Chapter 34 : Uchiha Chiri

...

"It would be nice if the four of us could be assigned to the same team after graduation."

In the hot spring, Jiraiya rubbed his back and sighed: "It's more comfortable to be with you. The other people in the class have a sense of superiority."

"Each team can only have three freshmen. It's impossible for four to be together." Higurashi reminded him.

Watanabe didn't say anything more. His goal was to become a disciple of the Hokage and he didn't want to join a ninja team like an ordinary freshman.

"Then just exclude Watanabe. He wants to be with Tsunade more than us anyway." Jiraiya jokes.

Watanabe smiled slightly and did not deny it.

"What about you, Orochimaru? Is there anyone in particular you'd like to team up with?"

Orochimaru shook his head in silence.

"Don't be silent all the time. Girls won't like this kind of personality." Jiraiya complained to him, "Orochimaru, you will never get married in the future."

Orochimaru hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Do you... have any dreams?"

"Of course, my dream is to have close contact with countless beautiful girls!" Jiraiya answered with a smile. The three of them knew him very well, so they were not surprised at all.

"I want to be Hokage!" said Higurashi firmly.

"I want world peace," Watanabe said.

The three of them were stunned, and inexplicably felt that Watanabe's dream was so lofty.

"Orochimaru, you are the only one who hasn't said anything yet." Jiraiya pointed the finger at Orochimaru.

A blank look flashed across Orochimaru's face: "I don't know."

He felt very empty, with nothing in particular he wanted and nothing in particular he wanted to do. It was as if he couldn't find any believers in his faith. He had always just done whatever he felt was right.

…

The four of them soaked in the hot spring  for an entire afternoon, and when they came out again, their friendship had become much closer.

"The written test results should be out. Let's go to school and check." Higurashi couldn't wait to see the results.

Watanabe also wanted to check the test result.

At this time, the school playground was crowded with countless students and parents gathered near the signboard. Watanabe and others had to work very hard to squeeze into the crowd.

"Ninety points!"

When Higurashi saw his name, he showed joy.

"Hehe, seventy-eight points, that's good enough to pass." Jiraiya grinned foolishly.

Watanabe scored 95 on the written test, which was higher than Higurashi, but he saw Orochimaru's name at the top of the list, so he got full marks.

Orochimaru remained calm throughout, saying, "Twenty-five people were eliminated."

The names marked in red on the back of the sign mean being eliminated.

Only if you reach 60 points will you be eligible to enter the next round of examination.

"Tomorrow morning there will be an illusion test, and in the afternoon there will be a practical test. Both will be held at the training ground, and It will definitely be more difficult than the written test." Higurashi pondered, thought for a moment, and said goodbye to the three people:

"I will go home and prepare first. Don't be careless, we may become opponents tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

Watanabe also said goodbye afterwards. He attached as much importance to the graduation exam as Higurashi, but he didn't show it as obviously as Higurashi.

That night, Watanabe continued to stay up late to improve himself and reviewed all the ninjutsu he had already mastered to ensure that he would not make the embarrassing situation of forgetting to make hand seals during actual combat.

…

…

The next morning, the audience seats at the No. 15 training ground were filled very early. From a distance, it looked like a huge crowd, and the scale of the event was comparable to that of the Chunin Exams.

"Senior Chiri, I'll trouble you to take part in the illusion test later."

On the judges' bench, a young man wearing a forehead protector spoke respectfully to a woman.

The woman was about 30 years old. Her clothes were engraved with the Uchiha clan emblem of a round fan. She had a cold and beautiful face and a tall figure. Her slender thighs were wrapped in black stockings. She looked very mature and charming. She replied to the young man calmly, "Okay"

"Isn't it a waste of talent to let Chiri test illusions on the students of the ninja school?" The head of the Nara clan, who was also on the judging panel, said with a smile, while secretly paying attention to the expression of Hiruzen next to him.

"The Uchiha themselves represent the ultimate attainment in illusion, not to mention Chiri."

"I will stop at the right time and won't let them be wiped out." Uchiha Chiri didn't care about the compliment from the Nara clan leader and her tone remained cold.

"With Chiri's words, we feel relieved."

At this time, the young ninja who had just greeted Uchiha Chiri walked to the centre of the training ground and directed the candidates to come out in an orderly manner. His name was Gekko Hayabusa, and he was presiding over today's graduation exam.

"There are so many people!"

Jiraiya walked beside Watanabe and muttered quietly. The densely packed heads in the audience made him dizzy.

Watanabe looked at the judges' seats. He knew almost all of the judges there. They had all come to the Senju clan on Tsunade's birthday, such as Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, the Hyuga clan leader, the Nara clan leader, the Hatake clan leader and others.

'I wonder if Tsunade has arrived, or if she has already started the special training?'

Watanabe thought as he scanned the judges' seats to the audience, but couldn't find Tsunade.

"Chiri-senpai, let's start"

Uchiha Zhili left the judges' seat and walked towards the crowd with her long legs.

As soon as she appeared, Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He stared at the two black stockings.

"It's really top-notch..."

He muttered to himself.

"Uchiha Chiri?"

Watanabe guessed the woman's identity. Uchiha, Senju and Hyuga are the three most powerful clans in Konoha. Uchiha Chiri has been very famous in the village in recent years. It is said that her attainments in illusion are unmatched. Many people think that she must be the next generation Uchiha clan leader.

"Next, Chiri-senpai will test the genjutsu for you."

Gekko Hayabusa explained to the examinees: "Starting from this line, every step you take while awake will earn you ten points. Those who take less than three steps will be eliminated."

The rules are simple and easy to understand.

Uchiha Chiri stopped ten steps away from everyone. She closed her eyes and opened them again. Her two eyes transformed into scarlet three-magatama Sharingan, like a demon from the depths of hell opening its eyes.

[Hypnotised by illusion: Willpower +10, Spirit +8, Clarity +9...]

Watanabe was slightly startled. When did the other party use the illusion?

Gekko Hayabusa saw many candidates showing confused expressions, and realised that Uchiha Chiri had already started, and immediately announced: "The illusion test begins now!"

Orochimaru formed seals with his hands, causing the chakra in his body to become disordered in order to maintain his consciousness, and took the first step towards Uchiha Chiri.

Others followed suit and moved forward behind him, but with every step they took, the effect of the illusion became stronger and their eyelids closed uncontrollably.

"How can such an illusion as this one be able to trap Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya clenched his teeth, the chakra in his body was so disordered that his whole body was shaking.

           (Continued...)