The First Exam Finally Begins

Putting aside any prejudice against Orochimaru, he is indeed a man of Orochimaru learning.

Whether it's a problem related to cultivation or a philosophical dilemma about life, Orochimaru can provide Hinata with quite good advice.

Despite Hinata's current strength, she actually harbors a slight unease Hinata down.

Throughout the entire Naruto series, especially during the Fourth Shinobi World War, the powerful ninjas all acquired their strength through 'plunder'.

Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha Hashirama Cells, Nagato transplanted Madara Uchiha's eyes, Sasuke first transplanted Itachi Uchiha's eyes, and later transplanted Hashirama Cells from Kabuto Yakushi, while Naruto relied entirely on Nine-Tails's Chakra.

Even the power that Naruto and Sasuke used to seal Kaguya Otsutsuki was given to them by the Sage of Six Paths.

The power of the Sage of Six Paths was not acquired through training, but rather inherited from his mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and from his past as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.

The highest level one can reach through self-training is only comparable to that of Jiraiya, Ōnoki, and the Raikage.

Hinata, rising like a rocket, but sometimes Hinata also seems unrealistic.

However, Orochimaru is right.

As the saying goes, every family has its own troubles; the strength you have determines the troubles you will face.

Orochimaru desired a perfect body but could not obtain it, while Hinata obtained it, yet felt as if the power of her eyes did not belong to her.

How should I put this feeling...?

Just like our daily water usage, we might not notice anything unusual, but what if the water is cut off?

Even more terrifying than water outages are power outages and internet outages...

This analogy may be somewhat inappropriate, but in terms of one's own strength, the kind of power that can only be used but not understood can indeed make people feel uneasy.

Orochimaru didn't say much, but Orochimaru down he acknowledged that Hinata was the same kind of person as him.

Hinata's desire to decipher the essence of the eye is essentially the same as Orochimaru's ideal of 'grasping the truth of the world'.

How can a power that cannot be understood be considered one's own power?

It was already late at night, and Hinata was getting sleepy. She hung up the phone with Orochimaru Hinata, pulled the covers over her head, and fell fast asleep.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On July 1st, the first written exam of the Chunin Ninja Exams officially began.

Standing on the rooftop of a building outside the examination hall, Hinata watched the examinees answering their questions through the window and couldn't help but feel a little envious. "This year's examinees are so lucky. The written exam is just a simple written exam. Unlike us back then, Ibiki's conscience was truly wicked!"

Upon hearing this, Shikamaru couldn't help but cover his face and said, "If Ibiki heard you say that, he'd probably challenge you to a fight to the death!"

Shikamaru still remembers how Ibiki was driven almost crazy by Hinata raising her hand to ask questions during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"Tch~"

Hinata pouted and said, "That's because Ibiki a bad temper. He's supposed to Jonin, but he's not even as good as Konoha Genin!"

"..."

Shikamaru asked, "Hinata, is there any movement from Kumogakure?"

Hinata shook her head. "They're very honest. The Jonin the teams are all gathered together... well, they're all in their original forms."

Shikamaru nodded slightly and said, "It seems that Kumogakure is planning to make its move during the Third Exam, but we can't let our guard down."

"The Fourth Raikage..."

Shikamaru took out a piece of paper from his chest pocket, which contained information about the Raikage that Konoha had collected.

"Take a look!"

"No need!" Hinata had absolutely no interest in the Raikage.

Shikamaru said with a hint of helplessness, "The Raikage is the head of the Martial Combat faction in Kumogakure. He has a volatile temper and is never reasonable. If it were him, even if the conspiracy were eventually exposed, given his status as the 'Raikage' and our concern for the overall situation of the Shinobi World, it would ultimately come to nothing."

Hinata curled her lip and said, "Unreasonable? That's because he hasn't been beaten down by the real world yet!"

"If you don't believe me, let Raikage stand in front of me and see if he talks with his fists or tries to reason with me."

Shikamaru: "..."

Hinata's words may be rough, but the principle is sound, and that's indeed the truth.

Even if the Raikage takes action, this is still Sunagakure territory, and Konoha needs to be mindful of its diplomatic implications. Hinata cannot act arbitrarily within Sunagakure.

Konoha has always been known for advocating peace in the Shinobi World and protecting the rights of other villages.

Therefore, Konoha cannot act like the Kumogakure, resorting to thuggery and unreasonable behavior.

Shikamaru instructed, "I'm entrusting you with the task of Jonin an eye on the Hidden Cloud Village..."

"However... I have a feeling that the Kumogakure's plan shouldn't be this simple!"

Hinata spat and said disdainfully, "That's just a village of thugs. What brilliant plans could people who worship strength possibly come up with?"

Shikamaru nodded slightly. "You're right, it's indeed not advisable to overcomplicate things!"

Hinata turned her head and asked, "By the way, what was the content of the Second Exam?"

Shikamaru said, "It's similar to our mission in the Forest of Death, but here in Sunagakure, we're going into the desert to carry out our mission."

Hinata nodded to herself.

Although the Second Exam was supposed to be a battle between candidates, and on the surface it didn't seem to care about casualties, it all depended on who was injured or killed.

One of the participants in this Chunin Ninja Exams was a member of the Hyuga Branch Family. He was the kind of person who, even if he failed the exam, absolutely could not die in Sunagakure.

Therefore, Sunagakure will definitely send some forces to monitor the examination site.

Sunagakure is responsible for the national defense and security of the entire Land of Wind, as well as carrying out entrusted missions, so the number of people left behind in the village is actually not large.

In addition, due to funding issues, Sunagakure follows an elite training path, so the number of ninjas in the village is inherently smaller than that of other major Shinobi Village.

Konoha would at least give those veteran Genin a chance to make a living, but Sunagakure would never. Those ninjas who couldn't be promoted to Chunin had long since died in the line of duty.

Hinata had investigated and found that there were only about two thousand ninjas remaining in Sunagakure.

Apart from the 'civilian' staff responsible for the operation of some institutions, there are less than a thousand ninjas that can be mobilized.

Although the Kumogakure came with great force, this was not a war after all, but a 'game' for a few elite ninjas. The Sunagakure could not recall the ninjas who were away from the village.

Hinata glanced at Shikamaru and asked curiously, "Don't you have anything to do?"

Shikamaru turned and leaned against the rooftop railing, saying casually, "Of course it's alright! The exam has already started, and the assigned Jonin will take care of the rest!"

This is not Konoha after all. Shikamaru's task is to act as a messenger between the Konoha Jonin and Sunagakure, relaying information about the exam's content, timing, and other related matters to Konoha.

Hinata's eyes flickered, and she inquired, "Shikamaru, you've been in charge of liaising with Sunagakure. What arrangements have they made there?"

Shikamaru looked at Hinata with surprise, his face showing shock, and said, "So you're finally starting to care about serious matters too?"