Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi

In the end, just as Gaara was on the verge of his second personality awakening, Hatake Kusuo led Hinata and Naruto away from the battlefield. The commotion from their fight had been too great, attracting too much attention. The heavily wounded Gaara and his team wouldn't be able to catch up for a while.

"That was so amazing!"

"Kusuo, how did you do that?"

"That last move from that horrible guy, I was scared just watching it! I felt my heart pound just standing at the very edge of the jutsu, but not only did you get away completely unscathed, you even managed to seriously injure him with one kick!"

As the three of them leaped through the trees, making their way to the tower, Naruto was still replaying the shocking scene in his mind. Gaara, at full power, had poured most of his chakra into that Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral. In terms of sheer power, it was comparable to his later battle against Kimimaro. Even a Kage would have to take notice. Because of this, Naruto's eyes were still shining with excitement.

Kusuo just smiled. "It's nothing, really. As long as you can move faster than the sand and step on top of it before it can cover you, you'll be fine."

Naruto, being simple-minded, didn't think too much about it. Hinata's eyes, however, sparkled. Her admiration for Kusuo grew even deeper. Coming from the Hyuga clan, her insight was far greater than Naruto's at this stage.

Faster than the sand. It was a simple sentence, but she knew better than anyone just how much incredible strength was required to do it. Just standing at the edge, one had to be careful not to be entangled by the stray sand, let alone being at the very center of the battlefield. At the very least, in Hinata's memory, no one in the entire Hyuga clan could do it.

After dealing with the trouble of Gaara's Sand-nin team, Team 10's mood lightened considerably. If there were no other accidents, they would likely take first place in this second exam.

"Hm?" Naruto's nose twitched. He seemed to smell a damp, fishy scent. Hinata and Kusuo also exchanged a look, realizing something was wrong. The environment hadn't changed—the same unchanging, towering trees—but the air was now replaced with another, uncomfortable, rank smell.

In an instant, Kusuo thought of many things. The image of the black mark flashing on Anko's neck from that day reappeared in his mind.

As expected. That person was drawn out after all.

"Everyone, on guard!" At his command, Naruto and Hinata both stopped. "Everyone, be careful of the surroundings. If you see any snake-like creatures, tell me immediately!" Kusuo ordered, carefully observing their environment while arranging their defense. This cold, rank smell was unique to snakes; there was no mistaking it.

One of the legendary Sannin of Konoha. Orochimaru.

"Ho ho ho~, sharp senses."

Hinata had activated her Byakugan and was still trying to scout the area when a white snake, its tongue flicking, coiled down from a tree branch in front of them. Kusuo met it with a cold gaze and immediately drew his sword.

POOF!

After a puff of white smoke, the white snake transformed into a young girl with deathly pale skin, but the aura she gave off was still just as cold. An oppressive presence washed over them.

"Wh-who are you?" Naruto suddenly shivered. For some reason, the pressure from this girl who had transformed from a white snake was even greater than what he had felt from Gaara.

"He is Orochimaru," Kusuo answered Naruto's question. At the same time, CLANG! A shuriken flew at him, which he parried with a swing of his sword.

"Hoh hoh hoh~, so you know of me?" Orochimaru said with an appreciative smile, not looking the least bit hurried. Looking at the three of them, who were on high alert as if facing a great enemy, he felt they were much more interesting than Sasuke.

Hinata's heart filled with terror. Orochimaru. One of Konoha's Sannin. One of the Third Hokage's own students, as famous as Tsunade and Jiraiya! Having received all sorts of instruction within her clan since she was a child, she knew of Orochimaru's fearsome reputation. His strength was far beyond that of an elite jonin. He was Kage-level.

A powerhouse of that level was strong enough to be the leader of any village. Faced with a Kage-level expert, could their small team of three genin possibly stand a chance?

