After the Nine-Tails' rampage — and with the Uchiha clan exiled to the outskirts — Tahara Rokuro and Daikōshi, the two newly graduated genin, hadn't yet been assigned a jōnin instructor.
That day, the Tahara family arrived at their newly designated clan settlement, where they found their allotted plot of land — roughly two hundred square meters.
The family had long planned to build a two-story house covering that area, leaving another hundred square meters as an open yard.
Rokuro unfurled a pre-prepared sealing scroll, and together, the three family members channeled chakra into it.
"Earth Style: Detached Residence Technique!"
The ground trembled. A two-story house slowly emerged from the earth, its structure held firm by the reinforcing power of the sealing technique, preventing it from collapsing once the chakra flow ceased.
Several other Uchiha families nearby were constructing their homes as well. When they saw what Rokuro's family had accomplished, they all stopped to gawk — some even rushed over to watch the spectacle.
But since the jutsu drew directly from their own chakra, all three of them looked visibly exhausted afterward.
Seeing the neighbors gathering around, Rokuro quickly shot his mother a look.
"Mom, I'm heading out to train. I'll leave the rest to you two."
Without waiting for Uchiha Ashikaga or Uchiha Kei to respond, he performed a Body Flicker and disappeared, leaving the two to handle the curious neighbors — and the Konoha Police Force that would inevitably show up.
Before long, Rokuro arrived deep within the Forest of Death. By then, he'd already used the Nine-Tails' chakra sealed within his gauntlet to fully recover his stamina. He came to a halt, then turned his gaze toward the trees behind him.
"Come out. You've been following me all the way — no one else is here. We can talk."
"Heh heh heh… as expected of the prodigy who graduated from the Academy in just a year. When did you notice me?"
A shadow slithered from between the trees — its owner emerging with a long tongue that flicked across his lips. The man who believed science could transcend all limits—Orochimaru.
"So it was Lord Orochimaru. No wonder I sensed that chilling chakra back in the clan grounds."
Rokuro tightened the strap around his left arm's gauntlet. Facing the legendary Sannin—especially one who hadn't yet performed Living Corpse Reincarnation—he knew that Orochimaru in this state was far more dangerous than he'd been during the Konoha Crush. Certainly not the half-crippled version with his arms sealed away.
In Rokuro's perception, Orochimaru was not only Kage-level but possessed an even greater total chakra reserve than the aging Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Though more chakra didn't always mean greater strength, Orochimaru had survived both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars. His battle experience alone far surpassed Rokuro's, and that was enough reason to stay on guard.
Orochimaru stepped closer, stopping just two meters away. His chakra oozed outward—cold and oppressive—making Rokuro feel like a mouse cornered by a venomous snake.
It was an awful feeling.
Without hesitation, Rokuro activated the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Arcs of electricity wrapped around his body, increasing his defense, reflexes, and explosive strength. Seeing this, Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"This is the Hidden Cloud Village's secret technique. And you managed to develop it on your own... Rokuro-kun, you truly are a genius—one who knows how to keep a low profile. Compared to you, your clan leader's son seems almost... ostentatious."
As a former commander of Konoha's ninja forces, an S-rank operative, and a former Root member, Orochimaru had seen more jutsu than most. He recognized the Lightning Chakra Mode instantly.
"Lord Orochimaru didn't come to exchange pleasantries, I assume. Why don't you get to the point?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"Heh heh… at first, I was merely intrigued by your modified sealing technique. But now, I find myself more interested in your modified ninjutsu."
"Oh? And what makes Lord Orochimaru so certain the modifications were mine? My mother is a veteran sealing master, after all."
Orochimaru's grin turned even colder.
"I've only met Uchiha Ashikaga a few times, but I know her capabilities. She's talented, yes—but limited. Adept at applying inherited formulas, yet lacking true innovation. You, however—Rokuro-kun—you've inherited her affinity for sealing and combined it with the Uchiha clan's innate gifts. Only a bloodline like yours could forge such remarkable potential."
Rokuro didn't deny it, nor did he confirm it. His mind was focused entirely on the battle ahead.
The Orochimaru of the original timeline had never truly been in his prime. Even during the Konoha Crush, he had already reincarnated into another body—one with decent compatibility, but still inferior to his own.
And the repeated soul transfers from Living Corpse Reincarnation had damaged his spirit, meaning Orochimaru had been fighting under a constant handicap.
The so-called "Legendary Sannin"—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—were meant to be equals in strength, yet in the original timeline, Orochimaru clearly lagged behind.
Jiraiya's Sage Mode alone placed him miles ahead.
And Tsunade—during her battle with Edo Madara—had shattered a skeletal Susanoo with a single punch. That kind of destructive power was something Orochimaru could never match.
If all three were equals in title, then logically, Orochimaru's weakness could only be attributed to his own forbidden technique—Living Corpse Reincarnation. Until he perfected cloning, it was a jutsu that harmed more than it helped.
Even siblings might have incompatible blood types—let alone completely unrelated hosts.
After a moment's thought, Rokuro concluded that the Orochimaru before him was not an opponent to provoke lightly. For now, it was best not to turn him into an enemy.
That said, if a fight did break out… Rokuro was confident he wouldn't lose.
"I understand Lord Orochimaru's intentions. But before we talk business, I'd like to test your strength for myself. After all, how often does one get to spar with a living legend of the Leaf?"
The lightning surrounding Rokuro flared even brighter, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Heh heh… very well," Orochimaru hissed. "Then let me see the power of your little ninja tool."
His gaze shifted to Rokuro's left arm — he'd already traced the flow of chakra and noticed the concealed weapon.
"Boom!"
Rokuro vanished from sight, reappearing before Orochimaru in an instant, his fist swinging straight for the man's face.
Orochimaru didn't even have time to dodge — Rokuro's punch landed squarely.
But the sensation under his knuckles felt wrong.
Poof!
A cloud of dirt exploded — Orochimaru's body crumbling into mud as his chakra signature vanished.
"Earth Clone? Impossible—I clearly sensed his chakra just now—damn!"
The ground beneath him split open.
A massive serpent burst forth, swallowing Rokuro whole in a single gulp.
Not far away, the surface of a tree twisted grotesquely as Orochimaru's true form slithered out of the bark like a ghost.
The sky above flashed as the fifty-meter serpent screamed in agony. Bolts of lightning erupted from its stomach, and in the next instant, its thick body was cleaved clean in two.
Rokuro emerged from the explosion of blood and scales, cloaked once again in his Lightning Armor.
"As expected of a nin-taijutsu hybrid technique—ordinary attacks are useless. In that case…"
Orochimaru's hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals. His jaw distended unnaturally wide—and from his mouth, he unleashed a devastating sonic wave of destructive force.