Chapter 180: The Power of the Reincarnations of Indra and Asura in Hand

Sasuke and Naruto, perhaps due to fate, were always rivals with a love-hate relationship!

However, due to the tragedy of the Uchiha clan being averted, Sasuke's personality is much brighter than in the original story. He wasn't as consumed by bitterness and revenge as before.

Orochimaru caught up to the two of them and made no attempt to hide his presence. Naturally, both Sasuke and Naruto noticed him.

"Hey, aren't you the head of the Research Department? What was your name again?" Naruto recognized Orochimaru and asked.

"Naruto, hello. I'm here to speak with Sasuke," Orochimaru said with a smile, greeting them.

"Me? What do you want with me?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well, a few days ago, Akira gave me a sample of your blood to study, Sasuke. He wanted me to develop a training method that suits you best. However, I've run out of blood for the research, so I was wondering if you could give me a bit more. Not much, just a little!" Orochimaru said, explaining his request to Sasuke.

This was a gamble for Orochimaru.

He was betting that Sasuke was indeed the reincarnation of Indra and that the blood sample Akira had given him earlier was Sasuke's.

"That's all? No problem!" Sasuke responded without thinking too much about it, feeling touched instead.

Akira had asked him for a blood sample earlier for some research, but Sasuke hadn't inquired further about what kind of research it was.

Now he understood—it was to help him train!

Orochimaru's explanation perfectly aligned with the time Akira had requested his blood, so Sasuke had no reason to doubt him.

Without hesitation, Sasuke pricked his finger and filled half a test tube with blood, which he handed to Orochimaru.

"Thank you, Sasuke!" Orochimaru said, unconsciously licking his lips.

As expected, Orochimaru's guess was correct. Uchiha Sasuke was indeed the reincarnation of Indra!

From Sasuke's response, Orochimaru was certain that the blood Akira had given him earlier had come from Sasuke.

"Akira's really playing favorites with Sasuke, huh?" Naruto grumbled. "He used to help me train when we went to the border. He was always so good to me."

But after disappearing for seven years, Akira had returned and taught Sasuke new abilities like the Chidori Sharp Spear. Now, he'd even asked the head of the Research Department to help Sasuke. Meanwhile, Naruto hadn't received anything!

Did Akira get so caught up with his new favorite, Sasuke, that he forgot about his old buddy, Naruto?

Naruto looked at Sasuke and felt like he had even more reasons to compete with him, as if he'd been betrayed by an old friend!

Hadn't this just landed right in his lap?

Hearing Naruto's complaints, Orochimaru's eyes lit up slightly.

He'd been planning to get some of Naruto's blood for research, and now Naruto was practically offering it up himself!

Orochimaru smoothly added, "Akira also mentioned that once Sasuke's research is finished, he'll help you with your training as well, Naruto."

"Really? I knew Akira wouldn't forget about me!" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement, and his mood instantly improved.

"Well, since we're here today, could you give me some blood too, Naruto? Once Sasuke's research is done, I'll start on yours right away," Orochimaru suggested.

"No problem! Thanks a lot!" Naruto responded cheerfully, filling half a test tube with his own blood and handing it to Orochimaru, even thanking him repeatedly.

After obtaining both Sasuke and Naruto's blood, Orochimaru immediately hurried back to his lab. He started by examining Sasuke's blood.

As expected, this was the same blood Akira had given him earlier!

Next, Orochimaru tested whether Naruto's blood could fuse with Sasuke's.

Sure enough, the two blood samples fused perfectly, a reaction typically seen only between close relatives!

One was from the Uchiha clan, and the other was the son of the Fourth Hokage, with no familial connection whatsoever. Yet their blood blended together as though they were family?

"I've found them—the reincarnations of Indra and Asura in this generation!" Orochimaru murmured quietly to himself as he conducted his research.

Reflecting on Akira's descriptions of Indra and Asura, Orochimaru remembered that both would grow far stronger than the other ninjas of their time.

Looking at Naruto, who was a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and a member of the Uzumaki clan, it was clear that his growth had been rapid.

