160 Rebellious Snake, Teacher-Apprentice

This was Anbu Headquarters, a vault of Konoha's deepest secrets and countless forbidden jutsu.

A shadow moved in the darkness.

Two Anbu guards on duty quickly stepped forward.

"Orochimaru-sama, what brings you here?"

Even though he was one of the legendary Sannin and the Hokage's student, access to this place required the Hokage's direct approval.

In the dim light, Orochimaru's golden, slit-like eyes gleamed ominously.

"I've been ordered by my teacher to retrieve some information."

He slowly reached into his pocket, pulling out a document.

The Anbu exchanged glances and stepped closer to inspect it.

Orochimaru had visited before—his status granted him certain privileges.

As long as his paperwork checked out, they could let him through.

But the moment their eyes fell on the blank document, their instincts screamed at them—too late.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru's arm twisted unnaturally, splitting apart as two white serpents rushed forward like lightning.

Their fangs sank deep into the guards' flesh, injecting a potent, specially enhanced venom.

The venom spread rapidly through their bodies, overwhelming them in seconds.

Before they could even cry out, they were dead.

Orochimaru formed a seal, summoning a shadow clone.

The clone hid in the darkness, using thin white snakes to prop up the fallen Anbu, making them appear as if they were still standing.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru descended swiftly into the basement.

From beneath his black robe, countless white snakes slithered out, hungrily devouring the ninjutsu scrolls stored within.

Among them were numerous Forbidden Techniques.

"With these, I can reach even greater heights."

His golden eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

Then, his expression shifted.

"Hmm? They noticed already?"

As expected from Konoha's most guarded vault, it took less than ten minutes before the nearby Anbu sensed something was wrong.

He turned toward the entrance—four masked Anbu had arrived.

"Orochimaru?"

One of them hesitated.

"Why are you attacking your own companion?"

Even for a legendary Sannin, such an act was unthinkable.

Orochimaru spread his hands, a grotesque smile creeping across his pale face.

"Partner? The only true partner is immortality."

His mouth suddenly split open, his neck extended in an instant as his fangs shot toward the four Anbu.

As one of the Legendary Sannin, his speed was terrifying—too fast for the Anbu to react.

In the blink of an eye, his serpentine head was already upon them.

His extended body coiled around them, restricting their movement.

Venom dripped from his fangs, seeping into their skin.

Within seconds, two Anbu collapsed, lifeless.

"Damn it...!"

The remaining two quickly slashed at the snakes coiling around them, severing the constricting bodies.

Just as they were about to launch their jutsu—

A sudden, sickening sensation crawled up from beneath their feet.

Looking down, their eyes widened in horror.

Thousands of writhing white snakes surged from the ground, swallowing them like a bottomless swamp.

Orochimaru glanced at the two Anbu trapped in his illusion, their eyes dull and lifeless. With a sneer, he casually walked past them and disappeared into the shadows.

His next move was clear—follow the planned escape route and leave Konoha.

...….

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office...

Third Hokage and Danzo were deep in discussion when the door suddenly burst open.

A middle-aged man strode in, urgency written all over his face.

"Hokage-sama! Elder Danzo!"

Both elders turned toward him, their expressions darkening.

Neither appreciated being interrupted, especially so abruptly.

Even more so when they saw who had just barged in.

The Third Hokage clasped his hands behind his back, his tone cold and measured.

"Uchiha Bakugo… what is it?"

The man standing before them was none other than Uchiha Bakugo, the current head of the Uchiha clan.

His face was serious, his voice steady.

"Forgive the intrusion, Hokage-sama, but this is urgent."

He took a breath and delivered the news.

"Orochimaru… has defected."

"What?!"

The Third Hokage's eyes widened in shock.

Danzo's eyes widened in disbelief.

I just recruited him to support me… and now he's defected?

"Is this true?" Third Hokage's voice was tense.

Orochimaru was his student, if he really betrayed Konoha, it would be a devastating blow to both his reputation and his heart.

Despite his position, he wasn't cold-hearted. He still had deep feelings for Orochimaru...

Uchiha Bakugo nodded firmly.

"Orochimaru broke into the records room. Several Anbu have been killed."

Without hesitation, the Third Hokage disappear with the Body Flicker Technique, rushing to the scene.

