Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

"They must be extremely vigilant and handle this with utmost caution!"

"Okay, then I'll leave it to Senior Kai."

The Rubik's Cube nodded seriously, "I hope they can all get through safely."

"Oh—! Youth is about facing danger head-on! But I won't let them down!"

Kai patted his chest forcefully, his fighting spirit rekindled.

"Well then, I'll head to the vicinity of the examination venue now, ready to safeguard the burning youth of my students! See you later, Rubik's Cube!"

"Until we meet again, Senior Kai!" Rubik's Cube waved with a smile.

Like a green lightning bolt, Kai, carrying his concern for his disciple and the warning conveyed by the Rubik's Cube, vanished in an instant on the way to the examination hall.

Chapter 32 First Meeting with Orochimaru

Chapter 32 First Meeting with Orochimaru

Konohagakure - A relatively quiet street

The clamor from the direction of the Chunin Exams venue drifted faintly, a stark contrast to the street where the Rubik's Cube was currently located. He strolled aimlessly, hands in his pockets, his gaze casually sweeping over the shops and houses on either side, like an ordinary tourist.

However, beneath his seemingly relaxed demeanor, his senses were like an invisible spider web, keenly capturing every slight movement around him.

After walking about half a block, Rubik's Cube stopped in front of a stall selling tricolor dumplings. His gaze, however, didn't fall on the tempting treats. Instead, he lazily spoke to the air, his voice soft yet clearly echoing through the quiet street:

"Come out. You've been following me all this way, aren't you tired?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. A moment later, a slender figure slowly emerged from the shadow cast by a ninja tool shop on the street corner.

Her long black hair was tied back, and she wore a dark, fitted ninja outfit that allowed for easy movement, outlining her beautiful curves. Her face still wore that signature cool expression—the newcomer was none other than Senju Momono.

The Rubik's Cube turned around, looked at Momonoki who had come out, and grinned with a playful smile, clearly teasing:

"Hey, isn't this one of our 'Root' elites? What, didn't you learn your lesson from the last 'sparring'? Or perhaps..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sweeping over her slender neck, "Have you forgotten what it feels like to have your neck?"

Momono took a small step back unconsciously, her fingers tracing her smooth neck as if she could still feel the cold touch and suffocation she felt when the Rubik's Cube's fingers locked her there that day.

But then, another, even more embarrassing image flashed into her mind—she threw herself into his arms and cried after getting drunk, he carried her back to bed, and she may have even said more things she shouldn't have… Her cool expression instantly turned as if it were tinged with a thin layer of rouge, spreading from her ears all the way to her cheeks.

Her bright, watery eyes flashed with embarrassment, anger, and a hint of barely perceptible panic as she glared at the Rubik's Cube. Her voice, though trying to maintain its usual coolness, carried a subtle tension.

"I wasn't secretly following you! I was... I was openly following you on a mission!"

She tried to use the task to cover up her actions, but she clearly lacked confidence.

After saying this, she seemed to struggle for a moment, her eyes darting around, but ultimately she couldn't help herself. Her voice was much lower than before, carrying a cautious probing tone, as she asked:

"...That night...after I got drunk...I didn't say anything strange, did I?"

The Rubik's Cube's smile deepened, tinged with a hint of mockery. He deliberately tilted his head, feigning deep thought, and lightly tapped his chin with his finger:

"Strange words? Hmm... let me think..."

He drawled out his words, looking into the mixture of nervousness and anticipation in Momono's eyes, then shrugged, feigning innocence.

"Sorry, I drank a bit too much that night, I was a little dizzy, and I really don't remember what happened after that."

"You!" Momono instantly realized he was just being perfunctory. Her cool expression almost crumbled, her blush deepening with embarrassment and anger, her watery eyes practically spitting fire. She took a step forward, seemingly wanting to grab Rubik's Cube by the collar and demand an explanation.

The moment she lifted her foot, the nonchalant look on Rubik's Cube's face vanished instantly, his eyes suddenly changed, and he swiftly reached out his right hand, grabbing Momono's wrist with lightning speed and forcefully pulling her into his arms!

"Ugh!" Momono cried out in surprise, her body slamming uncontrollably into Rubik's Cube's solid chest. Before she could struggle or question him, she felt Rubik's Cube's warm breath, tinged with cold, brush against her earlobe, and he spoke in a low, dangerous voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Don't move. And don't make a sound."

