Within the oppressive gloom of the Forest of Death, Anko Mitarashi raced frantically through the trees, a desperate huntress searching for her prey.

"Damn it! It's almost sunset. I have to find him, and quickly!"

"If it gets dark, the situation will become even more unfavorable for me…"

"But… why is he here? What is his purpose?"

"Hmph! Forget it. Since it has come to this, I might as well settle all our old scores today!"

A damp, cold wind swirled around her, carrying with it a cloying, metallic scent that drifted into her nostrils—a scent she knew all too well.

Anko stopped dead in her tracks, the moss beneath her feet glowing with a faint, eerie luminescence. She raised her right hand, pressing it against her left shoulder as a searing pain erupted from the curse mark there.

"This feeling…"

Cold sweat slid down the back of her neck, disappearing into her collar. Turning her head, she suddenly noticed fresh snakeskin shed at the base of a tree, its translucent scales a sickly blue-gray against the dead leaves.

"Even I might not be able to defeat you…"

"But if I risk my life, perhaps my chances will be higher. After all… you taught me everything I know, Orochimaru!"

Anko suddenly threw her arms out, and three long needles shot from her sleeves, aimed straight for the massive tree behind her.

At the trunk of the tree, the upper half of Orochimaru's body materialized, a ghost in the twilight. He dodged her attack with contemptuous ease, a cold sneer on his face. "My lovely disciple," he hissed, "you cannot stop me."

Seeing that face, a phantom that had haunted her for years, Anko's pupils contracted violently. She suppressed the rage boiling in her chest and shouted, "Why have you returned?!"

Orochimaru straightened up, a twisted smile on his lips. "I came back to turn the gears of history."

"…" Anko's eyes grew dark and hard. She knew her former teacher's character. He was still the same, always speaking in those infuriating riddles. "Stop speaking nonsense! Answer my question directly!"

"Hehe, and what if I don't?"

"Then don't blame me for being rude!" Anko lunged forward, continuing her assault. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

A roaring line of high-speed flame shot from her lips, but it was merely a feint. While Orochimaru was focused on evading the fire dragon, Anko had already closed the distance, appearing directly in front of him.

"Ninjutsu: Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique!"

It was a forbidden technique, one that required the user to grab their opponent's hand before forming the seal, resulting in the death of both caster and target. It was forbidden precisely because the determination to perish together was its most terrifying component.

"Come with me to hell, Orochimaru!"

"Hehe, are you planning to commit suicide, my lovely disciple?" Orochimaru's voice suddenly came from behind her.

"!!!" Anko froze, her eyes widening in shock as she looked back. She realized the figure she had caught was merely a snake clone. If not for Orochimaru's "kind" reminder, Anko would have perished right there, a victim of her own jutsu.

"That is your shortcoming, Anko. You've always been so reckless."

"Besides, you are a special jonin of this village now. You cannot always rely on the forbidden techniques I taught you. You only have one life. Do not waste it so foolishly. You should learn to value it."

As Orochimaru spoke, he raised a hand, forming a single seal.

The next moment, a sharp, agonizing pain erupted from the curse seal on Anko's shoulder, paralyzing her entire nervous system. Her consciousness began to blur, the world fading to black around her.

__________________________

"Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider donating Power Stones and joining our patreon

[patreon.com /coolperry]

for early access to future chapters.(+30 chapters)