I'm Not Pretending Anymore

"Hey, is this hidden enough? If we climb any higher, we'll be at the treetops," Chushin said, a few blades of grass poking out from the gaps in the leaves above her head.

"It's hidden enough. I haven't detected any other teams around," Chino said, activating her Byakugan to scan their surroundings. Once she confirmed it was safe, she pushed Chushin's head back down.

"It's not just people who are dangerous here, but why aren't we going on the offensive?" Chushin flicked a centipede off her shoulder. The insects she had placed along the way had already sensed a lot of unfamiliar chakra. While she couldn't pinpoint their exact locations, she could determine a general area.

"We're far enough from that place. We can consider it, but we're one person short. Fighting three against two will still be difficult," Chino preferred to play it safe. Their chances would be much better once Zi Xu returned.

"But Chino, if I remember correctly, there are two from the Hyuga Clan in this exam. That Hinata girl... what are you planning to do?" Chushin knew Hinata's identity, of course. She was the heir to the Hyuga Clan's main family, essentially the little princess of Chino's clan.

"Opportunities like this are rare. Life and death are hard to predict in the Chunin Exams," Chushin said with a hint of malice. It was unclear if it was to get revenge for Chino having scared her with the talk of mother-child bugs, an incident that had greatly affected her, causing her to live in fear and rebuild her entire worldview.

"Cut it out. What's the point of killing just her? She doesn't know about the Caged Bird Curse Seal. Killing her would only enrage that old guy from the main family, and the most likely outcome would be a clash between the main and branch families. If you're going to kill someone, it shouldn't be someone as clueless as her," Chino was somewhat used to Chushin stirring up trouble. This little girl, who looked harmless on the surface, was actually quite cunning.

"Ah, Zi Xu's back already?" A small bug in Chushin's palm started to tickle her. She knew Zi Xu had arrived nearby.

Chino activated her Byakugan again. The surrounding obstacles vanished from her sight, and she could see Zi Xu directly beneath the tree.

Zi Xu was in great shape and felt happier than ever. It was unclear what he had discussed with Orochimaru. As for his body? Zi Xu had made it clear he wouldn't hand it over to Orochimaru; if he had the ability, he could snatch it himself. However, Zi Xu had recommended a few bodies to Orochimaru:

"Naruto Uzumaki and the Calabash Brothers. Those two have strong life forces. Go possess them, and I guarantee you'll live for a hundred years."

"If I absorb those two, I might die on the spot..."

"Let's go, let's go! Let's find a few teams to fight and finish this trial quickly. I have something important to tell you all afterward," Zi Xu said impatiently. He grabbed Chino and the others and jumped down, telling Chino to use her Byakugan to scout. He planned to take on any team they encountered.

Both Chushin and Chino noticed the shining light in Zi Xu's eyes, a brilliance he hadn't shown before.

"Zi Xu?" Chino asked tentatively. She had a premonition that what Zi Xu was about to say was important and was curious about what he had just experienced.

Zi Xu waved his hand, signaling her to talk later. After his conversation with Orochimaru, he had made a decision that went against his ancestors—no, he had made a very important decision.

He wasn't pretending anymore. He was laying his cards on the table and would now test his skills against ninjas of the same caliber.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Forest of Death, ninjas, including Anko, were examining several corpses.

"That's right. These bodies belong to several ninjas who entered the Forest of Death. It appears they were killed and their identities were used to enter the forest," a ninja with bandages on his nose reported to Anko after examining the bodies.

Anko's expression turned grim upon hearing this news. After seeing the wounds on the corpses, her eyes became increasingly dangerous. Recalling the long-tongued woman from before, she realized the gravity of the situation.

Anko touched her neck, the mark left by the teacher she had once revered. She quickly ordered the ninjas to notify the Hokage and the ANBU for backup, while she herself headed into the Forest of Death to intervene.

"Do as I say and hurry," Anko said before disappearing into the forest, her smiling expression completely gone, replaced by one of grim determination.

