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Daichi looked at Orochimaru and his eyes slightly narrowed. 'I need to keep him here for as long as possible. I'll also have to make sure he doesn't know that I'm stalling him.'

Orochimaru stood upon a bare stretch of rocky ground beneath the faint moonlight. The terrain around them was rugged with sprawling heaps of loose stones. Not a hint of vegetation grew here. The very earth itself seemed cold and lifeless in the depth of night.

He took a few steps forward towards the Genin and the boy immediately raised his guard.

"That's far enough." Daichi spoke as he looked at the Snake Sannin.

Orochimaru came to a casual stop several strides away, the pale glow of the moon accentuating his serpentine features. "Indeed," he murmured. "No need to venture further. After all, I wouldn't want you to tumble over a cliff in the dark, Daichi. Hihihihi…"

Daichi's stance shifted into an attack posture. "Orochimaru… you'll release Tsunade sensei and Shizune. Now."

The Snake Sannin looked at the boy and he could hear the tension hidden in the boy's tone and it amused him.

A chuckle escaped his mouth and he crossed his arms. "You're quite the bold one. You truly believe yourself capable of demanding anything from me?"

'Yes. He's taking the bait. I need to keep him talking.' Daichi readied himself, though he didn't attack. "I have no illusions that I can force you to do anything. But that doesn't mean I'll just stand idle."

Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He made no aggressive move, not yet. "Since this is our first meeting, why don't we have a little chat first, hm? Surely you have questions for me?"

Daichi remained silent as he looked at the rogue ninja in front of him.

Orochimaru merely had a smile on his face as he looked at the boy. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You're stalling, aren't you?"

'He's as cunning as ever.' Daichi kept an impassive face but some emotions broke through.

The man noticed the surprise crossing Daichi's face and it made him laugh. "If you think you can keep me here while your teacher defeats my guards and rescues Tsunade and Shizune… you're mistaken. If he gets into my lab, he won't leave there alive."

A grim expression crossed Daichi's face but his heart was calm. 'So that means he hasn't sensed Jiraiya and Lord Tobirama. Good. Let him think that's my plan.'

Orochimaru and Daichi were silent for several seconds as they stared at each other. Soon it was the Sannin who broke the silence. "Since this is our first meeting, I'll indulge you. I'm sure you have questions. Go on Daichi. I'm sure you're curious about why I did what I did."

'I can't let him find out I know the truth about his plans.' Daichi narrowed his eyes. "Fine. Let's talk. Why do you need Tsunade-sensei? Why go this far, risk a war with the Leaf village over her?"

Orochimaru's chuckle resonated across the stones. "Oh? Do you really not know? I don't believe that. If you are as clever as I've heard, then you should be able to figure out at least some things. She's a Senju, after all. And not just that, her medical expertise is unparalleled. She's quite the prize."

Orochimaru expected to see fear or rage on Daichi's face when he said those words but other than wariness the boy showed nothing which surprised the man. 'He either has exceptional control over his emotions or he's trying to not let me rattle him. Hihihi… How cute.'

A soft hiss of wind carried the faint sound of distant fighting, echoing over the ridge. Daichi heard it, a subdued rumble that suggested Kakashi had begun engaging Orochimaru's guards.

"Looks like my guards have started playing with your teacher. Aren't you worried, Daichi?"

The Genin was calm despite the menacing tone in which Orochimaru spoke. "You should know just how strong Kakashi sensei is. He'll be fine." The Genin replied.

"Such faith. Haha… Well, we'll soon see if it pays out."

"Is going against the Leaf village worth it?" Daichi pressed, sliding one foot back, bracing. "You realize the entire village will retaliate the moment they learn of your location. The Hokage along with Jiraiya will take action."

The Snake Sannin merely smiled as he looked at the Genin. "That's assuming they're coming here. I'm certain they don't know where we are."

"What makes you think we didn't tell them before we came here?"

Orochimaru scoffed. "Don't insult my intelligence Daichi. If sensei knew you were coming straight for me then he would have sent several strong ninjas not just to protect you but also rescue those two. The fact that you're here with only Kakashi as back up means Sarutobi sensei doesn't know… does he?"

Looking at Daichi's expressions Orochimaru became more sure of himself. "Yes. Your face tells me the Leaf either doesn't know about your presence… or they never authorized your little rescue mission. If the latter is the case, then you're here on your own, Daichi. Which means no one else is coming to save you."

He shrugged dismissively. "Of course, even if they know anything, the Leaf's retaliation might have been fearsome for a lesser shinobi, but for me?" He paused, letting the derision settle. "I am not so easily threatened."

