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Chapter 3.18 [41]

"Where are we headed?" Choji asked, following behind her as she guided them through the forest.

Hinata looked over her shoulder. "I need to go and talk to someone before we go hunting for scrolls. Naruto said we're going straight to the tower after we rendezvous."

"Can't you just talk to them after the exam?"

Hinata frowned—she could have done it between the first and second tests but baulked at the task. She didn't know how to approach it, let alone against the backdrop of the exam and so she stopped thinking.

"When we get there, don't interfere," she said. Predictably, he frowned at that, which softened the taut set of her jaw just a little. "Please?"

"What if it turns into a fight? You never know—"

"At that point, yes, you can interfere," Hinata interrupted, "but unless it turns into a fight, let me handle things. It has to do with my clan."

"Your clan?" Choji echoed. "Does it have to do with Neji Hyuuga?"

At that, Hinata could only heave out a sigh.

She was no stranger to the Hyuuga's ills, namely the Caged Bird Seal granting the Main House pre-eminence over the Branch House. However, safeguarding the Byakugan was a legitimate issue. The Uchiha's Sharigan was both a blessing and a curse; it required the would-be plunderer to activate it permanently, unlike the Byakugan, meaning its constant activity rendered it a chakra parasite.

The Byakugan had no such issue and required a conscious rather than constant supply of chakra. When inactive, it provided slightly sharper vision than the norm with no downsides. There was no difference between a Byakugan wielded by a non-Hyuuga and a Hyuuga, which was precisely why her clan's eyes were so sought after.

In that sense, Hinata understood the need to safeguard their clan's eye. She was the victim of an attempted kidnapping before she'd developed conscious recall, but that was as far as her understanding extended and she lacked the power to change anything.

It was a fact that followed her throughout her life; its weight made it difficult to advance and Hinata had never been more aware of it than when her father saw fit to enlighten her on the truth, as he called it.

It was an afternoon no different to any other. She and her father were seated over a low table, attended to by a servant from the Branch House with her head bent low as she poured them their tea before exiting with the same silence that she served them with.

"As I understand," her father had begun, considering her down the bridge of his nose, "Asuma Sarutobi has seen fit to enter your team into the coming Chunin Exams."

She had nodded at the time. "Yes, he has, father."

"And to my knowledge, Maito Gai has also deemed Neji's team fit to take these exams."

"He has?"

"What have I told you about asking nonsensical questions?"

Hinata had resisted the urge to frown, though part of her wished now that she had. "Apologies, father."

He had neither accepted nor rebuked her apology, instead fixing her with a stare different to any other she could remember him levelling at her—and what he proceeded to reveal that day infuriated her to her core.

Every explanation he then uttered damned the Main House ten times over and only proved why the clan had to change. Her father, Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga clan; revealed the truth to her, not out of guilt or a desire to change the clan. No, he had revealed the truth to warn her so she could be aware of her cousin's completely justified hatred against their clan in case he did something rash.

Something in her snapped that day. She couldn't sit by and watch things any longer—but realistically, there was little she could do to change the clan at the moment. There was, however, somewhere she could start—someone she could start with.

"...What did you say?" Neji uttered, his raised guard hovering between action and inaction.

Choji stiffened, shuffling up to her right. The gesture only made Neji more agitated, which in turn only made her even more nervous than she already was. But Hinata met his gaze without flinching. Her chest felt tight, her heart thudded in her ears, but she stood her ground. "I said I want to change the clan, starting with you."

Neji's eyes narrowed. There was a long pause, the kind that preceded a storm. Rock Lee and Tenten stood quietly at his side and observed the tension with cautious eyes.

"You want to change the clan? Do you even understand what you're saying?" Neji asked.

Hinata swallowed. She had prepared for this reaction, knowing full well how her words would be received… but she also knew that if she didn't say them, no one would and nothing would change.

Neji's voice grew colder as he continued and his words came out faster. "You'll become the Main House's heir soon. Your sister will be branded and sent to the Branch House. You are—and will become—the symbol of everything wrong with this accursed clan. And what, you think you can just walk up to me and say you're going to fix things? Wave a hand and make it all disappear—are you delusional?"

Each word struck like a hammer, but Hinata didn't flinch. She had thought about this confrontation for days, going over what she would say, and how she would handle Neji's anger.

