Mutation

On a dark and stormy night, with no one available to test his Mangekyo ability on, he couldn't very well use the diligently guarding members of the Anbu...

However, if the right eye doesn't work, I can try the left eye.

After observing the location of the hidden Anbu, Shuichi quietly looked up and glanced diagonally upwards.

Ten'yomikami!

With his Dojutsu, Shuichi's eyes focused on the Hokage Rock in front of him.

At the lips of the rock-headed statue, the air suddenly twisted eerily.

Then a piece of crystal-clear ice shard fell out.

After a short while, the spatial node miraculously extended an arm.

He made a [Y] gesture with his finger, shook it, and then immediately pulled it back, which looked a bit creepy.

"Quite an interesting ability," Shuichi thought to himself with a soft chuckle.

The "door" that your eyes lock onto is the exit of the spatial passage, while the entrance is your own body and everything you come into contact with.

Imagine throwing a Kunai, and at the instant of impact using your Mangekyo ability to focus on the enemy's side and create space.

The Kunai will disappear from your hand and be launched from the spatial node, easily hitting an unsuspecting enemy.

Shuichi assessed the exertion; it didn't seem to put too much strain on his body.

If you open a door and walk through it, your Dojutsu will be used up much more.

But given his physical abilities, he could basically roam freely without going blind, thanks to his own Mangekyo.

These two abilities are better suited for surprise attacks or supporting missions, and are rarely needed in actual combat.

After a brief practice session, Shuichi wasn't in a hurry to study it. He flashed back into the house to continue sleeping with his wife.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

In August, the sun shone brightly under a clear blue sky.

Konoha, near the edge of the Forest of Death

The place was bustling with activity, with countless villagers and ninjas walking and discussing Main Tournament upcoming Chunin Ninja Exams.

Inside the main hall, the three grandstands have become even more magnificent and imposing after the village's meticulous renovation, expansion, and transformation.

The three entrances below the stands were wide open, and all the spectators filed in, soon filling most of the stands and making the atmosphere even more heated.

On the top floor of the central grandstand, Shuichi, dressed in a red and white Hokage Robe and wearing a straw hat, sat on a stone bench, with only Haku standing behind him, quietly waiting for spectators from all over the world.

"It's been many years, and you're even more charming than before..."

Just then, a group of people walked in from the right.

A woman in a dark conical hat and blue skirt slowly approached, still sporting striking brown hair and blue eyes, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

It was precisely the Fifth Mizukage that Mei Terumi.

"I was busy with many things, so the congratulations from Kirigakure were a bit late when you became Hokage Position. Please forgive me," Mei Terumi said politely.

"Welcome, Mizukage!" Shuichi said politely in return, "The journey to the Land of Water is long and arduous; you must be very tired."

After the Chunin Ninja Exams, our two villages can discuss cooperation in detail. This is a rare opportunity, and Konoha will certainly treat you well.

"Respect is not as good as obedience."

Mei Terumi smiled serenely and elegantly, glanced down, and exclaimed in admiration:

"Of the 14 contestants, your village has a whopping 8. Your strength and foundation are truly astonishing!"

Shuichi skillfully engaged in mutual flattery with Mei Terumi:

"Not at all, not at all. Our team had far more participants than the other villages. In fact, proportionally speaking, it was just a mediocre result."

"It's your Kirigakure Genin who have surprised both Konoha and Sand Village with their performance..."

"..."

As the contestants gathered behind the chief examiner Shiranui Genma, the audience filled the entire venue, with only a few minutes left before the agreed start time.

At the very last moment, the Fourth Kazekage, with his impressive "entourage," finally arrived just in time.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, Mizukage..."

Rasa's voice was slightly hoarse. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"The village was busy with many things, and we also encountered a sandstorm along the way, which caused the delay. Hopefully, it didn't affect the exam's progress."

"Of course, coming from afar, some unexpected things are inevitable." Shuichi squinted and looked at Rasa intently.

Just like in the original story, the other person was wearing a thick black mask, with only their eyes showing, making them appear somewhat mysterious.

