Ella sprinted through the dense foliage for what felt like hours, relying on her sharpened senses to guide her to her teammates. Finally, she caught wind of Sakura's distinctive voice, uttering some coded phrases. Curiosity compelling her, Ella emerged from the shadows just as Naruto made his presence known.
"Hey, guys," she greeted.
"Ella? Is that really you?" Sakura questioned, a hint of fear coloring her gaze.
Ella's eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course, it's me. What's going on?" Her gaze shifted to Naruto, realization dawning.
"You're not Naruto," she declared.
"Heh, what are you talking about? Of course, it's me," he insisted.
Sasuke swiftly drew a kunai from his pouch and hurled it at the imposter, who dodged with a desperate tumble. "Hey, what the hell, Sasuke!"
Ella chuckled softly. "You really think you could pretend to be Naruto of all people?" She unsheathed a kunai, her gaze piercing the imposter. "Show yourself."
Naruto stood, covering his face, and let out a chuckle, sounding eerily snake-like. "Heh. I see you are neither tired nor ill-prepared."
The skin on Naruto's face peeled away, revealing the Grass ninja from before the exam, a smirk playing on his lips. He then licked those lips with a tongue unusually longer than a normal human's.
"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Ella demanded, staring at him with a mix of confusion and concern.
The Grass ninja grinned, his eyes gleaming with a sinister glint. "Impressive, Sakamoto-san. Most would have fallen for Naruto's facade. I am Orochimaru."
Ella's eyes widened in recognition. The infamous Sannin, Orochimaru, known for his forbidden jutsu and nefarious deeds. Her hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her kunai as she assessed the situation.
"Ah, ah. Ella. That's not a good idea," Orochimaru smirked.
In the next moment, all three of the genin froze. Orochimaru had ensnared them in a cunning genjutsu. Ella felt herself locked in place, forced to witness her demise repeatedly. She clutched her kunai, attempting to wrest control of her limbs from the illusion's grip.
Orochimaru chuckled at their predicament, his sadistic enjoyment evident. "How does it feel, Sakamoto-san? To witness your own demise repeatedly."
Ella fought against the illusion, her mind struggling to break free. The mental assault intensified, each repetition of her death playing out with vivid detail. The darkness of the genjutsu threatened to overwhelm her.
Sasuke and Sakura, trapped in their own illusions, were equally helpless. Orochimaru's twisted amusement filled the air as he reveled in their mental torment. Time seemed to stretch as the genin struggled against the relentless onslaught of illusions.
Just when Ella felt on the verge of surrendering to the illusion, a surge of determination welled up within her. With a forceful mental push, she shattered the genjutsu, dispelling the haunting images. Orochimaru's grin faltered for a moment as he registered her resilience.
"I should have known a Sakamoto would've been able to break free without help," Orochimaru stated, his smirk persisting.
Ella shot him a defiant glare. "Save your commentary. What do you want, Orochimaru?" Her voice carried a mixture of irritation and vigilance, her eyes narrowing as she kept a firm grip on her kunai.
"I want the Sharingan," he started, licking his lips, "And I want the Sakamoto ability."
Ella chuckled softly in response. "You won't get either from us."
She swiftly pulled out a small ball and threw it on the ground, creating a billowing smoke cloud. In the midst of the cover, Ella created a clone and deftly scooped up Sasuke and Sakura, leaping away from Orochimaru and out of immediate danger.
"Sasuke. Sakura. C'mon, snap out of it!" Ella shouted urgently.
When neither of them reacted, she groaned softly. "Please don't be mad at me for this."
Without hesitation, Ella slapped Sakura first, and then Sasuke. Both grunted in pain and glared at her. Ella looked at them sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "You guys weren't responding and-"
"Where is he?!" Sasuke asked in fear, scanning their surroundings.
"Ye-yeah," Sakura added. "He was right there."
"I don't know; I just pulled you guys out of there before we died," Ella responded, looking around, only to come face to face with a colossal snake. "Shit! Guys, get back!"