His pain was justified, but that didn't make her words any less important. "I didn't know the truth about what happened to Uncle Hizashi until recently," she said quietly, "but now I do and I can't just naively sit back and accept things as they are... not anymore"

For a moment, Neji said nothing. His gaze bored into her, his pale eyes a stark reminder of their shared bloodline.

Then his lips curled into a sneer.

"And what exactly is it you think you can change?" His fists clenched at his sides, having long since abandoned his ready stance, with strained white knuckles. "You're wandering these exams in over your head, as always. Weak and naive; thinking you can make a difference when you can barely stand up to your father. Don't insult me with your empty promises."

"Hey!" Choji lunged but Hinata grabbed his arm. He struggled out of her grip until he turned and saw her. His face twisted, flushed with anger, and he trudged back with a low exhale.

The sting behind Neji's words punctured and pierced the resolve she'd hardened during the journey to find him, but she refused to let it show. Choji's indignation on her behalf was heartwarming enough that it numbed Neji's words a little.

She knew what he thought of her—what most of the Hyuuga clan thought of her—until she chose to change all those years ago.

Weak. Unworthy. A failure to the clan.

Tenten exchanged a glance with Lee, uncertainty flashing across her face. She shifted her weight as if debating whether to step in, but Lee subtly shook his head, indicating that they should let the confrontation play out.

Hinata met his gaze and saw curiosity there. She took a step closer to Neji. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness and I'm not asking you to trust me either. But I'm not going to stand by and let Hanabi go through the same thing you did. She's my sister, and I won't let our clan ruin her life like they did yours."

Neji's eyes widened, caught between disbelief and anger. He tried to respond though no words came out, so he looked at her like she had grown two heads instead. As though the idea that she, of all people, was standing up for anything was utterly absurd.

She didn't blame him.

"...You have no idea what you're talking about," he managed to say, quivering under heavy anger. "If you think you can change the clan by making speeches and promises then you don't understand a thing! You were always fated for a life presiding over the Branch House. It defines your life just as my cage defines mine, Lady Hinata."

He turned on his heel, his back rigid with fury as he stormed away from her.

Tenten hesitated for a moment, casting a sympathetic glance in Hinata's direction, but followed him at a brisk pace.

Choji laid a hand on her shoulder. "If you think you can change the Hyuuga, then I believe you can do it."

"Thanks, Choji," she said, smiling briefly.

Hinata stood still, watching Neji's retreating figure. She had known this wouldn't be easy—had known Neji would reject her outright—but seeing the depth of his hatred still stung more than anticipated.

She felt a presence beside her and turned to see Rock Lee watching her closely, his expression thoughtful. "You know, Neji can be difficult to reach. He's very… set in his ways, I suppose, but I respect what you're trying to do."

Hinata blinked, surprised by the unexpected support. "You do?"

"Of course." Lee nodded firmly, his eyes shining with the characteristic optimism she'd heard from Naruto and Choji. "I've always believed that hard work and determination can overcome anything—even fate. Like Choji said: if you truly believe that you can change the clan, then you'll do it."

Hinata looked down at her hands, her fingers curling into fists. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe she could change things, but Neji's words lingered. Words barked and grunted over the years at her lack of resolve that never quite left her despite the elders' disappointed stares quickly turning into approval.

"Neji is strong," she said softly, almost to herself, "much stronger than me, and I've never been able to…" She trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.

Lee smiled at her, his bright smile beating back the hesitance. "He's stronger than me too—but strength isn't everything. Determination counts for just as much. Maybe even more." His smile widened as he gestured broadly. "I thought you were like Neji in that regard; you know, looking down on effort because you skipped our morning training. But you proved me wrong, Hinata, and I think you'll prove Neji wrong too."

Lee's optimism was infectious. It banished Choji's sour mood and momentarily brought a halt to the self-doubt that prevented Hinata from making a difference. She straightened her posture with a slow nod. Lee was right. This was her chance to prove that she could stand up to her clan, the elders, and her father.

To change the clan's fate and thereby change Hanabi's—but none of that mattered if she couldn't prove her resolve to Neji.

"Choji?" she called out once Lee had left.

He looked back at her. "Yeah? Are we heading out?"

With a determined nod, she turned on her heel, her focus sharper than it had ever been. "And we're going to grab as many scrolls as possible before sunset."