Subconsciously, both Hinata and Naruto turned their gazes to Kusuo. Among the three of them, his strength was the greatest. Feeling his teammates' gazes, Kusuo's expression became focused. This opponent was on a completely different level. Faced with Orochimaru, he had to take him seriously.

He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. The blade suddenly turned red.

Crimson Blade, activate!

"Oh?" Although Orochimaru showed no sign of attacking, he keenly observed the phenomenon of Kusuo's sword turning red. "What kind of jutsu is this? I don't recall the Hatake clan having such a sword technique."

Clearly, this statement indicated that Orochimaru had secretly investigated and already gathered a lot of information on him. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to know he was from the Hatake clan at their first meeting.

Heh. So, before Danzo's prying eyes could come for me, Orochimaru, who has been coveting Sasuke's body, has set his sights on me.

If that's the case...

Kusuo no longer hesitated. He pushed off lightly with his feet, his expression serious. More serious than ever before. A powerful sword aura erupted, and he released his full, overwhelming presence without reservation.

Swoosh!

He somersaulted forward and rushed up, swinging his sword directly at Orochimaru's head. That one slash... was fast. Too fast. It cut through the void. An afterimage streaked past, the glint of the blade flashed, but Orochimaru's body didn't move. Only his neck twisted at an impossible angle, dodging the terrifying blow.

Hoh hoh hoh~

Like a venomous snake in the shadows, a massive number of white snakes assailed Kusuo from all directions, rushing in so densely that anyone with trypophobia would have been scared weak in the knees.

Striking Shadow Snakes!

Schlick!

One slash. Hand up, blade down. The sword aura cut through them, and the flying snake hands were cleanly severed. The two were once again in a standoff.

Kusuo's breathing began to quicken. It was the first time he was facing a Kage-level powerhouse. And it was the long-renowned Orochimaru. His blood, which had been calm for so long, was now boiling. It was excitement. The excitement of taking a fight seriously.

Without any more wasted words, since he was fighting an expert of Orochimaru's level, there was no probing from the start.

SWISH!

He slashed with his sword.

"Sun Breathing, First Form—Dance!"

White vapor escaped Kusuo's lips. Flames coiled around his blade, and a fire dragon spun towards Orochimaru.

What a powerful slash. Orochimaru's eyes sharpened. A slash of this scale... he was joking if he thought he could take it head-on with his physical body. He relied on his agility and leaped to a distant tree.

BOOM!

A world-shaking slash. The spot where he had just been was now a scorched black hole, with heat still rising from it in wisps.

Here it comes! Kusuo's swordsmanship! Hinata and Naruto's eyes sparkled. Every time they saw Kusuo use one of his sword techniques, it gave them an immense sense of security.

"Hoh hoh hoh~, how fascinating. It seems I underestimated you before," Orochimaru said, his long tongue flicking out excitedly. His golden, vertical pupils shone with a keen light, staring fixedly at Kusuo as if he had discovered a new treasure.

"Since you excel at swordsmanship, then I'll play with you using a sword as well!"

With that, Orochimaru's mouth opened to an unimaginable degree, and he spat out a sword that radiated a sharp aura: The Sword of Kusanagi.

Kusuo still held his sword without speaking, his gaze never leaving Orochimaru. The next moment, the sword that had come from Orochimaru's mouth instantly extended, stabbing straight for Kusuo's heart.

CLANG!

The Sword of Kusanagi struck Kusuo's blade, letting out a piercing sound. An immense force came at him, about to push him off the tree. Pushing off lightly with his feet, Kusuo managed to stop the force.

Very strong. As expected, he was not on the same level as Zabuza or Gaara. A casual strike held terrifying attack power.

Kusuo adjusted his breathing. He understood that he had to go all out in this battle.

Mark, open!

His aura changed. The mysterious black mark on his forehead rapidly spread, turning a scorching red and emitting a noble aura. An endless stream of vitality surged through his limbs. Now, Kusuo's strength, agility, speed, and perception were all enhanced.

SWISH!

