Self-presentation and voicing one's dreams is one of Konoha's traditions.
"My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I like ramen with salt, I hate bitter food and tomatoes. My dream is..." Kushina slightly raised her head and said seriously: "To become the first female Hokage!"
Orochimaru, hearing this, took a quick look at her and nodded, inviting the next one to introduce himself.
Haru looked at Kano, who looked away, paused, and quietly said, "My name is Haru. I like rainy weather, and I hate sweets. My dream is… to become a real man."
Orochimaru, observing the student's uncertain look, frowned slightly and turned his gaze to Kano. To which Kano, feeling his gaze on himself, slowly turned and looked straight at the teacher.
"My name is Kano. I love to eat. There is nothing I don't particularly like." Kano lowered his eyelids and said, "My dream is to find a way to return home."
All three were taken aback when they heard about Kano's dream. Return home?
"What kind of dream is this?" Kushina asked, puzzled.
Haru also looked puzzled.
Kano turned his gaze to Kushina, but did not answer.
Orochimaru, however, looked at Kano intently, but also didn't ask anything. He took three small silver bells from his pocket and said, "Your task is to take these bells from me by any means necessary. Before sunset. Those who fail will return to the Academy. If you don't want to return, fight with all your might."
Kano, Kushina, and Haru were dumbfounded. They thought that after graduating from the Academy, they would automatically become genin, but they did not expect that they would have to face another test from their mentor.
Orochimaru didn't say anything about it. However, Kano shouldn't return to the Academy, as it would be a waste of another three years.
The eyes of the three students reflected intense thought work. Orochimaru, watching this, smiled coldly, took a few steps back and calmly said: "Time - until sunset. The test begins."
As soon as the last word left his lips, all three of them disappeared at maximum speed, hiding in pre-selected places. One of the basic skills taught at the Academy is to quickly find cover to use in combination with substitution techniques and other techniques.
When the students disappeared, Orochimaru stared straight ahead. It seemed he hadn't noticed where they had gone. In fact, as soon as the three of them started moving, he had already determined their location. Their movements and speed were still too inept.
Kano hid in the thickets of short grass at a good distance. He held his kunai tightly and tried to watch Orochimaru's lower body. By watching his legs, he could predict his next moves, and by avoiding direct eye contact, he could reduce the chance of being discovered.
"How can I take the bell away?" Kano thought, not taking his eyes off Orochimaru.
Haru and Kushina chose positions in the trees. Watching from above also reduced the chances of being spotted.
Kushina was also thinking about how to take the bell from Orochimaru, and Haru was thinking about how to contact Kano and Kushina without being noticed. In his opinion, the best way to get the bell was to work together.
While the three of them were lost in their thoughts, Orochimaru did something unexpected. He raised his lowered hand, and Kano's gaze involuntarily followed the bell in his hand. And then...
They watched as Orochimaru, with an impassive face, threw his head back, opened his mouth, raised his hand, and dropped the bell into his mouth. A swallowing sound was heard, and the movement in his throat confirmed that the bell had indeed been swallowed.
"Oh, shit!" Kano couldn't help but curse, giving away his location, and then he jumped to his feet in frustration.
Haru stared at Orochimaru's throat in shock, his thoughts cut off, he was completely confused.
Kushina, glancing at Kano who had jumped up, looked at Orochimaru, who, having committed such a shocking act, kept an unperturbed expression on his face, and, covering his forehead with his hand, shook his head. How to take away the bell that was swallowed? Kill him and rip open his stomach?
Kano looked at his opponent with undisguised surprise. In three years of acquaintance, he saw such a... strange side of his guardian for the first time.
Orochimaru remained unperturbed under his gaze. In a hoarse voice, he said, "You can tie me up, cut open my stomach, even kill me. Just think about one thing - how to take the bell. Don't worry about the rest!"
His calm voice spoke words full of icy indifference. This is just a test, why go so far?
Neither Haru nor Kushina understood this, and neither did Kano. But since Orochimaru said so, Kano would not hesitate. Besides, he did not think he was capable of killing Orochimaru. The only thing he could do was try his best. At the very least, he could not give up.
He raised his kunai and rushed straight at Orochimaru.
"Head-on?" Orochimaru silently watched Kano approaching, taking out his kunai.
Kano quickly grabbed several shuriken from his equipment bag with his free hand. Using both hands, he threw the kunai and shuriken at Orochimaru.
Several shurikens, spinning rapidly in the air, described three different arcs, flying towards one point, while the kunai flew in a straight line.
Ding! Ding! Ding! - Orochimaru swung his kunai, accurately deflecting three shuriken and a kunai, without a single unnecessary movement.
Taking advantage of the moment when his attention was distracted by the shuriken, Kano completed the seals. And already being a meter away from Orochimaru, he suddenly turned into a cloud of quickly dissipating white smoke.
Whoosh! - The white smoke cleared, and a handful of black sand appeared, shooting up into the air and flying straight at Orochimaru. At the same time, Kano, clutching a kunai, appeared behind Orochimaru at a short distance, not taking his eyes off him.
"Sand?! It must be…" Orochimaru immediately jumped up, dodging the flying sand, and without hesitation, threw a kunai at Kano who was in the air. Kano, without even looking, caught the kunai with his bare hand and landed smoothly.
Landing on the ground, Orochimaru transferred the kunai to his other hand, then opened his palm and examined it. There was a small cut on his index finger, from which drops of blood were oozing.
"This is undoubtedly a Substitution Technique. Usually animals or plants are used as substitutes, but he used sand. His goal was probably not to avoid damage. After all, if the opponent is not careful, the sand could get into his eyes, and that would be quite problematic."
Orochimaru stared at the disappointed Kano in silence, not knowing what to say. He couldn't find the words to evaluate the technique Kano had used. However, if he was being completely accurate, then... it was simply barbaric.
The way Kano used this technique showed that he had very few techniques. Indeed, the Academy only taught a few basic techniques, and unfortunately, none of them were offensive...