Choji crouched low behind the thick underbrush, his pulse racing in time with the fading daylight. Sweat gathered at his temples but he kept quiet and composed by way of his training. They'd been tracking one of the teams from the Hidden Grass for what felt like hours—each painstaking movement requiring precision.

Hinata's Byakugan was all well and good for locating enemies, but taking them out required stealth and a mountain's worth of patience. The Hidden Grass team moved just beyond the treeline, barely visible in the low light. They were close now, their chatter faint and guards lowered.

Choji's chakra buzzed faintly through his arms and legs. They could catch them by surprise if he timed this right—strike fast, take their scroll, and disappear into the woods before they even realised what had happened.

Minimal risk, no unnecessary death.

He leaned forward, ready to make his move, when the stillness of the forest was broken by Hinata's sharp hiss from beside him. "...We need to go, now!"

He was about to ask why, but she darted off, forcing him to follow her. They stayed close to the ground, using the shadows cast by the forest's massive trees to stay out of sight. Choji heard a faint rustle from above but thought nothing of it until Hinata pulled him behind the cover of the undergrowth.

"What is it?" he asked, but she put a finger to her lips and tapped her ear.

"Why can't I find it?" The words fell over him, faint, but unshakable fog. He shifted lower, careful not to rustle the bushes in his efforts to hide despite his body aching with tension.

"Maybe it was nothing," a female voice followed, cautious, though there was something guarded in her tone. Choji couldn't see her clearly through the trees, but the urgency in her voice was unmistakable.

The wind barely stirred the trees, yet the quiet was unsettling, as though the forest itself held its breath to see who had come.

The other voice's response was laced with venom. "It's not enough," he hissed, frustration simmering. "I felt it earlier. Someone out there... their killing intent was... tantalising, but now?" There was a long pause. "Now it's gone. They're hiding from me."

Choji clenched his fists. He didn't dare move now that he could see them. Gaara of the Sand—the red-haired boy with the forehead tattoo; the same one Naruto had warned him about—was out there hunting for something more than scrolls.

There was another voice, a gruff male this time, though Choji couldn't see him or the girl who'd spoken earlier. "Maybe we should leave it, yeah? They're gone and if they're really as powerful as you say, we'll find them near the tower. We still don't have our second scroll, Gaara."

Gaara remained unyielding. "I'm not leaving until I find them," he said, his voice low and dark. "I'll tear apart every team that crosses my path if I have to."

Choji stayed still, not even daring to shift his weight. Gaara's presence brought with it an overwhelming sense of danger—and Naruto's warning replayed itself in his mind. Stay away from Gaara and Fuu—both were Jinchuriki. But Gaara, Naruto had said, was way worse, and Choji instinctively knew it.

Just by the seconds of overhead conversation, he was more than a ruthless competitor in this exam—he was a killer, the kind that wouldn't hesitate to indulge his bloodthirst. Choji was closer to him than he ever wanted to be with nothing but a few bushes and trees separating them.

The Sand trio eventually moved on, their footsteps fading into the distance. The forest exhaled in their absence, but the dread within him lingered. Choji's heart continued to pound as the tension refused to leave his body. His and Hinata's quarry had long since vanished, nor could he stay still… but he couldn't move too quickly either.

Not with Gaara still close enough to hear a snapped twig or the rustling of leaves.

He remained low, breathing through his nose as quietly as he could, forcing himself to wait. Every second stretched painfully long, but when he felt it was safe, Choji rose with a tentative half-step.

"Here," he said, offering Hinata a hand.

He watched her dust herself off; her face was tired, not that it surprised him. Two hours of journeying, sometimes fighting, and constantly using her Byakugan wasn't exactly easy. If she used it too much, she'd be blind to incoming threats, as well as exhausted—and that would be bad, to say the least.

She sighed explosively. "...I shouldn't have let them get that close."

"You didn't 'let' them do anything," he replied. "Things just happen. Where's the Grass team?"

"Gone," Hinata said. "Just give me a moment to… focus. I'll find them."

Choji stepped back, taking that moment to calm himself down. Gaara was gone, but the encounter had left its mark. Reminded Choji that this exam was more than a test of skill. Some people weren't playing by the same rules as him. Some were in it for blood, not scrolls.