"This little guy has some interesting ideas. Cooperation... it's not impossible. But since I can't get his body for now, I'll have to take someone else's..." Orochimaru repaired his slightly cracked face and revealed a horrifying smile. His entire face melted like wax into a puddle. Perhaps finding it too troublesome, he simply tore off his entire face, having found a new target.

With Chino's Byakugan assisting them, Zi Xu and the others quickly found a team. However, these individuals were not from Konohagakure. Their headbands indicated they were from Amegakure. They were carrying umbrellas on a clear day, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

"It's you guys." Zi Xu didn't take advantage of the situation where the enemy was known and he was hidden. Instead, he charged straight at the three of them. Sometimes, strategies were only used when one lacked strength. If you had the power to overwhelm, why waste time? Let's smash them!

The three Amegakure ninjas were surprised to see the red-haired boy charging out from the shadows, thinking, What kind of idiot rushes in like this?

But the other side didn't waste any words. Judging by their age and height, they were clearly adults. The tall leader had one eye blinded by claw-like scars. He pulled out several umbrellas from behind him and threw them into the air. The umbrellas opened mid-air, and upon closer inspection, dense needles could be seen on the ribs of the umbrellas.

Under the one-eyed man's control, the umbrellas spun at high speed, scattering needles like fine rain around them, unleashing a powerful area-of-effect attack. The needles cut through the air, creating a strong wind. The combined attack of the three ninjas' needles poured down on Zi Xu like a waterfall.

"Rain of a Thousand Needles!" The leader grinned ferociously, confident that he would see how the red-haired boy in front of him dodged this onslaught.

"Die! Red-haired hedgehog! I was just short of a scroll, and you deliver yourself right to me, hahahahaha! You dare come alone? Is this what Konoha ninjas are like?" The man watched the massive cloud of dust generated by the needles hitting the ground, imagining Zi Xu being riddled with holes.

"Hey, kid..." As the smoke gradually dissipated, the imagined scene did not appear.

"Put more effort into it. This isn't even a scratch..." Zi Xu stomped through the dust, revealing the "needles" bent into a U-shape on the ground.

"What?"

"How is this possible!"

The Amegakure ninjas couldn't hide their shock, unable to believe that their proud Senbon attack couldn't even break through the enemy's defense.

Zi Xu seized the moment while the three were stunned by the sight and used Shunshin to appear behind one of the less vigilant Amegakure ninjas.

"Crack~" The sound of dislocated bones echoed as Zi Xu twisted one ninja's head clean off. His eyes, filled with unwillingness and hatred, stared fixedly at Zi Xu.

Zi Xu either didn't make enemies, or he killed all the enemies he made, eliminating them completely. How could he let these enemies, who had already remembered his face, leave?

The one-eyed leader only saw a blur before his eyes as his two companions had their necks snapped and fell to the ground with unresigned eyes, staring at Zi Xu with fear and confusion.

"I... I'll give you the scroll, don't... don't kill me!" The one-eyed leader frantically threw the scroll from his arms. At this moment, the scroll was like a hot potato to him.

'This kid looks quite honest, but he's ruthless. However, usually, kids his age can be tricked...'

The one-eyed leader's snot and tears mixed as he pleaded for his life in various ways, looking truly pitiful. There was no sign that this old guy was already plotting his revenge in his heart.

"..." Chino and Chushin arrived belatedly after Zi Xu had dealt with the two ninjas.

Chino felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing this scene. She didn't dislike killing, but she disdained the way this Amegakure ninja was begging for mercy. A ninja shouldn't be like this.

"What's wrong? Feeling soft-hearted, or is your saintly nature acting up?" Chushin playfully squeezed Chino's arm.

"Heh, as if," Chino replied coldly. Chushin had expected Chino to retort, so this answer left her somewhat unsatisfied.

Zi Xu didn't even glance at the leader, whether he was kneeling and begging or doing something else. He picked up the scroll thrown by the one-eyed man and left without looking back, seemingly intending to let him go.

Chino didn't understand why Zi Xu would let this guy go. It wasn't like Zi Xu's usual personality, but Chushin smiled knowingly, believing Zi Xu wouldn't disappoint her.

