The calm before the storm

Three poles in the sun.

July is scorching hot, the sun shines brightly overhead, and the heat is intense.

The final Chunin Ninja Exams are in full swing, with events unfolding one after another.

The attack that Orochimaru might launch was drawing ever closer. Konoha, this war behemoth, seemed to smell the scent of war. It was on high alert, its eyes narrowed, quietly gathering its strength, waiting for the invaders to appear so it could launch a fierce counterattack!

On the walls of Konoha, Chunin and Jonin formed teams, deployed in various sections, and were on high alert, forming a tight defensive line.

The Byakugan and sensory-type ninjas of the Hyuga Clan are scattered across various key locations. Their vigilance range can reach several kilometers, intertwining to form a dense and impenetrable perimeter.

Behind the perimeter lies a defensive network constructed with Secret Technique ninjas as its backbone, Jonin combatants as its muscles, and a large number of ordinary Chunin and Special Jonin ninjas filling the gaps.

Combined with the defensive barrier surrounding the entire village, it was a comprehensive and inescapable defense.

If an ordinary Kage Level ninja dared to rush in, he would probably be like an insect caught in a spider web, bound in every way, struggling but unable to escape, and ultimately captured alive.

The profound heritage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the leader among them, is fully revealed here.

Even during the years when the Sannin were absent and Konoha had no other Kage Level shinobi besides the aging Third, other ninja villages still dared not provoke them, and this was an important reason.

For the older generation of Konoha Ninja, it had been many years since they had seen Konoha so prepared and ready for battle.

Even during the fiercest world wars, and even with the most skilled ninjas adept at surprise attacks, Konoha at its zenith rarely experienced its heartland being attacked.

Only when the front lines were under heavy pressure and the rear was extremely vulnerable did the rebels attempt to launch Senri attack on Konoha's core from afar. Without exception, their schemes were easily crushed by the Third Hokage, who was stationed in Konoha, and the well-developed defense system.

At that time, Konoha was lush and prosperous, with strong troops and horses, and was thriving.

At this time, Konoha was in decline, with the elderly, women, and children all facing a generational gap and a general sense of decay.

Its former illustrious reputation is now nothing more than a thin veneer, all gold and jade on the outside.

As a result, when faced with a Kage Level missing-nin, they had no choice but to shrink their defensive lines, retreat into Konoha, and rely on the terrain to resist.

However, even the veteran ninjas were unsure how effective this would be.

Orochimaru was different from other invading enemies. He was once Kage Level shinobi in the village and had access to many of Konoha's secrets. He knew all the flaws and weaknesses in Konoha's defense system.

It's easy to guard against external traitors, but difficult to guard against thieves within your own ranks. This is the essence of the saying.

As Might Guy led his patrol team, he thought to himself, "This is what I'm thinking."

Despite his rugged appearance, it doesn't mean he's ignorant or incapable of thinking. As Elite Jonin, he's certainly not a brainless, muscle-bound ninja, despite what many people think.

He's just unconventional in his actions.

After Kakashi went to the Chunin Ninja Exams venue, he led two Anbu alone to continue the patrol mission to check for any omissions or deficiencies.

Although Konoha's defense system is said to be perfect, Orochimaru, who is familiar with the system, cannot guarantee that it is foolproof. Therefore, he must rack his brains to think about where there are possible loopholes and where there are hidden dangers, and check them one by one.

As they passed a tall tower, he glanced back at the Anbu who were starting to pant slightly, then led the way up the tower.

Let's take a break first.

Might Guy spoke in a lukewarm tone.

The view from the tower is excellent; looking out, you can see the distant mountains through the towering outer walls. Looking back, the massive buildings of Konoha appear to lie prostrate at your feet, and the venue for the Chunin Ninja Exams is faintly visible.

The Anbu followed closely behind.

He sat around the tower, gazing down at Konoha as he took out high-energy food to replenish his strength and began to eat.

The break time should have been for casual conversation to relax and unwind, preventing nerves from becoming numb and preparing for the intense battle to come. But no one spoke; for a moment, all nine of them fell silent.

"Senior Might Guy, what kind of person is Orochimaru exactly?"

Just as they were resting in silence, a female ninja with long flowing hair and a graceful figure suddenly asked a question. Her melodious voice immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Orochimaru...

Might Guy remained silent for a long while before answering, "He was once a disciple of the Third Hokage, one of the Sannin alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade. Later, he defected from Konoha..."

Why Orochimaru defected is something Might Guy can hardly understand anymore.

It probably has to start with the succession of the Fourth Hokage.

When Sarutobi saw that the Sannin and the new generation of ninjas had grown up, he intended to step down and hand over power to the younger generation. This decision required the boldness of a great Shinobi Hero leader, who could take on responsibilities and let go of power.

