Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"It seems you're both satisfied with the reward. Let's begin." Orochimaru tossed the scroll onto a nearby tree, signaling the start of the test.

Kagetsu and Anko exchanged a glance but didn't attack immediately. Instead, they quickly ran off in different directions, far out of Orochimaru's sight.

"Are they planning a surprise attack? Or are they trying to understand each other's abilities?" Orochimaru observed their actions with a hint of satisfaction. If they had rushed at him recklessly, he would have been a bit disappointed.

"You must know the Nara clan's secret techniques, right?" Anko asked Kagetsu as soon as they were out of Orochimaru's sight, stopping to catch her breath.

Kagetsu nodded.

"Alright then, here's the plan. You use your clan's secret techniques to support me, and I'll handle the main attack. As long as you time it right and coordinate with me, we have a chance to grab the bell while Lord Orochimaru can't dodge." Anko quickly assigned the roles.

She didn't expect much from Kagetsu, not because she doubted his talent, but because he looked too young. If he could just use his shadow techniques to assist her at the right moment, she might succeed.

Kagetsu didn't argue with her. After all, her plan made sense.

"It's fine if you take the lead and I assist, but we have no teamwork, and it's hard to develop that in such a short time. If we had a third person, especially someone from the Yamanaka clan, it would be perfect. With their mental techniques, we could communicate telepathically," Kagetsu agreed with Anko's plan but pointed out the challenge of coordinating their efforts.

Experienced and mature ninja can coordinate without knowing each other well, but expecting two people who aren't even proper genin to work together perfectly is unrealistic.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Anko's cheeks puffed up in frustration.

"Since we don't have good teamwork, let's stop worrying about it," Kagetsu responded calmly. "We'll break down our attack into individual steps and assign them to each of us. We just need to focus on doing our own steps like a pre-programmed routine. There's no need to worry about what the other person is doing or how to synchronize with them. Just follow the plan step by step."

"Will that really work?" Anko thought about it carefully. Kagetsu's plan made sense, but she still had doubts. "Can we succeed like that?"

"Of course, it won't be that easy. This is just a shortcut. With Lord Orochimaru's sharp eyes, he'll likely see through it right away.

So, our only chance is during the first attempt when he might not expect us to use such a sneaky method. We don't need a lot of tactics—just one well-prepared plan," Kagetsu shook his head, not feeling very confident himself.

After discussing their strategy and some simple coordination methods in the dense forest, the two immediately circled back to the testing grounds.

Serpent—Dragon—Hare—Tiger!

Dragon Fire Technique!

From the dense forest behind Orochimaru, a towering pillar of flames suddenly shot out, heading straight for him and engulfing the area in a sea of fire.

But soon, at the peak of the flaming pillar, a rotating water shield rose up, clashing with the flames.

In an instant, thick steam spread out in all directions.

Anko's eyes lit up as she performed the Dragon Fire Technique. She quickly glanced at Kagetsu, then created a clone. Together, they dashed towards Orochimaru.

During her attack, Anko had already memorized exactly where the bells were hanging on Orochimaru's body. She had rehearsed the steps in her mind over and over again.

Kagetsu also sprang from the forest, and before the steam could clear, a black shadow under his feet transformed into a dark rope, snaking across the ground like a vine, heading towards the memorized spot.

As the mist began to clear and both sides regained some visibility, Kagetsu's shadow had already connected with Orochimaru's shadow. 

At the same time, the two Ankos had reached Orochimaru—one attacking him, while the other reached for the bell hanging on his waist.

Orochimaru noticed Anko's movements, but in that instant, he felt his body lose some control, becoming momentarily numb and sluggish. In that brief moment, Anko's fingers brushed against the bell.

Their coordination, both in timing and strategy, was surprisingly flawless. It was as if the two had been partners for a long time, understanding each other perfectly.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

Just as a smile formed on Anko's lips, thinking she had successfully grabbed the bell, she suddenly stumbled. Her outstretched fingers missed the bell by a hair's breadth.

A snake coiled up from Anko's foot, quickly binding both Anko so they couldn't move, while the other Anko, who was attacking Orochimaru, was caught by his hand and thrown aside. With a puff, she burst into a cloud of smoke.

Kagetsu's Shadow Imitation Technique wasn't strong enough to hold Orochimaru for long. As Kagetsu mentioned earlier, all he could create was that brief moment of stiffness—a fleeting opportunity.

After dealing with Anko, Orochimaru's gaze shifted to Nara Kagetsu. He noticed Kagetsu's fingers moving swiftly, forming hand seals like a butterfly fluttering through flowers.

Orochimaru watched with interest as Kagetsu finished the hand seals. Suddenly, a black curtain of shadow rose from the ground and enveloped Orochimaru.

Shadow Coffin!

The black shadow curtain only lasted for a moment before it began to collapse and fade away, revealing Orochimaru inside, his skin slightly cut.

"This is an interesting technique. Why have I never seen it used by the Nara Clan before?" Orochimaru ignored the bleeding cuts on his body, focusing instead on Kagetsu with curiosity. He instinctively felt that this jutsu was unique to Kagetsu.

"The bell is in my hand, Orochimaru-sensei." Kagetsu's face was pale from chakra exhaustion as he raised his right hand, where a familiar bell jingled softly.

"Interesting. So this unfamiliar jutsu was just a feint? You used the Shadow Imitation Technique to hold me, an unfamiliar shadow technique to distract me and cut the bell's string, and finally, the Shadow Sewing Jutsu to take the bell from me." Orochimaru quickly deduced Kagetsu's strategy.

"Was Anko also part of your plan?" Orochimaru's gaze swept over the still struggling Anko on the ground. Being well-acquainted with the Nara Clan, Orochimaru instinctively included her in the equation. Perhaps, there was even a hint of understanding of himself in this.

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