Chapter 8: Shadows of Arrogance
Although Uchiha called her "princess," his tone was anything but respectful.
Orochimaru knew that the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan had a long-standing feud, so it wasn't surprising that Uchiha Shu recognized Tsunade.
It was well-known that Konoha Village was founded through the cooperation of the Uchiha and Senju clans.
But beneath the surface, the two clans had irreconcilable differences.
The Uchiha clan had fallen into decline after Uchiha Madara left the village.
Later, when the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, passed away, his brother, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, came to power and further suppressed the Uchiha clan.
Because of this, the Uchiha clan had always harbored deep dissatisfaction with the Senju-led Hokage lineage.
But dissatisfaction aside, with the Second Hokage still alive, the Uchiha clan had no choice but to swallow their grievances and endure.
However, children didn't have the same level of restraint.
So, it was normal for Uchiha Shu to be rude.
"Tch, you alone aren't even worth my effort!" Tsunade shot back confidently. "I just can't stand watching a bunch of you gang up on someone!"
"What's wrong with the many bullying the few? It's not you we're bullying, so get out of the way!" Uchiha Shu retorted, his voice filled with annoyance.
Although he was just a child and didn't understand the deeper grudges of his elders, he did know that Tsunade's status wasn't one to be trifled with, and he couldn't just hit her.
"I won't move! Hit me if you dare!" Tsunade taunted, completely unfazed.
"You…" Uchiha Shu gritted his teeth in frustration, but knowing he couldn't lay a finger on Tsunade, he turned his attention to Orochimaru instead. "Orochimaru, as a man, do you really plan to hide behind a girl?"
"That's right, it's so pathetic!" one of the other boys chimed in, sneering.
"He's supposed to be the top of the class, but what a coward!"
The two brats behind Uchiha Shu jeered at Orochimaru, mocking him without any fear, even though Tsunade, the Senju princess, was standing right in front of them.
"These little...!" Tsunade's face twisted in frustration, and she was about to stand up for Orochimaru when he suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her aside.
"Although I don't have the habit of picking on kids, I don't mind stretching my muscles a little if it's to deal with some misbehaving brats."
Orochimaru wasn't the type to hold grudges against children, but the boys in front of him weren't just any kids. They were members of the Uchiha clan, known to be arrogant, entitled, and bratty.
And for children like that, Orochimaru didn't mind giving them a lesson in discipline. As for whether he could beat them? Orochimaru wasn't the least bit concerned.
None of the boys wore forehead protectors, which meant they weren't even genin yet. Even if they bore the Uchiha name, their strength would be limited.
After hearing Orochimaru's calm response, Tsunade was taken aback. She was about to say something when Orochimaru raised two fingers in front of him.
Bang!
With a puff of white smoke, a figure identical to Orochimaru appeared beside him.
"Is that… a clone?" Tsunade muttered in surprise.
She didn't understand why Orochimaru would use a clone at this moment.
"Hah! Is this the so-called strength of the top student in our class? How laughable!" Uchiha Shu sneered.
"Exactly!" one of the other Uchiha kids chimed in. "Don't you know that clones are only meant to confuse enemies? What's the point of using one right in front of us without any cover?"
"Since you're so eager to lose, we'll happily oblige! Get ready!" Uchiha Shu shouted, not wasting any time. He clenched his fist and aimed a punch at Orochimaru's clone.
In his mind, his two older brothers would deal with the real Orochimaru while he'd easily take care of this clone.
So, without hesitation, he threw his punch.
But Orochimaru's clone moved unexpectedly.
"Huh, this punch isn't as fast as I expected…" Orochimaru thought as the clone slightly sidestepped, easily dodging the incoming blow. The clone then slowly raised its hand.
Smack!
With a loud slap to the back of Uchiha Shu's head, the force from his own punch sent him tumbling forward onto the ground.
"Damn it... What the...?" Uchiha Shu grumbled, but before he could finish his curse, he froze.
The other two Uchiha boys, who had been about to step forward, were also stunned.
"This… this clone… it's solid?" one of them stammered, wide-eyed.
"How... how is that possible?" the other whispered, equally shocked.
Tsunade, equally astonished, blinked in disbelief. "That's not a regular clone… Is it a shadow clone?"
Could Orochimaru really use shadow clones?
How was that possible?
He was only six years old!
At six, does he really have enough chakra to pull that off?
A series of questions swirled through everyone's minds simultaneously.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was unfazed by their reactions.
To him, this was nothing remarkable. After all, in his memories, Uchiha Itachi had been able to throw shurikens with precision before the age of four, and by six, he was already capable of using shadow clones.
In comparison, what Orochimaru had just done was hardly impressive.
So, after dealing with Uchiha Shu, Orochimaru turned his gaze toward the two older boys standing behind him.
He didn't say a word he didn't need to. His cold, golden, snake-like pupils were enough to convey his meaning.
If you want to fight, come on.
The two remaining Uchiha boys exchanged glances, then looked at Orochimaru's body and his shadow clone, both standing firm. Cold sweat began to bead on their foreheads.
At this moment, they found themselves trapped between a rock and a hard place. Should they charge forward, or retreat?
Fear took over.
Because, as members of the Uchiha clan, they understood the difference between a regular clone and a shadow clone.
At the Ninja Academy, students were taught the basics of the clone technique. But clones created through that technique were nothing more than illusions, incapable of dealing or receiving any real damage. Everyone knew this.
But a shadow clone…