Uchiha Bakugo shot a glance at Danzo before turning to leave.

Danzo watched him go, a deep sense of unease settling in his chest.

...….

Meanwhile, at the scene of the attack...

The Third Hokage arrived just in time to see Orochimaru stepping out of the shadows.

"Orochimaru…"

His voice was filled with disbelief.

Blood pooled around the bodies of fallen Anbu.

The truth was undeniable.

His student had truly betrayed Konoha.

Orochimaru paused for a moment, his expression turning serious.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, Sensei."

According to his plan, the Third Hokage should have taken longer to get here.

"Why would you do this?"

The Third Hokage's fingers trembled.

He struggled to believe that his beloved student could commit such atrocities.

Orochimaru sighed.

"Sarutobi-sensei, Konoha is on the wrong path." His eyes burned with obsession.

"A ninja's life is fragile. A human's time is too short. I want to learn all ninjutsu, uncover all the truths of this world! "

"Only immortality is the correct path!"

His voice grew colder.

"And you—Konoha itself—only stand in my way!"

Sarutobi clenched his fists, his anger boiling as he glanced at the lifeless Anbu around him.

"But you should never take innocent lives!"

"Human experimentation is a path of destruction!"

This was the fundamental difference between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru.

One condemned such brutal research. The other embraced it.

Orochimaru's sneer deepened.

"My kind teacher... On the path to truth, sacrifices are inevitable. For those who have done nothing their entire lives, contributing to my research is an honor."

Sarutobi's face turned cold. 

At that moment, he knew—his most beloved student was beyond saving.

"Orochimaru, you've lost your way!"

His voice was firm.

"As your teacher, I must correct your path!"

Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke erupted.

An old comrade appeared beside him, a white-haired ape, clad in ninja armor.

The ape glanced at Orochimaru and narrowed his eyes.

"Hiruzen, who are we fighting?"

"It's him."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was cold as he fixed his gaze on Orochimaru.

Enma finally noticed the fallen Konoha shinobi behind Orochimaru. His expression darkened.

"Orochimaru... I warned you about this one. He always had darkness in his heart, and now he's brought disaster."

Orochimaru scoffed.

"Annoying old monkey."

Then, he turned to Sarutobi with a mocking smile.

"Sarutobi-sensei, are you ready to kill me?"

For a brief moment, hesitation flashed across Sarutobi's face.

Orochimaru seized the opportunity—his hands formed a seal in an instant.

"Ninja Art: Sound Wave Chaos!"

A piercing, disorienting wave of sound erupted from his mouth, crashing into Sarutobi and the others.

The ape demon grimaced, covering his ears in pain.

The Anbu ninjas collapsed, stunned by the attack.

Only Sarutobi Hiruzen remained standing, ready to fight.

At that moment, Orochimaru seized his chance and dashed past the Third Hokage, heading straight for the exit.

"Kill him, Hiruzen! This is your only chance!"

Enduring the pain, Enma shouted desperately.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen remained frozen.

In that instant, memories flooded his mind, Orochimaru as a child, a promising young shinobi, a talented prodigy.

He knew what had to be done.

But in reality, he couldn't bring himself to strike down the student he had raised and guided for so many years.

Outside, Orochimaru glanced back at Sarutobi from the corner of his eye.

A flicker of emotion stirred in his heart.

But there was no turning back now.

He had already chosen his path.

Without hesitation, he turned away and disappeared into the night.

"Sarutobi… you actually..."

Enma looked at him in disbelief.

How could he let a traitor, the one who had killed his comrades, just walk away?

In the corner, a small blue-striped Katsuyu observed everything in silence.

"Such a complicated bond between teacher and student..."

Orochimaru had just fled when Uchiha Bakugo arrived with his team.

What they saw was chaos, dead Anbu, scattered scrolls, and the Third Hokage standing motionless.

"Lord Hokage..." 

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly unclenched his fist.

Looking at Bakugo's composed expression, he seemed to understand.

"I was deceived."

Uchiha Bakugo shook his head slightly.

"No, Hokage-sama… It wasn't a deception. It was your love for your student."

Everyone present knew the truth.

He had let a traitor, THE one who had killed his own comrades, walk away.

Even for a Hokage, such a decision was unforgivable.

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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