Shuichi, however, was certain that this was not Orochimaru in disguise.

His teacher's chakra, whether before or after reincarnation, could not be deceived.

However, this Rasa gave Shuichi strange sense of familiarity.

Without activating his Sharingan to see clearly, he casually turned his head away.

He began in a slightly excited yet solemn tone, "Distinguished guests! Thank you all for participating in the Chunin Exams held by Konoha!"

A clear and powerful voice echoed throughout the venue, "Now, fourteen contestants will compete in the official competition. Please enjoy the show!"

Click click...

Shiranui Genma bit down on Senbon, took a deep breath, and displayed the battle chart.

"You all probably already know the match list, and the rules are exactly the same as the qualifiers. So, the first round... Haruno Sakura vs. Dosu!"

"You two stay here. The rest of you, please go to the lounge to watch the game!"

In the arena, a girl with short pink hair and a strange man wrapped in bandages stand facing each other.

Dosu still only showed his left eye, with a broom-like cloak hanging down his back. Coupled with his hunchback and bow legs... his appearance alone was vastly different from Sakura's. It's unclear what the outcome would be if the two fought.

The audience was filled with anticipation.

"The match begins!"

Swoosh--

As soon as the examiner finished speaking, Dosu moved like a rabbit, flashing towards Sakura at high speed.

Unexpectedly, Sakura's actions were exactly the same.

The same unpredictable left-right swaying, at a speed no less than that of Dosu,

He's completely different from how he was in the qualifiers; it's like he's a different person.

"What? I'm actually falling behind!"

Dosu was extremely shocked. His killing move relied entirely on the sound waves generated by the porous armor on his right hand, making him a close-range attack ninja.

Facing Sakura, who is skilled in Ninjutsu, how can they fight if they can't get close? Should they just keep running away?

Just as he was struggling with this decision, Sakura gradually slowed down.

Maintaining high-speed movement is very physically demanding, so it's normal for a little girl not to be able to keep it up for long.

Without hesitation, Dosu accelerated to catch up, throwing a punch with his right hand.

The porous arm guard swept past Sakura with an invisible wave of energy. The punch missed, but the real killing move was the sound it emitted...

Call!

Sakura remained expressionless, dodging the punch without any apparent harm. Instead, she seized the opportunity to lunge forward and swiftly struck Dosu's right hand with her palm—crack!

Dosu reacted quickly, instinctively pulling his hand away to retreat, but his arm guard weapon was still struck to the edge by the opponent, and a small part of the sturdy iron tool instantly cracked.

"Hiss..."

Dosu jumped backward repeatedly, finally creating some distance and gaining a chance to catch his breath.

"Damn it, she must have tampered with her ears. My move has been exposed beforehand. What a nuisance!"

Looking at his right hand, he saw that not only was his armor damaged, but his forearm bones were also throbbing with pain, and the surface was red and swollen.

The girl's slap contained astonishing power; in close combat, he was at a complete disadvantage. What should he do...?

Sakura remained calm and composed after her successful attack, showing no signs of fatigue.

He ran towards Dosu in two strides, calmly forming Hand Seals as he moved: Water Release: Water Bullet!

She spat out a series of water balloons, each the size of a bamboo basket, which rained down on Dosu.

The ugly man from the Sound Ninja was immediately in a sorry state, dodging left and right in a close call.

With only one left, Sakura had even more control over it.

The water balloon skillfully tracked its opponent's movements and finally struck Dosu's knee with a "thud," causing him to lose his balance instantly.

"Oops!"

Call--

Sakura bent over and twisted her waist, her whip kick whistling through the air as it lashed out at Dosu's waist. He only had time to block with his left arm. Thud!

The two collided with a loud bang, sending Dosu flying more than ten meters through the air before his body slammed to the ground.

The fractured arm jolted back, sending a sharp, piercing pain through him. "Ugh..."

But his tragedy had only just begun. Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, Sakura leaped high into the air...

At midday, the sunlight casts shadows on the ground that initially appear small and then gradually increase in size.

