Chapter 065
[Tobirama Senju]:...
[Tobirama Senju]:Eh!?
???
At that moment, Orochimaru realized he was under intense scrutiny, as though everyone's eyes had locked onto him like surveillance cameras.
Even the Sand Village trio—Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara—were all staring straight at him.
Temari and the others only knew that Orochimaru, as the Kage of the Sound Village, was expected to play a major role in this invasion of Konoha.
But now—
The invasion hadn't even started, and Orochimaru was already done for?
Did the Sand Village just ally with an idiot?
"...???"
Orochimaru???
He hadn't even made a move and he was already exposed?
"How interesting."
Noting the attention he'd drawn, Orochimaru didn't panic. Instead, he calmly stood up.
"I'll remember you." He then turned and left quietly with the ANBU team that had arrived.
But he didn't mind at all—this was just a shadow clone.
His real reason for coming back this time was mostly to mock his indecisive teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He considered himself a filial student.
So how could he possibly enter using just a regular examinee identity?
The "Grass Ninja Orochimaru" was just a sub-account. His main disguise was impersonating the Fourth Kazekage.
What he didn't know, however, was that the note Kitahara Kaede had handed over specifically exposed that Orochimaru was impersonating the Fourth Kazekage.
So while the Third Hokage and the others were considering arresting the Kazekage, the Chūnin Exams in Classroom 302 had already begun.
The test papers were distributed.
And the questions... were absurdly difficult.
The 55th Joint Chūnin Exam held by Konoha
① Ninja ID:
② Exam Registration Number:
Full Score: 100Time Limit: 50 Minutes(Please use a black pen)
Total of 9 questions (10 points each):
Hand seals for Water Dragon Bullet Technique:
A. Monkey - Hare - Rat - Boar - Rooster - Ox - Horse
B. Rat - Tiger - Dog - Tiger - Snake
C. Boar - Goat - ??? - Monkey - Rooster - Dragon - Rooster - Ox - Horse - Goat - Tiger - Snake
D. Monkey - Hare - [ ] - Dragon - Goat - Rat
[25×(5×4/5)]×√(4) + (π - 2017)^0 - ln10 + |tan45 - 2|
(1) 0 = 2x² + 3x + 1 (2) In Y = 2x + 10, find Y when x = 3
List three chemical and physical properties of water.
In a closed circuit powered by three dry cells, with a 0–0.5A ammeter and a 3Ω resistor, how can the circuit be configured to keep the ammeter reading within range? [You may add experimental equipment.]
How much is your T-shirt?
In the biosphere, the main natural method of consuming carbon is [ ], usually completed by [ ] (fill in "producer", "consumer", or "decomposer"), and the direction of energy transfer points to the [ ] of the food chain (fill in "top" or "bottom").
Since ancient times, countless ninja have worked hard and fought bravely to protect what matters most to them. They believe that one day, they will become strong ninja who protect their village and country—like the Hokage of each era. Though their goals and what they protect may differ, their will endures. Fighting is a will. Competing is a will. Completing missions is a will. Training is also a will...The Land of Fire has inherited the Will of Fire.
For the third round of the Chūnin Exams, describe the battle you think was the most exciting (include the participants, the process, and the outcome), and explain its significance. (10 points)
Kitahara Kaede glanced at the test.
It was clear—this test wasn't designed for academic scores. It was sadistically difficult.
Sure, it made sense to test some ninja knowledge, but math, biology, and physics too? Who was supposed to pass this!?
From Konoha's perspective, they obviously couldn't fail everyone—if they did, no one would participate in the next exam.
These exams helped stimulate the village economy and shape the power dynamics among the great ninja villages. They couldn't be tossed away lightly.
With the ninja world having enjoyed peace for so long—and reliable examinees in short supply—this year's exam was surprisingly well-attended:
Amegakure: 12
Sunagakure: 3
Kusagakure: 46
Iwagakure: 33
Kumogakure: 52
Konohagakure: 34
Minor Villages: 18
Kirigakure: 0
Total: 198
Kirigakure's absence was especially conspicuous.
Not because Mei Terumi didn't want to send anyone, but because... there were no available candidates.
Zabuza himself once said during his introduction that Kirigakure's old "Blood Mist" Chūnin Exam required teams of three to kill one another to pass.
In Zabuza's case, he killed all the other examinees.
So yeah, Kirigakure folks aren't exactly sane. Forget teammates—everyone's scared of being accidentally killed. Honestly, their absence is for the best.
[Descendant Chat Group (^_-)]
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]:Wow, these questions are hard.
[Tobirama Senju]:They are tough, but we were pulled into that genjutsu space together, so we've been reading with Naruto and Sasuke—we should know this stuff.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]:But I still can't solve them.
[Tobirama Senju]:Eh? Big Brother, didn't you spend sixty years in that genjutsu library?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]:Oh, no, Tobirama… you see, I've never been great with book stuff...
[Tobirama Senju]:... So that snoring noise in the genjutsu space—that was you!?
[Timid as a Mouse - Ōnoki]:Hmm…
[Timid as a Mouse - Ōnoki]:But for the Konoha Chūnin Exam to have this kind of difficulty in the first written test!?
[Tobirama Senju]:Any thoughts, Ōnoki?
[Timid as a Mouse - Ōnoki]:Our Iwagakure exams aren't anywhere near this ridiculous.
[Timid as a Mouse - Ōnoki]:Has Konoha's education really gotten that advanced? We can't keep up at all.This exam? No way my village's kids could pass.
[Minato Namikaze]:I don't think that's the case.
[Tobirama Senju]:Why not?
[Minato Namikaze]:Because I've taken this exam before.
[Tobirama Senju]:Eh?
[Minato Namikaze]:Back when Orochimaru-sensei… uh, before he defected, he created this exact exam when he was an examiner. He gave it to me to try out.
[Minato Namikaze]:These are the exact same questions.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]:Then what's going on?
[Minato Namikaze]:I think Hiruzen-sama reused this paper on purpose to bait Orochimaru out—since only he could solve it.
[Tobirama Senju]:Because he wrote it himself, he'd recognize it?
[Tobirama Senju]:…If not for the fact that rogue ninja aren't supposed to harm their own village, anyone capable of making a test like this… Orochimaru must've made real progress in his research.
[Kakashi Hatake]:He has. Yamato's Wood Release came from one of Orochimaru's experiments, which he personally oversaw.
[Tobirama Senju]:I see… Still, no matter how talented, a traitor cannot be tolerated.
[Tobirama Senju]:Kitahara Kaede pointed out Orochimaru's identity directly.
[Tobirama Senju]:Hiruzen and the others must have taken care of him by now.
[Timid as a Mouse - Ōnoki]:Exactly.
Meanwhile...
Hokage's Office
"How should we handle this?"
The crystal ball showed the "female Grass ninja" leaving with the ANBU team from Exam Room 302.
"Orochimaru actually turned into a woman."
"..."
"Hiruzen…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing, but he understood. Orochimaru hadn't learned gratitude despite being spared, nor did he cherish the knowledge he'd gained.
This transformation... It must be Living Corpse Reincarnation.
"Though, we can't be sure," Hiruzen said. "That might not be the real Orochimaru."
"He wouldn't give in so easily."
"You're right… Then where's the real one?" Koharu asked.
"Lord Third!"
An ANBU arrived with a message.
"Enter."
The ANBU handed Hiruzen an envelope from Kitahara Kaede.
He opened it.
[Orochimaru is impersonating the Fourth Kazekage]
"..." Hiruzen.
"?!?!?" Koharu gasped.
"What!" Mitokado Homura stood up. "He dared!?"
"If we don't handle this properly, it could spark a new Shinobi World War!"
"To think he actually kidnapped the Kazekage…" The room filled with shocked gasps.
Everyone's expression darkened.
After all, the Third Shinobi World War began when the Third Kazekage disappeared.
And now, if Orochimaru had killed and replaced the Fourth Kazekage…
"He's trying to destroy me," Hiruzen sighed.
The stakes had escalated beyond Konoha. As Hokage, he had no choice but to act.
"..."
Danzo stood silently off to the side.
He didn't care. Whether Hiruzen stepped down or died, it didn't matter to him.
If Hiruzen was out of the picture, his time had finally come.
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