Exams, Trivial Matters

Training Ground.

Anko stood across from Kagetsu with her hands on her hips, chin raised triumphantly. "Kagetsu, I'm definitely going to win this time!"

"Can I surrender?" Kagetsu weakly raised one hand.

"Of course not!" Anko flatly rejected Kagetsu's request to surrender. Her eager gaze kept darting toward Orochimaru outside the Training Ground.

"Begin. There's something concerning all of you that I need to tell you afterward." Orochimaru, clad in a Jonin flak jacket, nodded.

Having received Orochimaru's permission, Anko immediately formed the Seal of Confrontation. Without waiting for Kagetsu to respond, she flung several Shuriken that tore through the air with shrill whistles.

"Who do you think will win between Anko and Kagetsu, Shisui?" Orochimaru turned to Uchiha Shisui beside him and asked softly.

"Kagetsu, I think." Shisui smiled.

"Got you!"

The battle quickly entered an intensely fierce stage. Moving almost as if she were dancing, Anko stomped rapidly against the ground, shifting and weaving as she launched attack after attack at Kagetsu.

As his teammate, she knew perfectly well that the best way to deal with Kagetsu was to keep her distance and use long-range ninjutsu to attack and suppress him. But past sparring matches had clearly proven that this approach did not work on Kagetsu.

At least, it did not work when she was the opponent!

She did not possess many long-range ninjutsu to begin with. The only one truly worth mentioning was the Dragon Fire Technique. Against Kagetsu, even that could only turn into a contest of Chakra consumption.

Close-quarters combat, on the other hand, was her specialty, and gave her a better chance of winning.

The only thing she needed to watch out for was stepping on Kagetsu's shadow. As long as she moved quickly enough, Kagetsu's shadow would have a hard time catching her.

"The winner is about to be decided!"

Shisui's Sharingan stared fixedly at Kagetsu. He could see Chakra rapidly gathering within Kagetsu's body before erupting.

Then Kagetsu's shadow abruptly split into more than a dozen tentacle-like strands. Like a massive net, they closed in on Anko from every direction.

The black shadows even rose from the ground. Like real physical objects, they transformed into black ropes and tightly bound Anko's limbs together.

"Damn it!" Anko's face immediately flushed red as the sudden change restrained her, but the shadows had bound her body too tightly for her to break free.

"What was that?" This was also Shisui's first time seeing Kagetsu use such a Shadow Secret Technique. Though young, as a member of the Uchiha Clan, he had possessed a deep understanding of ninja fundamentals and ninjutsu since childhood. Combined with the insight and assistance of the Sharingan, he could grasp the difficulty represented by this technique.

"Shadow Sewing Technique. A secret technique of the Nara Clan that materializes shadows to attack and capture enemies. It has a short activation time and a long duration." Orochimaru gave Shisui a brief explanation.

Shisui looked at the two whose match had been decided with some amazement. Unlike certain ordinary Uchiha within his clan, he did not look down on every other clan and Kekkei Genkai apart from the former Senju.

After joining Orochimaru's team, he had instead come to understand the world's greater breadth from many different perspectives.

Kagetsu was one such example. Shisui could not quite see through him. Judging from their Chakra and the strength Kagetsu displayed during training sparring, Shisui should currently have been stronger. Yet a voice in his heart kept telling him that if it truly came down to a fight to the death, the one who survived might not be the stronger Shisui. Though that feeling had no basis at all.

"Alright. That concludes today's training. Next, I have something very important to tell you." Orochimaru waited until Anko reluctantly completed the Seal of Reconciliation with Kagetsu before speaking.

"Anko and Shisui have both graduated from the Ninja Academy for over a year, and you've accumulated considerable mission experience. So, I recommended that you participate in this Chunin Exams."

"The Chunin Exams?" Shisui and Anko both looked up at Orochimaru.

"This time, Konoha is hosting the exams, which is why I have the time to recommend you. If another village were hosting, you would need to find a different team leader if you wanted to participate." Orochimaru said.

He was currently immersed in technological development and research, as well as constantly gathering assistants and materials he found worthwhile from his outside bases. He had no time to waste.

"Kagetsu hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet. He isn't even a Genin, right?" Anko suddenly bent down to stare at Kagetsu, who was a head shorter than her, and poked his forehead with a mischievous grin.

"You don't need to worry about that. If you participate, I can have the Ninja Academy arrange an exam for him to obtain Genin status." Orochimaru said.

With the knowledge and Chakra foundation Kagetsu currently possessed, passing the graduation assessment would not be difficult. With Orochimaru vouching for him, there was no need for him to complete six years of schooling before taking it.

"I don't have a problem with that." Though Kagetsu found it troublesome, he did not object.

"Then prepare yourselves. I'll submit recommendations for all three of you." Seeing that none of the three objected, Orochimaru nodded as well.

In truth, Orochimaru did not think much of this Chunin Exams. If necessary, he could easily arrange an internal promotion assessment for the three of them to become Chunin. This time, he had merely been pressed into service by his own teacher.

"Hiruzen, you should rein Orochimaru in!"

Inside the Hokage's Office, Danzo and the two Hokage Advisors glowered at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who sat across from them in his chair, puffing smoke with a worried look on his face.

Danzo viciously struck the floor with his cane and said coldly, "Orochimaru's research into strengthening the Uchiha must be shut down! Every Pill that has already been distributed must be recalled! The Uchiha who have used those Pills must also be monitored and reprimanded!"

"That's impossible!" Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his brow helplessly and rejected Danzo's proposal.

