Despite the crackling flames, the seared tree bark, and the burned space where the Plasma Rasengan annihilated everything…
It was clear that Orochimaru and Suguru were holding back. Orochimaru, more so than Suguru himself — after all, the snake had yet to use any other jutsu aside from the Rashomon, while Suguru spammed his Genjutsu.
However, Suguru also realized that perhaps it wasn't really… holding back. Instead, it was more like…
'An incapacity to act in the first place.'
Suguru narrowed his eyes, analyzing the conversation that had just transpired.
Something felt off about Orochimaru's responses. It was mechanical and almost rehearsed. The way he spoke lacked that cunning serpentine fluidity characterizing the Sannin's speech patterns, he knew.
Even more peculiar was how this "Orochimaru" kept talking as if abiding by some predetermined script.
All this about surpassing expectations… Suguru had just met the Sannin today.
Furthermore, this Orochimaru felt different from the Orochimaru just moments before entering the Forest of Death.
So, what changed?
"Sensei… please tell me how to use the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu," Suguru pressed, on the lookout for a reaction.
This time, with chakra flowing straight into his Sharingan, Suguru paid utmost attention to Orochimaru's gaze.
—Swish.
There it was.
A slight delay, nigh imperceptible to anyone without layers of enhanced perception. The "Orochimaru" before him paused for a fraction too long, as if searching through a limited database of responses… or perhaps seeking the response of the original body.
"Curious about forbidden techniques, are we?" The 'figure' finally replied, but the cadence was wrong, the inflection slightly mechanical.
That was it.
That mechanical questioning tone, as if everything intrigued him. That was indeed Orochimaru, but at the same time, it was not.
The questioning was his, but the words were not.
Suguru's Shinrakugan, Byakugan, and Sharingan all peered deeper beneath the superficial appearance. Each Suguru that existed in the vicinity analyzed Orochimaru in their own ways.
"Indeed…"
Now that he was aware of the oddity, it was a simple task to figure out what was causing that dissonance.
The being before him had a chakra network that wasn't quite right—it lacked the chaotic, twisted nature of Orochimaru's true signature. Instead, it flowed in unnaturally perfect patterns, like water through manufactured channels rather than a wild river.
Or… a piece of art.
"You're not the real one, right, Sensei?" Suguru stated flatly, his energy dying down.
There was no more need to maintain the illusions around him.
The puppet's eyes widened slightly, and it was another delayed reaction. Half a second too slow for a shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber.
Suguru circled the figure from a distance, his clones appearing beside everyone, all looking blankly onwards with their disguised Dojutsu.
They were each noting the subtle inconsistencies. This wasn't a simple transformation jutsu or even one of Orochimaru's body vessels.
The construction was different. It was more refined and deliberately engineered, with chakra threads that coursed through its body, which were so fine that they were nearly invisible, even to his Sharingan.
Only the Byakugan and Shinrakugan could properly perceive its already hair-like existence.
"Is this… a living puppet?" Suguru murmured, impressed despite himself. "With a fragment of your consciousness embedded within?"
Suguru recognized a familiar craftsmanship.
Only a few people bore the level of Sasori's genius within the joints of each puppet, allowing the puppet a range of almost-human fluidity of motion.
But the intelligence guiding it was unmistakably Orochimaru's, albeit a guided shadow of the original. It was a splinter of consciousness programmed to perform specific tasks or seek guidance from the original consciousness.
To ask specific questions.
To say certain lines.
In a way, Orochimaru had somewhat predicted Suguru's presence when making the Living Puppet. That was why those words were crafted in a way that invoked emotions and intrigue.
But it lacked soul.
Giving due credit, however, Suguru had to admit that Orochimaru had evolved his methods.
Rather than risking himself, he'd created this proxy. A puppet infused with enough of his chakra and intelligence to mark Sasuke while keeping suspicions to a minimum.
It was then.
—Swish. Crack.
A face emerged on the Living Puppet's chest. The face was similar to the face hidden behind stolen human skin. It was the visage of none other than Orochimaru himself.
"You are indeed worthy of being a student of mine, Suguru."
Orochimaru's voice seemed to savor the utterance of that name.
"You are the first to notice the mask behind the other mask. How far have you moved through my… legacy for you? And when do you plan on visiting?"
Now, Suguru no longer felt the need to appear like a righteous exam proctor in front of anyone. There was something far more alluring than the chaos that had already happened.
With him taking up Orochimaru's time, the genin could escape with Anko if they so desired.
However,
Suguru wouldn't guide them. After all, he already dealt with the alien presence disrupting the exam.
"…" Anko looked around, silent, as her gaze fluttered past her old mentor. A ripple of conflicted sentiments coursed through her veins, thrumming with the mark on her neck.
But she didn't speak up.
Instead, she gestured to the two jinchuriki and the rest of the genin.
"Let's go," she said with an imperceptible sigh, "You lot have an exam to finish. This is no longer of your concern."
She clearly recognized the dangerous waters upon which that boy called Hiryu Suguru was treading.
* * *
Suguru noticed Anko and the genin's departure and nodded to himself.
'Good, they read the room… or the forest.' He blinked, 'Whatever,'
Turning his attention back on Orochimaru, a small smile crept into his lips. A sense of malevolent avarice emanated from it.
"Sensei~"
His voice was a playful song.
"If I visit, will you teach me everything you know?"
Orochimaru raised a brow for each face he controlled. Both of the Living Puppet's faces now looked at Suguru with a sense of amusement.
"How shameless of you, Suguru. You've never even helped me with my research. How about we have a deal?"
Suguru, ever the mirroring face, also raised a brow. He continued his playful tone, deciding to muddy the waters with transmigrator knowledge.
"Does this deal require Lord Third's death?"
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