Chapter 44: Second Round Begins

Orochimaru and Tsunade left the arena, and several invigilators immediately came in to deal with the aftermath.

"Oh, my goodness, this ground needs to be renovated again," exclaimed a ninja wearing old-fashioned armor in an exaggerated manner.

"And this stagnant water... well, I did that myself..."

"You truly are exceptional, my dear apprentice," Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Orochimaru on the shoulder. "You made your teacher proud."

"Haha, I prefer to keep a low profile," Orochimaru replied casually.

"And our little princess," Sarutobi affectionately touched Tsunade's head. "You really made your second grandfather proud."

"Hehe, I believe so," Tsunade said with pride. "By the way, teacher, who are the remaining contestants?"

"Well... let me think." Sarutobi and the two of them left through the ninja tunnel.

The bustling crowd exited the venue, chattering like disturbed wasps. Sarutobi looked at the teams from several prominent ninja families and remarked, "There are only two Uchihas left, including Uchiha Renji. I've heard he's quite powerful in the Fire Style."

"We still have four from the Hyuga clan, but you managed to defeat Inuzuka. Now there's only one from the Aburame clan, two from the Nara clan, and one from the Yamanaka clan.."

Sarutobi thought for a moment, then spotted Hokage Tobirama and Danzo in the distance, with Uchiha Kagami standing nearby, his face still looking paralyzed.

"Oh, and Danzo's apprentice, Dan Kato."

"Ah, that pretty boy," Tsunade expressed her disdain and then suddenly corrected herself. "Oh, Orochimaru, don't mind me. I wasn't talking about you."

"Uh... that's quite embarrassing."

"But honestly, I've never seen anyone paler than you!"

True, Orochimaru's true form as a white-scaled snake does make him appear white, but did she really have to compare him to her future boyfriend like that? It seemed that the plot was about to change, and the wheel of history had already been shattered into countless pieces!

Meanwhile, Danzo was discussing Orochimaru with Tobirama.

"The things he's done are too dangerous, and I fear he's growing too fast to be controlled," Danzo complained persistently.

"But he's undeniably talented, isn't he?" Tobirama remained neutral. Having the ability was a valuable asset, even though Orochimaru's actions might be questionable. After all, he still belonged to the Hokage lineage.

"Teacher, I don't believe Orochimaru has any grand ambitions," Uchiha Kagami spoke up, supporting Orochimaru as a Uchiha clan member. This stance, however, left Tobirama with a peculiar feeling.

"If no one provokes him, Orochimaru should be relatively safe. Moreover, his focus on developing medical ninjutsu indicates some loyalty to the village." Uchiha Kagami maintained a stoic expression. "Orochimaru is a civilian ninja, and his parents died because of Konoha. We should help him connect with the village and secure a valuable asset for its future."

Tobirama nodded discreetly, agreeing with Uchiha Kagami's sense of duty and dedication to the village.

After the others had left, Tobirama turned to a man wearing Anbu ninja armor beside him. "Tsushima, Orochimaru is likely to become the chunin in three days. I need you to find an excuse to 'educate' this kid and help him settle down a bit, understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Tsushima, the Anbu ninja, had a subtle smile on his honest face.

Tsunade reported me about Orochimaru the last time and I will handle him well.

Tsunade returned to the Senju clan, and Orochimaru was about to head back to his "snake hole," but Sarutobi stopped him.

"Orochimaru, it's too lonely for you to live alone. Why don't you come and live with me in my home? Although there aren't many of us in the Sarutobi clan, we are like a close-knit family."

Sarutobi's face was full of sincerity.

"Is that so?"

Sarutobi appeared like a caring elder, and Orochimaru felt a glimmer of warmth in his lonely heart.

For a moment, Orochimaru considered accepting the offer. However, he knew it was impossible.

He had too many secrets. While his various evil ninjutsu and transformations were nowhere near the level of later generations' human experiments, he feared that Konoha wouldn't tolerate them. "The Secret Scroll of Soul" held the key to his power, and some of his inexplicable and peculiar techniques were better left unexplained.

Perhaps even if Sarutobi discovered some of these secrets, he could pretend to ignore them. But what about the Sarutobi family? What about Danzo? What about the Second Hokage? What about the villagers of Konoha?

Orochimaru sighed deeply. To gain strength, everyone had to pay a price. From the blood and hatred of Uchiha clan to the sacrifices made for the transformation of his own body—there were too many sacrifices.

In his pursuit to unravel the mysteries of ninjutsu and become the "ultimate individual," Orochimaru had turned himself into a monster, seeking immortality and severing the bonds he had once cherished. Perhaps that was the true measure of a Hokage—making difficult decisions for the greater good.

But when he witnessed his former teacher's decline and learned of Jiraiya's death, didn't his heart ache for a moment?

Maybe Orochimaru, in his quest to uncover the secrets of life and death, could find a way to let go. But the current Orochimaru, with his usual playful smile and eccentric demeanor, couldn't do that.

However, Orochimaru knew that the world was far from simple. The ninja world in the future would be complicated, and without the strength to reach the level of the Six Paths, he would inevitably become cannon fodder.

What if he doesn't die at Orochimaru's hands? The old Sarutobi would still meet his end when Pain invaded. Would Pain still use the Outer Path to reshape the world in the future? Orochimaru didn't know, and he didn't want to take that chance.

Therefore, only by enduring the loneliness and possessing the strength to break free from everything could one transcend and reach a state of ultimate freedom.

