Tsunade burst out of the shadows of the trees on the flank like a bolt of lightning, lunging straight for Hiruzen Sarutobi's seemingly unguarded back.
Her timing was perfect. She struck at the precise moment Hiruzen's attention was entirely focused on Jiraiya, who had been knocked unconscious.
Oh no...
By contrast, Orochimaru, hiding in the shadows on the other side, realized something was wrong.
Tsunade's attack was too rash, and she was leaving her openings far too obvious. It was clear she was trying to lure them into a trap.
Sure enough, sensing the gust of wind rushing toward him from behind, Hiruzen's lips curled into a knowing smile.
Just as Tsunade's fingertips were about to touch the hem of his clothes, he casually flicked his wrist. The two golden bells tied with red strings slipped from his hand and arced lightly toward an open patch on the other side of the training ground.
"Jingle, jingle..."
Instinctively, Tsunade's pupils contracted. Her gaze followed the golden flash before she could stop herself.
That mere thousandth of a second's hesitation was enough for her movements to falter fatally.
Oh no...
Tsunade realized what was happening, too.
She had been so preoccupied with the bells because the Third Hokage had said that if they couldn't get them, they would have to return to the Ninja Academy.
The next moment, Hiruzen moved. He brought his fingers together into a palm and struck toward Tsunade's face.
There was no time...
Tsunade's heart tightened. At such close range, there was no way she could manage an effective defense or dodge!
Was she going to meet the same fate as Jiraiya and be taken out with a single move?
But just then...
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several sharp whistles suddenly cut through the air!
A handful of gleaming metal Shuriken shot out from behind Hiruzen like snakes striking from their holes, attacking from an extremely tricky angle!
"Oh?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Hiruzen's eyes.
It wasn't just the timing and stealth of the attack that surprised him.
More astonishing was that it wasn't aimed at him. It was aimed at the bells he had thrown out as bait.
In the blink of an eye, Hiruzen calculated the Shuriken's trajectory. They would undoubtedly knock the two bells flying.
But... thinking they could get the bells just by doing that was far too optimistic...
Hiruzen made his decision at once. He abandoned his attempt to pin Tsunade down, spun around, and reached for the bells in midair.
But just as his fingertips were about to touch them, something unexpected happened!
The Shuriken flying toward the bells suddenly burst apart with a "poof" just before they hit!
Dense white smoke billowed out, engulfing the area where the bells were falling and the hand Hiruzen had reached out.
"Hmm?"
Hiruzen paused briefly, then understood. Had they disguised smoke bombs as Shuriken with the Transformation Technique?
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Without time to think, Hiruzen barked the words and blew a powerful gust from his mouth, instantly dispersing the smoke before him.
His vision cleared. He had the bells in his hand.
But Tsunade, who should have been within his reach, had vanished.
Hiruzen put the bells away and cast an intrigued glance toward the stand of trees where Orochimaru had been hiding.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru's first instinct to be rescuing his teammate rather than going for the bells.
That judgment, his quick action, and his unexpected use of tactics...
This child named Orochimaru was far more interesting than the reports had suggested.
Meanwhile...
Orochimaru pulled Tsunade into the grass at the edge of the training ground.
As soon as she steadied herself, her face burned with embarrassment and frustration.
Part of it was that she was embarrassed: she had never held hands with another boy before.
But she also clearly understood that without Orochimaru's timely rescue and clever use of the smoke for cover, she would probably have been eliminated by their teacher in a single move, just like Jiraiya.
"L-let go! Who asked you to interfere..."
Tsunade yanked her wrist free of his grasp. Her cheeks flushed, and she spoke somewhat awkwardly.
Even so, the arrogance in her voice was gone...
"Sorry. There's no way to get the bells from the teacher by fighting alone. I need your help."
Orochimaru didn't seem to mind. He let go, his voice still calm.
He watched Tsunade quietly and spoke slowly...
Elsewhere, Hiruzen had tied Jiraiya to a wooden post in the middle of the training ground.
"Let me go, Sensei! I can still fight! That was just an accident! Give me another chance!"
Jiraiya protested, kicking his legs wildly in the air.
"Just stay here for now..."
Hiruzen ignored him, merely brushing the dust from his hands before turning his gaze back toward the silent depths of the woods.
He was curious what these two very different kids would do next to challenge him.
Just then, something stirred in the woods.
Tsunade was the first to charge out again. She took a deep breath, Chakra faintly coating her fist, and attacked Hiruzen with a fierce, unstoppable momentum.
This time, she didn't rush in recklessly. She launched her attack steadily and methodically.
With Chakra amplifying her strength, every strike carried incredible force.
She was clearly using secret Taijutsu techniques passed down by the Senju Clan, showing the beginnings of the "Strength of a Hundred" she would wield in the future.
Had she calmed down?
Hiruzen smiled and blocked Tsunade's attacks with Taijutsu.
Tsunade's strength was indeed impressive, but her skill and experience were still far too immature compared to his, the "Professor of Ninjutsu."
But just then, a ghostlike figure appeared without a sound in Hiruzen's blind spot behind him.