Among the most prestigious candidates to become the First Hokage at the time, the Sannin had the best chance. However, Tsunade's fear of blood remained incurable, Jiraiya was irresponsible and lacked any sense of responsibility as Hokage, Jiraiya he himself did not want to be Hokage. Sarutobi's preferred candidate at the time was Orochimaru.

Contrary to expectations, Orochimaru exposed his collaboration with Danzo in developing forbidden techniques, which resulted in the deaths of many innocent villagers. The Third Hokage was devastated to discover that Orochimaru held ideologies completely opposite to his own. He was transformed from the successor to the Third's political line into an adversary, and Orochimaru committed heinous crimes.

Master and apprentice turned against each other overnight.

On the eve of relinquishing the heavy responsibility of the Hokage Position, Sarutobi led a team to raid Orochimaru's secret research facility. He should have killed Orochimaru on the spot to punish his crimes and eliminate the threat to Konoha, but he hesitated and only banished him from the village.

He then passed the Hokage Position to Minato Namikaze, a student of Jiraiya, Kakashi's teacher, and a young man whose reputation was at its peak.

"In short, from that moment on, Orochimaru harbored resentment towards the Third Hokage and Konoha..."

Might Guy said in a deep voice.

"So, is he here for revenge?" another Anbu asked.

"Most likely. Maybe they also want to take this opportunity to steal Konoha's treasured possessions..."

The so-called treasure alludes to Sasuke, but Might Guy doesn't explicitly state it. There's really no need to elaborate.

The Anbu, unaware of the true situation, mistakenly believed it to be various forbidden and Secret Techniques preserved by Konoha.

Might Guy didn't want to say much, so someone changed the subject. "Why is he only now seeking revenge?"

For a moment, no one answered.

Orochimaru chose this time to seek revenge because Konoha's strength had fallen to a low point, to the point that even the Sand shinobi had noticed and were starting to make moves.

However, this is a truly embarrassing topic: since the Fourth's sacrifice and the departure of the Sannin, the vast Konoha has not seen a new Kage Level ninja emerge for more than a decade, leaving an old man who has long since retired and is in his twilight years to take the stage.

In this sense, every single Chunin and Jonin Chunin was a disappointing bunch.

Therefore, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Realizing he had misspoke, the man chuckled awkwardly and changed the subject, "Get up, the newcomers taking the exam this year are all incredibly capable!"

"Yes, Might Guy's subordinates are all very strong. Lee and Neji have already reached Chunin level!" The woman with long black hair from before chimed in.

When talking about his disciples, Might Guy seemed much more relaxed.

Tsunade has returned to the village, and Lee's injuries are expected to heal. Neji has also opened up and become much more cheerful recently, not as gloomy as before. This has relieved him of two heavy burdens in his heart.

Li and Neji disappointed that they did not advance to the third exam.

The atmosphere became lively once the topic was brought up. The abilities of these two batches of freshmen are indeed remarkable; they are a generation that is very promising and worth watching.

So, after going through Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and others, the story eventually returned to Neji.

"Speaking of which, it's one thing for Lee to be eliminated by Gaara, but it's quite another for Neji to be defeated by a girl!"

"No, no, no, Sakura Haruno is also in Team Kakashi, and she graduated with the highest grades in the entire grade. She must be quite strong!"

"There are plenty of people with excellent grades but poor skills at the Ninja Academy, and she's a female ninja too. I really can't figure out how she won."

"Anyway, it's not due to any Secret Technique. I know the Haruno Clan; they don't have that kind of thing."

"I watched the recording of that match. She's really amazing. She could fight Neji to a standstill using only Taijutsu. It seems she's really grown. You guys who aren't skilled in Water Release might not understand, but that girl is a true genius!"

The Anbu of the sentence emphasized the word "real".

These words were spoken with such certainty that the people who were being refuted were immediately speechless.

If Sakura Haruno isn't strong, then what about Neji, who was defeated? If she is very strong, then this goes against their usual common sense.

Might Guy picked up the conversation again. "No need to argue. I know all the students in Team Kakashi. Sakura Haruno is the strongest of the three. Neji as strong as her, so it's normal for him to lose to her."

Might Guy knew very well that with Neji's growth rate, it wouldn't be difficult for Jonin to become a Jonin within two or three years. However, Sakura Haruno was already considered to Jonin strength.

Without relying on Kekkei Genkai or family Secret Techniques, this girl has reached her current strength step by step entirely through her own efforts.

Unlike Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, and others.

She is a true talent, a powerful being who transcends narrow Kekkei Genkai and Secret Techniques.

They're probably shining brightly on the Chunin Ninja Exams stage right now!

Might Guy gazed at the examination venue from afar, lost in thought.

But then a signal flare rose into the air and exploded with a loud bang, scattering into conspicuous fireworks.

The conversation abruptly ended, and within seconds, all the Anbu had packed their belongings and were ready to go!

The attack... has begun!