Chương 65: Examiner, are you okay?
"You're already a wanted S-rank criminal, Orochimaru. Even if I have to risk my life, I will defeat you here and now," Mitarashi Anko declared, taking a determined step forward.
"You learned everything from me, Anko. As your former teacher, I'll tell you—you're no match for me," Orochimaru said smugly, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"We'll see about that!" Anko shot back, her eyes blazing. Five needle-like weapons glinted in her hand, though her expression betrayed a mix of determination and inner turmoil.
"You can't do it," Orochimaru said coldly. Even with his body far away, his head and neck alone exuded an oppressive dominance.
"How can you know unless I try?" Anko retorted, her voice filled with defiance.
Orochimaru's tongue shot out like a whip, faster than the eye could follow. Anko jumped to avoid it, flipping high into the air. She prepared to hurl her needle-like weapons, but Orochimaru's tongue twisted upward with uncanny speed, striking them out of her hand.
Before she could react, his tongue coiled around her, yanking her toward him with incredible force.
"Damn it!" Anko cursed, rolling forward to counter the pull. She landed on one knee and raised her left hand toward Orochimaru. "Ninja Art: Striking Snake Hands!"
Four massive black snakes emerged from her sleeve, surging toward Orochimaru with blinding speed.
"Heh, you've improved," Orochimaru sneered, casually dodging the snakes. However, they weren't aimed at his head; the snakes bit into his arms and legs, anchoring him to the ground. With a sharp pull, Anko dragged Orochimaru's head closer.
"I've got you now!" Anko growled, pinning Orochimaru's head to a tree with a kunai. Her voice was strained but triumphant. "Let's end this here and now, Orochimaru!"
Anko formed a hand sign, her left hand pressing against Orochimaru's pinned form. Orochimaru's expression shifted to alarm as he recognized the technique.
"This seal... Anko, you're planning to kill us both!" he exclaimed.
"Ninja Art: Twin Snakes Mutual Death!" Anko said, her voice a whisper of resolve.
"Anko, you fool," Orochimaru's voice came from behind her, sending a chill down her spine.
Anko turned, her heart sinking. Emerging from the ground was Orochimaru's real body, his face free of the tattered human skin he'd been wearing. His true appearance was both handsome and terrifying, radiating an aura of power.
"How... how is this possible?" Anko whispered, despair washing over her.
"Did you really think you could kill me with a simple substitution technique?" Orochimaru asked mockingly, his tone dripping with amusement. "You should know better, Anko."
He stepped closer, his movements unhurried but filled with menace. "Even after all these years, you still rely on the techniques I taught you. And look where that's gotten you."
"Damn you, Orochimaru!" Anko shouted, throwing a kunai with all her strength. Orochimaru effortlessly caught it between his fingers, his expression calm.
"Even twenty years later, you can't kill me," Orochimaru said, his voice low and cutting. He formed a hand sign with his left hand. "Paralysis Technique."
Anko's body froze instantly. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't move a muscle.
"Why are you here, Orochimaru?" she finally asked, her voice trembling.
"We haven't seen each other in years, and yet you're still so cold to me," Orochimaru replied with mock sadness. "I'm not here to kill the Hokage, if that's what you're wondering. Konoha is too strong for me to challenge directly, even with my subordinates. I'm here for... recruitment."
"Recruitment?" Anko's voice was filled with disbelief.
"Yes," Orochimaru said with a sinister smile. "I've found two promising candidates. One has the precious Uchiha bloodline, and the other... well, he's a fascinating physical talent. I'd like to take them both."
"Do you ever change, Orochimaru?" Anko spat. "Anyone you take an interest in is as good as dead."
"Not necessarily," Orochimaru said. "Perhaps one of them will survive. I'm curious to see which it will be."
"Uchiha Sasuke is one of them, isn't he?" Anko asked, narrowing her eyes. "Who's the other? Hyuga Neji?"
"Not Neji," Orochimaru replied, shaking his head. "Though the Hyuga bloodline is valuable, it doesn't interest me. No, the other is that boy who escaped me earlier."
"Lee?" Anko said in surprise.
"Yes, him. He's remarkable—no ninjutsu, no genjutsu, and yet he's come this far on physical prowess alone. And to escape me... impressive," Orochimaru said with an air of admiration.
"I'll stop you," Anko said, though her voice lacked conviction.
"Don't interfere in this exam, Anko," Orochimaru warned, his tone suddenly sharp. "My subordinates will test those two. Stand back and watch. If you interfere, I can't promise Konoha's safety."
With those chilling words, Orochimaru sank into the ground and disappeared.
"Damn it!" Anko cursed, slamming her fist into the dirt. She had come here prepared to die with Orochimaru, but he had toyed with her effortlessly, leaving her feeling powerless.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a deafening roar from the forest.
"No..." Anko's face turned pale as she recognized the sound. The roar of the chakra Tiger, a deadly predator in the Forest of Death.
Soon, the ground shook with the approach of multiple beasts. Anko's heart sank as two massive tigers appeared, their eyes locked onto her motionless form.
"Is this really how it ends?" she thought bitterly.
The tigers lunged.
Boom!
A figure appeared in the nick of time, delivering powerful kicks that sent the tigers flying.
"Examiner, are you okay?" Lee asked, his tone calm and composed as he turned toward her.
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Sion_Mun Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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