The scene was brutally gruesome. The air reeked of blood, mixed with a faint stench of decay that made one's stomach churn.

Even Itachi's expression darkened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He gestured for Sasuke and the police officer to remain where they were, warning them not to approach and risk disturbing the evidence. Drawing a steady breath, he prepared to move forward, intent on examining the bodies carefully to uncover any clue that might point to the faceless murderer.

But just as he stepped toward the blood-soaked clearing

Something strange happened.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sharp hiss of something slicing through the air suddenly erupted from the dense thicket behind them.

The sound was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, or a blade cutting the wind each note carrying an unmistakable killing intent that sent chills down the spine.

The next instant, several massive snakes, each as thick as a man's arm, shot out from the shadows like streaks of black lightning.

Their bodies, slick and scaled, gleamed dully beneath the broken sunlight of the forest.

The serpents brought with them a foul, suffocating gust of air as they lunged forward, bloody fangs bared, aiming directly at Itachi standing at the front.

The ambush was so sudden and vicious that it made the entire audience flinch in shock.

Sakura and Ino were so startled they nearly leapt out of their seats.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Yamanaka Ino detected! Emotional value +500!]

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Haruno Sakura detected! Emotional value +400!]

Even Naruto, who was usually noisy and energetic, sat frozen, his eyes wide with alarm.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotional value +100!]

Only Kakashi reacted differently. The moment the giant snakes appeared, he narrowed his eye, a flicker of gravity and vigilance shining through.

"This jutsu… looks familiar," he murmured to himself.

A dangerous silhouette began to stir in his memory.

…

Inside the picture.

The ambush was executed with lightning speed. The angles of attack were impossibly precise. Several giant snakes struck toward Itachi's vital points from different directions at once, cutting off every possible escape route. It was a lethal strike, clearly prepared in advance.

Sasuke, standing just behind his brother, froze in shock. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke detected! Emotional value +500!]

"Nii-san! Watch out!" Sasuke cried out instinctively.

An ambush against his brother?

Here? At this time?

Who could have orchestrated this?!

No wait… why wasn't his brother moving at all?

Why wasn't Itachi even trying to dodge?!

Before Sasuke could finish his exclamation, he was horrified to realize that in the face of such a deadly attack, his unfathomable older brother stood motionless, as if he hadn't even noticed the danger.

It was as though those ferocious serpents, brimming with killing intent, were nothing more than illusions to him.

And in the very next moment, Sasuke's eyes went wide in disbelief.

The snakes that had been about to tear Itachi apart suddenly veered off as though their target had vanished. Drawn by some invisible force, they hurtled past Itachi and slammed into a massive tree trunk so wide it would take two men to encircle it.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Dull, heavy impacts rang out in succession. The thick bark split apart, showering the clearing with wood chips.

The giant snakes coiled around the innocent tree like steel cables, constricting with such power that the sturdy trunk groaned and nearly snapped in half.

Sasuke was stunned. He gaped at Itachi, who stood calm and unscathed, then back at the snakes thrashing wildly against the tree. His mind reeled.

"W-what… what just happened? Did they miss their mark?"

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke detected! Emotional value +500!]

Just as Sasuke tried to make sense of it, a hoarse, mocking voice slithered out from the shadows of the forest, cold and sinister, like a serpent's hiss in the night.

"Hehehe… Do you understand what eternal life truly means, Uchiha Itachi?"

Before the words had even faded, a figure stepped out of the gloom.

He wore a black cloak embroidered with ominous red clouds. His frame was slender, his movements strangely fluid, like the crawl of a snake.

Sickly pale skin made him look as though he hadn't touched sunlight in years.

His long black hair fell loosely around his shoulders, accentuating the unhealthy pallor of his face.

But it was his eyes that struck fear golden, slit like a serpent's, gleaming with cold cruelty, hunger, and twisted delight. A chilling, unnatural smile curled his lips as he advanced.

He walked step by step toward the tree strangled by the snakes, smugness radiating from every movement.

Meanwhile, Itachi remained composed, his expression calm as his gaze swept over the intruder. It wasn't indifference rather, it was the confidence of someone already in control.

Though Sasuke was still young, he was a genius of the clan, and his mind worked quickly.

Looking at the absurd sight before him the snakes attacking the tree instead of Itachi, his brother's composure, and the intruder's misplaced pride he pieced it together.

This attacker had already fallen under Itachi's genjutsu without realizing it.

And yet here he was, deluding himself into thinking he had captured his target.

How laughable.

How utterly pathetic.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke detected! Emotional value +200!]

Sasuke drew in a breath, awe swelling in his chest.

Nii-san is incredible!

A genjutsu cast silently, unseen, impossible to detect and the enemy fell right into the trap.

So this is the true power of the Uchiha?

This is the true terror of the Sharingan?

In the auditorium.

"As I thought… it's Orochimaru!"

Kakashi inhaled sharply.

The cloak, the sickening jutsu, the serpent-like presence there was no mistaking it. The intruder was one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, the S-rank rogue ninja… Orochimaru.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Hatake Kakashi detected! Emotional value +200!]

....

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