He tried to shake off the feeling that every shadow held a threat. He couldn't afford to lose focus, but the encounter had rattled him. The near brush with Gaara had stirred a deep, gnawing unease that made every rustle in the trees sound far too close.

"Incoming," said Hinata. "I can't find the Grass team we were following, but another three chakra signatures are closing in."

Around him, the woods grew darker, with its trees casting long shadows that tangled with his own, trapping him in the darkness. The sun was steadily dipping below the horizon. With the afternoon's battles slowly winding down, lingering too long without shelter was dangerous.

The faint whistle of a kunai sliced through the air, embedding itself in the tree beside him with a dull thunk. Choji stiffened, instinctively stepping back, but before he could retreat any further, three ninja emerged from the cover of the trees, their Hidden Rain forehead protectors catching the last of the forest's dimming light.

Choji sighed. "There any chance we can walk our separate ways?" He looked back at Hinata, who was noticeably tired. She could fight, but he didn't want her using her Byakugan for longer than necessary. He raised an Earth scroll. "Let's negotiate."

"Choji, what are you doing?" Hinata whispered.

The leader of the group, taller than the others shook his head. His kunai twirled lazily between his fingers as he took a step forward, smirking. "We don't care about your scroll."

This wasn't about the exam—this was something else, something worse. Choji could see it in the coldness of their eyes, in the way they stood, tension coiled in their bodies and bloodthirst slicing their faces.

He hated it.

"After the last few hours, we just need to let off some steam before turning in for the night," the Rain ninja added, his smile widening. "And what better way to do so than beating around some kid from the Great Five—and one of our hosts to boot?"

There was no reasoning with them. They weren't here to trade blows over some prize—they wanted a fight, and they wouldn't stop until they had it. The first ninja rushed him with a flash of steel, kunai aimed for his throat.

Choji dodged, but the blade grazed his arm, spurring Hinata to attack. The second Rain ninja was already closing in from the side along with the third. Choji blocked what he could, parried when necessary, but their attacks were coming at him faster than he would've liked.

Across from him, Hinata fought her opponent with a viciousness that belied her fatigue. Choji winced, stumbling forward; his breath caught as blood began to soak his shirt. His opponents were moving in again, so he coated his fists in hardened earth and expanded his arms, sending chakra flooding through his muscles.

His limbs swelled with power and size as he swung in wide arcs—far enough that Hinata wouldn't be caught in the attack. One fist caught one of the attackers dead-on, sending him crashing into the ground with a bone-rattling thud. The other didn't hesitate despite their fallen comrade. Choji moved slower than them, weighed down by the sheer bulk of his jutsu.

A kunai flashed through the dark, and Choji caught the blade on his guarded forearm, sparks flying. Planting his feet, he swung through the attack and pivoted. There was a sickening crack, followed by silence—he didn't look back.

Hinata slammed a palm into the final Rain ninja's chest. The impact saw the Rain ninja collide with a tree and before he could look up, Choji was on him, planting his head deep into the ground.

Finally, the forest was quiet again—no noises, no whispers, just the steady heave of his laboured breaths. He stood still, panting, blood dripping from his wounds. He hadn't wanted this. The fight, the deaths—none of it had been part of their plan.

His gaze fell on the leader's body.

"Now we know what likely happened to the Grass team were following," said Hinata with a long sigh.

Two scrolls lay there in the dirt, tied to Rain ninja's belt—Earth and Heaven. Slowly, Choji reached down and unhooked it, the weight of it unfamiliar in his hand.

He stood there for a long moment, the forest around him dark and still. The Rain ninja's final breaths echoed in his ears, but thankfully even that was already fading.

Watching their dimming eyes, he couldn't help but burn with anger. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, but as the last light drained from the sky, Choji knew that regret was a fool's game.

"It didn't have to come to this," he muttered, not at all to Hinata.

She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Let's head back to the cave. Naruto will have faced better luck than us, I'm sure."

Even as the words left his mouth, Choji understood that in their world, it always came to this.

"Tell me, Naruto…" Orochimaru hummed. "What makes us so similar?"

I frowned. Similar? He couldn't be serious. This was a monster who'd kidnapped children for his experiments. How could he think we were alike in any way?

But before I could respond, he moved. Fast. Too fast.