'Brat, you wait. The humiliation you've given me today will be repaid a hundredfold. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don't bully a young man just because he's poor. I'll make your life worse than death! The one-eyed man swore silently in his heart, but his expression became even more respectful, like a true sycophant.

"Thank you for your immense kindness! I will repay you handsomely in the future! In the future, I wish to serve you like a dog to show my gratitude..."

Zi Xu picked at his ear, as if just noticing the one-eyed man. He glanced at him and then looked away.

The man, seeing his chance to escape, was crawling away. Before he could even stand up and get far, he felt an invisible force crushing him from all sides. His internal organs shifted, his bones shattered into fragments that pierced his flesh. His plan for revenge was stillborn, nipped in the bud.

"So much nonsense," Zi Xu said. He had never intended to let this guy go. The only reason he hadn't killed him immediately was the fear that he might ally with other teams. He wanted to wait and see, but he hadn't caught any big fish. It was a waste of time, even having Chushin and the others on alert.

Zi Xu tossed the scroll in his hand, then threw it to Chino before stretching. His bones creaked loudly.

"Let's go, we'll keep looking for other teams. As long as we don't kill that old guy Hiruzen Sarutobi from the same village, he won't pursue us; he'll even encourage it. But killing him is fine too..." Zi Xu walked ahead. Chino, following behind, looked at his back and seemed to recall something.

"Zi Xu, do you still have that crowbar?"

"Yeah, just knowing is enough. Don't worry, we won't die here. At least not now."

Chushin's eyes sparkled brighter as she looked at Zi Xu. Chino felt as if the light in her eyes was bright enough to blind her Byakugan.

"I knew it!" Chushin exclaimed excitedly. She had become somewhat erratic after killing someone that night. It took her a long time to recover. The thing that had the biggest impact on her was the lightning that had turned the stone pillar to dust that night.

After witnessing her own weakness, she had desperately pursued greater power. When she heard Zi Xu admit he was the mysterious crowbar man, she wanted to ask him how she could become as strong as him.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, we'll talk about these things later. They're minor matters. After this exam, I need to discuss something important with you all. It's about our organization and will determine our future and the organization's direction," Zi Xu said mysteriously in a low voice, pushing Chushin's head away from his face.

"So, how did you escape that day? And the one who followed us was probably your clone, right? But why didn't even the Byakugan detect anything unusual? And..." Chino fired off her questions like a machine gun, as if she had accumulated enough power to unleash them all at once.

Zi Xu initially intended to answer, but the first question left him speechless. He recalled the [Buggy's Stinky Socks] still stored in his inventory and decided to skip the topic.

"It doesn't matter. Let's find other teams now! We can beat any team except those Calabash Brothers!" Zi Xu's ability to change the subject was poor, and he even had a jinxing ability.

"Zi Xu..." Chino poked Zi Xu's back with a strange expression, trying to suppress a laugh as she asked.

"What is it?" Zi Xu replied without looking back, confused.

"Is that a Calabash Brother too, red-haired with a character on his head? Are his two teammates a boy and a girl? Does the boy have something wrapped in bandages on his back? And the girl has a large fan?"

Hearing Chino's description, Zi Xu felt very pleased. It seemed Chino's observation skills were excellent, remembering so clearly after only meeting them a few times. Good job, you're doing great.

"Yes, you remember very clearly. That's just like you, reliable."

Chushin pointed next to Zi Xu. Not far away stood a group of people. The leader seemed to be carrying a large gourd on his back.

"Is there a possibility, just a possibility, not necessarily true, that those three people over there are the Calabash Brothers team?" Chushin was also trying to hold back her laughter, but finally couldn't, and burst out laughing.

"Hey... you, the girl with glasses over there, what are you laughing at? What's so funny?" The young man with purple paint on his face, carrying a human-shaped object on his back, pointed at Chushin irritably, his tone unfriendly.

"N-nothing, nothing. I just remembered something funny... Hahahaha..."