Chapter 70:
Although Uchiha Dan had previously seen Orochimaru and his teammates in action, and had some understanding of their body flicker techniques, witnessing it firsthand in battle was a completely different experience.
Fortunately for him, he reacted quickly. Defense was often easier than offense, especially if he could avoid his opponent's initial burst of speed. He believed that if he could just hold off that first strike, the rest of the battle would fall into place.
But something was off.
When he prepared to defend himself, he realized Orochimaru wasn't coming for him. Instead, Orochimaru had changed targets, attacking his teammates. In his hand, at some point, a kunai had appeared.
"No... murderous intent!" Dan thought in horror.
Murderous intent was a specific type of aura, one that only appeared in those who had taken a life before. Did this kid no, this monster already kill someone?
Dan's thoughts raced, but he had no time to dwell on them. He knew that if he didn't act now, his teammate would be dead in seconds. In Konoha Village, killing a fellow ninja was tantamount to betraying the village, but the Chunin Exam was different. Here, the rules were crueler. Fatalities were allowed.
For Dan, it wasn't that he cared so much for his teammate's life, but he knew that if his teammate died, their team would be eliminated from the exam. He had to act.
Whoosh!