just let the person leave.
As expected.
Orochimaru's voice came from behind.
"A Water Clone?"
There was a hint of playfulness in that voice, a hint of surprise, and a hint of dangerous amusement.
"The Fifth Mizukage personally taking the field to chase a brat, and using a Water Clone at that... how interesting."
Then came Mei Terumī's voice, cold and sharp:
"Move."
"Move?" Orochimaru laughed. "You killed my snake and think you can just leave?"
The sounds of fighting broke out again.
This time it was even more intense than before. The hissing of snakes, the sizzling of burning mist, and the booming of collapsing trees were all intertwined.
Shinji didn't look back.
He just ran.
Running further and further away.
He didn't know how long he had been running.
The sounds of battle behind him grew more distant, eventually disappearing completely into the depths of the dense forest.
He finally slowed down.
Leaning against a large tree, he panted heavily.
He glanced down.
The injuries on his body were more serious than he had imagined. The gash on his back was still seeping blood, and a large portion of his vest had been stained red.
The wound on his shoulder was shallower, but it was also bleeding. Blood flowed down his arm, dripping from his fingertips onto the ground.
He had lost too much blood.
He closed his eyes and felt the Chakra inside his body. There was some left, but not much.
His Sage Body was slowly repairing the wounds, but that required time. And time was exactly what he lacked most right now.
Mei Terumī's Water Clone wouldn't chase for long.
How long could that vessel of Orochimaru's last under the Mist Release? Five minutes? Ten minutes? He didn't know.
But no matter how long, she would eventually catch up.
And his blood had been spilled all along the way.
It was too obvious.
As long as she followed the blood trail, she would catch up quickly.
Shinji opened his eyes and looked back in the direction he had come from.
On the fallen leaves, a trail of dark red marks meandered toward him, looking exceptionally jarring in the dim forest floor.
He gritted his teeth.
He had to deal with this.
Shinji pulled a roll of bandages from his vest—first aid items that every examinee would carry. He bit one end and wrapped it around his back with his other hand.
It hurt, so much that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he didn't make a sound.
The bandages tightened over the wound, and the bleeding stopped for the moment—but only for the moment.
He tore off a section of his lapel and tied the shoulder wound tightly as well.
Then he stood up.
And continued walking.
He couldn't stop; if he stopped, he would be caught.
But he couldn't walk fast anymore.
Blood loss made his steps heavy, and the scenery before him began to blur. He leaned against tree trunks, moving forward step by step.
Every step left a shallow mark on the fallen leaves; there was no more blood, as the bandages had stopped it, but the footprints remained.
The scent was still there; for a Ninja of Mei Terumī's level, these were enough.
He had to find a place to hide.
Find a place that could mask his scent.
Find a—
Just as he was thinking, Shinji heard a sound.
From the thicket not far ahead came the sounds of fighting and screams. It wasn't an evenly matched battle, but a one-sided slaughter.
Shinji stopped, leaned behind a tree, and held his breath.
On the other side of the thicket, three figures were fleeing.
Two adults and a girl. The girl was being dragged along by one of the adults, stumbling, her face full of terror.
Behind them, three Ninjas wearing Sound Village vests were in pursuit.
They were chasing quickly.
The Sound Ninja in the lead had already raised his Kunai.
"Where do you think you're running?"
His voice carried a cruel laugh: "Trash of the Grass Village, just hand over the scroll obediently, and you can die quickly."
Shinji looked at the girl.
Red hair, round-framed glasses.
Her entire body emitted a special Chakra fluctuation.
It was very warm, very soft, and carried a healing aura.
Karin.
Karin of the Grass Village.
The girl from the original story who possessed powerful sensory and healing abilities. Later, she followed Sasuke and became a member of Team Taka.
Shinji's gaze swept over the three Grass Ninjas.
Two adults, a man and a woman.
The man was tall and thin, and the woman had a face full of fleshy rolls.
They dragged Karin along; rather than protecting her, it was more like they were using her as a human shield.
If they were caught, they could push her out first to take the hit.
Shinji had seen this kind of look before.
In the Hidden Mist Village, those who treated orphans as consumables had this same light in their eyes.
The Sound Ninjas behind were getting closer.
Three yards. Two yards. One yard.
The Kunai was thrust down.
The female Grass Ninja screamed and shoved Karin forward with all her might.
"Just go and die!"
Karin stumbled and pitched forward, heading straight for the incoming Kunai.
Her eyes were filled with despair.
Then a hand reached out from the side and yanked her away.
The Kunai missed.
Shinji stood in front of her.
The Sound Ninja froze for a moment; before he could react, he was punched squarely in the face.
His nose bridge collapsed, his face was covered in blood, and he fell backward onto the ground.
The remaining two Sound Ninjas charged forward.