57: Why Is Everyone Eyeing Sasuke?

[The next day. ]

[Forest of Death. ]

[Mitarashi Anko, the chief examiner of the second session of the Chūnin exam, announced the exam rules. ]

[Candidates need to gather both the Earth and Heaven scrolls and arrive at the central tower within five days. ]

[Nine people from Sasuke's class gathered together. ]

["Shikamaru, Shino, I suggest your two teams join forces. There are some dangerous people participating in this Chūnin exam. It will be safer if there are more of you."]

["In addition, both of you, Hinata and Ino, have sensory abilities. You should alternate observing the surroundings. If you sense a strong Chakra presence, avoid confrontation and don't engage."]

[Sasuke suggested this to the six members of the Eighth and Tenth squads. ]

[Shikamaru and Shino have sharp minds, so they should be able to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and with Hinata and Ino's sensory abilities, the two teams together would be basically safe! ]

["Is it necessary? It's just a Chūnin exam."]

[Inuzuka Kiba felt it was a bit excessive. ]

[He believed that his strength was more than enough, and he didn't need to cooperate with other teams. ]

["Did you see that red-haired gourd kid from Sunagakure? He's probably the One-Tail Jinchūriki." Sasuke pointed to Gaara. "If you don't know what a Jinchūriki is because you skipped class, ask Shikamaru for a quick lesson."]

["..."]

[Inuzuka Kiba scratched his head. ]

[He really didn't know what a Jinchūriki was...]

[On the side. ]

[Shikamaru and Shino turned serious, looked at each other, and accepted Sasuke's proposal. ]

[Sunagakure even sent their Jinchūriki as a strategic weapon, so being cautious was wise. ]

[Hinata and Ino naturally followed Sasuke's advice, and Chōji followed Shikamaru's opinion. ]

[The two teams quickly reached an agreement and decided to join forces for the second exam. ]

[Seeing this, Sasuke felt relieved. ]

[He was mainly worried about the safety of Hinata and Ino, who weren't in his class, as the second exam might be dangerous. ]

[Next, Sasuke reminded them of the dangerous participants they needed to watch out for, such as the Sand Shinobi trio and the gray-blue haired guy with glasses…]

---

Nara Shikamaru: "Excellent, Sasuke in that world can really be considered a leader."

Namikaze Minato: "Observing carefully, gathering information, strategizing, and convincing others—very impressive!"

Orochimaru: "Most people focus only on Sasuke's talent and strength, but more importantly, he uses his intellect and learns. Only by combining these can he grow stronger!"

Senju Tobirama: "Although I hate the Uchiha, I agree with that. The kid's rapid improvement can't be attributed solely to talent."

Inuzuka Kiba: "He said Shikamaru and Shino are smart—does that mean my brain isn't good? Damn it!"

Aburame Shino: "Kiba, don't embarrass yourself..."

---

[The second test began. ]

[Eighth and Tenth squads moved together, but Sasuke's Seventh squad didn't join them. ]

[From the very beginning, Sasuke had a strange feeling. ]

[It felt like he was being watched constantly!]

[Like being targeted by a lion!]

[However, it was just a feeling… No matter how he looked around, he couldn't find the source of this sensation…]

[This made Sasuke even more uneasy. ]

[The person watching him from the shadows was likely far beyond his expectations!]

---

Orochimaru: "Hehe, he noticed me."

Fourth Raikage: "Indeed, there's still a gap in strength. Uchiha Sasuke can sense the threat from Kabuto, but he can't pinpoint Orochimaru's presence."

Onoki: "Orochimaru is a veteran powerhouse. His ability to conceal his presence far surpasses that of ordinary Jōnin."

Uchiha Fugaku: "Sasuke is truly in danger!"

Uchiha Mikoto: "I hope Sasuke from that world can escape from Orochimaru..."

---

[The second exam had just begun. ]

["Neji, let's go find Uchiha Sasuke! I want to fight him in a... uh, a real duel!"]

[Rock Lee suggested to his teammates. ]

[He had recovered from the disappointment of the previous day. ]

[This time, he wanted a real fight with Uchiha Sasuke! ]

[Hyuga Neji frowned and said, "The opponent is very strong. It's best not to cause unnecessary trouble. Let's pass this exam first."]

["Neji, he's a genius just like you from the ninja academy. Don't you want to challenge him?"]

[Rock Lee persisted, trying to persuade him. ]

[Hyuga Neji saw his teammate's determination, sighed, and compromised: "We can look for him, but I won't fight Uchiha Sasuke. You should also be careful—don't take it too far."]

["Yes! No problem! Target: Uchiha Sasuke! Let's go!"]

[Rock Lee said excitedly. ]

[Meanwhile, on the other side. ]

[The three sound ninjas were discussing something. ]

["Our mission is to find Uchiha Sasuke and kill him!"]

[Tosu told his teammates, Sakon and Jin.]

[Jin: "Understood."]

[Sakon: "I hope his strength doesn't disappoint me."]

[With that, the three rushed deeper into the Forest of Death.]

[At the same time. ]

[The Sand Shinobi trio were also talking.]

["We'll kill a random team and gather all the scrolls. If we meet Uchiha Sasuke, we'll kill him too."]

[Gaara crossed his arms and said indifferently. ]

---

Uchiha Fugaku: "...why is everyone targeting Sasuke?"

Isn't Orochimaru's interference enough?

Uchiha Mikoto: "Why are those three sound ninjas trying to kill Sasuke?!"

Hyuga Neji: "That Rock Lee is completely unaware of Sasuke's strength. His defeat will likely be harsh."

Tenten: "Rock Lee will probably have a psychological scar from Sasuke."

Rock Lee: "..."

I'm feeling nervous; I hope Sasuke goes easy on me…