The anomaly in the Forest of Death was quickly noticed by the shinobi stationed nearby. To rule out the presence of enemy spies, the Police Force reacted at once.
Within moments, a young Uchiha Jonin led a squad into the Forest of Death. They followed the swarm of snakes to their source and found Orochimaru.
"Jonin Orochimaru, what is going on here?"
"Uchiha Yashiro of the Police Force? It's nothing much just a little trial for a new student."
Standing atop the brown serpent's head with one hand behind his back, Orochimaru answered Uchiha Yashiro. He was clearly in a good mood, the corners of his mouth curved in a faint smile.
"A new student?"
Twenty-five-year-old Uchiha Yashiro glanced at Uzuki Ruri beside Orochimaru, then at Sarutobi Enjun, who was still sprawled atop one head of the Two-Headed Snake.
He didn't know Uzuki Ruri, but as a vice-captain of considerable standing in the Police Force, he certainly recognized the Hokage's son, Sarutobi Enjun, a Genin fresh out of the Academy this year.
"A Genin who just graduated this year? And you need this much commotion?" Yashiro asked, eyeing Orochimaru.
"Without real pressure, it won't count as training. After all, my new student is a fresh prodigy of your Uchiha Clan," Orochimaru replied with a grin.
A prodigy of the Uchiha?
Well, that sounded… perfectly normal, right?
Uchiha Yashiro eyed the surging snakes suspiciously, then a familiar logic popped into his mind. Uchiha equals strongest. An Uchiha prodigy equals the strongest prodigy. So, using absurd methods on the strongest prodigy made perfect made perfect ghost-sense!
Even for an Uchiha genius, Uchiha Yashiro had never seen a newly graduated Genin forced to handle a scene like this.
"Who graduated from the clan this year?"
Several Uchiha from the Police Force behind Yashiro began discussing the matter.
"If a Jonin is leading them, they must be from the elite class. I remember only Inabi from Shinobu's family and Gen, the orphan of the late Taki. They say he did well at the Ninja Academy."
"It's probably Gen. A few days ago, my kid said Gen took the top spot of the year and vowed he'd do the same next year, though I'm skeptical. In his year, the top spot was always held by some blonde civilian brat; staying in the elite class top ten would satisfy me."
"To be safe, may we take a look?" Yashiro asked Orochimaru.
"Of course."
Orochimaru remained unruffled.
"Yūto, take the others and announce to outsiders that this is an ongoing exercise. For safety, tell other shinobi to stay away from the area for now. I'll remain here," Yashiro ordered at once.
A few minutes later, at the heart of the Forest of Death.
Uchiha Gen was dismayed to find he had nowhere left to run. Snakes surrounded him on every side with no place to hide, and at intervals, a huge serpent blocked his path. Though none matched the size of the earlier Black-Scaled Giant Snake, they were still far from easy to handle.
This is a real pain. Is this lineup really necessary against a fresh graduate like me?
Perched on a thick trunk, Uchiha Gen glanced at the encircling snakes, then at the distant figures faintly visible atop a serpent's head. His expression was on the verge of collapsing.
I just wanted to see what that Ninjutsu reward was did you have to go this far?
But with only ten-odd minutes left, giving up was out of the question. He might as well see if he could hold out.
Before the snakes could close in, Gen hastily pulled a military ration pill from his pouch and swallowed it. He then wrapped the last lengths of his elastic wire around several kunai and flung them outward, forming a defensive net centered on himself.
The swarm surged forward, and Gen unleashed his Ninjutsu again.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Lines of fire sprang from the ground; the moment they touched the dry grass, towering walls of flame roared up, mercilessly devouring the leaping serpents. Not every snake feared the scorching heat, but it blocked a good portion of them and eased the pressure.
As the flames rose, Uchiha Gen tipped the last small vial of lamp oil into his mouth and flipped his hands. Two kunai with glinting tips appeared. From here on, he would rely on Taijutsu and weapon play to keep the snakes at bay. He would save his remaining chakra for the larger serpents.
Only ten minutes remained, but Gen was only twelve, his body not yet fully grown. Though solid fundamentals and Uchiha blood gave him far more chakra than an average civilian ninja, he lacked a Sage Body and wasn't a Jinchuriki he couldn't bombard his enemies like a turret.
The closer he got to the end, the calmer he had to be; chakra had to be rationed wisely!
Blades flashed and serpent blood spattered.Gen agile form danced and leapt among the burning giant trees. Though he hadn't awakened his Sharingan, he reacted instantly to every strike thanks to his Sensing Ninjutsu.
And compared to the Sharingan, sensing had one clear edge: it covered his blind spots especially behind him. Against sneak attacks, Sensing Ninjutsu proved even more useful.
In the distance.
Uchiha Yashiro's eyes blazed crimson, the triple tomoe of his Sharingan spinning rapidly as he tracked every move Gen made. At long range, the Byakugan outdid the Sharingan, but within visual range, the Sharingan's predictive and analytical capabilities far surpassed ordinary eyes.
"Ouch… that bite hurts."
On the Two-Headed Snake's back, the revived Sarutobi Enjun hissed in pain, his eyes fixed on the distant fight.
"It's only pain flesh wounds, no venom. Buy some of the Nara Clan's secret wound salve when you get back; you'll be fine tomorrow," Orochimaru said flatly, watching Gen battle with clear dissatisfaction.
Soon, Uchiha Gen noticed that the large serpents lurking on the perimeter had begun lunging in as well.
No more conserving chakra!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"