It was Orochimaru!
Drawing on the master Assassin stealth experience he had gained through the Animus in the world of Assassin's Creed, he perfectly concealed his presence until he suddenly erupted into action at the very last moment!
Once again, he led with two Shuriken, sealing off Hiruzen's avenues of escape.
Then Chakra erupted beneath his feet. It wasn't an ordinary burst of speed. He concentrated his Chakra to an extreme degree and released it in an instant, propelling his body forward at a speed beyond its limits!
An application of the Body Flicker Technique?
Hiruzen was surprised once more.
This technique of accelerating with a burst of Chakra demanded excellent control. It was far beyond what an ordinary Genin could master.
Orochimaru came from a civilian family. In theory, he had no way to learn such secret or advanced techniques...
Did that mean he had figured it out on his own?
Despite his surprise, Hiruzen moved without hesitation.
He flipped his wrist, drew a Shuriken, and knocked the incoming Shuriken aside with a precise swing.
At the same time, he turned and drove a sweeping kick at Tsunade, forcing her back.
Then he turned to face Orochimaru, who was closing in at high speed, and engaged him in close combat.
But as they fought, Hiruzen sensed something was off.
Orochimaru's Taijutsu was forceful and steady, but his way of generating power was completely different from Konoha's mainstream styles!
Rather than relying solely on Chakra enhancement, he focused on the body's bones and muscles, coordinating them with Chakra to produce a short, exceptionally penetrating burst of force!
"Heh~"
Seeing Hiruzen's reaction, Orochimaru smiled. This Taijutsu didn't belong to this world.
It was Baji Quan from the world of The Outcast...
The longer Hiruzen fought, the more astonished he became.
In Konoha, and indeed throughout the entire Ninja World, every Taijutsu school—whether Strong Fist or Gentle Fist—centered on channeling Chakra to increase power.
The Eight Inner Gates, for example, and even the Chakra-burst acceleration technique Orochimaru had just used, both relied on releasing Chakra to gain explosive speed and strength.
But Orochimaru's fist techniques seemed to follow an entirely different path. They focused more on unlocking the body's natural potential, then supplementing it with Chakra...
Could a six-year-old really have come up with this on his own?
Hiruzen's gaze had shifted from his initial scrutiny to genuine shock.
Noticing Hiruzen's reaction, a crafty glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
That was exactly why he had deliberately used Baji Quan. He was sure the Third Hokage would be able to recognize the differences between the two worlds.
And he had been waiting for this moment—the instant the Third Hokage focused all his attention on him and left himself open!
This was a technique Magicians often used, called Misdirection...
The next moment, Orochimaru suddenly stepped back and slammed a smoke bomb against the ground. It burst with a "poof," swallowing the two of them in smoke.
Oh no!
Hiruzen realized he had made the same mistake Tsunade had.
Almost at the same time, Tsunade attacked again from the other side, sending several Shuriken whistling toward Hiruzen through the smoke in a triangular formation.
Faced with the sudden attack, Hiruzen merely shifted his body and easily dodged every Shuriken.
But as the Shuriken passed him, he noticed something unusual. One of them was clearly too heavy, and its whistling sound was off!
The instant the thought crossed his mind, the strange Shuriken flew past him and suddenly burst into a cloud of smoke with a "poof"!
As the smoke cleared, no Shuriken fragments appeared. Instead, a white-haired boy with a spiky head, scowling and baring his teeth, stood in its place—Jiraiya!
So that was it!
Hiruzen understood at once.
"Hehe! Sensei, take this!"
Jiraiya charged again with a grin. From this distance, he could reach the bells.
At the same time Jiraiya attacked, Orochimaru and Tsunade charged in as well.
They came from three different directions, subtly encircling Hiruzen in the center.
Watching the three kids charge from different directions with such determination, Hiruzen's face broke into a heartfelt smile.
The clever, connected strategy had begun with a feint and a rescue, then used smoke and the Transformation Technique in coordination, and finally brought them together for a combined attack... There was no doubt that Orochimaru, who knew how to draw Hiruzen's attention, had orchestrated it all.
He had astonishing talent and an incredible ability to learn, and he also knew how to make use of his teammates and work together...
Orochimaru was such an exceptional child that he was almost... a headache.
Still, if three newly graduated brats could take the bells from him just like that, what would become of the dignity of the Third Hokage?
Facing their ferocious combined attack, Hiruzen took a deep breath. His eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Bring it on!"
He shouted and surged forward rather than retreating from their encirclement.
His figure slipped like a ghost through the gaps in their attacks. His hands moved in a flurry—striking, blocking, redirecting, and guiding. Using only pure Taijutsu, he smoothly neutralized every one of their combined attacks.
When their first furious assault failed, the three didn't give up. They were about to regroup and charge again.
"That's enough."
Hiruzen suddenly stopped and spoke to them.
"Phew~"
Hearing that, Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had achieved his goal.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances, still not quite understanding what was going on.
"The test is over. All three of you... have passed."
Hiruzen smiled when he saw their expressions. He looked over the three tense children and announced...
Before you continue