"Senior Kakashi, do you know where Orochimaru is hiding?" Uzuki Yuugao asked curiously, eyes scanning the mist-shrouded forest trail.
Kakashi shook his head slightly, eye still sharp beneath his slanted forehead protector. "No idea. We can only move in this direction based on intel. But with just the two of us, there's no way we can confront Orochimaru directly. If we run into him, we're on our own. Let's hope luck is on our side."
Yuugao felt a chill run down her spine. Kakashi's rare lack of composure sobered her enthusiasm. The moment she thought of facing the Orochimaru—Sannin, genius, and monster—her excitement dissolved like mist under sunlight.
Still, she wasn't one to shy away. Though Yuugao respected Orochimaru's terrifying reputation, she had enough pride as a Leaf ninja to believe she wasn't entirely inferior. Youth often didn't understand fear in full. So even now, she stepped forward with confidence.
"Senior Kakashi, you're underestimating yourself. Orochimaru may be legendary, but you're Hatake Kakashi—the Copy Ninja. Even if there's a gap, I doubt it's as big as you think."
Kakashi gave her a sidelong glance, surprised by her unshakable faith.
"You think too highly of me," he replied with a dry chuckle.
In truth, even Kakashi knew that his current self, despite holding the Sharingan, was no match for one of the legendary Sannin. He might be able to delay him, but victory? That was another matter.
"No," Yuugao said firmly, gaze locked on him with admiration, "I believe you can do it."
Her words made Kakashi shift uncomfortably. Before he could respond, he suddenly froze. A creeping, suffocating pressure had wrapped around his senses.
"Stop," he ordered sharply.
Yuugao halted instantly. "What's wrong?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed beneath his hitai-ate. "Get ready to run."
Before Yuugao could ask why, a tall figure emerged from the surrounding foliage like a shadow detached from the trees. It was Orochimaru—his pale skin gleaming faintly, serpent-like eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.
"Oh? Two little Leaf mice." His voice was smooth and venomous, like a snake basking under sunlight, waiting to strike.
Yuugao immediately drew her blade, assuming a defensive stance. But now that she stood before him, she could feel it—the suffocating gap in power. This was no ordinary missing-nin. This was Orochimaru.
And he wasn't in a hurry to kill them. Instead, he looked on with unsettling curiosity, golden eyes fixated like a predator studying prey it didn't intend to eat just yet.
Kakashi and Yuugao both broke into a cold sweat. Orochimaru wasn't even hiding his killing intent—he wanted them to feel it.
Kakashi's jaw clenched. With a pulse of chakra, he dispelled the paralysis from Orochimaru's presence. His instincts kicked in, and his killing intent surged back like a blade drawn from its sheath.
"Oh? You broke free?" Orochimaru's tone rose, clearly intrigued. "Interesting…"
Kakashi stared him down. "Orochimaru…"
"Silver hair, a single Sharingan... You must be Kakashi. Hatake Sakumo's son, aren't you?" Orochimaru chuckled, voice dipped in nostalgia and mockery. "I never thought the White Fang's child would grow so fast. How much of his swordsmanship have you inherited?"
The air grew heavy. Orochimaru's aura flared, sharp and ancient, like a coiled serpent ready to strike. Kakashi felt as though he was back on the battlefield, facing death incarnate.
He reached behind and drew his sword—White Light Chakra Sabre, once wielded by his father. Yuugao, still frozen in fear, was forgotten in the moment. Kakashi knew she couldn't move. Orochimaru's pressure was too great.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smirk. "Yes… That stance. It's just like Sakumo's."
Excitement flashed in his reptilian eyes. Kakashi's hand trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the immense chakra gathering into his right hand.
Blue lightning crackled across the blade.
Orochimaru blinked. "Oh?"
The chakra intensified, forming arcs that hissed and danced across the steel. It wasn't just Chidori—it was something deeper, something passed down through the Hatake line.
"Thunder Dance," Kakashi muttered.
Lightning howled. In that instant, Kakashi and the sword became one, a brilliant streak of light surging forward like a thunder dragon awakened from slumber.
Orochimaru's eyes widened, not in fear—but in nostalgic recognition.
Yuugao could only stare, awestruck. Was this Kakashi-senpai's true power? Not just the famous Chidori, but something more refined… more deadly. The pressure from that technique made her heart stop.
Too dangerous…
That was her only thought. If that technique hit her, even by mistake, she'd be dead. No question.
Kakashi slashed down with fury and precision. The sword howled like a beast of lightning—Dance of Thunder, a Hatake clan sword style that fused lightning chakra with perfect blade control. Few knew it existed.
Orochimaru didn't dodge. Instead, his grin widened. This was no ordinary move—this was the kind of swordplay that reminded him of Sakumo himself. He hadn't felt this rush in years.
A thrill of battle stirred his blood. "Yes… it's been too long."
But nostalgia aside, Orochimaru's instincts were still sharp.
He bit his thumb, retreated a step, and formed a rapid sequence of hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashōmon!"
With a boom, three massive demonic gates burst from the earth between them, each taller than trees, layered with seals and malevolent aura. The gates locked together like jaws—ready to take the brunt of any assault.
Kakashi's blade struck the first gate with a deafening boom, thunder splitting the sky.
His eyes widened slightly. "So he went that far…"