As the strongest "tool" in the ninja world, Orochimaru was, unsurprisingly, very busy.
The Konoha Crush Plan was a major plot point in the original story — a moment countless fanfiction transmigrators wouldn't dare miss the opportunity to take advantage of.
This particular plan was devised by Orochimaru himself, working in conjunction with Sunagakure to launch a blitz attack against Konoha. Yet strangely, before the operation even began, Orochimaru secretly assassinated the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa!
On the surface, this act seemed completely at odds with the original purpose of the Konoha Crush Plan. But if you thought carefully about Orochimaru's true nature, it all started to make sense.
After all, Konoha was Orochimaru's birthplace. Deep down, he probably didn't truly want to see it utterly destroyed.
The Fourth Kazekage was an extremely powerful shinobi. If he had participated fully in the attack on Konoha, the village would have suffered devastating damage. By eliminating Rasa beforehand, Orochimaru weakened Sunagakure's fighting strength, keeping the harm to Konoha within a controllable range.
If Konoha had been struck down too hard, the Fourth Great Ninja War might have erupted immediately — and just like the previous wars, all the other ninja villages would have banded together to crush Konoha.
Given Konoha's current state, they would have undoubtedly become the defeated party. Too many of their top shinobi had already perished in internal conflicts, and the Uchiha clan's annihilation had left their overall strength severely depleted.
In truth, Orochimaru's so-called Konoha Crush Plan seemed more like an effort to forcibly spin the broken-down wheel of Konoha back into motion — to purge the village's festering sickness in his own twisted way, allowing the Third Hokage to make a "glorious exit," and solidify his reputation as the "strongest Hokage."
...
On the day of the Chūnin Exams, the first round was a written test.
At the entrance to the exam hall, standing like gatekeepers, were Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu. A boy wearing a green jumpsuit and sporting a bowl-cut hairstyle lay collapsed at their feet, looking like he'd been thoroughly battered.
Mocking laughter rang out mercilessly.
"Someone this weak thinks he can take the Chūnin Exams?"
Tenten, her hair tied into two buns on either side of her head, pressed her palms together in a pleading gesture, her face troubled.
"Please... just let us through, okay?"
Sasuke brushed past Tenten with a blank expression. Seeing him, Tenten's face immediately grew awkward. Their Team 5 had planned to "play dumb" and pretend to be weak... but it seemed now everyone truly believed they were weak.
When Neji spotted Sasuke, he stepped forward to greet him. Sasuke raised his chin slightly and asked,
"What's with these childish games?"
Neji gave a casual wave of his hand.
"Lee and Tenten insisted on it. I couldn't stop them. Just a way to relax before the exam."
The two began chatting as if the Chūnin guarding the door didn't even exist.
"Hey, hey, hey! You two brats! You think you can just ignore us?!" Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu shouted angrily, launching taijutsu attacks at Neji and Sasuke.
But before they could even blink, Lee easily blocked them.
Then, before everyone's astonished eyes, Rock Lee turned toward Sakura, who had been standing nearby watching the commotion, and flashed a dazzling, snow-white smile.
"Hello! You must be Sakura-san! I'm Rock Lee! Please go out with me! I'll protect you with my life!"
"..."Sakura froze in pure awkwardness. She sneaked a glance at Sasuke.
Seriously? Is this the kind of guy who likes me? Some clueless musclehead?
"I refuse!" she said firmly.
"Why?!" Lee cried.
"Because... your eyebrows are way too thick," Sakura said bluntly.
Rejected on the spot, Rock Lee's face crumpled with disappointment. Meanwhile, Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu quietly slipped away. Ino, however, couldn't help but give Sakura a few surprised looks.
She remembered when they had first met — how so many people mocked Sakura's broad forehead. Back then, Ino had stood up for her, and the two had become close friends.
Now, to see Sakura criticizing someone else's appearance... it was a little ironic. Fortunately, Rock Lee was thick-skinned enough not to take it to heart — he wasn't about to start plucking his eyebrows over it.
With the "gatekeepers" gone, the group easily entered the exam hall.
...
After stepping inside, Rock Lee suddenly issued a challenge to Sasuke.
"Let's have a match, Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Why?" Sasuke replied coldly.
Lee paused for a second, seemingly thinking hard.
"I want to test my skills... against a so-called genius like you."
"I see," Sasuke said, his tone still indifferent. "Challenging a genius... defeating a genius... it'll boost your ego, satisfy your vanity."
Rock Lee froze in place.
From the side, Neji shot Sasuke a disapproving glance, as if silently communicating: Was it really necessary to be that brutally honest?
Sasuke met Neji's gaze without backing down:
This is my first time meeting Rock Lee. He challenged me out of nowhere — why shouldn't I say it plainly? If he wants to step on an Uchiha's name to build his reputation, he should think twice.
Neji's expression softened a bit: Maybe you're overthinking it. Lee isn't that calculating.
Sasuke: Actions matter more than intentions. As strangers, I have no reason to dig into his heart — only judge what he does.
...
Without warning, Rock Lee suddenly collapsed.
"Lee!" Tenten rushed over to catch him.
Neji, calm as ever, explained, "It's genjutsu. He just needs a little rest. It won't have any lasting effects."
The sheer ease with which Sasuke had dispatched Lee shocked everyone present. No one had even seen when Sasuke made his move.
It was terrifying.
...
Lee regained consciousness not long after. The first thing he saw was Might Guy, Neji, and Tenten all gathered worriedly around him.
"Guy-sensei!" Lee sobbed, his eyes brimming with tears. "Can hard work really surpass natural talent?"
Being one-shot by Sasuke's genjutsu — even someone as thick-skinned as Lee couldn't help but feel disheartened.
Might Guy instantly flashed his trademark smile, teeth gleaming.
"Of course it can! That's what youth is all about!"
"Guy-sensei!" Lee cried, throwing himself into his teacher's arms. The two embraced each other tightly, weeping.
Off to the side, Tenten looked like she wanted to say something but held back.
Honestly... are you guys forgetting something?You work hard, sure — but so do they!
Tenten didn't know exactly how Sasuke trained, but she had personally seen how Neji pushed himself to the brink. Neji carried the burden of being part of the Hyūga branch family. Sasuke bore the blood-stained weight of vengeance. They both carried mountains on their backs.
Lee had no business provoking people like them without understanding their struggles.
Sure, as teammates, Neji would show mercy. But Sasuke wasn't obligated to. Especially not when Lee challenged him so carelessly — right before the Chūnin Exams no less — completely ignoring the timing and place. How could Lee expect Sasuke to respond kindly?
...
Despite the small commotion, the Chūnin Exams proceeded on schedule.
Inside the classroom, Sasuke casually picked a seat and sat down, silently observing the other candidates.
The shinobi from smaller villages generally looked worn down and frazzled. Compared to the major villages, their resilience was much lower — economic turmoil and environmental shifts hit them harder.
At that moment, Sasuke's attention was drawn to a white-haired man wearing round-framed glasses...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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