Naruto: Boruto Returns to Shippuden

Chapter 42 Two Snakes Fighting Each Other

Seeing Orochimaru disappear from his sight, Boruto felt extremely unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. He could only grit his teeth and stare in the direction where Orochimaru had disappeared.

He desperately wanted to catch up and kill him immediately. But reality was cruel; he knew that with his current strength, he was far from being able to contend with Orochimaru.

"How is Sasuke?" Boruto rushed back to Sasuke's side and anxiously asked Sakura and Naruto.

Sakura sobbed, wiping away her tears, "Sasuke screamed in great pain just now, and then he fainted. What should we do, Boruto?" Her voice was filled with helplessness.

Naruto clenched his fists and said angrily, "It's all because of that snake-like guy! If it weren't for him, Sasuke wouldn't be like this!"

Boruto frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Let's find a safe place to settle Sasuke first before making a decision. The battle just now was so loud, it might attract a lot of people. If we are discovered, it will be very troublesome for us right now."

Sakura gently stroked Sasuke's hair, her eyes filled with heartache, and slowly said, "Okay... let's find a safe place first."

Boruto suddenly remembered something, and looked around as if searching for something.

Seeing this, Naruto asked in confusion, "Boruto, what are you looking at? Is there something else?"

Boruto shook his head: "It's nothing. It's just that Orochimaru knocked my ninja tool pouch away during the fight earlier, so I have to look for it."

Boruto searched the surroundings carefully, but still couldn't find his ninja tool pouch.

"It seems we really can't find it. Maybe it fell somewhere else." Boruto sighed helplessly.

In the end, Boruto's search yielded no results, and he had no choice but to give up.

"Is there anything important inside? Should we look again?" Naruto asked with concern.

Boruto glanced at the sky, which was gradually darkening, and said, "Forget it, it's just a card. If we can't find it, then so be it. Finding a safe place is more important now."

After saying that, Boruto left the place with Naruto and the others.

However, what they didn't know was that shortly after Boruto and the others left, a snake quietly crawled out from a crack in the rocks, carrying Boruto's ninja tool pouch in its mouth.

The snake swallowed the ninja tool pouch whole and then quickly disappeared into the forest.

......

Night falls in a corner deep within the Death Forest.

Orochimaru stood quietly on a large tree. After a short while, a figure appeared silently and stood behind Orochimaru.

"You've arrived, Kabuto," Orochimaru said softly.

Kabuto bowed slightly and greeted Orochimaru: "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru asked in a low voice, "How's the intelligence gathering for the Chunin Exams going?"

"Everything is proceeding according to your plan," Kabuto replied respectfully. "In this Chunin Exam, the strongest is probably Gaara of the Sand Village."

Kabuto Yakushi continued, "However, what's unexpected this time is that the new generation of ninjas in Konoha are stronger than expected. They have shown remarkable potential."

Hearing this, Orochimaru sneered: "However, this will not affect our plan."

Orochimaru turned around and stared at Kabuto Yakushi beside him. He ordered in a deep voice, "However, Kabuto, I want you to investigate that Boruto Namikaze immediately. I need to know his background, origins, and the abilities he possesses. Don't miss any details."

Kabuto Yakushi gently pushed up his glasses, then nodded seriously and said to Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, I thoroughly investigated Boruto Namikaze's information during my last infiltration of Konoha."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He asked softly, "Oh? Is that so?"

Kabuto nodded slightly and explained to Orochimaru, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru, I met him once before, and there were some things about him that caught my attention, so I started investigating him."

Kabuto Yakushi began to give Orochimaru a detailed report on Boruto Namikaze's life, abilities, and activities in Konoha.

"Boruto Namikaze was brought back to Konoha by Kakashi and the others when they went to the Land of Waves for a mission. There are no records of his life before that; it's as if he appeared out of thin air..."

Orochimaru listened quietly to Kabuto Yakushi's report, a thoughtful expression gradually appearing on his face.

He nodded slowly and said, "Is that so? It seems our plans may need to be brought forward and some changes need to be made."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's instructions, Kabuto Yakushi respectfully replied, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"

Then Kabuto Yakushi disappeared into the deep of night.

After Kabuto left, Orochimaru slowly merged his body into the tree behind him, his skin gradually becoming one with the trunk, as if he had become part of the tree.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached, growing ever closer.

Mitarashi Anko could already sense Orochimaru's presence; he was very close to her, and her eyes were filled with rage.

She crossed several large trees and finally arrived at the foot of a huge tree.

When she looked up, she found that Orochimaru's body had been embedded in the tree, with only his face showing, which looked very strange.

"Long time no see, Anko." Orochimaru smiled when he saw the visitor.

Anko stared at Orochimaru and rebuked him without any politeness: "You are already a wanted, S-class super dangerous person, so even if it costs me my life, I will defeat you here!"

"Isn't this my mission—to accept all your guidance and to be your subordinate—Orochimaru!" With that, Anko pulled out a senbon needle and shot it at Orochimaru.

"It's no use!" Orochimaru remained calm and unhurried. He extended his long tongue and coiled it around Anko's wrist with the agility of a snake, easily neutralizing her attack.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Several small snakes suddenly sprang from Anko's sleeve, quickly coiling around Orochimaru's body and violently pulling him out of the tree. "We won't let you escape!"

Anko then grabbed Orochimaru and pinned him to a tree, piercing both her and Orochimaru's hands with kunai and pinning them to the tree to prevent Orochimaru from escaping her control.

"Orochimaru, I need to borrow your left hand." With that, Anko grabbed Orochimaru's hand and made a hand seal.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, and he said in shock, "This seal is..."

Red Bean smiled smugly: "Yes! You and I will both die here."

"Ninja Art! Twin Snakes Kill Each Other!" Anko shouted, preparing to unleash this suicidal ninja technique.

But Orochimaru's voice came from behind her and stopped her foolish act: "Do you want to commit suicide here?"

Anko turned around in astonishment and found Orochimaru standing behind her, while the person she had pinned to the tree was just a stand-in.

Hongdou knew she had failed, and a sense of powerlessness welled up inside her.

"Don't you dare stop the exam so easily," Orochimaru threatened Anko with the safety of Konoha.

......