His voice carried an unquestionable air of command, and he added a sentence that made Momono freeze instantly.

"What I just gave up... wasn't you."

A chilling, viscous, and tangible killing intent, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, suddenly raised its head and silently locked onto them!

Momono's hair stood on end instantly. As an elite member of the Root, she was equally keen on sensing killing intent! Following the Rubik's Cube's tense gaze, she abruptly turned her head to look at an even darker corner on the other side of the street.

Da da da…

Slow, clear footsteps sounded. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He wore the iconic grey turtleneck coat of Amegakure and the Amegakure headband. His face was hidden in the shadow cast by the raised collar of the coat, but one could see a pair of narrow eyes that shone with an inhuman coldness and greedy golden light, like the vertical pupils of a snake!

The aura emanating from the newcomer was cold, damp, and carried a heavy, suffocating smell of death. Every step he took felt like stepping on countless corpses.

The man disguised as a Rain Village ninja stopped a few steps away from the Rubik's Cube and Momono. A chilling smile seemed to curl at the corner of his mouth, and a hoarse yet strangely magnetic voice rang out, like the flick of a viper's tongue:

"Hehehe... What keen perception, child of the vortex. And... the little girl from the Senju family."

His gaze swept greedily over the Rubik's Cube, as if admiring a rare treasure, a look that sent a chill down Momono's spine.

Orochimaru!

Momono's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She instantly understood what the Rubik's Cube meant by "I didn't give you up!"

She was tightly protected by him at his side, and could clearly feel Rubik's Cube's body tense up instantly like a bowstring. His playful demeanor vanished without a trace, replaced by a state of complete vigilance and solemnity as if facing a apex predator. The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the immense pressure emanating from his cold, serpentine eyes.

"Why would such a dangerous person be here? No, this will endanger Konoha! I must immediately notify Lord Danzo... Lord Danzo?..."

"Will...Lord Danzo...really stop Orochimaru?"

As a member of Root, a thought that could be described as utterly rebellious unconsciously surfaced in Momono's mind.

The frigid air seemed to solidify, pressing heavily on Rubik's Cube and Momono. Orochimaru's narrow, golden snake-like eyes scanned back and forth between the two with interest, finally settling on Rubik's Cube. His hoarse voice held a hint of playful inquiry:

"Truly astonishing perception. Even a Kage-level expert might not be able to easily detect my stealth technique. How...did you discover me?"

He tilted his head slightly, like a snake observing its prey.

The Rubik's Cube didn't answer his question directly. He still half-protected Momono behind him, his body tense as if ready to explode at any moment, but a cold smile appeared on his face, and his tone carried a deliberate distance:

“My teacher is Jiraiya. As a disciple, I naturally have a better understanding of and a greater sense of caution towards you, my… ‘renowned’ senior master.”

He deliberately concealed Kagura's ability to see into the mind, attributing the cause to his understanding of his "senior brother" and the characteristics of his chakra.

"Hehehe..."

Orochimaru let out a low, pleasurable laugh, like the hiss of a venomous snake:

"That idiot Jiraiya did manage to get a good apprentice."

His gaze held undisguised admiration for the Rubik's Cube, a greedy look as if it were looking at excellent material, which gave the Rubik's Cube, which already found Orochimaru disgusting, goosebumps.

However, Orochimaru's gaze quickly shifted to Momono, who was trembling slightly behind the Rubik's Cube due to his murderous aura. His cold, golden vertical pupils lingered on her beautiful yet pale face, carrying a sense of scrutiny and recollection.

A moment later, a more eerie smile curved his lips, his voice carrying a hint of realization and... a kind of unsettling nostalgia:

"What a pretty young girl...she looks so familiar."

He extended his scarlet, forked tongue, like a snake's forked tongue, and slowly licked his thin lips:

"Ah, I remember now... Is this Senju Unon's child? She's grown so much..."

The name "Kunon" struck Momonogi's heart like a thunderbolt!

The instinctive fear she had been trying so hard to suppress, stemming from Orochimaru's terrifying aura, was instantly overwhelmed by a stronger torrent of shock, anger, and excruciating pain!

She suddenly leaned halfway out from behind the Rubik's Cube, her bright eyes now burning with rage as she glared at Orochimaru. Her voice trembled slightly with extreme emotion as she questioned him with disbelief:

"How...how do you know my mother's name?!"

