Something Happened

Death Rock Cave.

At its very center.

There stood a towering hill, its shape somewhat abnormal and indescribable.

The top of the hill was hollow inside, with skylights on all four sides. It contained a vast space with multiple rooms. In one of those rooms, quite a few proctors had gathered, most of them Special Jonin, watching the monitors that covered the entirety of Death Rock Cave.

Since the second stage of the Chunin Exams would last three days, the proctors took shifts guarding the area. However, this room also contained shinobi from Kirigakure and Hidden Cloud Village.

They were the Jonin leading their respective teams.

"He defeated two teams that easily. Is that kid really strong, or are the rest of your Konoha shinobi just too weak?"

Suikazan Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Kirigakure's leading Jonin, stood there watching the image on one of the screens as he slowly spoke.

Konoha's shinobi were also somewhat astonished by Feng Ye's performance.

Most of them did not know that Feng Ye's participation in the Chunin Exams had been personally designated by Hiruzen Sarutobi. They only knew that he was Kakashi's older brother and should have some ability, but they had not expected him to eliminate the two genin teams that included Inuzuka Tsume and the others in such a short time.

"My students aren't weak..."

Inuzuka Tsume's Jonin instructor was also in the room. Watching the screen with a grim expression, he spoke. Feng Ye's displayed combat power had clearly exceeded his expectations as well.

Suikazan Fuguki glanced over, bared his sharp teeth in a grin, and said, "Is that so? Then these Chunin Exams probably won't be too boring for Kisame."

"..."

Upon hearing Suikazan Fuguki's words, nearly all the Konoha shinobi in the room cast sidelong glances at him, their eyes filled with hostility.

That was far too arrogant!

It was practically contempt for Konoha's genin.

"Just wait and see..."

A Konoha Jonin nearby gave a cold snort.

Everyone continued watching the screens.

But as they watched, the expressions of Konoha's many shinobi gradually changed. In less than three hours, the team Kisame Hoshigaki was on had eliminated two Konoha teams!

The entire process had been an utterly clean and decisive crushing victory!

The strength Kisame Hoshigaki displayed was nothing like that of a genin. He casually cast B-rank ninjutsu, and his Chakra reserves did not seem inferior to those of a Jonin. He was like some kind of freak!

"What the hell... With that kind of Chakra, is that brat a Jinchuriki?!"

A Konoha shinobi stared fixedly at the image on the screen and could not help speaking.

Suikazan Fuguki gave a mocking chuckle. "Idiot. Why would we casually send a Jinchuriki to Konoha for the Chunin Exams? Kisame isn't a Jinchuriki. He was simply born with a monstrous physique unlike anyone else's!"

"..."

Suikazan Fuguki's words made the Konoha shinobi's expressions turn rather ugly.

Although Konoha had sent the greatest number of teams into the second stage of the Chunin Exams, eight in total, only half a day had passed and four teams had already been disqualified!

What made their faces darken even further was that Kisame Hoshigaki's team had already obtained enough scrolls after eliminating two Konoha teams, yet they had no intention of heading for the finish line. Instead, they continued tracking down other teams within Death Rock Cave!

They clearly intended to eliminate everyone in the second stage!

"Don't look at me like that. Our Mist Shinobi assessment system is far more brutal than this..."

Noticing the hostile expressions of the Konoha shinobi in the room, Suikazan Fuguki chuckled and said in a deep voice, "Weaklings without strength have no right to become shinobi."

In Suikazan Fuguki's eyes, Konoha's assessment system was indeed far too soft. For Mist Shinobi to graduate from the academy, they had to kill their companions—out of two people, only one could survive. The Chunin Exams were likewise bloody and brutal from beginning to end, so every survivor was an elite!

"The Blood Mist Village's way of doing things..."

The leading Jonin from Hidden Cloud Village, who had remained silent until now, glanced at Suikazan Fuguki. A glint flashed through his eyes before he withdrew his gaze, folded his arms in front of him, and said, "That sort of thing won't frighten us Hidden Cloud Village shinobi."

"Then keep watching."

Suikazan Fuguki glanced at the Hidden Cloud Village Jonin and spoke calmly.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a full day and night had passed.

On the morning of the second day after the second stage of the Chunin Exams began, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just woken up when a shinobi appeared outside his room to report.

"Lord Hokage, something happened!"

"Hmm?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's drowsiness vanished instantly. A glint flashed through his eyes as he immediately rose, draped the Third Hokage's cloak over himself, and walked outside. "What happened?"

"It's news from the Chunin Exams..."

The Anbu shinobi followed beside Hiruzen Sarutobi and swiftly reported on the situation at the Chunin Exams. The report caused Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression to shift repeatedly.

After a day and night, six Konoha teams had already been eliminated!

Only the final two teams remained!

The shinobi from the other minor villages had also been almost entirely wiped out. Only four teams remained in the Chunin Exams arena: a Hidden Cloud Village team, a Kirigakure team, the Konoha team led by Uchiha Kyuta, and Feng Ye's one-man team!

"How were so many teams eliminated?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed. He vaguely formed a few guesses as he hurried toward the Chunin Exams arena and asked the Anbu beside him in a grave voice.

The Anbu shinobi's answer confirmed his suspicions.

The Kirigakure and Hidden Cloud Village shinobi had not intended to simply pass the second stage of the Chunin Exams. Even after obtaining enough scrolls, they had continued hunting down other teams everywhere!

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Hiruzen Sarutobi swiftly rushed toward the Chunin Exams arena. Before long, he arrived at the central watchtower and entered the monitoring room.

"Lord Hokage!"

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi enter, the many Konoha shinobi in the monitoring room immediately bowed to him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his gaze across the room before it landed on one person. "When did you get here, Orochimaru?"

Standing in the center of the monitoring room was none other than Orochimaru.

Whether Chunin or Jonin, the nearby Konoha shinobi all looked at Orochimaru with reverence. Suikazan Fuguki and the Hidden Cloud Village Jonin had also lost their swagger from yesterday, both looking at Orochimaru with considerable wariness.

"Just a little earlier than you, Sarutobi-sensei."

Orochimaru smiled faintly and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I heard that some particularly special genin appeared in these Chunin Exams, so I came to take a look..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked into the monitoring room and looked at the images on the monitors. "At a time like this, don't get any crooked ideas, Orochimaru."

As Orochimaru's teacher, he knew Orochimaru better than anyone.

Being interested in "special genin" meant that Orochimaru might try something underhanded. But this was absolutely not the time to make a move against Mist Shinobi or Cloud Ninja. Doing so would be tantamount to declaring war!

"Hehe... Understood, Sarutobi-sensei."

Orochimaru replied with a smile, but Suikazan Fuguki and the Hidden Cloud Village Jonin both felt a trace of pressure. Orochimaru's attitude made it impossible to tell what he was really thinking. They could only assume that without Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders, Orochimaru would not do anything.

After all, he was one of the most dangerous figures among all Konoha shinobi.