Chapter Twelve: The Whetstone

Caw...
The raucous cries of crows echoed through the forest, casting a gloomy pall over the night.
A shadowy figure leapt down from a tree, his entire body revealed under the moonlight—skin as pale as death.

“Tsk tsk, worthy of the name Li of the Uchiha. As vigilant as ever.”

Orochimaru’s voice, rasping and low, drifted through the darkness, tinged with a hint of admiration and a greed hidden deep within his expression.

Feeling Orochimaru’s gaze, tangible and oppressive, Uchiha Li kept his face impassive, but inwardly, he was on the highest alert.

If there were any in the Leaf Village who posed the greatest threat to the Uchiha, aside from Danzo, it would be Orochimaru.

In the early days, as one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru had not yet lost his respect for life—he was merely withdrawn. But after witnessing the horrors of war, and especially the death of Nawaki, Orochimaru came to realize the fragility of life.

From then on, Orochimaru changed, growing cold and self-absorbed.

He believed the human body contained untapped power that could never be fully realized in a single lifetime. Thus, he sought immortality, to learn all ninjutsu and grasp the truths of the world.

He began to collaborate with Danzo, capturing villagers for human experimentation in his pursuit of the First Hokage’s cells.

As for Li addressing Orochimaru as “teacher,” there was a reason for that. Back then, Li was still a student at the Ninja Academy, and for reasons unknown, Orochimaru had taken up a special appointment as an instructor.

Though it was only for a short time, Li had learned much from Orochimaru during those days.

But as war erupted and Orochimaru’s temperament shifted, the bond between teacher and student gradually faded.

With these thoughts, Uchiha Li spoke: “Orochimaru-sensei, is there something you need here tonight?”

At this point in time, Orochimaru’s defection from the Leaf could not be far off.

According to the original story, Orochimaru was forced to flee only after his secret laboratory was raided by the Third Hokage and the Anbu, caught red-handed.

And that happened right after the Fourth Hokage died during the Nine-Tails’ rampage and the Third reassumed leadership.

Though the Fourth had not died in this timeline, Li doubted it would affect Orochimaru’s plans much.

With the recent mass disappearances in the village, the higher-ups were surely on high alert. In such a climate, for Orochimaru to risk wandering near the newly relocated Uchiha settlement instead of lying low at home could only mean some irresistible lure had drawn him.

Piecing together recent events, Uchiha Li quickly deduced the truth.

It was his own clan chief, Uchiha Fugaku, who had revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan during the Nine-Tails’ incident.

Given Orochimaru’s hunger for the Mangekyō, and the fact that the Uchiha had just moved and their defenses were not yet fully established, it made perfect sense for Orochimaru to make a move now.

Faced with Li’s pointed question, Orochimaru’s eyes flickered, and he gave a soft, dismissive snort. “Nothing in particular. I just happened to be out for a stroll.”

At this feeble excuse, Uchiha Li smirked inwardly, though his face remained calm. “If that’s all, then I won’t detain you any longer, sensei. However...”

“However what?”

“However, this is hardly the time or place for a stroll. The clan has just relocated, and if an outsider is seen wandering nearby, misunderstandings could easily arise.”

His words carried a veiled warning, and Uchiha Li turned to walk out of the woods. As fate would have it, Orochimaru was standing directly in his path, so the distance between them steadily shrank.

“A misunderstanding, hmm?”

Orochimaru’s eyes narrowed at Li’s answer, his expression thoughtful. This student of just a few days seemed to know something, or else he would not speak so pointedly.

As Uchiha Li was about to pass unguarded before him, Orochimaru’s eyes glinted. His original target had not been Li, after all; Li only possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan.

But Uchiha Fugaku had the Mangekyō. Though it would be difficult, perhaps even impossible, to take it by force, if a surprise attack succeeded...

Yet now that Li had noticed him, any chance of a sneak attack was gone.

Moreover, the Third Hokage already suspected him of human experimentation and had sent Anbu to keep watch. The lab would be discovered soon—it was only a matter of time.

Given all this, though Li’s three-tomoe Sharingan was far from the Mangekyō in power, the fact that at only thirteen Li had awakened it spoke of extraordinary talent. He might very well unlock the Mangekyō in the future.

Such a person would make the perfect vessel for Orochimaru’s newly developed jutsu.

With that decision made, the moment Uchiha Li brushed past him, Orochimaru struck without hesitation. His sleeve flicked out, and a serpent shot forth, coiling around Li and binding him tightly.

Seeing the look of surprise on Li’s face, Orochimaru’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Li, do you know what true immortality is?”

He paused, then answered his own question: “I do not. That is why I need you now—to help me achieve it.”

As his words fell, Orochimaru raised his hand, aiming a blow at Li’s neck to knock him unconscious and abduct him.

But in that instant, the bound Uchiha Li vanished.

“When did this happen?”

Orochimaru’s pupils shrank. He had not sensed any sign of genjutsu at all.

There stood Uchiha Li, right where he had been the whole time, unmoving—his Sharingan, three tomoe swirling, already activated.

He tilted his head, a faint smile on his lips. “Orochimaru-sensei, your tricks are useless before my eyes!”

Though he was not as skilled at illusions as Shisui or Itachi, his own Sharingan had reached the threshold of the Mangekyō.

With Orochimaru off guard, misleading him once with the Sharingan’s power was not difficult.

Of course, considering Orochimaru’s level—Kage-class, and not yet having used the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique—if his soul remained intact and he were wary, Li would need to unlock the Mangekyō to deceive him with genjutsu.

“Such potent ocular power... truly enviable, the Sharingan...”

But Orochimaru showed no anger at being outwitted; instead, he licked his lips with his unnaturally long tongue.

The better Li performed, the more Orochimaru felt he had made the right choice.

His expression grew serious, and several snakes burst from his sleeves, lunging to seize Li at once.

In Orochimaru’s mind, his earlier mistake had been carelessness. Now that he was focused, he did not believe Li could stand against him.

Yet to his surprise, as his attacks came, Li did not attempt to flee, but instead advanced.

“Li, you are far too arrogant!”

Provoked by Li’s boldness, Orochimaru’s eyes flashed with irritation, and the snakes’ assault grew fiercer.

Li only grinned, his crimson pupils fixed on Orochimaru. “No, I am merely confident.”

He had been worrying about finding a chance to test his current strength, and now Orochimaru had delivered himself like a pillow to a sleepless man.

Sidestepping the snakes, Li swiftly wove hand seals and unleashed the Phoenix Fire Technique. Blossoms of flame shot out, spreading in all directions before converging in a volley toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru dodged nimbly, leaping through the shadows, and then launched a direct assault of his own.

The distance between them closed, and they collided in fierce taijutsu combat.

As seconds ticked by, the battle reached a fever pitch.

But soon, Orochimaru realized something was amiss.

At first, he had the clear upper hand, nearly subduing Li entirely.

But after several exchanges, he noticed Li’s movements growing ever more fluid and assured.

The realization chilled Orochimaru—Li was using him as a whetstone, honing his skills against him!