The air crackled as Orochimaru's hand shot forward, stretching impossibly. Instinct took over, and I barely dodged, his fingertips grazing my cheek as I twisted out of the way. The impact shattered the tree behind me, splintering it with a loud crack.

I spun, launching a barrage of shuriken in retaliation, but he slipped between them with inhuman grace, each blade missing by mere inches. He was already in front of me again, coiling and uncoiling with unnatural speed. Pain exploded across my torso, but I bit down and forced myself to keep moving.

Orochimaru followed up with a roundhouse kick that I ducked under, lashing out with an enhanced punch to the ribs. He twisted, narrowly avoiding it, and I had to jump back to avoid his next attack—the flicker of chakra-infused kunai aimed right at my throat before it retracted.

He was toying with me. I pushed off the ground, summoning chakra to my feet as I lunged to land a solid hit on his shoulder.

He barely reacted, sliding back a few feet with a thin smile. "So, you do have some fight in you," he murmured, eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.

"Why don't you answer your question? You said we were similar—what the hell do you mean?"

His grin widened, but he weaved through a series of hand seals with lightning speed before raising his arms. I dodged only because I had a feeling I knew what was coming next.

Writhing snakes burst out of his sleeves, impossibly long and just as fast, with their jaws unhinging as they lunged at me. I jumped to the side, avoiding three, but the fourth caught my leg. The pain was sharp and immediate, but I didn't hesitate—given time, I'd heal.

I formed the Rasengan in my palm and slammed it down into the snakes and rolled away, blood seeping through the fabric of my cargo pants. The creatures exploded in mangled, fleshy bits seconds before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Getting bit by his poisoned snakes was a bad idea considering I was still fighting off the earlier poison from the Sound Three, but I'd live.

The bigger problem was why Orochimaru had chosen to visit me.

"Those snakes," I said, allowing the horror within to show on my face, "You're Orochimaru of the Sannin."

He chuckled. "How astute of you, Naruto Uzumaki. Now, prove to me that you are worthy of an answer, and I may offer you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"I don't need anything from you," I spat out, pushing through the pain. "Why are you even here? What do you want from me?"

"Oh, don't play coy now. That old dotard would have never let you learn the Rasengan without revealing your father's identity to you."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a sickly light, watching my reaction with the utmost amusement. My heart began to pound but I couldn't let myself fall into his twisted game. A thought came to me, then, cutting through the fog he was trying to wrap around me.

A way to take back control of the conversation.

"Is that why you're doing all this?" I asked with a chest tight with unease. "Because you're still bitter you didn't become the Fourth Hokage?"

Orochimaru's smile faltered for just a second, and then, without warning, he threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't just a chuckle or a sinister snicker—it was a thick, unhinged cackle that rang through the forest.

The sound burrowed under my skin, all while he laughed so hard that his body trembled, hands clasped together in front of him as if to hold him upright. It stretched longer than it should have, filling the space between us. My grip on my kunai tightened, but I stayed rooted in place, watching him laugh like a maniac.

Finally, he calmed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye with a long, pale finger.

"Oh, Naruto," Orochimaru said between fading chuckles, "That… that is truly rich. Bitter? About something as meaningless as becoming the Fourth Hokage?" He stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate, with mockery tilting his grin. "Let me tell you something about that precious little title: the Hokage seat is a glorified prison. A place for the village's chosen fool to sit and pretend they have power—as my teacher so wondrously demonstrates."

His eyes narrowed, and I could feel the malice beneath his words like a poison slowly seeping into the air.

"I was passed over for a position that holds no real value," he said, his voice suddenly dropping. "A title given to someone with no true understanding of what lies beyond the limits of that pathetic village."

"Then why bring it up?" I shot back with a smirk, forcing the words past the unease in my chest. "If it doesn't matter, why get me to question you? You're still hung up on it, aren't you?"

A dark light flickered in his eyes. His smile remained, but there was a tightness to it now. "You still don't understand, do you?" Orochimaru said softly, like I was a child who couldn't grasp something basic. "This has never been about becoming Hokage. This is about surpassing that title—surpassing the very limitations of human existence."

I clenched my fists, my pulse quickening as his words slithered into my ears.

Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with that same sickly light as he leaned in slightly. "Do you know why I'm here, Naruto? It's because I see that hunger, the same drive, in you. You may be the spitting image of Minato Namikaze… but you are like me."

