Chapter 14: Test

Jiraiya came back with a swollen face, and Orochimaru shot a quick glance at the two of them.

As expected, I'm an adult now. I can't play these childish games with them anymore, Orochimaru thought. Compared to this lively, chaotic scene, he much preferred being alone. He couldn't quite tell whether this was his original personality or if it was influenced by the original Orochimaru's demeanor.

"Damn it, girl! What kind of monster are you?!" Jiraiya grumbled, rubbing his swollen face, clearly irritated.

"Hmph!" Tsunade responded with a dismissive snort.

"Alright, alright, let's not escalate things any further," Hiruzen interjected, stepping in to settle the matter. "This is your first day getting to know each other, and you'll be working together for a long time, so let's focus on building your friendship!"

Hiruzen's authoritative tone immediately diffused the situation.

---

"We're all meeting for the first time today, and I need to get a sense of your abilities," Hiruzen continued once the dust had settled. He then pulled out two small bells from his pouch.

"These bells are key to your task. You'll need to snatch these two bells from me," he explained, holding them up for everyone to see.

Seeing the bells and hearing the explanation, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly. So, the legendary Sannin were tested with the same bell exercise back then?

"Two bells?" Orochimaru said calmly. "That means…"

"Yes," Hiruzen confirmed, smiling slightly. "Someone will be left without a bell and won't get lunch. Not only that, but they'll be tied to the wooden stakes over there and will have to watch the others eat."

So it was indeed the bell test. Perfect, Orochimaru thought. This will be a good opportunity to test the fruits of my training over the past few days.

Next to him, Jiraiya's mischievous grin returned. He quickly turned to Tsunade, full of excitement. "Hey, Tsunade, how about this? If I grab one of the bells, will you go on a date with me?"

Tsunade didn't even hesitate. "If you don't get a bell, you'd better stay far, far away from me," she replied nonchalantly, knowing full well Jiraiya didn't stand a chance.

Jiraiya's grin widened even more. "Alright, it's a deal!" His confidence was sky-high, not like Naruto or Obito, who had bravado but hid insecurity underneath. Jiraiya was genuinely convinced of his own strength.

Hiruzen, observing Jiraiya's enthusiastic attitude, couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright then. I'll turn around and count to ten. When I'm done, be prepared to fight. The clock starts now!"

With that, Hiruzen tied the bells to his waist and turned around.

---

Whoosh!

In an instant, all three of them vanished from sight.

Orochimaru quickly found a hiding spot, his mind racing. He knew that ever since he transmigrated into this world, everything had changed. He couldn't rely solely on his knowledge of the Naruto storyline because his very presence could create unpredictable butterfly effects. He needed to adapt to the current situation and form his own judgments, rather than blindly relying on memory.

He barely even remembered how Naruto's Team 7 originally passed the bell test, much less how the future Sannin did it. But one thing he did know Hiruzen was incredibly powerful. Ridiculously so. If they wanted to seize the bells, they'd have to outsmart him.

With that in mind, Orochimaru flicked his wrist, sending a small fly-shaped surveillance drone into the air. Soon, Hiruzen's every move appeared in Orochimaru's vision.

"Jiraiya… that idiot," Orochimaru muttered under his breath.

In the middle of the training field, Jiraiya had already fallen for one of Hiruzen's most basic traps. He was hanging upside down from a tree, flailing helplessly. How unreliable, Orochimaru thought. He may have graduated, but he's still hopelessly impulsive. His theoretical knowledge is clearly lacking too. Forget it he's a lost cause.

Shifting his gaze, Orochimaru noticed Tsunade hidden in the grass some distance away. After a brief moment of thought, he gestured towards her.

Tsunade blinked in surprise but quickly nodded in understanding. Even though they hadn't fought together before, Orochimaru's hand signals were simple and clear. He was indicating that he would initiate the first move, and Tsunade should wait for the right moment to strike.

---

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two shurikens sliced through the air, heading straight for Hiruzen.

Orochimaru's initial plan was to discuss a proper strategy with the other two and work together for a coordinated three-versus-one assault on their teacher. But with Jiraiya caught so easily, only two of them were left to execute any plan.

The shurikens Orochimaru threw, however, were effortlessly dodged by Hiruzen. Without even turning around, the experienced Hokage avoided the attack with ease.

"An attack like that won't work on me," Hiruzen teased with a smile.

But just as the words left his mouth

Water Release: Water Wave!

A sudden torrent of water surged toward Hiruzen. Orochimaru had followed up the shuriken attack with a water jutsu.

"Oh? You've already mastered Water Release on your own? Impressive!" Hiruzen praised, deftly evading the wave with a series of nimble somersaults, his movements as fluid and agile as a monkey's. Even as he complimented Orochimaru, he remained one step ahead.

Just as he was about to make another comment, his eyes widened in sudden alarm. He had sensed something.

Whoosh!

A razor-sharp wind blade sliced through the air, striking him dead-on.

In an instant, Hiruzen was cut clean in half.

Jiraiya, still hanging upside down from the tree, was frozen in shock. "S-Sarutobi-sensei… was killed…? Is this… is this a joke?"

Tsunade, who had been crouched in the grass and ready to attack, was equally stunned. She had just watched Orochimaru create a shadow clone, use Water Release as a distraction, and then circle around to flank Hiruzen. The clone had drawn Hiruzen's attention with the shuriken and water jutsu, while Orochimaru's real body took advantage of the opening to unleash Wind Release, a jutsu with powerful cutting force.

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