Rubik's Cube was also slightly surprised. This was the first time he had seen Momono's emotions so intense, no longer the cold facade she wore, but a wild beast whose sore spot had been touched. Her reaction undoubtedly confirmed Orochimaru's words.

Orochimaru seemed very satisfied with Momono's reaction; his smile widened, filled with pleasure and reminiscence.

"Hehehe... How did you know?"

He shook his head slightly, as if recalling an interesting memory:

"After all... experimental subjects with the pure bloodline of the Senju clan are extremely rare treasures."

His tone was casual, yet it was like the sharpest knife, ruthlessly piercing Momono's heart!

Chapter 33 Momonogi's Confession

Chapter 33 Momonogi's Confession

Orochimaru! What is your purpose in coming to Konoha?!

Rubik's Cube asks a question it already knows the answer to

Orochimaru looked at the Rubik's Cube protecting Momono, then at Momono behind him who was panting heavily but still staring at him with unwavering eyes. His smile became meaningful.

"Purpose? Heh... I just haven't been back to the village in a long time, and I found an interesting little guy, so I couldn't help but say hello."

He shrugged, feigning innocence, then looked at the Rubik's Cube with a cold, intriguing gaze.

"But... I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain. Although it was our first meeting, I could tell that you are quite good."

"So, are you interested in coming to my side? I've also dabbled in the legacy of the Uzumaki clan."

Rubik's Cube scratched his head and said:

"I'm sorry, I have no interest in the Bulgarian Snake King. Although Jiraiya is an unreliable old pervert, he has treated me very well. I have learned a lot from him over the years."

Ignoring the disdainful looks from Orochimaru and Momonogi, Rubik's Cube seemed to be lost in memories of traveling the world with Jiraiya (in the bathroom).

"Hehehe... What a pity."

Before he could finish speaking, Orochimaru made his move.

Orochimaru's figure twisted and elongated instantly, like a melting wax figure, leaving only a blur in place.

The real attack wasn't aimed at the Rubik's Cube, but rather swiftly bypassed him and pounced straight at the panting Momono behind him! His neck, like a boneless snake, moved with superhuman speed and angle, whistling through the air, and fiercely bit at Momono's fair neck.

"Oh no!" Momono's pupils contracted sharply, and her body reacted instinctively. She picked up the kunai in her hand and stabbed it towards her fair neck without hesitation.

Knowing she couldn't withstand Orochimaru's attack, she decided to take the initiative and end her own life, even if it meant death, she couldn't become a burden.

But just as those snake fangs, teeming with eerie chakra, were about to touch the skin—

"I knew you old snake demon had no good intentions!"

The Rubik's Cube's voice carried a hint of coldness that I had expected.

As if having anticipated Orochimaru's feint, the cube's figure disappeared from Momono's sights even faster than Orochimaru's surprise attack!

It was a Body Flicker Technique; he appeared out of thin air, completely blocking the snake heads of Momono and Orochimaru with their outstretched necks.

There were no hand seals, no dazzling ninjutsu light, only the simplest, most direct punch that concentrated all the power and chakra of the body!

boom--!

A dull, heart-stopping thud rang out!

The Rubik's Cube's fist, like a sledgehammer, slammed into Orochimaru's chin! The force was so powerful that the air itself vibrated.

Crack! The distinct sound of bone breaking could be faintly heard.

Orochimaru's outstretched neck was violently thrown backward by the blow, sending his entire body flying backward like a kite with a broken string!

A look of astonishment flashed across his face. His body tumbled through the air a few times before crashing awkwardly into a thick tree trunk, leaves rustling down.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Orochimaru, clutching his visibly deformed jaw that was rapidly writhing back to its original shape, slid off the tree trunk and steadied himself. His cold, serpentine eyes were fixed on the Rubik's Cube.

"...Incredible. Not only did they see through my intentions, but their reaction speed and strength also far exceeded expectations..."

He licked his lips, his voice slightly muffled due to the injury to his jaw:

"Jiraiya... he's picked up an extraordinary disciple."

He slowly straightened up, his distorted jaw visibly recovering at a speed under the surge of chakra, emitting a teeth-grinding "clucking" sound.

Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the Rubik's Cube for a moment, then swept over Momono, who was being protected behind him, still shaken but glaring at him with a forced smile. A cryptic smile appeared on his lips.

"What a pity, we'll meet again..."

He said in a hoarse voice.