The Third Round

Orochimaru had dealt with Raiga Kurosuki for no apparent reason, like a boulder dropped into a still lake.

After a brief silence, the atmosphere in the arena grew even more complicated.

There was shock, confusion, and a faint wariness of Konoha's unfathomable strength.

The next few fights weren't as swift and decisive as Orochimaru's, but each had its moments.

On the Kumogakure side, the tall ninja with half snow-white and half grass-green hair from earlier—named Blue B—showed astonishing strength.

His entire body was covered in crackling blue lightning. It was none other than Lightning Style Chakra Mode.

This was a powerful Nintaijutsu passed down through the Raikage's line. It greatly enhanced the user's speed, strength, and defense, and ordinary ninja could hardly withstand it.

His opponent was an Iwagakure Ninja. Though he fought back tenaciously, Blue B ultimately overwhelmed him with superior speed and strength.

"Lightning Style Chakra Mode..."

Orochimaru rubbed his chin, pondering.

He didn't seem to remember anyone named Blue B.

Still, there was no question about his strength.

Another fight that drew attention came from Iwagakure, in the Land of Earth.

A blond Iwa ninja boy suddenly formed Hand Seals mid-battle, unleashing a powerful explosion.

If Orochimaru wasn't mistaken, this was another Kekkei Genkai: Explosion Style, created by combining Earth Style and Fire Style.

Relying on the destructive power of Explosion Style, the Iwa ninja boy blasted his opponent right out of the arena.

Orochimaru watched in silence, recording all this information.

And so, the brutal second round of elimination matches slowly drew to a close amid exclamations and discussion.

"The second round of the selection exam is over!"

"A total of forty candidates passed!"

The Chief Examiner Jonin cleared her throat on the platform, and her voice once again carried across the arena.

The number drew another wave of disappointed sighs from those who had been eliminated.

Most of those who passed remained calm. They were the elites of their villages, after all, so passing was only natural.

"The third round will take place in one month. You'll be notified of the details in due course.

"Until then, take some time to rest and get yourselves in shape for the final matches!"

The Chief Examiner Jonin paused, then continued.

At this, Orochimaru nodded. The Third Hokage had told him about this in advance.

The third round would be different from this one. Rather than an exam, it was more like a martial exhibition open to the outside world.

Dignitaries and wealthy magnates from the Five Great Nations and even the surrounding small countries would be invited to attend.

For them, this was a rare chance to see the strength of the next generation of the great ninja villages with their own eyes.

After all, as clients, they all wanted to hire ninja who were stronger and more reliable.

Orochimaru listened, the faintest smile curling his lips.

He had to admit, his teacher was a shrewd old fox.

He had probably agreed to hold these Joint Chunin Exams with this very plan in mind.

As the host, Konoha had a natural head start.

The first round's written test, for instance, had directly given Konoha's ninja an edge with that Tobirama Code question.

Of the forty candidates who advanced, Konoha ninja occupied nearly half the spots.

When the important figures came to watch a month later and saw Konoha's overwhelming numerical advantage among the new generation of ninja, they would naturally understand which village was stronger. When they issued commissions in the future, Konoha would undoubtedly be their first choice.

That plan was working like a charm.

The month wasn't just for the candidates to prepare. It also gave the "important figures" time to travel.

At the same time, it was a precious window for the other four great ninja villages to carry out their various "activities."

In the past, Konoha was protected by a powerful barrier, and Anbu Ninja and the Uchiha-run Konoha Military Police Force patrolled its streets. Ordinary troublemakers couldn't easily slip inside.

But now, because of the Joint Chunin Exams, a flood of outsiders had poured into Konoha.

Merchants, visitors, support staff from other villages... a motley crowd.

Konoha's capacity to accommodate visitors and its security forces were being stretched to their limits.

Even the Uchiha-run Konoha Military Police Force had to set aside its usual pride and join forces with members of the Inuzuka Clan and the Hyuga Clan to patrol the village and keep the peace.

Even so, they were still stretched thin.

The spies from the various ninja villages, lurking beneath the surface, naturally wouldn't miss such a rare opportunity.

