I Can't Breathe.JPG

I Can't Breathe.JPG

After running out of Chakra!

Tang Ping experienced the feeling of having his body "hollowed out."

Fortunately, his Ninja Tool Pack contained something that could replenish Chakra.

Soldier Pills!

A medicine specifically used to restore Chakra.

They were produced by the Uchiha Clan.

Although all Soldier Pills shared the same name, their effects could differ vastly.

Recovery speed, side effects... all of it varied greatly.

The Soldier Pills made by the Uchiha Clan might not match the quality of those made by the Akimichi Clan, but they were still quite good.

Only after swallowing one did Tang Ping barely shake off his "weakened" state.

Chakra depletion was extremely unpleasant for a ninja.

Tang Ping had only used it all up just now because he was worried he would not have enough Chakra to summon Chubingmaru. After this experience, he now had a better grasp of the Chakra cost of future summonings.

With Chubingmaru as his trump card, he finally had some confidence in his ability to protect himself.

Root had always coveted his "body." The reason he had been so careful with every move until now was to guard against them.

No one understood Danzo better than he did.

Pot Kage!

That title did not wrong him in the slightest.

Ruthless and audacious.

Combined with the self-hypnotic buff of "everything is for Konoha," he was practically invincible when it came to internal strife.

Against someone like that...

If he was not careful, he would not even know how he died.

In the anime, Danzo had seemed like a clown.

After all, he had created such infamous scenes as "a Kunai stabbing Susanoo."

But only after truly arriving in the shinobi world did Tang Ping understand how terrifying the man was.

Darkness of Shinobi!

That was his title.

Names could be mistaken, but nicknames never were.

His title had been built upon corpse after corpse, scheme after scheme.

Not to mention that he controlled Root, that enormous and cold-blooded killing machine.

Even Konoha's major ninja clans feared him deeply. Otherwise, they would not have allowed him to bully them for so long, constantly demanding clan members to be sent to Root and trained into killing machines.

With someone like that watching him, how could Tang Ping not feel pressured?

His state of mind could even be summed up in one sentence.

I can't breathe.JPG

The reason he had turned himself into a "Time Management Master" lately, working hours even more brutal than 007, was also because of that pressure.

Only now could he finally catch his breath.

But that was all—he was still far from being able to lie down in peace.

"Write your name on it too!"

Tang Ping came before Uchiha Mei at the edge of the Training Ground and handed her the summoning scroll.

Giving her a contract slot could be considered repayment for his "white thigh." After all, he had taken no small advantage of her.

They looked up at each other!

Although Uchiha Mei could not see, her sensory ninjutsu allowed her to examine Uchiha Tang Ping before her with perfect clarity.

Only after a long while did she speak.

"From today onward, Chubingmaru will be the exclusive Summoning Beast of the Main Branch Lineage!"

She had never truly cared about this "fiancé" of hers before. But as he revealed one capability after another, her opinion of him had changed drastically.

At this moment, she was extremely curious to know what else he possessed that she did not know about.

Of course.

She said this not to seize the Summoning Beast, but to take the blame for its identity.

Given Tang Ping's status, others would certainly try every possible means to seize such a powerful Summoning Beast.

Did people think no one wanted the Summoning Beasts of the Three Sannin?

It was only because they had the Three Great Sage Locations behind them and belonged to the Hokage's faction that no one dared to set their sights on them.

If it were Tang Ping, those people would not have so many reservations.

But if the Summoning Beast was declared to belong to the Uchiha Clan, then anyone who wanted to make a move would first have to get past the Uchiha Clan.

Soon.

Uchiha Mei used blood to write her name on the summoning scroll.

However, aside from the two of them, they would not give a third person the chance to form a contract.

If there were too many contractors, never mind whether Chubingmaru would find it troublesome—simply failing to summon him during battle could be fatal. If someone had summoned him first, no one else could do so.

Having obtained this trump card, Tang Ping would focus his energy on improving his strength next.

The Joint Chunin Exams were about to begin!

This was a brutal examination where lives could be lost.

At this stage, the scent of gunpowder in the shinobi world was already stirring. Given the chance to eliminate promising enemy geniuses before the war began, no one would show mercy.

If the exam were not so dangerous, Team 3 could never have received so many resources.

Therefore, Tang Ping had to improve with all his strength.

Once Chubingmaru was brought out, he would be a dimensionality-reducing strike against the other Genin taking the exam.

But a life-saving trump card could not be used like an ordinary attack, so he could not fall behind in other areas either.

As the examination date drew closer, Konoha became increasingly lively.

Yet beneath the relaxed surface, the atmosphere was tense.

Not only was the Uchiha Clan's police department busy, but the Anbu and Root were also highly active.

As for Team 3, under Minato Namikaze's guidance, their strength was growing rapidly as well.

With such an experienced team leader as their teacher, the benefits to their growth in strength were self-evident.

The day before the exam!

Outside Konoha.

Large numbers of nobles and merchants from all over had nearly filled the village entrance.

A somewhat unusual group appeared.

At its head was a middle-aged man with blue hair and yellow eyes. He wore a white robe over a blue Ninja Outfit and a conical hat marked with the character for "Wind," giving off a blade-sharp impression.

At his side.

Were figures with white cloth wrapped around their heads, wearing Sunagakure forehead protectors. Their skin, weathered by years of wind and sand, looked rough yet tough.

At the center of the group were over a dozen boys and girls of varying ages.

"Sensei, is this Konoha? It's so much livelier than our village!"

A girl with two purple markings on her cheeks and white cloth wrapped around her head spoke excitedly to the young female ninja ahead of her, whose imposing presence burned as fiercely as fire.

"Juan, if you keep making noise, I'll throw you back to the village!"

The casually dressed female ninja, who exposed her smooth, fair back and had her brown-and-green hair tied up, threatened her disciple without looking back.

"No, Pakura-sensei! I'll behave, I promise. Please don't send me back!"

The girl immediately covered her mouth with her hands.

Because she knew her teacher always meant what she said. She really was capable of sending her back to the village.

She had finally made it to Konoha. She did not want to return in disgrace just like that.

At the very least, she wanted to buy some local specialties, right?

From the moment she learned that she could participate in the Joint Chunin Exams, she had started saving money.

That was right.

This group was from Sand Village, one of the Three Great Ninja Villages participating in this Joint Chunin Exams.

A Joint Chunin Exams only required the participation of at least two Great Ninja Villages. It did not necessarily have to involve all Five Great Ninja Villages.

"Lord Kazekage, once we arrive in Konoha, how should we proceed?"

A ninja asked the Kazekage at the front.

"There is nothing we need to do!"

The Third Kazekage shook his head.

Even if they truly intended to do something, there was no need for them to act personally.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"

Led by Konoha ninja, the group entered the village.

And next came the Chunin Exams that had captured the attention of the entire shinobi world.