Ella jumped backward, gripping Sakura to prevent her from getting hit, and hurled shuriken at the snake. She landed on the next branch, her confusion deepening as the snake's skin cracked open, revealing Orochimaru emerging. His hair and body were wet with saliva, and a sadistic smirk adorned his face.
"You guys shouldn't rest for even a second. Prey should always be trying their best to run away, in the presence of a predator that is," he stated before swiftly moving to the tree in front of them, his body elongating and wrapping around the trunk.
Before Orochimaru could reach the top of the tree, shuriken were lodged above his head and a shout drew everyone's attention away from the snake-like man.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke! I forgot the code word!" Naruto shouted out, smirking as he perched on top of his branch.
"Great job, Naruto!" Sakura yelled out, expressing her relief at his arrival.
"Naruto," Sasuke started, a stern tone in his voice, "I know you think you're cool and here to save us, but forget it! Run away! This one is on a whole 'nother level!"
"Hehe..." Orochimaru chuckled, hanging onto the tree branch with his coiled body. "Looks like you successfully defeated that giant snake, Naruto-kun~"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted, his voice carrying a mix of bravado and nervousness, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Or something like that..." He finished weakly.
Sasuke then activated his Sharingan for a moment, a brief gleam of crimson reflecting his focused determination. Deactivating it, he pulled out their scroll. "If it's our scroll you want, come and take it! Just take it and go."
Ella chuckled softly, crossing her arms in a display of amusement. "Sasuke, are you that dense?"
Sasuke turned and glared at her. "What are you talking about?" he growled out.
"Think about it," Ella began, capturing Sasuke's attention and directing it back to Orochimaru. "He's a snake. Snakes are predators." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you understand?"
"Yeah... I do," he said, his gaze firm, before tossing the scroll towards Orochimaru. "Come and get it!"
Witnessing Sasuke throw the scroll, Naruto catapulted forward from his branch, his movements swift as he snatched the scroll midair. He landed behind Sasuke and Ella, clutching the precious item.
"Stay out of this!" Sasuke shouted, turning back to Naruto. "You'll ruin everything!"
Ignoring Sasuke's warning, Naruto turned and delivered a resounding punch to Sasuke's face. The unexpected action shocked Sakura, and Ella couldn't help but release a soft giggle at the unfolding drama.
Seizing the opportunity created by Sasuke and Naruto's bickering, Ella swiftly formulated a plan. She began weaving hand signs with practiced precision, channeling chakra for a powerful ninjutsu attack. As the air around her crackled with energy, Orochimaru, still coiled around the tree, eyed her with mild interest.
Ella thrust her hands forward, releasing a surge of chakra toward Orochimaru. A barrage of sharp, wind-infused blades shot towards the snake-like Sannin, aiming to disrupt his focus and loosen his grip on the situation. The blades sliced through the air with deadly accuracy, adding an element of chaos to the already tense confrontation.
The slicing winds tore through the air, and Orochimaru's attempt to cling to the tree proved futile. The razor-sharp blades cut through his defenses, forcing him back into the tree trunk. The impact revealed a glimpse of his true face, marked by eerie, serpent-like features.
Ella's jutsu succeeded in creating an opening, disrupting Orochimaru's control over the situation. The sinister Sannin, now partially revealed, hissed in frustration. The distraction allowed Sasuke to retrieve the scroll while Naruto held the other.
"Nice catch Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cheered for him.
"Ok. That's enough celebrating." Ella stated picking up Sakura who shrieked and blushed in embarrassment. "We've gotta go guys."
As Team 7 regrouped, Orochimaru, still recovering from Ella's attack, hissed in displeasure. The genin wasted no time, swiftly retreating from the confrontation. Naruto led the way, glancing back to make sure Orochimaru wasn't pursuing them.
Ella maintained a vigilant stance, her senses alert to any signs of danger. Sakura clung to her, still flustered from being picked up so suddenly, while Sasuke kept a tight grip on the retrieved scrolls.
"Let's find a safe place to regroup and assess our situation," Ella suggested, her eyes scanning their surroundings for any lingering threats.