"No, sensei, I'm used to being alone," Orochimaru forced a smile.

"Alright then," Sarutobi nodded.

"Orochimaru, even though you often laugh and play with Tsunade, I know that your heart carries a heavy burden, and you must have your own thoughts about the Uchiha incident," Sarutobi said with a tinge of sadness as he looked at Orochimaru.

"If you face any difficulties, you must tell me, your teacher. There's always a solution."

"Thank you, sensei. I'm fine," Orochimaru replied, his heart heavy with bitterness.

"Very well, then do your best!"

Sarutobi left, leaving Orochimaru with a shadowy figure.

"My strength is still not enough," Orochimaru admitted. Although he had shown his dominance in the Chunin exams, he couldn't afford to be complacent. The overwhelming sense of superiority had to be set aside.

Now was not the time to revel in his achievements. Orochimaru knew it was time to push himself even harder in training.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

There were no complicated procedures and no electronic displays for the audience. Sixteen contestants entered the arena one after another, and the audience cheered enthusiastically.

All eyes were on Orochimaru, and their hearts were filled with vigilance and anxiety. Some regretted not teaming up against him earlier, but more were glad they hadn't.

"Ahem, the second round of the Chunin exams begins," announced a Jonin, the new examiner.

"The first match, Hyuga Ryu vs. Uchiha Hiyan."

"Go, Ryu! Defeat the Uchiha!"

"Uchiha is invincible! Burn him to ashes!"

"..."

The competition started with intense fervor. Uchiha Hiyan's Fire Style was still potent, and Hyuga Ryu's Gentle Fist required close quarters, but a sea of fire lay before him, making it difficult to approach. Even though he had mastered the Substitution technique, he found it challenging to dodge the flames.

Despite the difficulty, Hyuga Ryu fought valiantly. In the end, he managed to get close to Uchiha Hiyan, but the latter activated his Sharingan, easily anticipating his moves and blasting him away with a fire attack.

The referee quickly intervened but Hyuga Ryu was kicked out of the arena by Uchiha Hiyan, followed by a grand fireball display, showcasing his impressive agility.

"Uchiha Hiyan wins!"

"Oh yeah------!"

Uchiha Hiyan glared at Orochimaru as he left the arena, but Orochimaru didn't bother to pay him any attention.

"Next match, Hyuga Kazuki vs. Aburame Shiori!"

Once again, it was a ninja from the Hyuga clan, and they seemed to have the most participants in the second round.

After Hyuga Kazuki activated his Byakugan, the veins on his face bulged, and chakra surged through his body.

"I'm afraid this is more than just Chunin-level strength," Orochimaru was surprised. This Hyuga Kazuki might be stronger than Hyuga Ryu.

In the manga, on the surface each ninja clan seemed to have only a few members, making it seem like the death of one could lead to the clan's extinction. However, in the Fourth Ninja War, Konoha boasted 16,000 ninjas, indicating there were quite a few members in each clan, with some being strong and talented.

"Is your body filled with bugs?" Hyuga Kazuki stared at Aburame Shiori. "But your body is still fragile!"

Shiori felt a little unnerved by the sight of those Byakugan eyes, so she launched an attack immediately, sending her swarming parasites towards her opponent.

Kazuki was indeed more powerful than Hyuga Ryu. His exceptional physical abilities allowed him to close the distance swiftly, even outpacing the bugs. The all-seeing Byakugan enabled him to anticipate the bugs' movements.

"Oops, I've been cornered!" Aburame Shiori struggled to move quickly while controlling the bugs, but Kazuki was already closing in.

Shiori formed a hand seal, causing a large black mist to envelop her surroundings. The speed of the insects increased, and Kazuki was shrouded in the swarm!

"Your attacks are relentless, but I'm not afraid." Hyuga Kazuki spun with both hands, releasing chakra from all 361 acupoints in his body, creating an all-encompassing chakra shield.

"360 Rotational Palm!"

"Hyuga Kazuki is truly a genius!"

The cheers in the stands were deafening.

"A ninjutsu with no hand sign (seal) is really easy to use," Orochimaru praised. If the Hyuga's fighting style could reach its pinnacle, it would be devastatingly powerful. The variety of moves was already impressive, and with the addition of chakra and enhanced by the Byakugan, it became an awe-inspiring technique, truly befitting the Hyuga clan's reputation.

Hyuga Kazuki's defense was impeccable, and the parasites couldn't absorb his chakra. The black swarm was cut into pieces, and a vacuum was created.

"Soft Fist!"

As Kazuki closed in on Shiori, he struck her chest with a palm, causing her to transform into a large worm.

"It's useless." Hyuga Kazuki remained unperturbed. The power of the Byakugan had already locked Shiori's position, and he swiftly closed the distance, delivering a palm strike to her body just as she emerged from the insect substitute.

"Cough! You saw through my technique?"

Shiori appeared, but instead of being sent flying, she was immobilized by Kazuki's palm strike. It seemed as though there was an immense gravitational force holding her in place.

Kazuki struck Shiori with a few more palms without hesitation, displaying a calm and casual demeanor. Shiori couldn't break free and ended up spewing blood from corner of her mouth, losing control of her parasitic bugs.

"Hyuga Kazuki wins!" The referee stepped in just in time, and the cheers erupted again.

Hyuga Kazuki had proven his strength by defeating a member of the formidable Aburame clan, known for their use of parasitic insects that made ordinary ninjas shudder.

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