"Ugh!"
As a sharp pain assaulted his neck, Orochimaru immediately sensed danger. He reached into his pouch, but his opponent lightly moved away from him.
His vision blurred for a moment, as if all strength had left his body. An inexplicable heat flowed through his veins. Orochimaru forced himself to turn his head, and what came into view was a white-clad figure, ethereal as a fairy.
"You were able to pass Tagorihime and the others' Trial, truly impressive, but..." Tagorihime said sweetly, licking her red lips, "Unfortunately, your third Trial isn't a battle, or I would have won long ago."
Orochimaru pursed his lips tightly, not responding to Tagorihime's words. What he had taken from his pouch wasn't a Kunai, but a syringe filled with Antidote.
He calmly removed the needle cap, stabbed it into his forearm, and decisively pushed the plunger.
As the light purple reagent entered his bloodstream, the tension on his face eased slightly, though beads of cold sweat still glistened on his forehead.
Because he was so focused, he didn't even notice that Tagorihime was the only one around him. Uchiha Shin'yu's figure had disappeared without him knowing when.
"Hehe, ever since I guarded the third Trial of Ryuchi Cave, I've personally used this move to attack countless seekers of immortality. They either attack me immediately or are scared witless. Your response is the first I've ever seen."
Tagorihime floated quietly in mid-air, looking down at Orochimaru like a fairy descending to earth. The surrounding white mist swirled, dreamlike and illusory.
"I also have some experience with Snake Venom." Orochimaru slowly straightened his body.
"If you think that will work, hehe..." Tagorihime covered her mouth and giggled, her bright face once again turning into a hideous white-scaled snake face, "The final outcome will definitely be... being eaten by me!"
"I haven't achieved the Immortality I desire, how could I fall here!" Orochimaru took a deep breath.
As the white mist spread, it merged with Tagorihime's white clothes. A gentle breeze blew, her sleeves fluttering. At some point, flame patterns appeared on a corner of the white robe, swirling like flowing clouds. The person before him transformed, and a man wearing a Hokage Robe walked out of the mist.
"Immortality? Is that why you left Hidden Leaf Village?"
Orochimaru stared blankly at the man before him, this familiar yet unfamiliar figure was his former Master, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire!
"Third Hokage? Why are you here?" He asked subconsciously.
"Not 'Master'?" Sarutobi Hiruzen snorted coldly, "Orochimaru, I always thought you were a sensible and obedient child. Now it seems, you've really disappointed me."
"Disappointed? What right do you have to be disappointed?" Orochimaru regained his composure, "Although you and I once had the title of Master and disciple, I don't owe you anything. Although I was born in Hidden Leaf Village, I have never been indebted to Hidden Leaf Village."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was gloomy, "For your own selfish desires, you betrayed the village and your comrades, becoming a Rogue Ninja who follows Uchiha Shin'yu. Isn't that a fall from grace!"
Orochimaru silently clenched his fists, "Shut up, don't use your mouth to insult my benefactor!"
"To me, he is my 'Master', not 'Teacher'. He led me to find the meaning of life and gave me a platform to realize my dreams, while Hidden Leaf Village... is just a casino for you high-level people to fight among yourselves. And the chips in your hands are often the blood and lives of your comrades. Staying there is just a waste of time!"
The white mist flickered, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's figure disappeared like a reflection in the water, while another figure appeared behind Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, come back, everyone misses you very much."
Jiraiya stepped out of the mist, followed by Tsunade with an angry face.
"You bastard, you left without a word, do you know how long we've been looking for you?"
Orochimaru turned around silently, his eyebrows slightly raised, "It's been a long time, I didn't expect you to be like this after growing up."
Jiraiya was tall and sturdy, his messy white hair scattered to his waist, his appearance was resolute, and he hadn't changed much from when he was a child, except that his eyes were a little deeper.
And Tsunade had grown more and more graceful, like a budding flower, with picturesque eyebrows and a slender waist, her brows filled with a youthful and beautiful aura, although she was angry, she was quite beautiful.
"Come back."
"Hurry back!"
Orochimaru smiled slightly, but the smile seemed indifferent and cold, "Why should I go back?"
"You know, although I don't want to admit it, Master values you the most." Jiraiya said helplessly.
"With your ability, you might be able to become the Fourth Hokage if you return to the Hidden Leaf Village!" Tsunade crossed her arms and slightly curled her lips.
"Hokage?" Orochimaru chuckled, "Compared to what I'm pursuing now, the so-called Hokage is like a joke."
"Are you just going to abandon us like this?" Jiraiya took a step forward and pointed to his chest, "Aren't we comrades who have gone through life and death together?"
"Hey, you guy, do you really not care about us at all!" Tsunade immediately flew into a rage, if Jiraiya hadn't stopped her, her Super Strength fist would have already swung.
"So, you can't bear to part with our bonds? If that's the case..." Orochimaru tilted his head and slowly extended his palm towards the two:
"Why don't... you come over too."
"What!" The two were stunned. Amidst Orochimaru's almost mocking sneer, their figures dissipated together.
White mist surged like a tide, once again coalescing into a young man's figure.
Black eyes, black hair, distinct bone structure, and a heroic figure that made people look up to him, with a casual smile on the corner of his lips.
"Master?"
"Orochimaru, you know, it took a full 7 years to replicate less than 1 year's worth of Tobirama Senju's achievements, I am really..." Shin'yu shook his head, "Really disappointed in you..."
"What?" Orochimaru's eyes showed doubt.
"Still don't understand? I'm saying, you're not even half as good as Hiruko."
Shin'yu carried his hands on his back, "Actually, the only one I valued back then was Hiruko, you, were just an incidental bonus."
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Tagorihime, your methods are really low-level."
White mist floated, only Orochimaru's voice echoed in the wilderness.
"Enough, if you're just testing my heart, it can end here."
"Continuing further will only make me despise your methods even more."
After a moment, a rather regretful female voice came from the mist:
"Oh, did you find out? How did you notice?"
"I knew this was a Genjutsu a long time ago, because my Master would never use those words to pressure me." Orochimaru revealed a confident smile.
The white mist dissipated inch by inch, and the light gradually erased the darkness. Orochimaru suddenly discovered that he was standing in front of a rather ancient temple.
In front of him, there was a quaint palace. Although it was not as magnificent as Tagorihime's palace in the first Trial, it was majestic and felt more real.
"Yo, you're awake." Shin'yu's clear voice came from behind.
Orochimaru turned his head upon hearing this, and his eyes widened instantly.
That Tagorihime, who had been acting mighty and arrogant in the illusion, was now being choked by Shin'yu, hanging in the air like a little chick, her beautiful face flushed red.
"Master... what is this?"
"Oh, suddenly ambushing me, guessing she wants to trap me in a Genjutsu too?"
Shin'yu smiled faintly, "Well, since you passed the Trial, let her off the hook."
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 555+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------