The girl raised one leg above her head, and with the force of her own falling Gravity, slammed her heel down on Dosu with lightning speed— Heavenly Foot!

Boom--

"Ah!"

Dosu's eyes widened, and his scream of pain echoed throughout the arena.

The ground around his body completely cracked, sending debris flying and forming a large circular crater several meters in diameter.

This scene sent chills down the spines of many viewers; such a cute and delicate girl was incredibly violent in battle!

"Oh my god! What happened to Sakura?"

Inside the meeting room's lounge, Naruto trembled as he thought, "If I ever anger her, I'll probably get beaten to death."

Seeing Sakura land gracefully with a few backflips, Shiranui Genma immediately went to check on her in the pit.

Upon discovering that Dosu was barely clinging to life and needed immediate medical attention, otherwise his life would be in danger, it was immediately announced:

"The winner is Haruno Sakura!"

"Gaara and Rock Lee, the two fighters for the next round, please arrive as soon as possible..."

The first round of the competition was clean and efficient, featuring high-speed movement, powerful Taijutsu, and cool Ninjutsu demonstrations. The winner was also quite likable.

The pink-haired girl's victory looked like defeating a major villain, and the audience's atmosphere became more and more enthusiastic, quickly igniting a lively atmosphere with cheers and discussions.

Amidst many expectant gazes, the two contestants for the second round entered the venue one after the other.

In the middle stands, Shuichi, sitting in the main seat, chuckled and said to Rasa, "This boy named Gaara is the Lord Kazekage's child, isn't he?"

His strength is truly astonishing; even Jonin probably couldn't handle him. It seems our Konoha Ninja are in danger in this match."

Mei Terumi also cast Genin strange glance. She had heard that three promising genin from Kirigakure were killed by that child, and she really wanted to observe them closely.

Rasa turned his head slightly, seemingly stiff. "You flatter me, Gaara. Lord Hokage is certainly not as strong as you say, and he has a bad temper, which has caused your village quite a bit of trouble."

"Furthermore, his actions were indeed somewhat excessive, and I ask for your forgiveness Mizukage."

"If needed, we can provide some compensation after we Sunagakure."

Mei Terumi calmly replied, "That won't be necessary. It's perfectly normal for a ninja to die in battle because their skills are inferior. Our side certainly won't pursue the matter further."

"..."

When the shadows of the three villages clashed between light and darkness,

Off the court, Rock Lee looked at his opponent and felt something was off.

Gaara walked unsteadily to the other side, his movements as slow as those of an elderly person over sixty.

He covered his head with both hands, seemingly enduring unimaginable pain, and didn't even glance at Rock Lee.

"What's going on?" Rock Lee wondered.

The opponent had experienced this "headache" before, but now it has become a more severe version.

The simple-minded Rock Lee quickly put aside his emotions and said seriously:

"Please give me your guidance. You are very strong, but I have a reason not to lose. I will go all out from here on out!"

Gaara remained completely silent, not uttering a single word for a long while, until he looked up and was met with only a murderous glare in Rock Lee's eyes.

Even with his body covered in sand armor, his abnormality could not be concealed.

"Kill, kill... kill..."

Shiranui Genma frowned, and the surrounding air seemed to grow even heavier, filled with unease and agitation.

Even a casual observer could see that Gaara was acting strangely, but the Chunin Ninja Exams hadn't been interrupted, so he could only be slightly more vigilant before announcing, "The matches begin!"

Rock Lee took a deep breath, and his entire body blurred into a blur, disappearing from the spot. The dust that followed him swirled around him, and it seemed as if his figure could be seen everywhere in the vast venue...

Knowing Gaara's immense strength, he removed all his weights before the match, for this was a battle he couldn't afford to be careless in!

"We're about to go!"

Thump thump thump thump--

The audience stared wide-eyed; the second round was even more intense than the first.

The green figure clearly did not have a clone, yet it moved solely by its physical body, punching and kicking its opponent from all directions.

The Calabash Brother who stood still was equally amazing; the sand rose and fell like waves, constantly resisting powerful Taijutsu attacks.

