Chapter 41: Orochimaru.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 13-15 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 51 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 53-55.

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Arata Takeshi - POV.]

Interrupting my training session midway, I felt a familiar chakra signature approaching my location. I stopped mid-swing, holding my claymore steady as I sensed the presence getting closer. It was Anko. She was coming fast, her energy radiating determination and frustration.

Well… it seems my day off won't be as boring and lonely as I originally imagined it would be.

I smiled, knowing what was about to happen.

She most likely wanted a rematch after being defeated six times in a row.

Moments later, as if to confirm my thoughts, Anko burst into the training ground, her eyes locked onto me with a fierce intensity. "Hey, brat!" she called out, her voice carrying across the clearing. "I want a rematch!"

And, as usual, I was right.

I turned to face her, resting my claymore on my shoulder. "Anko," I greeted, a hint of amusement in my voice. "Back for more? One would think that after so many defeats, you would know there's no point in doing this, but who am I to judge the delusions of a poor teenager."

She scowled at me, crossing her arms. "Listen here, you little shit. During our six fights, Lord Orochimaru didn't allow me to use my ninjutsu. This time, however, he's not here… meaning there are no restrictions. So let's see how you do."

I shrugged, giving her a faint smile. "If that's what you want. I'm ready whenever you are, I could always use the warmup before training."

Anko glared at me for a moment before glancing around the training ground, her expression turning somewhat nervous. "Not here."

Ah, I see now… she came to challenge me without Orochimaru's approval. And I imagine she's somewhat afraid of the possibility of losing to me despite using all her tricks in a public area. It would certainly stain her reputation more than it would boost mine.

Amused, I nodded and followed her as she led me to a more secluded area a few miles north, deep within the forest, around a small clearing hidden from prying eyes. A perfect spot for our match or future training sessions.

I might steal this place for myself after defeating her. It looks like a good place to train without anyone bothering you.

"Alright," Anko said, turning to face me. "Now we can go all out."

"You want me to go all out?" I chuckled, tilting my head. "I'm not sure that would be fair to you."

Anko's eyes narrowed, and she quickly ran through a series of hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A large fireball shot toward me, burning everything in its path. Smiling, I took a deep breath, feeling the muscles of my leg coil and burst forward in a single instant as I used the Phantom Mirage to not only avoid her jutsu but to close the distance between us, all in a single step.

"One of the biggest weaknesses of that jutsu you just used is that it requires some level of preparation prior to using it in order to be actually useful, because of how slow it is," I said, kicking Anko in the chest, pushing her back.

Anko gritted her teeth as she twisted her body around, landing on her feet and launching herself at me, kunai in hand. I smiled and met her attack head-on, our weapons clashing with a loud metallic ring.

Using this fight as a way to train, I closed my eyes and began focusing solely on the flow of her chakra, using that to read her movements before they came, allowing me to parry her strikes and counter them with swift and precise movements.

That being said, I had to admit… fighting her without visual cues was proving to be harder than I imagined. Before today, I had never used just my sensing to read the opponent's movements. It was always a mix of visual cues, educated guesses, sensing, and my skills that would normally allow me to keep the upper hand in combat.

This was different. I had to be more attentive, more aware of my opponent as a whole. And seeing it was something new… well, it was understandably harder, but regardless of how hard this was, it was something I had to master.

Hell, this was so hard I might even lose if I make a single mistake, which makes this entire experiment all the more fun.

Besides, considering my rivals are Shisui and Itachi, it seemed like a wise choice to learn how to fight without the need for my sight. You know… because of the Sharingan and stuff. That reminds me, I need to train my ability to resist and detect genjutsu. I haven't faced one yet, but I knew despite that… it would piss me off beyond human comprehension losing a fight because I was caught in an illusion.

"YOU CLOSED YOUR EYES?!" Anko yelled, obviously outraged, just now realizing I was fighting her with my eyes closed. "Are you mocking me, Takeshi?"

"No," I responded calmly, keeping my eyes closed, tuning into the constant ebb and flow of her chakra. "I'm just training."

"I hate you so much," Anko hissed, though despite the tone of her words, there wasn't much bite to it. Meaning she didn't really hate me, she just didn't like me a lot right now.

"Don't be mean, senpai," I admitted, deflecting another kunai with my eyes closed. "You are making me sweat."

"Don't get cocky!" Anko growled, her hands moving swiftly to form another series of seals before she extended one of her arms, multiple… noodles? Tendrils? Tentacles? Coming out her sleeve, each one of whatever they were making its way towards me.

Noodles… that doesn't sound right.

I suppose this is one of the downsides of fighting with my eyes closed. I can't really see.

