Chapter 13: Orochimaru

After the teacher finished assigning everyone to their teams, the students were instructed to wait in the classroom until their Jonin leader arrived. One by one, the teams left with their new mentors, leaving only Mizuki's team remaining. As time dragged on, an hour passed, and the classroom grew eerily silent.

The tension in the room skyrocketed when Orochimaru walked in, his characteristic smirk in place, and his snake-like eyes surveying his new students. The atmosphere instantly became heavy.

Orochimaru: "Hello there, I am your Jonin instructor, Orochimaru. Nice to meet you three."

Mizuki, seeing Orochimaru in his distinctive outfit, the same one he wore when he defected from Konoha, felt a chill run down his spine. Orochimaru's smile was both disarming and unsettling.

Orochimaru: "So, how about we do some introductions to get to know each other better? State your name, what you like, what you hate, and your dream."

Mizuki, unable to resist his curiosity, spoke up first.

Mizuki: "How about you go first, sensei?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, giving Mizuki a death glare. Despite this, he responded in a lazy tone.

Orochimaru: "I'm Orochimaru. There are many things I like, and my dream is to learn all the jutsu in the world."

He then gestured for his students to continue.

Yamuto: "I'm Yamuto... I like to read books... and my dream is to become a powerful Jonin in the future." He spoke nervously, his voice barely above a whisper.

Anko: "I'm Anko. I love sleeping and eating dumplings. I dream of becoming a powerful kunoichi and then retiring."

Mizuki smirked, recognizing the potential in Yamuto and recalling Anko's future in the series. He silently vowed not to let her be downgraded as she was in Boruto.

Mizuki: "I'm Mizuki. I like to sleep and practice. My dream is to become strong enough to protect my friends."

Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged as he listened to his students. After a brief silence to ensure no one had any questions, he continued.

Orochimaru: "Alright, I need to test the three of you one last time before allowing you to train under me as Genin. If you fail, I will send you back to the academy. Remember, the test will start at 5 AM tomorrow. Do not eat anything before you come."

With that, Orochimaru vanished in a flicker, leaving his new students to contemplate the upcoming test. The three of them decided to head to the dumpling shop to discuss their strategy. However, Yamuto left early, citing personal reasons.

Mizuki and Anko then went to her apartment to continue planning. They discovered they had much in common, both having lost their parents in the last Ninja War and living alone with allowances from the Hokage.

The conversation quickly shifted to theorizing about the test. They bounced ideas back and forth, from obstacle courses to scavenger hunts. Finally, Mizuki steered the discussion towards his theory.

Mizuki: "What if all three of us are fighting the sensei?"

Anko: "Why would we do that? Most Genin would probably get their asses kicked. Hell, we probably would."

Mizuki: "Unless skill wasn't the main criteria..."

Anko: "What?"

Mizuki: "Maybe the real test is something else. Hm... Oh! I know! Teamwork!"

Mizuki's eyes lit up with pride at his deduction.

Anko: "That's a bit of a long shot. Still, it's the best we've got so far."

They continued to brainstorm until they established a likely scenario:

The test would evaluate their teamwork.Beating the sensei wasn't necessary; demonstrating teamwork was key.The test would involve combat with the Jonin instructor.Food might play a role, perhaps as a bribe or some other element.

Mizuki appreciated Anko's open-mindedness and their shared ability to digress into casual conversation. As the night grew late, Anko made a suggestion.

Anko: "I have a spare couch here. You can crash there if you want."

Mizuki was about to refuse, but Anko's expectant look changed his mind.

Mizuki: "Alright, sure."

They got ready for bed, and as they settled down, Anko spoke softly.

Anko: "Mizuki?"

Mizuki: "Yeah?"

Anko: "Goodnight."

Mizuki: "Goodnight, Anko."

Soon, they both fell asleep, their minds racing with anticipation for the challenges that awaited them the next day.