From winter to spring, the weather gradually warmed, and the thick snow quickly melted under the sunlight.
Early in the morning, Uzumaki Raiden left the house to purchase supplies for a long-distance trip, leaving Kakashi and the others to look after the house.
"Dudududu!"
Near noon, there was a knock on the door. The four people practicing in the courtyard paused their training and turned to look at the entrance in unison.
"Is Master Raiden back?" Upon hearing the knock, Rin trotted to the door and quickly opened it. However, the moment she did, the sight of the people standing outside left her frozen in place.
"Big... Master Orochimaru?!" Rin's voice trembled involuntarily, and upon seeing the young man standing outside, her pupils shrank suddenly.
"Ho ho ho!"
"Long time no see, Rin."
"Is Raiden here?"
Standing at the door was Orochimaru, who had been declared a traitor by Konoha. His skin was pale, and time had seemingly left no trace on his face—despite being in his thirties, he still looked as young as ever.
At this moment, Orochimaru wore a peculiar outfit—a black robe adorned with blood-red clouds, giving him an eerie presence.
Beside him stood a hunched figure, also cloaked in the same black robe. He raised his head slightly, eyeing Rin with interest.
"Lord Raiden..." Rin instinctively wanted to respond, but before she could finish, she was pulled back into the courtyard. Two figures quickly stepped in front of her, watching Orochimaru and the other stranger warily.
"Master Orochimaru, you've betrayed Konoha, yet you still dare to come looking for Master Raiden? Aren't you afraid he'll capture you and return you to the village?"
Kakashi and Obito stood protectively in front of Rin, facing Orochimaru and his companion. Kakashi's voice was sharp and accusing.
"Ho ho ho."
"Hatake Kakashi, you're quite bold with your words!"
Orochimaru chuckled before suddenly extending his hand toward Kakashi. From his sleeve, countless white serpents shot out, rushing toward Kakashi with astonishing speed.
"Clang!"
A sharp, snow-white flash of a blade gleamed across Orochimaru's face. In the next second, fresh blood splattered onto the ground—all the serpents lunging at Kakashi had been sliced cleanly.
Kakashi, having executed the slash, quickly retreated to the courtyard with Rin and Obito, keeping a cautious eye on the two figures outside.
"Ho..."
"Orochimaru, the young ones in your village aren't ordinary," the short figure beside Orochimaru muttered in a peculiar tone.
"Hmph, Sasori, you talk too much."
Orochimaru snorted softly. Without making a single hand seal, he simply opened his mouth, revealing the tip of a sword protruding from within. The next instant, the blade shot toward Kakashi with deadly speed.
"Disgusting ninjutsu," Sasori muttered, squinting at Orochimaru before looking away. He found Orochimaru's techniques repulsive—so vastly different from his own artistic aesthetics.
"Move!" Kakashi shouted as he swiftly dodged. Obito and the others had already reacted before the warning, retreating the moment the sword shot forth.
"Boom!"
With a dull thud, the Kusanagi sword embedded itself into the ground. Unlike an ordinary weapon that would simply pierce the earth, Orochimaru's weapon caused a small explosion upon impact, blasting a hole into the ground.
"Orochimaru, should I lend you a hand? It looks like you won't be able to handle them anytime soon," Sasori remarked with a sinister smile, his voice laced with mockery.
One of the legendary Sannin struggling against a group of young shinobi—it was an amusing sight to him.
"Stay out of this!"
Orochimaru's expression turned cold after his attacks failed twice. He withdrew the long sword, spitting it out completely and gripping the Kusanagi sword in his hand.
Then, raising his left hand, he channeled lightning chakra into the Kusanagi sword. Having inherited the teachings of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru was proficient in all five chakra natures. Now, he intended to end the fight swiftly with taijutsu.
In a flash, Orochimaru lunged into the courtyard, swinging his sword directly at Kakashi. After just two brief exchanges, he had already determined that Kakashi was the strongest of the group—taking him down first would make capturing the rest much easier.
Orochimaru's speed was overwhelming, and his rapid acceleration enhanced the power of his slash. Yet, despite the impending attack, Kakashi remained unfazed. Lightning chakra flickered around his body as he infused it into his dagger, preparing to meet Orochimaru's sword head-on.
"Clang!"
The Kusanagi sword clashed against Kakashi's blade, the force of the impact causing Kakashi's arm to tremble slightly. Seeing this, Orochimaru steadily increased the pressure.
"Kakashi!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Haruno Rin swiftly formed hand seals, but before she could complete them, Orochimaru extended a hand toward her. Several white serpents shot out in her direction, forcing her to abandon her jutsu and roll aside to dodge.
In that brief moment, Orochimaru pressed his Kusanagi sword against Kakashi's shoulder. The razor-sharp edge tore through Kakashi's clothing, and dark stains began spreading across the fabric.
"Raikiri... So Raiden taught you this technique."
"But it looks like your Lightning Armor is still incomplete!"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly before suddenly withdrawing his sword and delivering a swift kick to Kakashi's abdomen. The force sent Kakashi flying, causing him to retch as he crashed into the ground, rolling twice before he managed to stabilize himself.
"Kakashi!"
"Damn it, you bastard!"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Uchiha Obito quickly formed a seal, unleashing a massive fireball toward Orochimaru.
"Shhhhhhh!"
Before the fireball could reach him, a powerful wind blade sliced it apart mid-air. The Kusanagi sword in Orochimaru's hand was no longer infused with lightning but with wind chakra.
With the wind-enhanced blade, Orochimaru's slashes became even deadlier.
"This..." Obito stared in shock at the scene before him. His eyes quickly turned scarlet as he activated his Sharingan.
On the other side, Kakashi, Rin, and Itachi spread out, subtly forming an encirclement around Orochimaru.
Despite just a few brief exchanges, they had already grasped the overwhelming difference in strength. They knew they stood no chance against Orochimaru on their own. Their only option was to work together and hold out until Uzumaki Raiden returned.
(End of this chapter)