And so, with the Five Great Ninja Villages' joint exams underway, Konoha grew lively as well.
The streets teemed with people, several times noisier than usual.
The cries of various vendors rose and fell, while the air was filled with the aroma of food and the sound of people chatting and laughing.
Orochimaru could even keenly sense several concealed gazes from the shadows periodically sweeping over the three of them.
If he guessed correctly, they were either Anbu from the village maintaining order or spies sent ahead by other villages to gather intelligence.
He wasn't surprised. After all, no faction would pass up an event of this magnitude.
Besides the shinobi from the various villages, many sharp-nosed merchants had also flocked to Konoha from all over.
They had set up temporary shops and filled them with an assortment of dazzling goods, clearly hoping to make a fortune off the Joint Chunin Exams.
For a time, the streets of Konoha took on the bustling air of a festival.
"Orochimaru, hurry up! Come on, stop dragging your feet!"
Just as Orochimaru was observing their surroundings, Tsunade's clear, slightly impatient voice rang out from nearby.
She had two bright red candy apples in her hands and was waving to him excitedly, a bit of syrup still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
Orochimaru walked over slowly, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Tsunade, you've been consuming far too much sugar lately."
"If you keep this up, you really will get fat."
"Besides, we didn't come out today just to sightsee."
"Our main goal is to investigate and gather as much information as possible about the participants from the other villages."
"These Chunin Exams are quite unusual in nature. The Third Hokage even gave us special instructions."
"They're bound to draw a large audience, including wealthy merchants and powerful nobles from various countries. They're all potential clients..."
"So this is also a great opportunity to show these important figures Konoha's strength and promote our village."
"Every village is sure to send the most elite Genin of this generation."
"And because they're all from the new generation, we know next to nothing about their strength or the characteristics of their techniques. That's what we need to focus on..."
Orochimaru shook his head as he watched Tsunade looking so satisfied, then spoke.
As Tsunade listened to Orochimaru's detailed analysis, the smile on her face gradually froze.
At the words "get fat" in particular, the vein at her temple began to throb uncontrollably.
"Enough already!"
Both embarrassed and furious, Tsunade shoved the candy apple she still held into the mouth of the still-rambling Orochimaru!
"Mmph!"
Then she gave a heavy snort and stormed off in a huff, leaving Orochimaru and Jiraiya staring at each other.
With his mouth full of sticky sweetness, Orochimaru looked momentarily stunned.
He'd been about to discuss the development of a "high-efficiency fat-burning and weight-loss potion for shinobi" with Tsunade in detail.
After all, judging from certain "sequels" he'd seen before he crossed over, even powerful shinobi couldn't escape middle-aged spread... It was definitely a promising market.
He shook his head lightly. In the spirit of not wasting food, he calmly and unhurriedly ate the candy apple.
Mm, not bad. A little too sweet, though.
Jiraiya stood to the side, watching the antics of those two, and shook his head helplessly.
Oh, well. He was used to it.
Just then, a commotion and argument broke out up ahead, shattering the brief peace on the street.
"Hey! You guys! Watch where you're going!"
"You're the ones who bumped into me first!"
"So what if you're Sand Ninja? This is Konoha!"
Tsunade's unmistakably booming voice stood out among the shouts.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, then hurried over.
Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at several shinobi in Sunagakure uniforms.
The Sand Ninja didn't look like any pushovers, either. They all wore hostile expressions, and one had already put his hand on his Ninja Tool Pouch, looking ready to fight.
Just as the Sand Ninja was about to draw his Kunai, Orochimaru appeared in front of Tsunade like a phantom.
"Clang!"
A faint metallic ring sounded.
The Sand Ninja's vision blurred. His wrist went numb, and the Kunai he'd half-drawn was clamped firmly between two fingers.
"This is Konoha's territory, Your Excellency. You've gone a bit too far, haven't you?"
Orochimaru's gaze was cold as he swept it over the Sand Ninja.
His voice was quiet, but it carried an invisible pressure.
Some shinobi from other villages who had gathered to watch were astonished and wary at the sight of Orochimaru's ghostlike speed and how easily he had subdued his opponent.
The Sand Ninja were cowed by his presence and found themselves in an awkward standoff.
Just as the atmosphere was growing tense—
"Stand down."
A slightly hoarse yet steady voice rang out.
A short boy with striking red hair stepped out of the crowd.
He wore a robe designed to protect against the wind and sand of Sunagakure...
The Sand Ninja who had been acting so aggressively immediately lowered their heads at the sight of him, like mice confronted by a cat, and respectfully stepped aside.
"My friend, I'm truly sorry."
"My subordinates were a little rash. Sorry for the trouble."
The red-haired boy walked up to Orochimaru and Tsunade, wearing an apologetic smile.
His gaze lingered on Orochimaru for a moment, and a trace of scrutiny flickered deep in his eyes.
Orochimaru studied him as well. Though he showed nothing on his face, he was surprised.
The red-haired boy was about the same age as him, but his appearance reminded Orochimaru of a renowned figure who would one day make a name for himself throughout the Ninja World—Sasori of the Red Sands.
However, judging by the timeline, Sasori was probably not even a cell yet.
Then who was this person before him...? Sasori's father?
"As long as you know! Keep your people in line next time!"
Seeing how sincerely the other boy had apologized, Tsunade wasn't unreasonable. She gave a heavy snort and curled her lip, but didn't press the matter further.
The Sand Ninja behind him looked ready to flare up again, but the red-haired boy stopped them and led them away.
With nothing more to see, the crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed...
Orochimaru, however, smiled meaningfully. He felt things were starting to get interesting.
At this point in time, most of the famous figures who would later make waves in the Ninja World had yet to be born,
but their parents—or the people who would influence them most—seemed to already be making their mark on the world of shinobi.
If that was the case, then these Joint Chunin Exams would probably be far more exciting than he'd originally expected...
Before you continue