Chapter 139: Playing Tricks on Orochimaru

The first written exam had ended.

Thanks to Naruto's disruption, many candidates were stirred by his bold declarations and refused to give up the test.

This greatly diminished the effect of Morino Ibiki's final question, and the number of candidates who passed far exceeded expectations.

Fortunately, with Yami's warning beforehand, Ibiki had tightened the invigilation. Even so, it still wasn't enough to satisfy Anko, who broke into the room through the window.

"So many passed the first round. Ibiki, are you trying to make my job harder on purpose?"

Ibiki gave a response that made several people chuckle. "What can I say? The candidates' quality this year is pretty high."

"Forget it."

Anko waved her hand dismissively. "I'll eliminate at least half of them in the second round. No matter how many cannon fodder pass, they're just nutrition for the Forest of Death."

Her words didn't intimidate the remaining examinees. They assumed it was the same psychological tactic Ibiki had used earlier, trying to scare them into quitting voluntarily.

"Everyone, follow me."

Seeing through their thoughts, Anko smirked but said nothing more. She leapt out the window, leading the way.

They were lucky to be born in this era.

If this were the previous generation, very few would have survived this long.

Once outside the Forest of Death, Anko explained the rules of the second exam.

Only now did the candidates realize why she had been so confident about eliminating half of them.

The atmosphere instantly changed. The hostility between teams grew noticeably sharper.

When it was Team 7's turn to enter, Anko stopped them and gently ruffled Hinata's hair with a smile.

"Hinata, be careful once you're inside. If anything happens, activate the Flying Thunder God kunai Yami gave you. Don't be reckless."

"Okay, I understand, Anko-san."

Of the girls in the Shimura household, only Karin and Hinata were still children. They were treated like beloved mascots.

Though Anko was technically just auxiliary personnel now, she loved Hinata just as much as the others.

"Hey, bun-head lady, you know Yami-nii too?" Naruto asked in surprise, instinctively giving her a nickname.

"Of course."

Unlike with Hinata, Anko wasn't so kind toward Naruto. There was even a trace of gritted teeth in her voice.

"I've been a Chūnin examiner for years. My biggest regret is becoming his proctor back then."

In just a few short years, Anko had gone from an ordinary examiner to the chief proctor of the second exam. All because of Yami's casual remark, "I hope you're still an examiner in ten years."

Even if she tried to transfer to another department to take on dangerous missions, she never got the chance. With Yami's interference, no one dared touch her assignment.

"So, how did Yami-sensei do back then?"

Sasuke also became curious and gestured for the other teams to go in first. He wanted to learn more about Yami.

"How did he do?"

Anko gave him a mocking smile. "Eight-year-old Yami formed a team alone. He wiped out three-quarters of the hundred shinobi from other villages in the second exam, forcing the exam rules to be rewritten."

Hinata and the others were stunned.

That number was too outrageous. Combined with the fact that he was only eight years old, it left them deeply shocked.

Gulp.

Naruto swallowed hard. He hadn't even killed anyone yet. Even when facing enemies, he'd only subdued them.

"You little punks."

Anko looked at Sasuke and Naruto and smiled threateningly.

"You better protect Hinata. If anything happens to her, you'll be in serious trouble when you come out."

Sasuke nodded stiffly.

He hadn't gotten his revenge yet. He couldn't afford to end up as a footnote in one of Yami's stories.

They'd been warned in advance—Hinata was only responsible for perception. The combat would be up to the two of them.

"Alright, get in there and grab a scroll. The real bloodbath is coming."

After calling out, Anko vanished using Body Flicker Technique.

Inside the Forest of Death, the examinees gradually entered their rhythm.

Stronger teams actively hunted others, while the weaker ones set traps and waited for prey to stumble in.

Gaara's team was the most aggressive and unstoppable. Their strength was arguably the highest in the forest.

After entering, Gaara finally had a chance to release his long-restrained killing intent. He quickly eliminated a team of Ame shinobi and seized their scrolls.

But he didn't head to the tower to finish the round immediately. Instead, he began searching for Uchiha Sasuke. He wanted to take out both Sasuke and Naruto here and now.

Elsewhere, Kabuto's fake smile faded, replaced by cold indifference.

"You two act freely. I'm going to carry out Lord Orochimaru's task. We'll regroup at the tower."

Both spies planted in Konoha by Orochimaru, had much lower standing than Kabuto. When he gave the order, they didn't dare question it and quickly left.

Before the exam started, Kabuto had placed tracking ninjutsu on two teams from Kusagakure. It didn't take long for him to find them.

Killing them was even easier.

Kabuto's strength had only grown stronger over the years. Even Yami wasn't sure how far he'd progressed. One thing was certain—he was much stronger than in the original timeline.

After killing the last Kusagakure ninja, Kabuto calmly wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief.

That's when an uninvited guest silently approached from behind.

"I don't recall asking you to do extra work, Kabuto."

Hearing that familiar raspy voice, Kabuto's face changed slightly, then quickly returned to normal as he put on his usual gentle smile.

A Kusagakure shinobi he didn't recognize stood before him.

"Lord Orochimaru, this was an order from Lord Yami. I really couldn't refuse."

Kabuto had never hidden his identity as a double agent. He simply altered the timeline, claiming he'd been recruited by Yami during his training in the Sound Village.

Sometimes, an exposed spy was safer than a hidden one. Ten known spies were easier to manage than one unknown threat.

Besides, Orochimaru never cared about loyalty. He had full confidence in his own strength and charisma.

Kabuto understood Orochimaru's character well.

As expected, Orochimaru showed no anger. Instead, he licked his lips with interest.

