Arrival of Various Parties

And so, with the Joint Chunin Exams approaching, Konoha became quite lively.

The streets were bustling with crowds, far more clamorous than on any ordinary day.

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 subtle gazes from the shadows sweeping over the three of them from time to time.

If he wasn't mistaken, these were either the village's Anbu maintaining order or spies sent ahead by other ninja villages to gather intelligence.

He was not surprised by this; after all, such a grand event was not something any faction would easily overlook.

In addition to ninjas from various villages, many sharp-nosed merchants had also flocked to Konoha from all over.

They set up temporary stalls filled with a dazzling array of goods, clearly hoping to take advantage of this Joint Chunin Exams opportunity to make a small fortune.

For a time, the streets of Konoha took on the prosperous appearance of a festival.

"Orochimaru, hurry up! Stop dawdling!"

Just as Orochimaru was observing his surroundings, Tsunade's crisp, slightly impatient voice came from not far away.

He saw her holding two bright red Candy Apples, waving at him gleefully, with a bit of sugar stain still on the corner of her mouth.

Orochimaru stepped forward slowly, his brows knitting together almost imperceptibly.

"Tsunade, your sugar intake has been seriously excessive lately."

"If you continue like this, you really will get fat."

"Besides, we didn't come out today just to sightsee."

"Our main goal is to investigate and collect as much intelligence as possible on the contestants from other ninja villages."

"This time, the nature of the Chunin Exams is very special; Master Third has also specifically instructed us."

"It will inevitably attract a large number of spectators, including wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials from various countries; these are all potential clients..."

"Therefore, this is also a great opportunity to show these big shots the strength of our Konoha and promote our own ninja village."

"Every village will certainly send the most elite genin of their generation."

"And precisely because they are the new generation, our intelligence regarding their strength and ninjutsu characteristics is almost zero; this is the key point we need to focus on..."

Orochimaru shook his head, looking at Tsunade's satisfied expression, and spoke up.

As Tsunade listened to Orochimaru's logical analysis, the smile on her face gradually froze.

Especially when she heard the words "get fat," the veins on her forehead throbbed uncontrollably.

"Nagging!"

Shame and anger flared in Tsunade, and she directly shoved the remaining Candy Apple in her hand into the mouth of the still-rambling Orochimaru!

"Mmph!"

Then, she let out a heavy huff, turned around, and stomped away, leaving Orochimaru and Jiraiya to stare at each other in confusion.

Orochimaru was left with a mouthful of cloying sweetness, his expression momentarily stunned.

He had been preparing to discuss the development plan for the next "Ninja-Specific High-Efficiency Fat-Burning Weight Loss Potion" with Tsunade in detail.

After all, judging by some of the "sequels" he had seen before he transmigrated, even powerful ninjas could hardly escape the fate of middle-aged weight gain... this was definitely a market with potential.

He shook his head slightly and, adhering to the principle of not wasting food, calmly ate the Candy Apple slowly.

Well, the taste was alright, just too sweet.

Jiraiya stood to the side, watching the interaction between these two oddballs, and shook his head helplessly.

Forget it, he was used to it.

Just then, a burst of noise and arguing suddenly came from not far ahead, breaking the temporary harmony of the street.

"Hey! You lot! Do you not have eyes when you walk?"

"You were the ones who bumped into me first!"

"Is being a Sand Ninja something to be proud of? This is Konoha!"

Tsunade's signature loud voice was mixed in, appearing particularly prominent.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged a look and immediately rushed over.

They saw Tsunade standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at a few ninjas wearing Sunagakure uniforms opposite her.

Those Sand Ninja did not seem like pushovers either; they all wore fierce expressions, and one of them had already placed his hand on the Ninja Tool Pouch at his waist, looking as if he were about to strike.

The moment that Sand Ninja was about to draw a Kunai, Orochimaru's figure appeared in front of Tsunade like a ghost.

"Clang!"

A slight sound of metal colliding rang out.

The Sand Ninja only felt a blur before his eyes and a numbness in his wrist; the Kunai he had only half-drawn was being steadily clamped between two fingers.

"This is Konoha's Earth Plate~ isn't your behavior a bit too much, sir?"

Orochimaru's eyes were cold as he swept a faint glance over those Sand Ninja.

The voice was not loud, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

The ninjas from other villages who had come to watch the spectacle were shocked and wary, their faces revealing their apprehension at Orochimaru's ghostly speed and the ease with which he had subdued his opponent.

Those few Sand Ninja were even more intimidated by Orochimaru's aura, finding themselves in a difficult position where they could neither advance nor retreat.

And just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate.

"All of you, stand down."

A slightly hoarse, yet steady and powerful voice rang out.

A young man of short stature with striking red hair emerged from the crowd.

He wore the robes that Sunagakure used to shield against the sandstorms...

The moment those few Sand Ninja, who had been so arrogant just a moment ago, saw him, they acted like mice seeing a cat, bowing their heads and respectfully stepping aside.

"My friend, I truly apologize."

"My subordinates were a bit reckless and caused you trouble."

The red-haired youth walked up to Orochimaru and Tsunade, a look of apologetic warmth on his face.

His gaze lingered on Orochimaru for a moment, a flicker of imperceptible scrutiny flashing deep within his eyes.

Orochimaru was also sizing up the other party; though he didn't show it on his face, he felt a touch of surprise inside.

This red-haired youth was about the same age as him, but his appearance reminded him of a figure who would become world-renowned in the future Ninja World—Sasori of the Red Sands.

However, based on the timeline, Sasori probably wasn't even a cell yet.

So, this person before him... was he Sasori's father?

"Glad you know it! Keep your people on a leash next time!"

Seeing the other party's sincere attitude, Tsunade, who was not an unreasonable person, gave a heavy huff and curled her lip, choosing not to pursue the matter further.

Hearing this, the Sand Ninja behind him wanted to lash out, but they were stopped by the red-haired youth, who then led them away.

Seeing that the show was over, the crowd of onlookers immediately dispersed...

Orochimaru, however, smiled meaningfully; he felt that things were starting to get interesting.

At this point in time, most of the famous characters who would dominate the future were not yet born.

But their fathers, or rather, the people who would influence them most deeply, seemed to have already begun to make a name for themselves on the stage of the Ninja World.

In that case, this Joint Chunin Exams would likely be far more spectacular than he had originally anticipated...