The Genin was silent as he stared up at the man. "Then what about the Earth Daimyo? Your involvement with the Intelligence minister will certainly make him furious. I know even you have to be wary when it comes to him."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he looked at the boy. "I've been roaming this world as a rogue ninja for the last 10 years and was never afraid of anyone. Do you really think a civilian lucky enough to be born into a position of power is enough to scare me? You need to do better at intimidating people, young Daichi."

For an instant, Daichi's hand tightened into a fist. He kept his expression steady, though. "You say that, but you seem pretty worried about intruders. With all these barriers and precautions you put here, I doubt you're as unbothered as you pretend."

A flicker of annoyance finally crossed Orochimaru's face but it was swiftly replaced by cool amusement. Orochimaru's tongue flickered out, a snake-like habit. "I am curious, Daichi. How did you even find this place? I'm certain Guren was only captured or incapacitated a little over a day ago. How did you get into this country and find me so quickly?"

Daichi said nothing, letting the silence linger. 'The less I say, the more he'll speculate and go to the wrong conclusion.'

To Orochimaru it was as if the boy had no intention of revealing how he found this location. Seeing Daichi's silence, his grin widened. "Cat got your tongue? Or perhaps… there's more you're hiding."

Daichi drew in a steady breath and stared at the man in silence. Seeing the boy's non cooperation, Orochimaru's lips parted, revealing an unsettling smile.

Then, without warning, Daichi felt a sudden chill wash over him. 'Genjutsu.'

The air rippled with malevolent intent as Orochimaru's chakra flared. He weaved a swift Genjutsu that immediately latched onto Daichi's senses.

A purple haze descended into the Genin's field of vision. He blinked, and the world warped. In an instant, serpents slithered into view, their scales glistening in a dark ethereal color.

He immediately recognized the technique. 'This Genjutsu. It's his paralysis technique… After trapping the victim, he'll go in for the attack.'

Thick, coiling snakes wrapped around Daichi's arms, slithering around his torso and neck. He felt their constriction—cold scales pressing against his skin, suffocating him. Orochimaru's figure loomed beyond, gliding across the shadows, a kunai glinting in one pale hand.

Fear spiked in Daichi's chest. His breathing turned shallow. The snake illusions hissed, tightening their grip, and every second he spent under this Genjutsu threatened to unravel his composure. 'I have to break free now. Or else…'

He summoned every ounce of will, forcibly biting down on his lip. The sharp pain jolted him, driving a hot spike of clarity through the illusion. At once, the snakes and darkness flickered and shattered, replaced by the cold reality of the rocky plain.

Daichi staggered backward, panting, lip bleeding where his teeth had sunk in. His heart thudded loudly in his ears. 'This bastard. To think I would fall so low as to fall for his Genjutsu. If I only had… ' He shook his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts.

The boy looked at Orochimaru and the Sannin could see anger on the Genin's face. Orochimaru lifted an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You broke free faster than I expected." The Snake Sannin let out a whispering chuckle, but it carried no warmth. He raised his arm, a kunai shining in his grip.

Daichi remained on guard, trying to steady his breath. His mind still reeled from that disturbing Genjutsu. 'I have to keep him occupied without revealing myself for as long as possible. Can't let him sense any weakness.'

With a swift flick of his wrist, Orochimaru hurled the kunai. Daichi reacted instantly, tilting his head aside. The weapon whistled past, close enough for him to feel the rush of air by his cheek. Then, in a blur, Orochimaru vanished.

'Behind.' Daichi sensed the man's approach and found him.

A sudden gust of wind behind him made Daichi spin around but it was too late. Orochimaru was already there with his mouth curled in a predatory grin and his hands flying through a sequence of seals. "Wind Style: Air Cannon," he hissed, unleashing a burst of compressed air.

Daichi felt the impact like a hammer to the chest. It lifted him off his feet, hurling him back several meters. He gritted his teeth against the pain, twisting mid-air to brace for a rough landing. Rocks scraped his arms and legs as he hit the ground, rolling to distribute the force. 'That was strong enough to break a few bones if he'd put more power into it.'

Daichi lay there for a breath, the world spinning. Orochimaru's scornful laugh echoed across the barren terrain. "Not so fearless now, are we?" he purred, turning away from Daichi's prone form as though certain this minor show of force had ended the confrontation.

But when Orochimaru glanced back, he was surprised. The figure on the ground dissolved into a puff of smoke, leaving only a large cracked stone behind. The real Daichi stood a short distance away, unscathed, eyes trained on his adversary.

"Well, well," Orochimaru remarked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone. "Your reaction time and speed are quite commendable. Not many Genin could slip away so neatly from one of my direct attacks. Excellent use of substitution jutsu."