The yellow sand scattered and then gathered again, always surrounding Gaara.

Despite his opponent's impenetrable defense, Rock Lee, running forward, smiled confidently.

"We've figured out how fast the sand is moving, and I... I'm about to push it to the limit, drink!"

With a low growl, Rock Lee suddenly increased his speed, his attack rhythm increasing several times over, and the sand defenses indeed began to lag behind.

In a flash, he seized the opportunity, leaped halfway, and kicked out with his calf— Leaf Great Whirlwind!

Bump!

Gaara was struck hard in the face, and his body flew several meters away.

When he raised his head with a ferocious expression, the cracked sand shell startled Rock Lee.

"He's completely unharmed! His entire body is covered in a layer of hard sand; my attacks had no effect whatsoever..."

"Ugh! Die! Die! Die!"

Gaara's mouth opened, drool involuntarily spilling out, and his hands waved wildly.

Wave after wave of sand surged toward Rock Lee, transforming into numerous large hands that kept grabbing and pulling.

"Great! Great! That's fantastic!" The audience, unaware of the fighters' unusual behavior, cheered enthusiastically, making the atmosphere even more heated.

Among the countless onlookers, several figures sat quietly, some even exchanging frequent glances...

"There's no other way, Teacher Might Guy!" Desperate, Rock Lee gritted his teeth. "I don't want to give up here!"

Boom... Chakra accelerated within Rock Lee's body, veins bulged in his hands and feet, and visible air currents swept away the sand and dust, even whipping up a small gust of wind. The Third Gate of Life —opened!

Call!

A green figure flashed by, and Gaara, who had been kicked, was sent flying again.

But Rock Lee's movements were even faster than Gaara's backward flight. His eyes were already rolling back as he rushed behind Gaara and delivered a powerful upward kick, successfully initiating the Reverse Lotus...

Splash--

Just then, Gaara's gourd dispersed, and all the sand in the sky and on the ground gathered around him, gradually turning into a giant sphere, instantly interrupting Rock Lee's attack!

"What's going on? Why would he use that move!" Baki thought in astonishment, cold sweat dripping down his forehead from the rest platform.

In his panic, Baki instinctively looked towards the central platform, but Rasa's figure remained motionless. Had something gone wrong?

The Nirvana Mansion Technique!

Several mysterious figures sitting in the audience simultaneously Hand Seals, causing a large number of white feathers to fall, instantly silencing much of the noise.

All the spectators who saw the feathers began to fall asleep, while the vigilant Konoha Jonin were jolted awake. "It's Genjutsu! Everyone, be careful of the enemy!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh--

Inside the stands, many strangely dressed individuals removed their outer garments, transforming into shadows and charging straight at the Konoha Ninja...

Whoosh! BOOM!

In the distance, several brilliant fireworks exploded simultaneously, like a warning to everyone, foreshadowing an eventful day.

Outside Konoha, large numbers of ninjas appeared in the forests from three directions, charging towards the Konoha walls in tight formation.

Just as they were about to leap into the village, a deluge of ninja tools rained down from above. "What?"

Puff puff puff...

Many of the reckless individuals, their bodies riddled with Kunai weapons), fell to the ground screaming in agony.

The remaining attackers looked up and saw a large number of figures wearing Konoha Forehead Protector standing on the city wall, looking at them with cold expressions.

"The Lord Hokage has ordered that all enemies who invaded the village today be annihilated," a young member of the Anbu said in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

Swish Swish Swish--

At almost the same time,

In the center of the stands, a Kunai flew to Shuichi's feet, and three Explosive Tag were rapidly burning, instantly igniting Kakkō, boom!

Amid the violent explosion, several figures dodged and retreated hastily.

When the smoke cleared, the epicenter of the explosion was deserted.

Only the ruined stone benches remained, charred black like coal.

"Are you alright, Mizukage?"

Despite the shock, Shiro's expression remained unchanged as he asked Mei Terumi behind him.