My heart pounded harder to the point that my focus slipped. "I-I'm nothing like you."

"Really?" Orochimaru's smile widened at the stutter, his voice almost taunting. "You've already proven otherwise. You fight with ferocity, a willingness to kill—and beyond that—revelry in survival. In being on top when it's all said and done! The Rasengan… the way you drew poor Zaku in by mocking the death of his comrades—oh yes, I saw all of it."

My breath hitched, and I felt the blood drain from my face at the insinuation. They wanted to kill me, I was just the one who walked out of our exchange alive. "I didn't—"

"You didn't take pleasure in it?" Orochimaru finished for me, his voice lilting with amusement. "Is that what you tell yourself? That you killed because it was the only option? Confess… you enjoyed it, didn't you? The thrill of walking out unbroken. The power coursing through your veins as you grow stronger through it all—just like I do."

I shook my head, stepping back, my stomach twisting. "No… I'm not like that."

Orochimaru clicked his tongue, wagging his finger. "Oh, but you are. Maybe you're still in denial, but I can see it, Naruto, even if you choose to blind yourself. We are not so different, you and I."

"You're a criminal who betrayed everyone who ever cared for you. You kidnapped people, children, experimented on them without a care in the world—in what way are we the same?"

"You and I," he continued, his voice dropping to a low, intimate tone, "are bound by the same fate; rejected, misunderstood, and feared. The wings of our ambition clipped before we can even take flight. But I broke free and can help you do the same."

I swallowed the knee-jerk urge to scoff… but a very small part of me realised that Orochimaru was telling the truth, so instead, something entirely different slipped from my mouth. "...Help me how?"

He paused, watching me with those predatory eyes, and then his lips curled into a twisted grin. "I could give you what you've always wanted. You could see your mother again—and despite our once rivalry—your father as well."

My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I froze. My parents. The thought of them, of seeing them again—it clawed at me, a desperate, painful longing that I couldn't brush aside quite fast enough—and he saw it.

He stepped closer again, barely whispering now, and his words were sweet poison seeping into my mind. "All you have to do… is join me. Join me, Naruto, and you can have everything you've ever wanted—your parents and the company of people who will not curse you for the accident of your birth."

My mouth went dry. "...Even if I agreed, that's impossible. They're gone."

"Oh, I assure you, it's quite possible. You know of my work and what I'm capable of." He raised a hand, and the air seemed to grow colder. "It was why I was outcast from the village—they feared me, as they fear you. So, join me, Naruto, and I will bring your parents back to you."

I felt my chest tighten, the offer wrapping around my mind like a vice. True reincarnation was the purview of the Rinnegan, but given time… Orochimaru might be able to artificially replicate it. Or perhaps acquire one himself. He was adept at surviving things he wasn't supposed to. My father was sitting in the Shinigami's stomach right now, but he could certainly bring back my mother.

I clenched my fists, trying to push the thought away, but it lingered.

"And all I have to do is join you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Orochimaru's smile softened. "It would be a small price to pay, wouldn't it? To have your family back? To be with them again and fill the hole created by their absence. I know your ties to this village are but a few."

I stared at him, my mind racing. For a moment, I actually considered what it would be like to have her alive and well until I saw his eyes. Cold. Calculating. Amused.

I took a deep breath, shaking my head. "No."

The air between us felt suffocating, the weight of his offer pressing down on me, tightening around my chest. The thought of seeing them, of finally knowing them, was like a current dragging me under. But I saw Orochimaru's eyes and realised this wasn't about me. It was about him, and accepting his offer would mean turning my back on everyone who'd become a part of my life.

Turning my back on Ayame and Teuchi; Hayato, Nori, and Ko; Asuma, Choji, and Hinata. It would make me exactly like Orochimaru in the worst of ways; he who abandoned Anko Mitarashi for his selfish pursuits. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe and rise above the manipulation—to think.

"No," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper at first. "No, I appreciate the offer, but I refuse. Not when the catch is becoming a monster like you."

Instead of his smile fading, it widened. "Oh? And what kind of monster am I that the village doesn't think the same of you?"

His words were a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat as memories of my childhood flashed before me—those cold, judging stares, the whispered hatred, the loneliness—but I shoved them back down where they came from. He didn't deserve the satisfaction… even if he was right in a way.

