The Assessment Ends

Orochimaru's attacks slowed down!

Sawada Hiroki keenly realized that the frequency of Orochimaru's attacks had decreased, his speed had slowed, and he had stopped using new techniques altogether!

Sure enough, the next moment, the Orochimaru standing there ceased his assault.

"You have passed your assessment," he said in his signature, calm, raspy voice. "Come find me at the same time and place tomorrow."

Before his words had even faded, his figure vanished from the spot as silently as ink dissolving in water, as if he had never been there at all.

[Connection from "Orochimaru" has been severed.]

The alarm in Sawada Hiroki's mental space cut off abruptly. He let out a slight breath, his taut nerves finally relaxing. Once again... he had passed.

Meanwhile, on the playground of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

The Orochimaru who had been kindly questioning the students paused slightly.

The massive stream of information transmitted back before his Shadow Clone dissipated rushed into his brain like a bursting dam.

It was not a simple battle report, but a complete, first-person experience of the offense and defense.

He had "personally" felt how his genjutsu was intercepted, analyzed, and dismantled by an invisible barrier.

He couldn't even understand how the boy had done it!

That was genjutsu!

In the entire Konoha village, aside from the Uchiha who relied on their Sharingan, only this child was capable of such a level of genjutsu resistance!

Moreover, Orochimaru keenly sensed a difference.

The Uchiha clan's genjutsu resistance was more akin to: you cast it, and they resisted it!

It could be said that they simply endured it through sheer force.

But this child actually had a corresponding reaction from the very first moment, though it wasn't very obvious.

Afterward, he relied on inexplicable methods to try and dismantle his genjutsu step by step—more importantly, he did not use the standard Genjutsu: Release taught in Konoha, which relies on disrupting chakra flow.

Is this another piece of knowledge from an unknown source?

How many times has this happened now?

"Interesting..." A light never seen before flickered in Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils.

He thought of a forbidden technique of the Second Hokage.

Impure World Reincarnation.

This ninjutsu could pull the dead back from the underworld.

Does that mean that those who have already died could also be reincarnated, or perhaps possess the bodies of others?

Orochimaru smiled playfully.

This child's Kekkei Genkai might not be simple replication or mental resistance.

He might just be an outsider, an old monster who has possessed someone or been reincarnated.

Furthermore, Orochimaru's sharp insight soon led him to another key point, a trait that could become a fatal weakness.

From beginning to end, Sawada Hiroki seemed to be only defending passively.

He did not attempt to actively attack Orochimaru's Shadow Clone—but this did not align with the teachings of the Ninja Academy.

The Ninja Academy would never teach that when facing an assessment from a teacher or a powerful enemy, one should not attack but simply stand in place to respond.

This mindset was rare even throughout the entire ninja world.

Passive defense... a lack of tendency for active offense; Orochimaru had only seen this behavior in one type of person.

Those were the disciples of wealthy lords or high-ranking officials. Because they did not participate in the battlefield and were only responsible for spending money and internal affairs—and killing them had no impact on the war situation—their children were usually like this.

But Sawada Hiroki was an orphan!

How could an orphan possess a trait found only in wealthy families?

Orochimaru licked his lips, analyzing calmly in his mind.

Could it be that the opponent lacked offensive means?

Jiraiya's report clearly mentioned that Sawada Hiroki possessed a powerful genjutsu attack that required physical contact to trigger, capable of instantly dismantling a Shadow Clone.

That genjutsu attack even affected the main body after the Shadow Clone was dispelled.

So, the opponent did have the ability to counterattack.

Logically, at the moment he applied the pressure of his genjutsu, the opponent's most effective counterattack would have been to rush forward at all costs and attempt physical contact with his Shadow Clone.

After all, the opponent had a certain resistance to his genjutsu, and he hadn't attempted to attack with other methods.

Therefore, rushing up to counterattack would certainly have looked better in front of the examiner.

Yet, he did not.

From beginning to end, Sawada Hiroki stood his ground, calm and collected as he thought through how to counter the genjutsu. Every one of his actions revolved around "how to withstand the attack," and he never once actively sought out "how to counterattack."

This trait could hardly be considered a strength.

"Truly... cautious to a fault." A cold, sinister arc curled at the corners of Orochimaru's mouth.

Could this perhaps serve as an opportunity?

At the edge of the Forest of Death, Hiroki let out a long sigh, feeling fortunate to have survived yet another inexplicable assessment.

He turned his head, intending to say something to Kushina, only to find the girl looking at him with an incredibly complex expression.

But what emotion was in those eyes?

Hiroki couldn't quite put his finger on it.

What had happened?

Kushina felt as though her mind was still in a state of chaos.

One second, she was still reeling from Hiroki's sudden "confession" that had made her heart race, and the next, that terrifying green snake had crawled out of his mouth... Immediately after, before that bone-deep fear could even fully ferment, everything around them had abruptly returned to normal.

Teacher Orochimaru had vanished, and the assessment was over.

And Hiroki... he stood there, merely breathing slightly heavily, with not even a trace of exhaustion visible on his face.

It was as if she were the only one who had been hopelessly immersed in that genjutsu.

Once again.

It was always like this.

During the kidnapping incident by the Cloud Village, it was Hiroki who turned the tide.

During the assessment by Lord Jiraiya, it was Hiroki who delivered the decisive blow.

And this time, facing that terrifying, snake-like teacher, she had been played like a fool from start to finish, while Hiroki had once again solved every problem with effortless ease.

She... felt like nothing more than a dead last. A burden who could only follow behind him, unable to help with anything, and easily deceived by genjutsu.

A strong sense of powerlessness and resentment coiled tightly around her heart like vines.

Her dream of becoming Hokage felt so distant and ridiculous at this moment.

No!

She bit her lower lip hard, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

She couldn't go on like this! She didn't want to be the one who could only be protected anymore! She had to become stronger! Strong enough to stand side-by-side with him, instead of always hiding behind his back!

Suddenly, Kushina thought back to when she had first arrived in Konoha.

Back when she had just moved to Konoha and was isolated by the village children because of her red hair, hiding away to cry in secret.

An old grandmother with the same long red hair and a gentle, kind temperament had found her, stroked her head softly, and told her: "I am also of the Uzumaki Clan. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the village, you can come find me."

Grandma Mito!

A flame was rekindled in Kushina's eyes.

She remembered that Grandma Mito lived in that tall building that looked like a whirlpool.

She would go seek help; she would find her own path to becoming stronger!