Just because Orochimaru stood perfectly still did not mean that Amamiya Rei intended to mirror his stillness and remain where he was.
If Orochimaru wished to amuse himself by playing a game, then Rei was more than happy to let him do so alone, while also kindly allowing him to serve as a convenient punching bag.
"Destructive Kill: Chaotic Style."
Since Orochimaru had deliberately widened the distance between them, Rei simply chose to close that distance again through his own means.
He surged forward in a straight line, his body leaning slightly ahead of his center of gravity, while both of his fists moved at extreme speed, striking again and again in a relentless rhythm.
A harsh, teeth-grinding shriek tore through the air.
The fists, driven by terrifying acceleration, compressed the atmosphere itself, producing wide-ranging shockwaves that rippled outward like overlapping tides.
Orochimaru stared at the blue-tinged shockwaves surging toward him and felt the full weight of that power head-on, his pupils contracting sharply as genuine astonishment flooded his gaze.
If Rei's kenjutsu had already been enough to delight him, then this level of taijutsu crossed the line from delight into outright shock.
Taijutsu that could achieve effects comparable to ninjutsu was almost unheard of.
Had this girl truly received only a single month of shinobi training?
The word "genius" surfaced in Orochimaru's mind, only to be dismissed almost immediately, because even that term felt insufficient, even insulting, when applied to what he was witnessing.
At the instant he evaded the attack, Orochimaru reappeared atop a tall tree branch, looking down at Amamiya Rei from above, his expression unreadable yet heavy with realization.
Now he finally understood why Sensei placed such extraordinary expectations upon Amamiya Rei.
Even without witnessing Mokuton itself, Orochimaru already possessed a clear understanding of Rei's terrifying learning capacity.
With such an ability to absorb, refine, and innovate, Konohagakure might truly give birth to a second God of the Shinobi World.
Faced with such temptation, how could his Sensei possibly resist?
"Are you not going to use Mokuton?" Orochimaru asked at last, unable to restrain himself.
Even slightly advanced Mokuton techniques consumed an enormous amount of chakra, and Rei did not dare to exhaust his reserves while facing someone like Orochimaru.
After all, no one could predict what Orochimaru might do once curiosity overcame restraint.
Vigilance had to be maintained at all times.
Of course, Rei was not afraid that Orochimaru would kill him, because that was simply not something that could happen.
What he feared was far worse: Orochimaru taking his flesh for experiments and discovering something truly terrifying in the process.
A flash of red light flickered through Orochimaru's eyes.
The tree beneath his feet detonated in an instant, splitting apart with a deafening crack.
Orochimaru's gaze shifted toward Rei's back.
That crimson object had emerged directly from behind Rei.
Its sharpness and speed were terrifying beyond measure.
What was that?
Orochimaru was genuinely stunned.
Was it Mokuton?
Red vines?
Yet their destructive force far exceeded that of an ordinary whip.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
"Rei!"
Suddenly, voices rang out from the distance, causing Rei to halt his assault.
Turning his head, Rei saw the figures of Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi rushing toward them.
Shisui strode forward and placed himself directly in front of Rei, his eyes fixed warily upon Orochimaru.
Kakashi swept a quick glance over Rei, confirming that she was completely unharmed, before turning his attention to Orochimaru and speaking coldly.
"Orochimaru-sama, attacking shinobi of the village can be regarded as treason."
At Kakashi's words, Orochimaru let out a careless chuckle, utterly unconcerned.
"And how are you so certain that I was the one attacking her?"
With Rei completely shielded by Shisui's body, Orochimaru raised his voice and called out calmly, "Rei, tell them what we were doing."
Rei rubbed at the goosebumps on his arm, because being called "Rei" by Orochimaru felt disturbingly similar to having a venomous snake slither across his skin.
She took one hand to hold Shisui and the other to hold Kakashi, offering both of them a soothing smile before stepping out from behind Shisui and explaining gently.
"Shisui, Kakashi-senpai, you misunderstood."
Kakashi's expression remained unchanged, though his peripheral vision never left Orochimaru for even a moment.
He did not believe for a second that this was a misunderstanding.
"Orochimaru-sama was simply testing my strength."
"Because Hokage-sama entrusted him with the task of assisting in my training."
Rei believed this without the slightest doubt.
However, both Shisui and Kakashi were fully aware of just how exceptional Rei was.
Otherwise, Shisui would never have forcibly brought him to Konoha in the first place, nor would Rei have been pushed into becoming a shinobi because of Uzumaki Naruto.
"Is that so?" Shisui turned to Orochimaru and asked calmly, "May I ask whether Orochimaru-sama has proof of this order?"
If it was truly Hokage-sama's command, then there would undoubtedly be a written directive.
Kakashi also looked toward Orochimaru, waiting for any sign of inconsistency.
Orochimaru regarded the two young shinobi, both already renowned throughout the shinobi world despite their age, and maintained the same unfazed smile, showing not a trace of guilt.
"There is a letter from Hokage-sama, but I did not bring it with me. I will allow you to examine it tomorrow."
His gaze met Rei's directly.
Rei, considerate as ever, nodded obediently. "Mm."
Orochimaru glanced up at the night sky. "It is getting late."
With that, his figure vanished from where he stood.
The moment Orochimaru departed, Shisui grabbed Rei and asked anxiously, "Are you all right?"
"Rei!"
"Were you hurt?"
Seeing the worry written all over Shisui's face, Rei smiled helplessly and replied, "I am fine. Orochimaru-sama only wanted to test my strength. How could he possibly injure me?"
Watching the trust Rei placed in Orochimaru, Shisui's expression grew complicated, his lips parting as if to speak, yet no words came out.
"Did you not promise me before that you would keep your distance from Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked coolly from the side.
Though his tone was flat, the hint of reproach was unmistakable.
Rei pressed her lips together, feeling slightly guilty at first, but after a moment she regained her confidence and explained, "I did promise you, Kakashi-senpai, but Orochimaru-sama was sent by Hokage-sama to help me train."
Kakashi continued without softening his gaze. "Do you have proof that he was sent by Hokage-sama?"
"He said he will show it to me tomorrow," Rei replied.
Kakashi gave a cold laugh. "You are aware that he said tomorrow. If Shisui had not asked, he might not show you anything tomorrow either. How do you know such a thing even exists?"
Rei was momentarily at a loss for words, unable to respond, and could only insist based on her own feelings. "But I think Orochimaru-sama is a good person, and besides, what could he possibly deceive me for?"
Rei's naive words stirred a surge of anger within Kakashi, though it was not directed at Rei, nor even at Orochimaru, but rather at Shisui.
Rei truly was not suited for the shinobi world.
To survive within it, Rei would only be forced to endure even more pain that would shatter both body and soul.
Perhaps Shisui should never have brought her to Konoha in the first place.
Realizing what he was thinking, Kakashi's eyes trembled slightly, and he immediately suppressed the thought.
"Rei, have you forgotten about your Mokuton?" Shisui reminded him quietly.
"I have not forgotten," Rei replied earnestly, meeting Shisui's gaze with genuine confusion. "But Mokuton is my own ability. Even if someone wanted it, I could not give it to them, so deceiving me would be pointless."
Shisui paused, then exchanged a glance with Kakashi.
Both of them hesitated, unsure whether they should tell Rei the truth.
Because such matters, once spoken aloud, would only feel like filth staining Rei's ears.
***
If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a vote and share your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think! 💕
Don't forget to check out my Telegram channel for more fresh updates and newly added novels.
https://t.me/starlitscript