"Come out."
Uchiha Haru's gaze pierced the shadows where Orochimaru concealed himself, his voice calm but resolute.
Though he hadn't fully awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and was still using the standard three-tomoe form, his insight far exceeded that of an average Sharingan user. It was this heightened perception that had revealed Orochimaru's hiding place in the first place.
Originally, Haru had believed that after defeating the masked man, no one else would come to trouble him again. Yet, here was someone ungrateful enough to do exactly that.
"Hehe…" Orochimaru's voice slithered out, amused and sinister.
"Such keen insight," he murmured with a mocking tone. "What a remarkable little Uchiha."
After the initial surprise, Orochimaru regained composure and masked his true feelings. Since he'd been discovered, there was no point in hiding any longer.
His body twisted and writhed like a serpent, and in an instant, he appeared inside Haru's residence.
"It's you, Orochimaru," Haru said flatly, expression unreadable. His voice held no hint of emotion.
Regardless of the fact he was a time traveler, it was impossible for him not to recognize Orochimaru. Even had he lived in Konoha since childhood, he would have known the legendary figure—one of the infamous Three Legendary Sannin.
But why was Orochimaru here?
In Haru's memory, Orochimaru hadn't appeared on the night of the Uchiha clan massacre.
Could it be…
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile, cold and calculating.
His eyes gleamed with cruelty, hunger, and cold ambition—just looking at them sent a chill down one's spine.
"Uchiha Haru… excellent, very excellent!" Orochimaru sneered. "I never expected the Uchiha clan to have such a perfect body besides Itachi."
"No, that's not quite right—your body is even better than Itachi's!"
"It's truly fascinating."
Orochimaru greedily extended his forked tongue, licking his lips as if savoring a delicious prize.
He was extremely satisfied with Haru's body.
Because of the masked man's presence, Uchiha Itachi had been somewhat restrained.
But Haru? Orochimaru could act openly toward him without worry.
He could even coax the masked man and Itachi into aiding him if necessary. Even if Haru was strong, could he be stronger than the three Kage-level warriors?
Wouldn't that place him firmly in Orochimaru's pocket?
Haru, as a time traveler, understood this implication all too well.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru coveted the Sharingan's power and once fixated on Uchiha Itachi's body. But Itachi's terrifying strength made him an impossible target.
Unable to succeed, Orochimaru had to settle for second best—choosing Sasuke instead.
And now, it seemed his wish was finally coming true.
Haru chuckled silently but said nothing aloud.
Yet the disdain and contempt in his eyes were unmistakable.
Now, equipped with the Ōtsutsuki lineage physiology, Mangekyō Sharingan, and Wood Release, he knew there might be people stronger than him in the world, but at the Kage level, he was certainly among the strongest—if not the very strongest.
Orochimaru was no weakling, but it all depended on who you compared him to.
Haru no longer feared Orochimaru; he had the power and confidence to face him.
His unflinching reaction caused Orochimaru's expression to falter briefly.
"Have you been underestimating me?" Haru's tone was calm yet challenging.
"This is the first time in so many years I've met a young one with such arrogance!"
"Boy, young bloods should learn to respect their elders and know how high the sky is and how deep the earth runs!"
At once, five or six massive snakes burst from the ground, slithering rapidly toward Haru.
Before he could react, they had him firmly bound, immobilizing him completely.
"Is this all you've got?" Orochimaru sneered, looking down at the restrained Uchiha with scorn.
"How disappointing."
He had set this trap the moment he appeared in the house, intending to catch Haru off guard and swiftly subdue him.
The plan had worked flawlessly.
It even made Orochimaru doubt the masked man's warnings—was it really worth his effort to deal with a mere boy?
But the result was undeniable: Haru's body was nearly perfect, and worth the trouble.
While contemplating his prize, Orochimaru prepared to whisk Haru away from Konoha.
The masked man's orders, the clan's massacre—they were none of Orochimaru's concern.
But suddenly, Orochimaru's face twisted with shock.
"This… this…"
Before him, the bound Haru vanished without a trace.
The giant snakes that had restrained him remained coiled, tightly wrapped where his body had been.
An illusion!
He had fallen into a genjutsu.
When had he been trapped?
Orochimaru's expression darkened, ferocity rising in his eyes.
It turned out that while he prepared his surprise attack, Haru had already laid a secret, almost invisible illusion trap.
Even Orochimaru hadn't noticed it.
Unwittingly, he had walked right into Haru's snare.
"No matter what you try, you can't escape my gaze!" Haru's voice echoed coldly, calm as ever, betraying no emotion.
Capturing Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, seemed like just another day for him.
Orochimaru's face twisted with fury, his mind racing.
Sharingan—this was the power of the Sharingan!
Ordinary ninjas, even someone as formidable as Orochimaru, found no room to resist its power.
"Ah!" Orochimaru roared, and suddenly spat out a massive snake from his mouth—an identical replica of himself.
The giant serpent shattered the window and slithered away, unrestrained.
Orochimaru's skill in escape was legendary.
Even Haru was caught off guard for a moment by the speed and subtlety of his departure.
There was no need for complex ninjutsu—just a direct, instantaneous release.
If you blinked, you'd miss it.
Still, Haru wasn't too regretful.
If he could catch Orochimaru once, he could do it again.
Next time, escape wouldn't be so easy.
What truly caught his attention was why Orochimaru had come here in the first place.
In the original timeline, the Uchiha clan was annihilated with no record of Orochimaru's involvement on that fateful night.
Could his sudden appearance signal some drastic change?
Haru pondered briefly, then dismissed the question.
In a few hours, he would run another simulation.
By then, all these mysteries would be clarified.
For now, it was a waste of time to speculate.
Useless.
Haru activated his Sharingan once more to survey the surroundings.
After ensuring no one was watching, he returned to his training, resuming his practice with unwavering focus.
Yo, shinobi-in-training!
You've read through intense battles, emotional flashbacks, and probably a few secret forbidden jutsu…
But you still haven't ADDED this story to your COLLECTION, left a REVIEW, or launched a POWER STONE like a Rasengan?
Even Naruto left a shadow clone to drop one.
Sasuke looked back just to judge you.
And Kakashi? He's silently disappointed behind that mask.
Every collection adds chakra to my reserves.
Every review is like unlocking a new jutsu scroll of motivation.
And Power Stones? That's basically Sage Mode fuel—don't leave your author stuck in Genin-level energy!
Be a true comrade—support this humble story so it doesn't vanish like a filler arc!
— Your ever-grateful, totally-not-controlled-by-a-cursed-seal Author
ADD TO COLLECTION | LEAVE A REVIEW | DROP POWER STONES
Or Orochimaru might recruit you next. Just sayin'.
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Let's rise up the rankings together!
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 150 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones✅
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones