In the Land of Wind, somewhere within a desert canyon.
"Thunk!"
The sharp blade pierced through his body. Fourth Kazekage Rasa's eyes widened in disbelief as blood spurted from the corner of his mouth. He stared at his attacker in shock.
"Orochimaru, you..."
Before he could finish, Orochimaru sneered and withdrew the Kusanagi sword. The Fourth Kazekage collapsed to the ground, his eyes still open but unseeing.
Around the canyon lay the bodies of several Sunagakure ANBU shinobi.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Kimimaro Kaguya, a young man with white hair and piercing green eyes, covered his mouth as the sharp, pale bone protrusions along his upper body slowly retracted beneath his skin.
"Kimimaro, is your condition worsening again?"
Orochimaru sheathed the Kusanagi sword and turned toward the coughing Kimimaro.
"Lord Orochimaru..."
Kimimaro struggled to suppress his coughing and replied with determination: "The medicine I took this time was quite effective. My body can still endure! This vessel will definitely support Lord Orochimaru's ambitions!"
Kabuto Yakushi stood behind them, the healing chakra in his hands gradually dissipating. He adjusted his glasses with an uncomfortable smile but remained silent.
"Kabuto, well done."
"You haven't wasted those years studying under Naraku. I'm truly looking forward to seeing how Naraku will react when he encounters his long-lost student."
"Hehehe..."
Orochimaru, pleased with the raid's outcome, laughed menacingly.
Kabuto remarked from the side: "Perhaps Lord Naraku will eliminate Lord Orochimaru himself."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth with his unnaturally long tongue, revealing an unsettling smile. "You've made me even more eager to take action. How unexpected."
At that moment, a gust of wind and sand swept through the area, causing everyone to squint against the elements.
The old regime was fading, while the new one was already beginning!
"What powerful winds!"
Orochimaru gazed toward the direction of Konohagakure.
Teacher Sarutobi, I'll be returning soon!
...
Time passed quickly, and preparations for the Chūnin Exams were completed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, accompanied by high-ranking officials, summoned most of the village's Jōnin to announce the specific schedule and procedures for the Chūnin Exams.
The Jōnin instructors began recommending their students for participation. Of course, they all understood that students with insufficient abilities should not be nominated.
"I, Hatake Kakashi, recommend Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura of Team 7 for the Chūnin Exams!"
"I, Might Guy, recommend Hyūga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten of Team 3 for the Chūnin Exams!"
"I, Yūhi Kurenai, recommend Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino of Team 8 for the Chūnin Exams!"
"I, Sarutobi Asuma, recommend Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino of Team 10 for the Chūnin Exams!"
"..."
The Konoha 12 were officially stepping onto the stage!
Many Jōnin looked at the first few speakers with surprise, thinking their decisions seemed hasty.
After all, many of the recommended students had only graduated that year, making it rather early for them to participate in the Chūnin Exams.
Typically, a Jōnin would recommend students for the Chūnin Exams after leading them for at least a year—partly to develop team cohesion and partly to establish a solid foundation.
There was no rush to enter the Chūnin Exams, especially since passing was never guaranteed.
With the exception of a few prodigies, the average shinobi in Konohagakure attempted the exams three to four times before successfully becoming a Chūnin!
The high-ranking advisors seated at the front—Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Nara Shikaku, Shihouin Naraku, and Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen—ignored the murmurs among the Jōnin and signaled for the recommendations to continue.
In this latest Chūnin Exam, Konohagakure would field eighty-seven participants.
After the meeting, Shihouin Naraku had barely exited the venue when he spotted Iruka-sensei arguing with Kakashi.
"Naruto and the others have just graduated! It's inappropriate for them to take the Chūnin Exams so soon!"
"Iruka, you must understand that Naruto is now under my supervision, and I am their sensei. I believe they're ready for the Chūnin Exams!"
Shihouin Naraku scratched his head. This conversation between Iruka and Kakashi seemed oddly familiar, giving him a strange sense of déjà vu.
Iruka's concerns weren't unfounded. In his mind, Naruto remained that troublemaking child rather than a qualified shinobi, which fueled his worries.
In reality, after their recent training and missions, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura had each experienced significant growth.
Whether they would pass the Chūnin Exams remained to be seen, but they were certainly qualified to participate.
As the Chūnin Exams approached, Konohagakure grew increasingly bustling and prosperous.
Merchants, civilians, and shinobi—a diverse multitude—poured into the village, creating an atmosphere of controlled chaos.
Shihouin Naraku also found himself increasingly busy. The Medical Corps required minimal attention beyond arranging emergency response teams to be on standby throughout the exams.
ANBU, however, faced numerous responsibilities. Simply maintaining vigilance and monitoring the sudden population surge in Konohagakure proved challenging enough.
A total of six shinobi villages, including Konohagakure, would participate in these Chūnin Exams.
Of course, apart from Konohagakure and Sunagakure, the others were smaller villages with fewer participants, primarily due to their limited resources for training shinobi.
...
"Remain alert. There's an unprecedented influx of visitors to Konohagakure during this period. The barrier team must not lower their guard."
"Yes, Lord Naraku!"
Shihouin Naraku stood in a secretive building within Konohagakure. Before him floated a massive orb resembling a sphere of water.
This was Konohagakure's barrier system!
Any unauthorized chakra intrusion would trigger the barrier surrounding the village, with the intruder's position displayed on the large water sphere. The barrier sentries would then immediately alert village leadership!
The barrier team consisted entirely of shinobi with exceptional sensory abilities!
After inspecting the setup, Shihouin Naraku departed.
The barrier was impressive, yet not entirely reliable.
As a former high-ranking Konoha official, Orochimaru knew the seals to bypass the barrier undetected, as did Uchiha Itachi.
Though Nagato lacked this knowledge, he had no fear of detection, relying entirely on his overwhelming power to breach Konohagakure single-handedly.
So this barrier could be considered both useful and useless!
Unless Konohagakure invested enormous resources and funds to construct an entirely new barrier system—an expense even Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen would find difficult to justify.
"That's all. Now we wait."
Shihouin Naraku sat atop a tall building, observing the bustling village below.
On the outskirts of Konohagakure, Orochimaru stood on a high mountain with Kabuto Yakushi and Kimimaro Kaguya, gazing at the village in the distance.
"What a peaceful, beautiful village."
A sinister smile spread across Orochimaru's pale face. In his mind's eye, he envisioned Konohagakure reduced to smoldering ruins!
"It's been so long that I almost forgot I grew up here!"
"Hehehe..."
This is where Lord Orochimaru was raised?
Kimimaro Kaguya stared silently at Konohagakure, taking in the sight without comment.
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