They each had different targets.

Take Sunagakure, for example.

They were practically drooling over the formula for Orochimaru's skincare products, which had become all the rage among wealthy women.

The desert was harsh, resources were scarce, and even basic food had to be imported. Sunagakure was poor.

To them, this business was an inexhaustible gold mine...

Iwagakure, in the Land of Earth, was different. Its medical standards were relatively poor, and even if it got its hands on the skincare formula, it would struggle to mass-produce the products anytime soon.

What concerned it more was how much Konoha's potential for war would grow after acquiring such a vast fortune.

For several days running, the lights in the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's office stayed on nearly all night.

The Anbu were seriously short-staffed, and potential threats kept springing up like mushrooms after rain. Lord Hokage was so swamped he could barely keep up, and he smoked several more cigarettes a day.

When Orochimaru was summoned, he found Hiruzen Sarutobi with heavy bags under his eyes, looking exhausted as he pored over a mountain of paperwork.

"Teacher, you don't look well."

Orochimaru spoke calmly.

"Orochimaru, you're just in time.

"You've seen the situation in the village. It's a complete mess."

"Those people are like sharks that have caught the scent of blood. Every one of them wants to tear a piece off Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his brush, rubbed his brow, and smiled wryly.

"It was to be expected... After all, the 'muscle' Konoha showed this time was quite impressive."

Orochimaru nodded slightly. It wasn't hard to understand. There were only so many commissions to go around. If you got more, everyone else got less.

After these Chunin Ninja Exams, Konoha's commissions would likely increase dramatically. The other ninja villages certainly wouldn't be pleased.

"Indeed... We've sent out all the Anbu, but we still can't guard against everything."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. This was the first time Konoha had hosted an event like this, and they had no experience.

He had oversimplified things...

"Teacher, simply trying to block them at every turn isn't the best approach. Sometimes it's better to divert the flow than to dam it up."

Orochimaru considered this for a moment before speaking.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head, interested.

"If they want to know, then let them learn some things they're 'allowed' to know."

"Rather than letting them stumble around like headless flies, possibly stumbling onto our true secrets, we should take the initiative and select some information to leak 'by accident.'"

"That way, we can satisfy some of their curiosity, draw their attention away from what really matters, and use the opportunity to convey the 'information' we want them to hear. A mixture of truth and lies will make them even more wary of us."

Orochimaru spoke thoughtfully.

"Excellent idea! Orochimaru, that approach of yours... brilliant!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Orochimaru's analysis, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Rather than defend passively, they could take the initiative and control the flow of information!

This would not only ease the strain on the Anbu but also let them use the spies to achieve their own goals.

"The details still need careful consideration.

"We'll need a thorough plan for which information to leak, whom to leak it to, and how."

Orochimaru added.

"Right. I'll put you in charge of helping the Anbu handle part of this."

Hiruzen Sarutobi made the decision at once, looking at Orochimaru with growing approval.

This student always managed to surprise him at crucial moments.

After helping Hiruzen Sarutobi deal with his urgent problem, Orochimaru began preparing for the third round in a month.

He had recorded the fighting styles and abilities of the opponents from the second round who were worth watching: Blue B from Kumogakure, the Iwagakure Explosion Style ninja, the red-haired kid from Sunagakure who controlled puppets, and the ninja who used Magnet Style.

Next, he would draw up strategies for each of them.

He had still been wondering how to find the right opportunity to show that old schemer, Shimura Danzō, his worth and strength, paving the way for future cooperation.

He hadn't expected the Joint Chunin Exams to come along just like that. It was as if a pillow had been delivered to someone who was sleepy.

The third round's exhibition would be a stage watched by everyone.

He had to win—and win spectacularly, in a way that would leave people in awe.

Like strength, fame could be a powerful weapon.

The more famous he became, the more leverage he would have in his future "gray-area dealings" with Danzō, and the safer he would be.

After all, even someone as unscrupulous as Danzō would think twice before secretly targeting a rising star hailed as Konoha's pride.

And so, as undercurrents swirled through Konoha, a month slipped quietly by.

The day of the third round had arrived...