Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice

The one-month training period had begun, but before anything else, Teriyaki had a mission to complete. Under the cover of night, he moved through the dense forest outside Konoha, arriving at a secluded cave where Orochimaru awaited him.

The air inside was damp, the walls lined with eerie shadows cast by flickering torches. Orochimaru sat on a stone throne, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement as Teriyaki knelt before him.

"Report," the snake-like shinobi commanded.

Teriyaki took a deep breath. "Sasuke Uchiha is progressing quickly. His sharingan is powerful and he never lets his guard down. Naruto Uzumaki is reckless yet resilient—he has a very kind heart. Gaara... he's the most dangerous right now, his team cleared the exam the fastest. Neji is powerful, we fought briefly and I only fought my way out due to flexibility."

Orochimaru smirked. "Excellent observations. And what of their weaknesses?"

"Sasuke is too reliant on his Sharingan. He is slow without it. Naruto compensates for his weaknesses with sheer willpower, but he still has barely any powerful jutsus. Gaara... his mind is unstable. He's like a time bomb."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Good. Let Sasuke struggle in the tournament. Make him believe he's not strong enough yet. That way, he'll come to me for power."

"Of course."

"You have one month until then, use it well."

Teriyaki felt a knot in his stomach. He had seen this coming, but hearing Orochimaru confirm his plan only made it worse. He bowed his head. "Understood."

The meeting ended, and Teriyaki left the cave, his mind heavy with thought. As he walked through the silent forest, his thoughts drifted to the past—his parents.

It had been years since he lost them, but every year on his birthday even in this world, the pain resurfaced. He missed them. He missed the warmth of their home, the quiet moments before everything changed. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel it—to remember the laughter, the voices he would never hear again. But dwelling on it wouldn't bring them back. He had to keep moving forward.

If only he could've said goodbye, instead he transported whilst training for a final exam.

Shaking off the emotions, Teriyaki returned to his training. With only a month left, he needed to sharpen his skills. The tournament wouldn't be easy, and hed couldn't afford to be weak. Each day, he pushed himself harder—honing his speed, refining his jutsu, preparing for whatever lay ahead.

The sun barely pierced the thick canopy as Teriyaki stood in knee-deep water, facing Orochimaru. The rogue Sannin was watching him with an amused expression, his golden, snake-like eyes gleaming with interest.

"So," Orochimaru purred, his voice a slow, deliberate hiss. "You wish to learn something truly useful?"

Teriyaki nodded. "I need a jutsu that can overwhelm my enemies. Something unexpected."

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Overwhelming your enemies is a fine goal. But survival is what truly matters. If you wish to stand against those stronger than you, then you must learn to control the battlefield itself."

With a flick of his wrist, Orochimaru weaved through a rapid set of hand seals, and the waters around him began to churn violently. A dark vortex formed in the riverbed, expanding rapidly. Suddenly, water burst upward, forming the shape of a massive, gaping maw lined with jagged, swirling currents like teeth.

"This is the Water Maw Jutsu," Orochimaru explained as the churning whirlpool hovered menacingly in the air. "It seizes anything within its grasp, pulling it into a watery abyss. Unlike simple water techniques, this one is predatory—it doesn't just restrain; it devours."

Teriyaki's eyes widened as he watched the jutsu collapse in on itself, the water spiraling down into nothingness.

"You think you can learn it?" Orochimaru taunted, his smirk widening. "Or will it consume you first?"

Teriyaki clenched his fists. He wasn't some weak-willed shinobi who would falter. He had survived this long in Orochimaru's presence—he wasn't about to break now.

He memorized the sequence of hand seals Orochimaru had used—Tiger, Serpent, Boar, Ox, Ram, Dragon—and focused his chakra. Kneeling into the water, he inhaled deeply and wove the seals, attempting to channel his energy into the technique.

The river stirred, a weak current forming beneath the surface. But instead of rising into a vortex, the water barely rippled before collapsing back into itself.

Orochimaru sighed dramatically. "Pathetic."

Teriyaki gritted his teeth. Again. He molded his chakra, this time pushing more forcefully, but the water merely swirled aimlessly. Orochimaru watched for hours as Teriyaki struggled, his amusement barely hidden.

"You're too hesitant," Orochimaru chided. "Water isn't like fire—it doesn't respond to brute force. It consumes. It drowns. You must command it, not ask it to obey."

Teriyaki took the advice to heart. He adjusted his breathing, focusing on the flow of the river rather than fighting against it. Slowly, he felt something shift within him.

He formed the seals again—Tiger, Serpent, Boar, Ox, Ram, Dragon.

This time, the water moved.

A tendril of liquid rose, coiling into an imperfect maw before splashing back down. Orochimaru clapped slowly, mockingly. "Better. But still nowhere near enough."

Days passed, and Teriyaki trained relentlessly. His body ached from exhaustion, his chakra reserves strained to their limit. But Orochimaru didn't let up. He pushed Teriyaki harder, forcing him to practice in harsher conditions—under heavy rainfall, against strong currents, even while dodging enemy attacks.

One evening, as a storm raged overhead, Orochimaru ambushed him. Without warning, snakes shot from the shadows, hissing as they lunged for him. Teriyaki barely evaded, his hands moving instinctively into the seals.

Tiger, Serpent, Boar, Ox, Ram, Dragon.

He poured his will into the water, imagining the vortex as an extension of himself. He commanded it.

The river obeyed.

A massive whirlpool surged upward, its jagged maw snapping shut just as the snakes reached him. The vortex devoured them, shredding the summoned beasts into mist before collapsing back into the water.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then Orochimaru laughed.

"You learn quickly," he mused. "I expected no less."

Teriyaki panted, his body trembling from the effort. But he didn't allow himself to collapse. Not yet.

The next morning, Teriyaki stood at the river's edge, his muscles sore but his mind sharper than ever. He no longer needed to second-guess the jutsu. His hands flowed through the seals effortlessly, his chakra molding the water like an artist shaping clay.

With one final motion, the Water Maw burst forth from the river, its massive form surging upward before slamming down violently, sending ripples of power throughout the current.

Orochimaru watched with satisfaction. "Now you're ready."

Teriyaki exhaled slowly, the weight of his exhaustion catching up with him. He had done it. He had learned a jutsu few would ever master. And in doing so, he had taken yet another step toward carving his own path in this world.

One month remained until the tournament. Sasuke was training under Kakashi, Naruto with Jiraiya. But Teriyaki had something neither of them did.

He had Orochimaru's attention.

"For once." Teriyaki muttered.

He couldn't remember the last time Orochimaru taught him a jutsu.