"That's not the same, and you know it," I said, but my voice wavered for just a second. He cocked an eyebrow at the sound. "I can see what you're doing, and I won't fall for it. Whatever scheme you've got, whatever you're selling, I'm not buying any of it."

"Pity," he murmured, his voice soft, almost regretful. "I had hoped you would see reason. But perhaps the fault lies with me as well. You are, after all, still young. A small frog who's barely put a toe outside of the pond."

And then, without warning, his face twisted into something monstrous, his features contorting. The air crackled with malice and, in that instant, the game was over, the offer gone. Orochimaru moved, faster than I could react, his hand blurring, but I was ready.

I leapt back just in time, forced to continuously flip back to avoid his infinitely extending arm. My feet met a tree and I blasted off from it, splintering the massive trunk before Orochimaru destroyed it wholesale. He moved faster than anyone I'd ever fought before. One second, he was on the ground, and the next, he was in the air, his snake-like body twisting through the branches with inhuman agility.

Again, I dodged just barely in time, throwing myself to the side as his foot crashed into the tree, dislodging me in the process. I hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact before springing to my feet. Pain shot through my leg, the bite from earlier still throbbing, but I couldn't afford to stop now.

He landed gracefully in front of me. Chakra swirled in my gut as I exhaled, sending a powerful gust of wind tearing through the forest. Trees snapped like twigs, the force of the wind ripping them out of the ground as it roared toward Orochimaru.

"I expected more from you, Naruto," he said, his voice mocking, standing as if my jutsu was simply a light breeze. "Is this the best you can do?"

His hand shot out, but I managed to block it. The force of the impact sent a shockwave up my arm, almost knocking me off balance, but I held firm, gritting my teeth as I pushed back.

"Impressive reflexes," Orochimaru mused, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "But for how long can you keep this up?"

He struck faster this time, fingers aimed at my throat. I batted his arm away, darting in with a kunai, though he simply avoided it by twisting out of the way again, so I threw it instead. While he was busy deflecting it, I formed another Rasengan in my hand, the swirling ball of chakra neon against the dim forest.

Orochimaru's eyes flicked to it, his grin widening.

"Ah, the Rasengan. A beautiful jutsu. Let's see if you can use it as effectively as you did against Zaku, shall we?"

I charged at him, Rasengan in hand, aiming for his chest. He didn't move—he just watched, that smug grin still plastered on his face as I closed the distance. His torso peeled and I passed right through the space where his chest should've been and stumbled, nearly losing my balance as the Rasengan drilled into the ground.

"What the—!" Before I could even register what had happened, the Rasengan blew me into the air and Orochimaru's hand raced to catch me. He clenched tight around my throat, reeling me in and slamming the air out of me with a punch to the gut.

My vision blurred under his tightened grip. I channelled chakra into my legs and kicked back, slamming my heel into him. The impact made him stumble back if only a step, but it was enough for me to twist free, stumbling forward as I gasped for air. I spun to face him, but he was already moving again. Before I knew it, he swept at my legs, knocking me off balance.

"Is this all you have?" Orochimaru's voice taunted me. "You can't even keep up, Naruto—and to think I thought you ready to face the truth about yourself."

I forced myself to my feet, my chest heaving as I glared at him. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, something that could give me the upper hand. For someone as strong as him, fighting me was a game—infuriating, but true. That meant he was underestimating me, now more than ever; if Orochimaru thought he had me beaten, I could use that.

"Yeah? You think you know everything about me, huh? Just because you've been watching for long enough? And hey, you might be right." Orochimaru's eyes glinted, but he didn't respond. I pressed on. "Being the one to walk out alive sure is exhilarating," I continued, my voice growing stronger, fueled by feigned anger that I wasn't quite sure was feigned anymore. "There's nothing you won't do to survive."

"To do anything otherwise is weakness, Naruto," he replied, still amused.

I chuckled. "Well, I'm still standing, aren't I?"

His grip tightened around my arm, but this time, I wasn't just reacting. The Rasengan had been my ace in the hole against the Sound 3, but it wasn't enough against someone like him.

I needed more—and for more, I needed more time, something I'd earned enough of thanks to the small conversation. Twisting free with all my might, I created enough distance to risk forming the Rasengan. The swirling sphere of blue chakra spun rapidly in my hand, its familiar hum charing the air.

