"Have I ever been defeated?"

Hearing those words, Orochimaru's entire face fell.

As one of the The Legendary Sannin of Konoha, who had been famous ever since the Second Shinobi World War, what kind of storm had he not weathered?

Even on the day he defected from the village, facing the encirclement of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Anbu, he had still swaggered right out of Konoha's front gates.

Today, of all days, he was actually cornered in an alley by a junior who usually did nothing but eat, sleep, and idle about, asking if he had ever been defeated?

What a humiliating disgrace!

"Kazama, you are far too arrogant!"

Mid-air, Orochimaru rapidly formed Hand Seals.

Since this bizarre Barrier blocked off all escape routes, he would simply use a wide-range Ninjutsu to blast both the person and the walls into smithereens!

As for whether it would attract the Konoha ANBU, he couldn't care less now.

If he didn't teach this ignorant brat a lesson today, how could he, Orochimaru, continue to make a name for himself in the Shinobi World?

"Yamata..."

Just as Orochimaru gathered his Chakra...

Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!

From the churning black mud below, the long tongues of four toads wrapped tightly around Orochimaru's wrists and ankles.

Orochimaru's Hand Seals were forcefully interrupted.

"Damned creatures!"

Orochimaru cursed, but before he could exert force to break free, the four toads below pulled simultaneously, yanking him downward!

Orochimaru tilted his neck back and opened his mouth wide.

A white snake slithered out from his throat, regurgitating a Kusanagi Sword from its mouth.

Immediately after, Orochimaru's head swung like a windmill, leveraging the flexibility of his neck to sweep the Kusanagi Sword in a full circle around his body.

The four toad tongues snapped instantly.

Flipping in mid-air, Orochimaru landed firmly on the edge of the wall.

Tightening his grip on the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru turned his gaze toward Kazama's location.

No matter how brilliant a Barrier technique was, the caster was inevitably the core maintaining the Barrier's operation.

As long as he killed Kazama, these creepy things and the Barrier would naturally disperse!

At that moment, Kazama waved at Orochimaru with a chuckling grin.

"Hmm? Is he trying to run away?"

Under Orochimaru's gaze, Kazama sank down into the shadows.

A moment later, Kazama poked his head out from the shadow directly above Orochimaru's head: "Senior, where are you looking? I'm up here!"

Orochimaru reflexively looked up while raising the Kusanagi Sword in his right hand to block.

However, Kazama's movements were more than a notch faster than his.

Kazama swung his right leg high and delivered a devastating axe kick right onto Orochimaru's forehead!

Bang!

Before Orochimaru could even get the Kusanagi Sword into position, Kazama kicked him down into the black mud swamp below.

"Bah! Phooey!"

Pushing off the ground with both hands, Orochimaru struggled to pull his head out of the black mud.

Kazama squatted down and looked at Orochimaru with a beaming smile: "Senior Orochimaru, how was that move of mine? Still not planning to accept Sakura? She really suits you."

Ignoring Kazama's nonsense, Orochimaru channeled Chakra within his body, intending to use the Shedding Technique to escape.

Kazama snapped his fingers: "Divine Dogs, pin his hands down."

Roar!

The black and white Divine Dogs standing guard nearby instantly pounced, pinning Orochimaru's hands with their paws.

At the same time, the shadow overhead expanded once more.

A giant pink elephant, as massive as a hill, revealed half its body above Orochimaru's head.

Kazama pointed up at Max Elephant overhead and kindly gave a reminder:

"Senior, this elephant of mine doesn't have many tricks, it's just a tiny bit on the heavy side..."

"If you dare to shed your skin, I'll have it sit right down and crush you and your skin all the way to the earth's core. How does that sound?"

Orochimaru felt immensely bitter inside.

Who on earth spread the rumor that Kazama was a useless Special Jōnin who only knew how to slop around and idle his days away?

He could casually set up a Barrier containing immortal Shadow Beasts, and even his Taijutsu was ridiculously strong!