His personality also fit the profile of Asura, with his goofy yet compassionate nature!

But what about Sasuke?

While his talent was impressive, it didn't seem like he would surpass the other ninjas of his generation anytime soon.

Wasn't Indra supposed to have greater talent than Asura? How could the roles seem reversed here?

"Could it be…?" Orochimaru pondered.

The Uchiha's strength was closely tied to the power of the Sharingan.

But the Sharingan only evolves through experiencing pain!

Thinking about it, Sasuke, being the son of the Hokage, hadn't really endured much suffering, had he?

So, it made sense that his growth wasn't as fast as Naruto's, the reincarnation of Asura.

"When both their powers grow to the point of surpassing Kage level, it may be possible to tap into the power of the Sage of Six Paths!"

"So what would happen now?"

What if he could prematurely fuse the powers of this generation's Indra and Asura reincarnations? What would the outcome be?

Orochimaru, now intrigued by this new research path, focused all his attention on the study of Sasuke and Naruto's blood.

If this led to a major discovery, it could be the greatest breakthrough of his life!

With Orochimaru now focused on how to use the powers of Indra and Asura for his research, we leave him there for now.

The night passed without further incident, and the next morning, spectators had already taken their seats for the final part of the Jonin exam!

Today was the third and final part of the Jonin exam, and everyone was eager to see what kind of power the ninja of the Five Great Nations would display in this last test!

The third exam was a team battle, a chance for everyone to see how the geniuses of each village would fare in combat.

Finally, the ninja teams from the Five Great Villages had all arrived. The arena was massive, spanning an area of ten kilometers. Giant screens were set up for the spectators to follow the action in real-time!

Several kilometers of the arena had been modified well in advance.

There were small hills, rivers, forests, and various other terrains.

"The third exam is a capture-the-flag style offense-defense battle!" Akira announced, explaining the rules for the third exam.

Each team had its own territory with a flag planted in the center.

The team members were responsible for cutting down other teams' flags while protecting their own.

The score would be based on how many flags were cut down and how well they protected their own. Combined with the scores from the second exam, this would determine the winning team!

Hearing the rules, the audience began to buzz with excitement, and the contestants whispered among themselves!

Everyone agreed that this final exam would be incredibly challenging!

If all members went to capture the other teams' flags, that would give the highest chance of success. But it also meant their own flag would likely be cut down by someone else!

Conversely, having all three members stay back to defend their flag would make it nearly impossible to capture others and score points!

Thus, the key to this exam was how well each team divided their tasks—who would defend the flag, and who would go after others' flags?

This test wasn't just about individual strength; it was about teamwork and intelligence as well!

After confirming the rules, Akira waved his hand, and the five teams entered the arena, each taking their designated positions.

In terms of placement, Konoha Village was at a disadvantage, positioned in the central forest, surrounded by all four other teams!

Cloud Village was located on top of an artificial mountain, giving them a commanding view of the battlefield!

Stone Village was on a grassland, offering them a clear view with little risk of being ambushed!

The Sand Village was stationed in a desert, while Mist Village was located on an island in the middle of a river!

"These territories perfectly match the characteristics of each village!" one spectator remarked after seeing the positions of the five teams on the screen.

"Not only the environment but the locations as well. If you look closely, it's a simulation of the positions of the Five Great Nations, with Konoha at the center!" another pointed out.

"Konoha has a natural advantage in intelligence, with the Byakugan giving them superior reconnaissance abilities!"

"But they're at a disadvantage in terms of geography, surrounded by the other four villages!"

"We'll have to see how these teams choose to play this!"

As the five teams took their positions, the audience continued to discuss and analyze the situation!

At the same time, Sasuke, Hinata, and Rock Lee gathered to discuss their strategy for the upcoming battle.

It seemed that the second exam's individual battles had been designed to give the contestants an idea of each other's abilities.

That way, in the third exam, they'd have a better understanding of who they were facing and what abilities they possessed.

*********Announcement**************

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