He swung his sword again. Orochimaru sneered and didn't dodge, preparing to block it with his Kusanagi.

POW!

Orochimaru's body was sent flying. The brand-new, snow-white body of the girl he was possessing began to show signs of melting. Puddles of white skin cells fell off, and his facial features shifted and moved. It was an incredibly creepy sight.

Looking at Kusuo standing there with his sword, his red clothes fluttering, the noble and mysterious red mark on his face shining, Orochimaru was both shocked and suspicious. This kid's methods were monotonous; every move relied on the sword. But he had used this sword to its absolute limit, and every slash brought him immense pressure. In his distant memory, even the White Fang, who had once suppressed the three Sannin, didn't seem this monstrous.

"Ho ho, the village is really prospering. To have raised a little brat like you."

"But, if I were to kill you here, would that old man, my teacher, be so heartbroken he'd want to die?"

"Hahahaha!" Maniacal laughter erupted from Orochimaru's mouth, and he suddenly began to form hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu: Giant Snake!"

POOF!

A giant snake, several dozen meters long, appeared in a puff of white smoke, hissing as it stared at Kusuo. It reared up, as conspicuous as a skyscraper.

Swoosh!

The giant snake charged, its speed impossible to track. It smashed through all the tree trunks in its path, its ice-cold fangs glinting with a purplish-black poison. If it bit you, you didn't need to imagine the consequences.

"Kusuo!" Seeing such a massive summoned beast rushing towards him, Hinata cried out worriedly. Naruto's mouth also hung open. Having never encountered a summoning jutsu before, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Is that all?" A corner of Kusuo's mouth lifted slightly. Faced with the intimidating summoned beast, he just swung his sword.

The giant snake's head fell to the ground with a thud, spraying a massive amount of blood.

"Is it just a giant snake? I was thinking it might be Manda."

The faint words left Kusuo's lips, and Orochimaru's gaze suddenly turned grim. A brat in his early teens... his tone is a bit too arrogant.

In that instant, Orochimaru truly felt killing intent. He quickly formed hand seals, and after a complex series, he let out a low shout, "Wicked Snake Arm Explosion!"

Three white snakes, no less formidable than the previous one, rushed at him from thin air, sealing off his position from above, the left, and the right. The immense impact even stirred the wind around them, which felt like a knife cutting his face. Against any other person, this would have been a dead end.

But Kusuo was different.

"Sun Breathing, Third Form—Raging Sun's Crimson Mirror!"

A deep red, crescent-shaped sword aura slashed out horizontally. With one more slash, the heads of the three great snakes were severed. It was devastatingly easy. A truly shocking sword strike.

Orochimaru smiled coldly and said softly, "It's not over yet. Explode!"

BOOM!

The three decapitated giant snakes exploded from the head down, the blast spraying a sky full of blood and gore.

After the smoke cleared, Orochimaru stared at the center of the explosion, wanting to find the corpse of the little brat in red.

But...

"I'm behind you."

A voice, so calm it held not a trace of emotion, suddenly sounded from above.

Like a god descending from the heavens, Kusuo swung the crimson sword in his hand.

SWISH!

The sharp sword aura broke the sound barrier, letting out a piercing whistle as it stabbed towards Orochimaru's face. Orochimaru's eyes were filled with horror. The solar flame attached to the crimson blade was so dazzling it was impossible to look at directly. The ever-enlarging sword aura was reflected in his golden, vertical pupils. Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply, but before he could react...

BANG!

A heaven-shaking sound. The area where Orochimaru had been was turned into ruins. All that was left was a crater over ten meters deep, still steaming with scorching heat.

Kusuo retracted his sword and stood with it sheathed, not even bothering to check if Orochimaru was dead or not.

A slender white snake quietly slipped away from the bushes, unnoticed. Orochimaru had used his White Snake Substitution Jutsu at the last moment.

Kage-level! This brat definitely has Kage-level strength! The intel that bastard Danzo gave me was completely wrong!

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