False Omnipotence, True Omnipotence

At the entrance to the Forest of Death for the Chunin Exams, the Genin who passed the first round were signing the release forms at the request of the proctor, Anko.

Sakura was a very content person who accepted things as they were. All she wanted was for Naruto to become Hokage and for Sasuke to be cool.

At the end of the written exam, the chief examiner, Ibiki Morino, presented the final question. If they chose to answer and got it wrong, they would remain a Genin forever. If they chose to give up, they would be disqualified but could participate in the next Chunin Exams.

To prevent Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage from becoming a pipe dream, Sakura prepared to take responsibility herself, risking being disliked, and raised her hand to give up.

The result was something everyone knew.

After Naruto's speech about his unwavering beliefs, Sakura's heart changed a little.

She thought, In the future, even if I'm not stronger than Naruto and Sasuke, I at least can't hold them back, right?

At this moment, Sakura was organizing her ninja tool pouch.

"Eat fewer Ration Pills, they'll affect your development."

Kakashi, who had specifically come to see her off, glanced at the contents of Sakura's ninja tool pouch and blurted out.

"...Is this considered harassment?"

Temari, who was nearby and heard Kakashi's comment, retorted.

"Teacher Kakashi, don't joke around."

Sakura paid no mind to Kakashi's words. After tidying her ninja tool pouch, she went to Anko to get a consent form and signed her name.

--Joking aside, how could something as common as Ration Pills have such a negative effect? If they really did, wouldn't all the female ninjas in the Ninja World be flat-chested?

Sakura thought to herself.

The second stage of the Chunin Exams, the battle for the Heaven and Earth scrolls in the Forest of Death, began.

Meanwhile, Shirozumi nodded to the people beside him and then took off, flying towards the sky above the Forest of Death, preparing to observe from above.

Orochimaru was very efficient. Not long after Naruto's team entered, Orochimaru found them.

Shirozumi watched from the sky.

The trees blocked his view, making it difficult to see clearly, but Shirozumi could sense everything that was happening.

Under Naruto's powerful Talk no Jutsu, Sasuke overcame his fear of death and began to counterattack Orochimaru, who was disguised as a Genin.

Orochimaru was beaten soundly, without losing a single drop of blood.

After this battle, Orochimaru was very satisfied with Sasuke, his intended vessel. He took a bite and gave him a Cursed Seal.

Sasuke fainted.

Immediately after, they encountered a Sound Ninja squad. Sakura cut her hair, grew up, and began protecting her teammates.

"Is this what you called the reincarnations of Asura and Indra? Then who is this girl?"

Konan's voice came from behind Shirozumi.

Shirozumi looked back. Besides Konan, Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi, whom Kurotsuchi had brought along, had also arrived. The two of them were still some distance away, slowly floating over.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching from below, saw everyone fly into the sky and felt a sense of relief for some reason.

When Shirozumi was alone in the sky earlier, he had felt a chilling unease.

~

"Don't underestimate her. In the future, her strength will surpass that of her two teammates."

"She's that strong?"

Konan was taken aback, then frowned. "Then why didn't you try to recruit her into the organization, or guide her? You're joking, right?"

"Not at all."

Shirozumi smiled and shook his head. "In the future, one of her teammates will lose their Tailed Beast, and the other will lose their Rinnegan, causing their strength to decline significantly..."

"If the gap in strength isn't too large at this point, then later, one will be sealed in another dimension, and the other will be half-dead, becoming a vegetable."

"..."

Konan was speechless.

So there was this kind of "surpassing strength"?

Not by becoming stronger oneself, but by others becoming weaker?

The false divine art [Omnipotence], swapping the identities of the secret crush and the best friend's secret crush.

The true divine art [Omnipotence], with a single sentence, "I think I've caught up to them," causing the fate of the entire World to begin to align with that statement.

"I'm not trying to mock her. It's already very difficult for a civilian ninja from Konoha to reach the strength she has at that time."

"It's just a pity that everyone in the future is immersed in a false peace. The threat of the Ōtsutsuki was concealed by her two teammates. By the time it can no longer be hidden, it will be too late for the entire Ninja World to develop or strive."

Shirozumi sighed.

Kurotsuchi and Mei Terumi, who were floating over, happened to hear these words.

They too had been informed of the Ōtsutsuki threat by Shirozumi before.

After hearing this, he didn't say anything, and his heart began to have ideas about improving his own strength.

Shirozumi introducing a new system to them, reducing the burden on the Kage, and developing the village, was not for them to simply enjoy.

"Hm? What is that..."

Kurotsuchi saw the black and silver... er, markings, that appeared on Sasuke's body after he woke up below.

"It's a Cursed Seal researched by Orochimaru, it's a form of utilizing Natural Energy."

"Natural Energy, isn't that Sage Art?"

"Something like that."

"..."

"His mental state doesn't seem very stable."

"Don't worry about it. If he's still obsessed with this power even after knowing the method to advance his Sharingan, then that person is finished."

While the few of them were chatting, Sasuke below had indeed suppressed the Cursed Seal back down with his willpower.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, after leaving the Cursed Seal on Sasuke, sensed Shirozumi and the others watching from the sky before leaving the Forest of Death.

Upon realizing they were the Mizukage and Tsuchikage who had questioned the "Silver Demon" of Konoha earlier, along with an unknown ninja, he paid them no mind.

Even if they had seen him summon the great snake, they wouldn't immediately associate it with him.

Therefore, the Konoha Collapse Plan could proceed as usual.

Orochimaru believed that even if he hadn't discussed it with the Mizukage and Tsuchikage beforehand, when he made his move and initiated the Konoha Collapse Plan, those two would likely not help Konoha.

"I can't watch anymore."

"Me neither, let's go down."

Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi watched for a while longer, then with dark expressions, they told Shirozumi they were leaving and descended.

Although their objective was to watch a "masterful duel," they couldn't help but see the rookies from their own villages.

After the written exam eliminated a large number, the remaining ones were still pitifully weak.

In fact, the intensity of this Konoha Chunin Exams was already beyond standard.

Setting aside Orochimaru, who was like a fish out of water, the Sound Ninja team he brought, and most crucially, Gaara, had pushed the exam's intensity to the maximum.

Being able to pass the Forest of Death already meant having at least Chunin-level strength.

However, what about the batch from Iwagakure and Kirigakure?

Their strength was inherently lacking; Iruka could easily defeat them.

Crucially, these individuals were not young.

Adults fighting children, only to be beaten soundly by them.

Some not only handed over their scrolls but even shamefully knelt and begged for mercy.

It was no wonder the two of them couldn't bear to watch.

Shirozumi also stopped watching.

He already knew the outcome; watching the process was only to see if Sasuke had changed after being influenced by him.

Shirozumi didn't fly back to say anything more to Hiruzen Sarutobi and returned directly to the streets of Konohagakure.

After walking for a while, Shirozumi saw numerous Hyuga clan emblems piled up at the entrance of a house.

A little girl with the Byakugan was running around the entrance.

"Why is no one here?"

Shirozumi looked around, still finding it hard to imagine that in Konoha, a child would chase after the Hyuga clan's young lady, calling her a "Byakugan Yaoguai."

If it were during the Chunin Exams period and ninja from other villages were present, then such an incident happening would be somewhat understandable.

"Who do you mean by no one, what do you want to do!"

A voice came from the mansion directly opposite Shirozumi.