"What are those things? Tendrils? Deadly noodles?" I asked, as I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding the yet-to-be-described attack, countering with a barrage of shurikens, forcing Anko and her mysterious attack to jump back.

"Noodles?!" Anko exploded with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. "There's no way you aren't doing this on purpose! They're snakes, you insufferable idiot!"

Ah, snakes! I should have guessed that. After all, Anko was Orochimaru's student. I really do stupid stuff every now and then, don't I?

"Hmm," I hummed, my face impassive despite the grin tugging at the corner of my lips. "Well… can you really blame me for the misunderstanding? I can't see a thing. And your snakes are quite silent… I mean, aren't they supposed to hiss and stuff?"

"That's not how it works, you..." Anko's retort was cut off abruptly as she narrowly dodged my next attack. A simple feint, leading to a swift kick intended to knock her off balance, but she reacted in time.

Not bad.

Now let's see how much I can push myself before this fight ends.

As Anko and I continued our fight, the sounds of our clash echoed through the forest as metal met metal. Her determination to defeat me, despite everything, remained unwavering, which I was grateful for because it allowed me to hone my skills even further.

But as the battle continued, I felt a sudden switch in the air—a large chakra signature approaching us. This chakra was different from most; it was cold, creeping into my senses like a shiver down my spine. This presence was unmistakable, and it felt inhuman, almost like a predator stalking its prey.

It didn't take me long to realize who was coming: Orochimaru.

My mind raced as I sensed his approach.

Chances were he was coming to retrieve his student, possibly in order to scold her for fighting me using ninjutsu despite him telling Anko not to do so.

This brought a few options to the table…

Should I warn Anko? Save her from a potential scolding? Or should I stay quiet and let things play out? I hesitated, wondering which option would amuse me the most.

Before I could make a decision over this important matter, Anko lunged at me again, her kunai aiming for my side. I deflected her strike, kicking her away as Orochimaru's chakra grew closer to the point I could almost feel his eyes on us, watching, waiting.

God, that guy is creepy.

How no one saw how much of a crimson red flag he was is beyond me.

On that note, when is he supposed to betray the village? My knowledge about that was limited, but I remember him being one of the biggest enemies of the village in the original series.

Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, I took a deep breath, grounding myself in the moment, in my fight with Anko, deciding to let Orochimaru scold her to extend my training session with her as much as possible. Smiling, I met her strikes with precision, countering her moves with calculated efficiency. The clash of our weapons echoed throughout the clearing.

However, before the fight could continue any longer, I felt Orochimaru increase his speed, reaching our location in the blink of an eye.

"I guess that's the end of our fight," I said, opening my eyes, feeling somewhat disappointed I couldn't continue my fight with her.

"The hell you mean it's the end of our fight?" Anko barked back, possibly assuming I was telling her I had already won.

However, before Anko could continue trash-talking, a cold, eerie voice interrupted her. "Well, well, what a fortunate surprise," Orochimaru said, his presence now fully revealed as

 he stepped into the clearing. His smile was unsettling, sending chills down my spine, more than usual. "To find both of you together in this secluded area. How delightful."

That's… a concerning comment to make.

Anko's eyes widened, and she quickly stepped back, her posture tense as she finally realized her sensei was here. "Lord Orochimaru," she stammered, clearly caught off guard by his sudden appearance. "I was just training with Takeshi, sharing my experience with him as his senpai."

"Lord Orochimaru," I greeted him, offering him a faint smile.

Orochimaru's gaze shifted between Anko and me, his unsettling smile never faltering. "I see you two have been training diligently. It's good to see such dedication." His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than I was comfortable with, making my skin crawl. "You have become stronger than I ever imagined in such a short period of time, kukuku~"

Something is not right… I can't put my finger on it, but for the first time since meeting him, since interacting with Orochimaru, I am feeling my body screaming at me to run as far away as possible from him.

This was new.

It was no secret that he creeped me out; he was very good at being unsettling, but this?

This was new.

And I didn't like it.

"He didn't defeat me this time, Lord Orochimaru," Anko offered, a hopeful smile dawning on her face.

Orochimaru chuckled softly, the sound sending another shiver down my spine. "How admirable, Anko. Always striving to improve. And you, young Takeshi, are proving to be quite the formidable shinobi."

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru," I replied, already creating the most efficient path to escape should my instincts be right about the situation.

I knew very well, without a shred of doubt, that I was nowhere near powerful enough to fight him just yet. Even if I used my Yoki, the gap between us was beyond massive. So if push came to shove, my best and only smart option was to try and run. If that failed, well… I would go out fighting, but I would rather avoid that if possible.

I really hoped that I was wrong.