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Facing the howling hurricane, Sasuke Uchiha did not choose to dodge.
"Hadō #58: Tenran!"
A spiraling blast of wind erupted from Sasuke's left hand, colliding with Orochimaru's technique and dispersing the incoming attack completely.
Sasuke drew out his Zanpakutō, which shimmered faintly—damage of this level was clearly ineffective against Orochimaru.
As the whirlwind subsided, a barrage of shuriken came flying toward Sasuke.
"Scatter—Senbonzakura."
His Zanpakutō disintegrated into thousands of petal-like blades, forming a defensive wall that blocked the hail of shuriken with graceful lethality.
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku."
Sasuke reached out toward the air, and thick golden chains of spiritual energy materialized and wrapped around Orochimaru, binding him midair.
In the next instant, the countless tiny blades of Senbonzakura surged forward toward Orochimaru.
"Since focused physical damage doesn't work on you… try this. Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
A roaring beam of thunder ripped through the air and struck Orochimaru's location, detonating in a massive explosion that filled the clearing with smoke and debris.
Just as Sasuke was about to press forward again, a hoarse chuckle echoed from within the smoke.
"Heh heh heh... Sasuke-kun is truly formidable. But let's go back to our little conversation, shall we?"
Orochimaru emerged slowly from the cloud. His robes were scorched, his face slightly blackened, but he remained mostly unharmed. Behind him, the shredded corpse of a summoned giant snake lay in pieces—obliterated by the previous Kido.
How touching. Master and summon, sabotaging each other.
"I've already stated my terms," Sasuke said coolly, suppressing his bloodlust as he deactivated Senbonzakura and removed his hollow mask. The brief battle had given him a rough gauge of his own strength. He hadn't even used Ryūjin Jakka yet. Even so, his current ability was sufficient to match Orochimaru in base form. With the mask on, he might even be in the Kage tier. It was hard to measure exactly.
Sasuke released the protective barrier he had placed around Karin. Neither he nor Orochimaru had taken serious damage—only a few snakes had died.
Orochimaru contemplated in silence before eventually nodding.
"Fine. I accept your terms."
The allure of immortality was enough for Orochimaru to betray Danzo without hesitation. Their skirmish had simply been a probe to test Sasuke's resolve. Both sides knew it. Still, Orochimaru hadn't expected Sasuke to be so direct—and this strong without even revealing all his cards.
"But tell me, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, his tone sly, "how do I know you'll actually deliver the research data later?"
"There's no guarantee," Sasuke said bluntly, spreading his hands. "If you think the risk is too high, walk away. Unless you've got a better idea?"
Sasuke's offer was the only viable solution if Orochimaru wanted Danzo out of the way. The elder was still a high-ranking Konoha figure—killing him openly was nearly impossible, and Danzo rarely left his underground compound.
"How about this: you give me a portion of the research now, and I'll rest easy. I can't complete the process without all of it anyway, and you'll know I can't run off with only part."
Sasuke smirked. "Fine."
He reached into his cloak, pulled out a small parchment, crumpled it, and tossed it at Orochimaru.
It was a partial copy of the soul-forging technique blueprint gifted by the system. He had torn the formula into individual pages specifically to distribute them slowly—feeding Orochimaru in small doses.
Orochimaru caught the paper, frowning at how little was actually written on it.
"Goodbye, then."
He gently smoothed the page, sealed it inside a scroll, and turned to leave—though not before hearing Sasuke's voice again.
"Wait."
Orochimaru paused, glancing back curiously.
"I know you're not a fool, but let me remind you— the Kage of the Five Great Nations will be attending the Chūnin Exams this time. Konoha's high-tier shinobi roster is… substantial. Don't overplay your hand."**
Sasuke wasn't concerned with the lives of Orochimaru or Sarutobi Hiruzen. If things followed the original timeline, he'd have no problem. But in this altered reality, only Orochimaru might decipher the soul-bone integration technique granted by the system. If Orochimaru died, that data would be worthless—just paper. Worse, he'd lose a potential backup plan.
"Oh? And what exactly is Sasuke-kun accusing me of?"
"For example… trying to assassinate a former Hokage."
Now Orochimaru understood.
"I revere my teachers, Sasuke-kun. Why would you ever think otherwise?"
His grin stretched unnaturally.
Sasuke waved him off. "Just checking. That's all. Go on."
Orochimaru departed, and Sasuke turned toward the Central Tower with Karin. Their mission in the Forest of Death was complete.
Along the way, they encountered other Genin teams. Unsurprisingly, several forfeited their scrolls without resistance.
By the afternoon, the two arrived at the tower. Sasuke learned that several other teams had also passed: Gaara's team from Sunagakure, Omoi's team from Kumogakure, Haku's team from Kirigakure, and Team 7 from Konoha—all of whom had already delivered both Heaven and Earth scrolls.
"Teams that have passed will wait inside the tower. The next round will begin after the exam window closes," a proctor informed them.
Sasuke nodded and entered.
He quickly noted that the Kusa-nin Jōnin hadn't arrived yet—likely assuming no team from his village could clear the exam this fast.
Three days later, the second round ended. The preliminary matches for the final round of the Chūnin Exams were about to begin. All participating village Jōnin had now arrived.
All the Genin were summoned to the main hall. Proctor Hayate Gekkō stood coughing, clutching a list.
"The preliminary matches for the Chūnin Exams will now begin. Each candidate will face a randomly selected opponent. Victory is required to advance to the final stage of the exam… cough cough..."
He barely finished his sentence, prompting nervous glances among the Genin.
"Will this guy collapse before we even fight?" some muttered.
The opponent list was then displayed on a large screen.
Sasuke's name appeared.
His opponent: Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS. Two members on my patreon get a free book each month. A lucky draw,it can be you.
Currently at CHAPTER 101 on Patreon.
Five chapters every two days on Patreon.
One chapter everyday on webnovel.
patreon.com/FrancisMW
"I look forward to welcoming you as member"
ENJOY THE BENEFITS.