"So it was Yami's order… Did he say anything else?"

Kabuto shook his head slightly and whispered, "He only told me to kill. Shall I investigate his motive?"

"No need. I'll send someone to investigate Kusagakure later. For now, withdraw from the exam and focus on Uchiha Sasuke's development."

Orochimaru had no interest in wasting energy on Kusagakure.

He had already found his "true love."

Uchiha Sasuke, the perfect vessel.

He shared the same bloodline as Itachi, and Orochimaru believed Sasuke's potential might surpass even his brother's.

This was Orochimaru's sharp instinct.

Sasuke's current performance couldn't compare to Itachi's, of course.

After surviving the massacre of his clan, he awakened the Two Tomoe Sharingan at age twelve—far slower than Itachi.

But Orochimaru never judged potential by the age of awakening.

He had read records stating that even the legendary Uchiha Madara didn't awaken his Sharingan until age fifteen, yet he still rivaled the God of Shinobi.

Orochimaru believed that under his training, Sasuke would become the perfect tool for revenge against Itachi.

Kabuto's expression changed when he realized Orochimaru's goal.

"Lord Orochimaru, I know you already know this, but I must remind you. Uchiha Sasuke is Lord Yami's student. If he finds out you're targeting Sasuke… it won't end well."

"Are you worried I'll lose?"

The woman disguised as Orochimaru smiled playfully.

"Don't worry. I'll make Uchiha Sasuke come to me willingly. Yami is technically my student, isn't he? Isn't it only natural that, as his teacher, I teach his student?"

Seeing that Orochimaru had made up his mind, Kabuto wisely shut his mouth.

He just hoped Orochimaru could leave Konoha safely. Yami had instructed him to guide Orochimaru toward completing the Impure World Reincarnation. He couldn't afford to let Orochimaru die here.

At the same time, Konoha shinobi soon discovered the corpses of three Kusagakure ninjas. One had his face peeled off. The scene was horrific.

That familiar ninjutsu and scent made Anko's face darken.

Her hand instinctively reached for her neck, but she forced herself to stop.

"Send someone to report to the Hokage immediately," she said in a deep voice. "And send another to find Yami. He's the only one who can deal with that man."

With that, she dashed into the Forest of Death.

While Anko searched for Orochimaru, Orochimaru was already hunting Sasuke.

Like a snake, he slithered through the forest. None of the examinees sensed a thing.

By sunset, as darkness fell on the first night, Orochimaru finally located Team 7. They had already collected all the scrolls and were heading toward the tower.

He blocked their path.

"So much chakra! Be careful, this guy is definitely not a Genin!"

Hinata's veins bulged around her eyes as she exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn't imagine someone so powerful would appear in the Chūnin Exams.

"The Hyūga clan's eldest daughter…"

Orochimaru glanced at Hinata, then lost interest.

While the Byakugan's perception was valuable for a village, it offered little for individual growth.

His eyes were on Sasuke. Not even the Nine Tails' jinchūriki interested him.

With Hinata's warning, Naruto and Sasuke realized they were up against a formidable foe.

However, both were full of confidence after their recent progress. Rather than retreat, they launched an attack.

After a fierce battle, they broke Orochimaru's human-skin mask and saw his true face.

"You even mastered Chidori… as expected, you're the ideal choice."

Orochimaru grew more satisfied with Sasuke. No longer wanting to delay, he suddenly appeared in front of them. He kicked Naruto away faster than any of them could react. His neck stretched over ten meters and he lunged to bite Sasuke.

"Sasuke, enjoy this gift. You'll witness true power!"

With a twisted smile, Orochimaru moved in. But just one meter from Sasuke, he was abruptly stopped, unable to move another inch.

"True power? Orochimaru-sensei, why don't you show me too?"

A force slammed into him. Orochimaru's head was violently flung away, smashing through several trees before it retracted back to normal.

"Yami!"

Hinata called out in surprise and rushed toward him.

Yami smiled and took her hand. With that, Hinata's fear of Orochimaru vanished completely.

Seeing the handsome boy suddenly appear, Orochimaru's smile faded.

"Yami-kun… I didn't expect you so soon."

"Phew. We're saved."

Naruto and Sasuke both breathed sighs of relief.

That opponent was terrifying—so strange he didn't even seem human, more like a ghost.

Their attacks had no effect. They were completely helpless.

"Huh?"

Naruto suddenly realized something. "Yami-nii, you just called him 'sensei'? Is he from Konoha?"

"He used to be," Yami replied. "Now, he's a rogue ninja. Just like Sasuke's brother."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "You still call a traitor 'sensei'?"

"Well, he did learn a lot from me, so the title fits," Orochimaru said as he wiped blood from his mouth and gave a creepy smile.

"Yami-kun, how about a little favor? Let Uchiha Sasuke come with me."

"Come on, Orochimaru. Aren't you being too polite?"

Yami waved his hand.

"You show your face in front of me, and now you want to place a curse on my student?

Who do you think you are?"

Orochimaru could no longer maintain his smile. His gaze grew cold as he stared at Yami.

[The respect bond between Host and Uchiha Sasuke has reached the second stage. Reward: Uchiha Bloodline (Ultimate)]

Yami glanced back at Sasuke, who quickly looked away with a forced expression, pretending not to care.

Still playing the tsundere act? What are you, Hikari? Though… his face does kind of resemble hers.

"It seems I'll have to teach you what respecting your teacher really means, Yami-kun."

Orochimaru clasped his hands together. A powerful chakra surged into a raging hurricane and swept toward Yami.

(To be continued.)

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