Chapter 19: Cruel Sasuke

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"However, I don't know if you have heard of the principle of 'The unbending tree is easily broken.'"

Orochimaru's sinister eyes flashed, a trace of greed showing at the corners of his mouth as his tongue licked the edges of his lips.

What an irritating character, Sasuke thought, but perhaps this is the nature of geniuses.

Sasuke ignored Orochimaru and turned his attention to Naruto, who seemed eager to cause trouble.

As time passed, the atmosphere in the classroom became increasingly tense, and some candidates began to withdraw from the exam.

"Everyone, I'm sorry, but I can't risk my future," one candidate said.

Since teams of three were bound together, if one person withdrew, the entire team would be disqualified.

Seeing someone take the lead, more and more candidates wavered and began to withdraw.

Ibiki remained expressionless, observing the crowd with a detached gaze.

"Does anyone else wish to withdraw? The countdown begins," he said.

"Ten."

"Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven."

"..."

Damn it, Naruto gritted his teeth and stood up, as if to express his determination.

"It's up to you, old man! If I give up so easily, how am I qualified to become Hokage?"

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, am the man who will become Hokage," he roared, drawing everyone's attention.

"Idiot," Gaara muttered, glancing at Naruto with disdain, thinking he was just a clown.

Morino Ibiki wasn't in a hurry to respond. Instead, he asked the room, "Does anyone else wish to withdraw?"

After waiting a few minutes and seeing that no one else spoke up, Ibiki clapped his hands and said, "Congratulations on passing the first part of the assessment."

"What?" the candidates exclaimed.

Ibiki explained, "This stage was to test your courage and the trust between your teammates."

"A ninja who lacks courage is destined to fail on the path of a ninja. I will not allow such a person to pass under my watch."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a window breaking, and a strong, slender figure burst in.

She wore fishnet stockings, her sleek hair tied up, holding a dango stick in one hand. A peculiar smile played on her pretty face. Recognizing her sinister character, Ibiki took a step back.

Anko, her curvaceous body on full display, completely captured Sasuke's attention.

Orochimaru noticed Sasuke's intense gaze and the undisguised desire in his eyes and couldn't help but be taken aback.

This boy's cold demeanor is very similar to Itachi's, but why is he so lustful? He saw it clearly; Sasuke was practically undressing her with his eyes.

"Is Sasuke-kun interested in this woman?" Orochimaru's sinister voice whispered in Sasuke's ear, but Sasuke didn't care.

A fiery figure with a fiery personality. Conquering her will definitely feel different.

Yuhi Kurenai is a gentle, nurturing older sister, Tsunami is a ripe peach, but he had never tasted a chili pepper like Anko! He wondered what it would be like.

"Snort."

Sasuke's continued ignorance made Orochimaru a little unhappy. He considered whether he should teach Sasuke a lesson while placing a curse mark on him.

Anko noticed Sasuke's intense stare. If it were anyone else, she might have been angry, but she felt a strange compulsion to keep his attention.

What's going on? Is this an illusion? Impossible. Anko rejected the idea, confident she wasn't under any illusion.

Could it be that I have a crush on this kid? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Anko's face flushed red with embarrassment.

Sasuke's handsome face kept reappearing in her mind. Anko couldn't even bring herself to look at Sasuke directly, speaking harsh words to the candidates before quickly leaving.

If Sasuke knew Anko's thoughts, he would probably laugh. Even Orochimaru hadn't noticed Sasuke's actions, so it would be strange if Anko did.

When Anko had looked at Sasuke, she had already fallen under his genjutsu.

Sasuke, who had mastered wood release, had grown stronger, reaching kage level, and could easily handle someone like Anko.

And this was without the enhancement of the Mangekyō Sharingan. If he awakened the Mangekyō, Sasuke's power would reach an even higher level.

But now was not the time. He needed to obtain those clear eyes at the most opportune moment.

Possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan too early would be a burden on his body, and overuse would weaken his eyes.

Moreover, the immense power of the Mangekyō could easily affect his state of mind, hindering his diligent training.

Sasuke's ambitions were on a whole different level, and before achieving them, he needed to build a solid foundation.

Whether it was swordsmanship, taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu, he had to master them all.

Sasuke wasn't in a hurry; the illusionary charm had been planted. Anko would fall into his hands one day, and perhaps returning to Konoha would be the perfect time to make his move.

Sasuke smiled wickedly and disappeared from the classroom.

Orochimaru, observing Sasuke's departure, grew more serious.

What incredible speed!

Sasuke-kun, you're truly remarkable. I'm becoming more and more interested in you.

The next exam location was the Forest of Death. Each team would receive a scroll, either heaven or earth. To pass, they had to collect both scrolls and reach the tower as a team.

This meant they would have to confront other teams.

Outside the Forest of Death, everyone was waiting, and the tense atmosphere was palpable.

Seeing the increasingly formidable opponents around her, Sakura worried. "Are we really going to have to fight these guys?"

Naruto responded, "If we don't defeat them, we won't advance."

"Oh, this is going to be tough," Sakura muttered.

"Sasuke, why do you look so calm?" Naruto suddenly noticed Sasuke's indifferent demeanor, as if he didn't consider these people a threat.

He immediately added, "Sasuke, you'll suffer a big loss if you underestimate your enemies."

They were just a bunch of amateurs. Sasuke didn't pay any attention to them at all.

But hearing such words from Naruto, who was usually reckless, still surprised Sasuke. It seemed Kakashi's teachings were effective.

"Sasuke, why are you laughing?"

"We're discussing tactics here," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke walked toward the entrance and called back, "Just follow me. You don't need to worry about it."

"Sasuke," Sakura murmured, following him with her heart racing.

"Damn it, you're showing off in front of me again," Naruto fumed. "Uncle Naruto won't hide behind you anymore."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto chased after Sasuke, determined not to let him steal the spotlight in front of everyone.

The Forest of Death was eerie, with strange sounds occasionally emanating from the dense underbrush.

Click!

Sasuke swiftly severed the disguised Sound ninja's hand and hip with his sword, causing blood to spurt out.

Sakura, who was following him, stood frozen in horror, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

The attack happened so suddenly. One moment the Sound ninja was emerging from the ground, laughing maniacally, and the next he was lying on the ground, wailing in pain.

"Ahhh!"

Sakura's scream echoed, and Naruto arrived just in time to see Sasuke's devilish smile.

"Sasuke, you... you killed someone," Naruto stammered.

Sasuke placed his blade against the neck of the Sound ninja, driving it in deeper, and looked at Naruto with a smile. "Thank you for the reminder, Naruto. I was going to let him live."

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