"Do not forget the Second's assessment of the Uchiha! They are a troublesome clan! Once they possess power, they develop thoughts they should not have!" Danzo harshly rebutted Hiruzen Sarutobi, forcefully reiterating his demand.

"The Uchiha truly should not have their power strengthened. Suppressing the Uchiha was a strategy established by the Second. Orochimaru has handled this matter poorly." Utatane Koharu chimed in, invoking their late teacher, Tobirama Senju.

"Hiruzen, the three of us are not trying to force you. It is simply that the Uchiha are far too uncontrollable. If they lose control, our losses will be severe." Mitokado Homura's voice was gentle as he tried to persuade the Third Hokage.

"The Uchiha provide more than half of the Technology Development Department's funding." Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, his face obscured by the rising smoke.

"It is all for the village. I believe Orochimaru will understand." Danzo said.

"We could try having him seek cooperation with other Ninja Clans." Utatane Koharu offered a suggestion.

"Which Ninja Clan would be willing to provide as much money as the Uchiha? The Hyuga? What do they need from the Technology Development Department?" Hiruzen Sarutobi shot Utatane Koharu a glare.

"But strengthening the Uchiha will ultimately create hidden dangers." Mitokado Homura reminded him.

"Why not hand that technology over to Root? I'll speak with the Uchiha." After a stretch of silence, Danzo suddenly spoke. "Even if the Uchiha are dissatisfied, they can come to me."

"Go talk to Orochimaru yourself." Hiruzen Sarutobi replied dully.

Danzo and Mitokado Homura exchanged a look. They no longer surrounded Hiruzen Sarutobi, instead leaving together in mutual understanding. They had never expected to receive a clear and definite answer from Hiruzen Sarutobi in the first place.

As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi did not refuse and kept his attitude ambiguous, that was enough for them.

The three knew the Third Hokage's personality too well. He was no longer the decisive Hero of the Ninja World he had once been. So long as there was no explicit prohibition, Danzo dared to act under the Hokage's banner.

Following Orochimaru through a dark underground passage, Kagetsu eventually arrived at a frigid underground storage room filled with coffins. Looking at the frozen coffins one after another, Kagetsu subconsciously looked up at Orochimaru.

"These are?"

"Corpses." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and answered softly. "All of them are ninjas with some special skill or a certain Kekkei Genkai."

Kagetsu immediately understood.

Besides his title as a kindergarten director, Orochimaru also had the fine reputation of being a corpse thief. Of course, Yakushi Kabuto would later carry on that legacy and expand it further.

"Didn't you want to study Kekkei Genkai? There are plenty of materials here, though they're all dead." Orochimaru led Kagetsu between the ice coffins, introducing them one by one.

Lava Release.

Boil Release.

Steel Release.

Uzumaki Clan.

Uchiha Clan.

Hyuga Clan.

Of course, the eye sockets of the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan corpses were all empty.

"That one is from the Hyuga Branch Family. His eyes were destroyed by Sealing Technique. But his taijutsu was powerful in life, and his body has some research value."

Seeing Kagetsu stop in interest before the Hyuga Clan corpse, Orochimaru added a little more explanation. To Orochimaru, living materials were always scarce. As for materials that had already become corpses, only Hashirama Cells or other powerful Kekkei Genkai could arouse his desire to research them.

"You may freely study and use the corpses here. A ninja's corpse contains a great deal of useful information." Orochimaru said to Kagetsu.

Kagetsu nodded hard.

"Also, you need to know your limits. Shadow Clones can let you divide your attention and do multiple things at once. But using this method for extended periods places an enormous burden on both the mind and body.

"In severe cases, it can even destroy a person's will. Do not test your limits. You still have a long time to grow, Kagetsu!" Orochimaru gave Kagetsu one final warning.

It had become routine for Kagetsu's three Shadow Clones to handle multiple tasks and study at the same time. Seeing Kagetsu's complexion worsening by the day, Orochimaru worried that the strain of the ninjutsu would crush his mind.

"I'll take care of my body." Kagetsu's shadow stretched out beneath his feet, binding two ice coffins and dragging them away from the cold storage as he spoke.

Orochimaru nodded at that and said nothing more.

It was well known that the Nara Clan excelled at caring for their bodies in Konoha. After all, under the strain of Yin Release Secret Techniques, most of them did not have very good Physical Fitness. As the saying went, prolonged illness made a doctor of one; every Nara clansman was a medicine addict, or a future medicine addict whose fate had yet to be decided.

Together with Tsunade's teachings, Kagetsu possessed knowledge of medicine and Medical Ninjutsu. There truly was no need to worry about him in that regard. Orochimaru had only warned him because he saw his spirit becoming increasingly listless.

"After some time, you can pay Minato a visit." Orochimaru ignored the two ice coffins behind Kagetsu. "If you want to systematically learn advanced Sealing Technique, there are only a few people in the village who can teach you.

"The Old Man, Jiraiya's disciple Namikaze Minato, and Kushina Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan. I've already spoken with Jiraiya. After he talked with Minato, Minato agreed to teach you Sealing Technique."

Orochimaru himself possessed considerable Sealing Technique and was not lacking in accomplishment in the field, or he could not have developed the Sage Art Cursed Seal. But every field had its specialists. When it came to truly advanced Sealing Technique, the Uzumaki Clan, which had established itself through Sealing Technique, could not be avoided.

Orochimaru had already laid a solid foundation of Sealing Technique knowledge for Kagetsu. Only after confirming that Kagetsu was not without talent in this regard did he ask Jiraiya.

He had already asked Tsunade once, so asking Jiraiya once more was no big deal.