Daichi kept an impassive face. "You shouldn't underestimate the Leaf, Orochimaru. Or me."

Orochimaru looked into Daichi's eyes and for a moment he felt as if he was standing in front of someone else. Someone from his past who looked down on him. It was only for a fleeting moment but that feeling made him displeased.

A hush fell between them, the night air thick with tension. The distant clamor of Kakashi's fight echoed faintly.

Here, under the light of the moon, it was only Orochimaru and Daichi. The predator and the prey locked in a precarious stalemate.

Orochimaru made a soft sound that could have been amusing. "As expected. You have some skill, Daichi. Let's see how far it carries you." He spread his arms slowly, poised for another assault or a new jutsu, his aura of killing intent intensified. He wanted to test the boy more.

Before Daichi could react, Orochimaru's eyes flashed—another Genjutsu slammed into Daichi's consciousness. Stronger than the first, it bore down like a crushing weight. For a heartbeat, Daichi thought he heard the hiss of snakes again, felt icy coils wrap around his arms.

A wave of dread surged through him, mind spinning in disoriented terror. 'He hit me with another fear, Genjutsu! More powerful than before.'

Orochimaru could see the boy staggering in his spot and his knees buckling. A moment later a smile formed on his face as he saw the boy falling down to one knee. 'There that's better.'

A ripple of satisfaction crossed Orochimaru's face as he watched the Genin struggle under this renewed mental onslaught. "Kukuku… I believe now you'll be in the mood to cooperate more won't you? Hihihi…"

Orochimaru saw the boy take several deep breaths of air and try to steady himself. "Now then, let's continue where we left off… What happened to my dear Guren?"

Daichi's chest tightened. 'He's prying for information. I'll have to stick to what he said.' He made it look like he was afraid of the man and began answering him. "I don't know any Guren. Kakashi sensei and I came here after finding your safe house near the capital."

Orochimaru merely hummed as he listened. 'Does that mean Guren was killed by someone else? Sensei could have only gotten the location of my main base in the Land of Fire through her. So she must have been interrogated by them. But if this brat didn't fight her, then it's possible she must have been defeated by someone else. But who in the Leaf could find and defeat Guren?

A few names came to mind and soon he narrowed down the suspect. 'It has to be Jiraiya. He's the only one capable of finding and subduing her and her team in a short time. I doubt Sarutobi sensei sent the second Hokage for this task.'

He put his theories aside and proceeded with his questioning. "Tell me, how did you find this location? In fact, how did you know I would be here in this country?"

Daichi looked up at the man. 'As he predicted. Orochimaru wants to know how we got here?'

The Genin answered after a few seconds of silence. "The Sand village has an alliance with the Leaf village. Land of Lightning is far away and the Land of Water is in a civil war thanks to its hidden village. So that leaves the Land of Earth. Kakashi and I did some digging around and found out about the auction a few months ago. The intelligence minister got a surprise victory over the finance minister out of nowhere. So we came here on a hunch."

Orochimaru was silent as he looked at the Genin. 'Even though they got incomplete information they managed to get to me because of a mere hunch?'

"Hihihihi…" Orochimaru said softly, chuckling under his breath. "You traveled to the wrong corner of the nation, but ironically stumbled upon the correct location. I wonder if that's ignorance or cunning." 'They might not know about my finance minister ploy, or the bigger plot behind it. But I need to confirm…'

Suddenly Orochimaru's chakra spiked and it put Daichi on alert. New memories came to Orochimaru and it wiped the smile off the man's face.

"You're not Daichi." He stepped closer to the Genin with narrowed eyes as if he received some new revelations. "Who are you?"

'So he found out huh? It seems we were right. He must have had a shadow clone standing near them… Still, it seems it's time to put an end to this farce.' Hearing that question, Daichi's posture straightened, and for a moment, the air seemed to quiver. His entire tone and demeanor shifted, the tension in his stance was replaced by an eerie confidence and arrogance as he looked at the Snake Sannin.

Orochimaru watched in fascination as the youthful face of Daichi flickered as he removed the transformation. Orochimaru sensed the foe in front of him letting go of the chakra masking jutsu. 'This chakra… No. It can't be…'

Flesh rippled, illusions peeled away, and in the span of seconds, the figure before him was no longer the teenage Genin.

Orochimaru's eyes widened, the moonlight reflecting his shock. "Danzo?" 'It was him? He was acting the entire time, disguised as that brat?'

Danzo Shimura, the feared elder of Konoha, stood upright with both arms intact. One arm the normal flesh, the other pale and synthetic. His single visible eye glared at Orochimaru. "Its been a while… Orochimaru," came Danzo's voice, as cold as steel.

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