"Is that all you hoped to achieve?" he asked, frowning. "You really think you can defeat me with the same attack?"

Instead of answering, I smirked at him, and his amused expression changed when he noticed the shift in my chakra. His eyes narrowed with sudden interest. I saw his knees lock out as he straightened, focusing everything on the task at hand, his scientific interest winning out over his sadism.

The Rasengan pulsed in my palm, the rotation fast and controlled. Wind chakra surged through my body, wild and unpredictable, but I guided it into the Rasengan, almost forcefully. The spinning ball of energy resisted at first, the chaotic wind fighting against containment, but I gritted my teeth and kept pushing, directing the momentum as opposed to controlling it.

The humming ball turned pale, soft blue light shifting to a near-white as the sound of rushing winds filled the clearing. Barely visible, sharp drafts spun around the edges of the ball; I grinned at the violent storm contained in the palm of my hand.

Orochimaru's eyes flicked to the jutsu, and for the first time, he looked genuinely surprised. "Interesting…"

I could take advantage of that surprise.

The Wind-Release: Rasengan roared in my hand, barely held together by my containment. It was unstable, dangerous and far from complete—but powerful. More powerful than anything I'd ever wielded before.

I charged at him, the wind screaming in my ears as I pushed off the ground with everything I had. Orochimaru's body tensed, his smirk gone, replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness. He moved to twist out of the way, but I kept my arm by my side until the last moment, pivoting to slam it into his chest.

The jutsu tore into him, the violent wind chakra grinding, cutting, and shredding through his body. I felt brief resistance as the Rasengan met flesh—but I also felt the raw power of the wind chakra tearing into him. His mouth twisted into a grimace as the jutsu dug deeper, pushing him back.

And like it did against Zaku, it exploded—and the shockwave sent both of us flying backwards. Trees snapped like twigs, debris flying in all directions as the ground shook beneath us. I hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of me, and my right hand burned.

I rolled to my feet, panting, and my vision blurred from the impact.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, lay slumped against a ruined tree, having crashed through three others before he stopped. The front of his robes were in tatters, revealing the pale, mangled skin beneath it.

"I-Impressive," he rasped. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't seem to care for it. "You've exceeded my expectations. To think you could use wind chakra with such precision and maintain the Rasengan's destructiveness—even your father couldn't manage that."

His body juddered while the wounds on his chest slowly knit themselves back together. I felt a surge of frustration at the sight, but this was never a fight I could win.

"That was exhilarating. With talent like that, I can see why you so readily refused my offer."

I didn't respond, my breathing still heavy in my chest—I wasn't going to show any of that weakness, though.

Orochimaru took a step forward. "You've grown strong. Stronger than I expected. And yet… you're still holding back, aren't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The Nine-Tails. I know it's within you, that unbounded strength. You're afraid of it, which is why you have yet to use its power. I could help you tame it and use its power to realise your ambitions."

"I already said no," I took strength in those words, using them to erect a wall between me and him, "and as much as you want to harp on about it, I'm not like you either."

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "So you keep saying, but you've already begun to see the truth in my words. Surviving, living, and being the one to live to fight another day. Those are the true joys of this world—and deep down, Naruto, we are more alike than you're willing to admit."

Orochimaru's body began to twist unnaturally, his limbs elongating, skin shifting like it was too loose for his bones. For a moment, I thought he was preparing to shed his skin like a snake would, becoming more alien by the second.

"But alas, I can see my offers have fallen on deaf ears," he said with a dramatic sigh, "and I have more pressing matters to attend to. It seems our time together is over, for now."

I didn't lower my guard, nor did I look away from him. The pain in my limbs and the burn in my right hand reminded me I wasn't at full strength either, and even if I was, it wouldn't have made a difference.

I met his eyes, slit and gleaming with some unspoken promise. "Continue to grow and experience the world as it is, Naruto. And when the day comes that you are ready to see the world as it could be, instead of how it merely is, we will meet again."

With that, he melted away, vanishing into the darkened forest like a bad dream, leaving only the lingering scent of decay.

"Well…" I found myself saying with the odd sort of detachment that succeeded in being jumpscared. "...at least Choji and Hinata weren't here for this."

The forest responded with a cold, creeping silence.