Raizen was in an excellent mood after learning that the kiss he had claimed was indeed Konan's first. Konan, for her part, simply gave him a sharp roll of her eyes and walked away with a certain stiff dignity.
Raizen wasn't in a hurry. The Chunin Exams hadn't even truly begun yet; he had plenty of time to continue wooing the "Angel."
"Uncle Raizen, I'm heading out!" Uchiha Sasuke, fully geared up, ran over to say his goodbyes.
"Be careful. Don't push yourself too hard," Raizen instructed. "If you can't win, run. There's no shame in living to fight another day, and don't go showing off just for the sake of it, you hear me?"
"Mhm, I understand, Uncle Raizen. Goodbye!" Sasuke nodded, waved, and sprinted off.
Raizen wasn't particularly worried about Sasuke's safety. His presence hadn't altered the original Team 7 lineup—Sasuke was still paired with Naruto and Sakura under Kakashi's guidance. With "Mr. Worldwide Five-to-Five" Kakashi watching over them, the minor grunts appearing in the early stages posed no real threat.
The Serpent Returns
At the main gates of Konoha, a team of Genin from the Hidden Sound Village processed their entry. Among them was a man with eerie, exotic features. He flicked a long, serpentine tongue across his lips, his golden slit-pupils surveying the surrounding architecture with a chilling focus.
Konoha... I, Orochimaru, have returned.
Prepare yourselves for my revenge!!!
After entering, Orochimaru quickly detached himself from the group to act alone.
"Raizen Uchiha... I want to see just how much you've grown over these years. Let's see if you are truly worthy of becoming my vessel!!!"
Laughing darkly, Orochimaru leaped across the rooftops, moving with blurring speed toward the Uchiha district. Soon, he reached the perimeter. Standing atop a massive cedar tree, he stared in confusion at the shimmering dome of light before him.
"A barrier?" He dropped to the ground and touched the translucent wall. His brow furrowed. He attempted a basic Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole technique, but found that the barrier extended deep underground. There was no sneaking in.
"Hehehe... It seems after the Night of the Massacre, the Uchiha have become far more cautious. This defense is practically airtight!" Orochimaru hissed with amusement.
"Forcing my way in would alert the entire village and jeopardize the plan," he mused, deciding against a frontal assault. "I don't believe you'll stay inside forever. Once the Konoha Crush is underway, I won't have to worry about caution. I'll just tear this place down."
He wasn't discouraged. In his eyes, the Uchiha were already fish on his chopping block. Obtaining them was merely a matter of time. He had the Hidden Sound, the alliance with the Sand, and his "trump cards." Destroying Konoha would be child's play.
With one last look at the barrier, the serpent slipped back into the shadows.
The Warning of the Blade
Inside the estate, Raizen looked at Tenseiga in his hand, his eyes filled with doubt. For the past few minutes, the sword had been vibrating, as if trying to communicate.
The barrier surrounding the Uchiha district was generated by the scabbard of Tenseiga. Both the blade and its sheath possessed the power to manifest protective barriers to shield their master. Raizen had infused the scabbard with a massive amount of chakra, allowing it to cover the entire district.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Raizen muttered. Tenseiga and its scabbard possessed a form of sentience, but they couldn't speak.
"Is someone trying to infiltrate?" That was the only logical explanation for the sudden resonance.
Raizen narrowed his eyes. With the exams starting, plenty of "rats" would be sniffing around the Great Clans for intelligence.
"So, the vermin have already arrived?" A cold sneer played on his lips. He reached into his system space and withdrew Sōnga.
The moment the dark blade appeared, the temperature in the room plummeted. Raizen snorted, and Sōnga immediately suppressed its aura.
"Don't release your killing intent in the house," Raizen warned the blade coldly. "If you scare the children, I'll lock you in a dark room where you'll never see the sun again."
Sōnga contained the soul of an ancient, arrogant dragon, but with the System's binding, Raizen was its absolute master. He didn't need to struggle for control.
Holding the dark sword, Raizen used the Flying Thunder God to blink outside the barrier. As the master of Tenseiga, he could pass through the light as if it were air.
He patrolled the perimeter but found no one. Tch. If only I had Sage Mode sensing, he thought. His current sensory abilities were limited to a certain radius of chakra detection.
Still, if someone was targeting the Uchiha, it was either a spy for eyes or Orochimaru looking for a body. Raizen bet on the latter.
"Orochimaru... I won't hunt you down just yet. Go ahead and finish your business with Sarutobi first."
If he killed Orochimaru now, he'd ruin the invasion. Raizen was waiting for Orochimaru to kill the Third Hokage so that he could then kill Orochimaru and emerge as the hero of Konoha. This would not only restore the Uchiha's prestige but also pave a smooth path to the seat of Hokage. With the Daimyō as his father-in-law, his appointment would be a foregone conclusion.
As he was refining his plan, a hawk circled overhead, letting out a sharp cry.
"A messenger hawk from the Capital!"
Raizen opened a small rift in the barrier. The bird dove down and landed in his courtyard. He fed it a piece of beef and untied the scroll from its leg.
It was from Tsukishime.
The Daimyō's family wanted to come to Konoha to watch the finals of the Chunin Exams. Tsukishime was asking him to come and escort them to ensure their safety and speed up the journey.
Without a second thought, Raizen activated the Flying Thunder God and vanished from the spot.