"I'm fine," Mei Terumi replied calmly. "Ice Release ninja? Aren't you going to protect the Hokage's safety?"

The two, along with two Mizukage guards, successfully avoided the explosion and are now located in a corner of the large building.

He pondered to himself, who on earth dared to attack Konoha so arrogantly?

"The Lord Hokage has already made arrangements; I will be in charge of protecting the VIPs today," Bai Chenjing said. "Besides, the Hokage of Konoha is the strongest person in the Shinobi World; I don't need to worry about him at all. He's more than capable of handling everything."

Swish!

Shuichi landed lightly at the highest point of the Heavenly Citadel, where the view was breathtakingly beautiful.

But some tiny ants quickly ruined this beautiful scene.

Swish, swish, swish, Ninja Technique· Four Violet Flames Formation!

A purple, transparent rectangular Barrier. Shuichi looked speechlessly at the attackers—it was none other than the familiar Sound Four. And then there was the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, standing before him...

"Teacher Orochimaru, huh?"

Shuichi eyebrow. "You gave me quite a surprise as soon as you returned to the village. If I'm not mistaken, this body should be... a dead person's."

"Heh heh heh, long time no see, Shuichi-kun! You're still as perceptive as ever."

Rasa threw off his straw hat, pulled back his mask, and revealed... it was still Rasa.

However, the cracks on its face clearly indicated that this was an Edo Tensei Body.

"So, all this commotion was your doing?" Shuichi's eyes swept around. "Given your personality, you wouldn't act recklessly. What's your purpose this time?"

"Hehe, don't misunderstand, my forces didn't send many people at all."

The voice of the Edo Tensei Body changed, and that hoarse, low tone stirred up Shuichi:

"Many people want to use a major event to achieve their own goals, and I'm no exception."

"After leaving the village, I have been researching and exploring, but some important secrets are still unclear."

In the Shinobi World, there are very few people I can't see through, and you are one of them. I hope this time I can achieve something, hehe."

"So this Barrier is pretty useless..." Shuichi said slowly.

"It's just about creating a space that won't disturb the outside world; after all, breaking it directly wouldn't do you any good."

Orochimaru calmly smiled and said, "Knowing you as I do, you'll definitely find a way to solve certain problems, and I can't wait to see it."

"Oh?"

Swish, swish, swish!

As soon as the two finished speaking, Mizukage and the other two, along with Bai, jumped to the edge of the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Also appearing were a team of Anbu members, the Hokage's Guardian Elephant Squad.

"Lord Hokage, the village alarm has been sounded in time, and all villagers have taken cover in an orderly manner," Elephant shouted. "Do you need backup?"

"... No need."

Shuichi's lips twitched. "Keep an eye on the movements in other directions, and go provide support if necessary. Leave this to me."

This guy rarely makes a move himself, does he think the strongest Hokage is made of paper?

Yin-Si-Xu-Chen, the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu!

Orochimaru's controlled Rasa Edo Tensei Body quickly Hand Seals, clasping his hands together.

A coffin rose from the ground and stood quietly before the crowd.

"One body?" Shuichi's expression was puzzling. Who was he looking down on?

Orochimaru might not fully grasp the extent of his own power, but he faced off against the Third Hokage, even bringing in the First Hokage and Second Hokage. Could it be Uchiha Madara involved?

Or perhaps an improved and enhanced version of the First Hokage?

Creak--

The coffin lid slowly opened and slammed to the ground with a loud thud.

A figure emerged from inside; the light was bright, and everyone quickly recognized the person's appearance.

This was a slightly thin middle-aged man, wearing a standard Konoha vest and carrying Katana; he appeared to be an agile individual.

He had short, neat purple hair, and his face... bore a striking resemblance to Shuichi!

"Dad???"

Shuichi's mind was flooded with images that were deeply hidden and almost completely forgotten.

Based on his appearance, it was quickly determined that this person was the original owner's father— Takeda Kenta!

Shuichi: "..."

Mei Terumi and her two Kirigakure guards. "..."

Xiang and Anbu: "..."

White. "..."