In the sprawling forest east of Konoha, Uchiha Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Rope Tree fought to survive the wilderness.
The ninja world's dense chakra or high oxygen seemed to supercharge its wildlife. Animals grew massive, like the toads of Mount Myoboku, swollen as if fed growth hormones. This forest teemed with towering trees, oversized plants, and colossal beasts—some trainable as ninja beasts or summoning creatures.
Panting, Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Rope Tree stood before a defeated Giant Pincer Mantis and Venusaur-like creature, their latest conquests.
Tatsumi's kunai, infused with razor-sharp Wind Release chakra, was lodged deep in the mantis's head.
"Task done. Time to wrap up," Rope Tree said, clapping his hands and standing.
The creatures hadn't been hunted—they'd attacked first. The forest's fauna and flora were fiercely aggressive, evident from the five or six waves of assaults the trio had fended off in mere hours.
For ordinary people, this place was a death trap.
Though none of them were recon specialists, Tatsumi's summoning snake, Dabai, gave them an edge, sensing threats with uncanny precision.
Orochimaru had vanished after three days of intensive training, leaving them to apply his lessons in real combat. He'd taught survival skills, ninjutsu tactics, and wilderness know-how, but theory meant nothing without practice.
With Orochimaru gone, Tatsumi took the lead, guiding Mikoto and Rope Tree toward their mission target. But their high-speed trek was fraught with danger—Orochimaru lurked in the shadows, launching surprise attacks to test their vigilance.
Mikoto quickly built a fire to cook their kills. They had to eat fast—Orochimaru had a knack for spiking food with laxatives. Non-lethal, but humiliating enough to sap their strength.
Imagine sprinting with a numb rear, Tatsumi thought, grimacing.
Gnawing on a wild fruit he'd foraged, Tatsumi reflected on the Academy's lessons about edible plants. Theory was one thing—real-world application was another, and he'd only mastered it these past few days.
"Hiss!" Dabai's warning hiss cut through the air.
Ding! A bell chimed nearby, triggered by one of Rope Tree's simple rope traps.
Another of Orochimaru's sneak attacks?
The trio exchanged glances. Tatsumi rose, moving cautiously to investigate.
The soft soil showed no human footprints—only the faint tracks of small animals.
Too jumpy after days of this? Tatsumi exhaled, relaxing slightly.
But behind him, the earth bulged subtly, a strange mound forming.
If this were a real assassination, Orochimaru would've cut them down countless times. For training, he left deliberate clues, sharpening their instincts.
As Tatsumi bent to inspect the tracks, pale hands erupted from the ground, seizing his legs.
A massive fireball roared in response. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Mikoto's chakra-heavy blaze engulfed the hands. Tatsumi vanished in a puff of smoke—a shadow clone.
The trap's chime had tipped them off. No mere animal could trigger Rope Tree's cleverly hidden snare. Tatsumi's "inspection" was bait, luring Orochimaru into their counterattack.
It wasn't a masterful ploy, but it was effective.
Forced out by the fireball's heat, Orochimaru emerged from the earth.
Boom! Tatsumi snapped his fingers, his right hand clenching into a fist. Chakra surged, and he lunged into Orochimaru's guard, unleashing a punch. "Strange Power Punch!"
Orochimaru raised an arm to block, but his body froze for a split second—caught in a genjutsu.
As a seasoned jonin, Orochimaru broke the illusion instantly, but that second was enough.
Tatsumi's fist slammed into his chest. The monstrous force of the Strange Power Punch bent Orochimaru's body like a bow, sending him flying like a cannonball.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall!" Rope Tree's seals were already complete.
A thick earthen wall rose, poised to intercept Orochimaru's trajectory.
Just before impact, snakes sprouted from Orochimaru's hands. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!"
The serpents wrapped around a nearby tree, yanking Orochimaru out of the wall's path.
A single feather floated down before him.
Orochimaru's eyes glazed, his body slumping—ensnared in another genjutsu, "Feather Fall."
From prey to predator, a sharp mind makes all the difference, Tatsumi thought.
Ninja battles hinged on power, but strategy was king. The trio wouldn't squander this opening.
Tatsumi's eyes gleamed. A kunai materialized in his hand, gleaming black like an AWM bullet. He hurled it at Orochimaru's head.
But victory was never that easy. If it were, Tatsumi would already be Hokage, wed to a "soft, cute girl."
Orochimaru knew their every move, while they groped blindly against his full strength. By Tatsumi's reckoning, the Feather Fall genjutsu should've knocked Orochimaru out.
Yet a strange glint flickered in Orochimaru's eyes.
He dodged the kunai with a twist of his head. A torrent of snakes erupted from his hand—another Hidden Shadow Snake Hand—surging toward Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Rope Tree.
"Snakes sense infrared," Orochimaru said coolly. "You forgot the basics, Tatsumi."
"Your genjutsu is formidable, but it's still visual and auditory. Not all illusions work on me, boy."
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