That kick to his forehead earlier—if his body hadn't undergone multiple soft-body modifications to disperse most of the force...

...an ordinary Elite Jōnin's skull would probably have shattered on the spot!

Orochimaru took a deep breath:

"Little Kazama... we can talk this over reasonably."

"There's no deadly vendetta between us. What are you actually trying to achieve by driving me to this point today?"

"What am I trying to achieve? Didn't I make it crystal clear earlier?"

Kazama tilted his head, speaking with utter innocence:

"I just want to present you with a peerless genius as an apprentice! Who told you to engage in bloodline discrimination, rejecting a talent like our Sakura, and attacking at the slightest disagreement? I'm acting out of self-defense here."

Orochimaru was so enraged his liver ached.

For goodness' sake, forced self-defense?!

Where was the logic in forcing a Rogue Ninja to take an apprentice? And threatening to squash him to death with an elephant if he refused!

"Are you really not playing tricks on me?"

Orochimaru asked again uncertainly: "With your strength, you have more than enough capability to teach a disciple. Why force her onto me?"

"Specialization in fields, of course."

"I'm just a rough guy who relies on Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. I don't know the first thing about slicing things with scalpels or culturing cells like you do."

Orochimaru looked around at this unwinnable predicament, his mind racing.

Weighing his options, complying with this absurd request right now was undoubtedly his best choice for escape.

"Since you value her so much, I can make an exception and take her as my apprentice."

"Once this Chunin Exams concludes, I will take her along back to the Hidden Sound Village base and teach her personally..."

Smack!

Kazama slapped Orochimaru across the forehead.

"Take her back to the Hidden Sound Village? Keep dreaming!"

"Sakura is my student! If she runs off with you, the Third Hokage old man will stop my squad leader allowance. How am I supposed to retire comfortably in the village?"

Orochimaru was stunned by the slap: "Not taking her away? Then how am I supposed to teach her? You expect me to teach her in Konoha every day?"

"No need for that, the risk is too high."

Kazama began planning with absolute seriousness:

"You can write up your experiment insights and Forbidden Jutsu textbooks to send over, and regularly supply batches of experiment materials."

"When Sakura encounters academic difficulties, you can sneak into Konoha, find a dark sewer or an abandoned air-raid shelter, and give her some one-on-one tutoring."

"That way, it doesn't hinder her from helping me earn my allowance, nor does it hinder you from passing down your legacy. A win-win situation!"

Orochimaru almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

So, as one of the Legendary Sannin, not only do I have to act as a free private tutor for your disciple, provide Forbidden Jutsu, and supply funds, but I also have to sneak into Konoha's sewers to give her extra lessons?!

Isn't this just bullying an honest man?!!!

"Kazama! Don't push it too far!"

Orochimaru roared: "Even if I, Orochimaru, die today and sink into this mire, I will never agree to such conditions!"

"Oh dear, Senior, why are you so stubborn?"

Kazama sighed and looked up, waving to the giant pink elephant above: "Max Elephant, put some pressure on Orochimaru."

Rumble!

The four thick legs of Max Elephant sank down overhead, falling straight toward the top of Orochimaru's head!

Before it even landed, the immense pressure squeezed the black mud around Orochimaru, causing it to blast outward in all directions.

Orochimaru had zero doubt that if this monster truly crushed down, he would definitely be turned into meat paste!

His grand ambition of immortality was incomplete, and he hadn't obtained the Sharingan yet—how could he die in a stinking alley over a moment of stubborn anger?

Mmm... a true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall!

"Wait! I agree! Can't I just agree?!"

With the elephant's belly less than half a meter away from the tip of his nose, Orochimaru finally gave in.

Max Elephant's massive body froze mid-air, then dissolved into a lump of black mud, splattering right onto Orochimaru's face.

Kazama squatted down and reached out to wipe the mud off Orochimaru's face: "If you had been this cooperative earlier, we'd be done by now. Did you really have to suffer this physical torment?"